HAMPSTEAD  Theatre has received a vital £462,000 package of financial support as part of the government’s Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) released last Monday.

The CRF is a £1.57 billion support package for the UK’s culture and heritage sector and Hampstead Theatre was one of the organisations to receive investment from the first round of the programme on the 12th October.

Artistic director Roxana Silbert said: “We are relieved and extremely grateful to have been successful in our application to the Culture Recovery Fund. This support means that we can keep theatre alive and nourish our communities while we navigate our way through the pandemic.”

She added: “We now have the opportunity to offer employment to the highly skilled, freelance creative workforce who have been so deeply affected by the closure of our industry. They have our full support and we look forward to having them back as soon as possible.”

Hampstead Theatre is due to reopen for a limited period of time with Alice Hamilton’s 60th anniversary production of Harold Pinter’s iconic play, The Dumb Waiter from the November 18 to December 19.

The theatre hopes that The Dumb Waiter will be the first of many live productions it can offer the public during such unprecedented times whilst continuing to work strongly with young people.

Hampstead theatre had closed its building following the government advice on March 16 2020 but during lockdown was able to create #HampsteadTheatreAtHome, a free digital streaming service that attracted over 120,000 views from across the world.

The series included I and You By Laura Gunderson streamed on Instagram’s mobile video platform IGTV and in partnership with the Guardian, Wild by Mike Barlett, Wonderland by Beth Steel, Tiger Country by Nina Raine, Drawing the Line and #AIWW: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei by Howard Brenton.

Hampstead Theatre was one of 1,385 cultural and creative organisations across the country that received the received the very first round of grants of the CRF administered by Arts Council England.

Chair of Arts England Council, Sir Nicholas Serota said: “Theatres bring joy to people and life to our cities, towns and villages. This life-changing funding will save thousands of cultural spaces loved by local communities and international audiences.”

Further rounds of funding in the cultural and heritage sector are due to be announced over the coming weeks.