THE LEADER of Leeds City Council has welcomed the announcement of a £1.57 billion ‘rescue package’ for the arts.

The Government announced the funding, to provide emergency support for the arts and heritage sector as it recovers from the lockdown, this week.

Councillor Judith Blake, who leads Leeds City Council, said: “I would like to thank everyone in the culture sector in Leeds who have been working hard to help get this deal over the line.

“Whilst I welcome this announcement we are awaiting the finer details to assess the type and level of funding that might be available to support our thriving arts and culture sectors that are being hit very hard by the challenge of the coronavirus.

“I know that many cultural organisations will not be able to take on additional loans as they won’t have a way of raising the additional income for repayment. We look forward to seeing what the criteria are for the grants.”