Stuart WoodCulture Secretary Oliver Dowden has announced the formation of the Cultural Renewal Taskforce – a group aimed at helping get the country’s recreation and leisure sector up and running.
Five new ministerial-led taskforces have been set up to develop blueprints for how and when closed businesses and venues can reopen safely. The taskforces follow the publication on 11 May of the UK government’s National Covid-19 Recovery Strategy.
Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), will be chairing the taskforce responsible for the recreation and leisure sectors. He will be joined by representatives from the world of culture, media and sport including England footballer Alex Scott and Arts Council England Chair Sir Nicholas Serota.
The goal of the taskforces are to ensure the development of secure Covid-19 guidelines, and develop creative solutions to drive the return of different sectors. They will provide key sector stakeholders direct access to ministers, aiming to align all relevant guidance into one place.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden commented: “We are determined to do all we can to help our sectors that are such an incredible part of British life in their recovery. The Taskforce is made up of some of the brightest and best from the cultural, sporting and tech worlds. As experts in their fields, they’ll be instrumental in identifying creative ways to get these sectors up and running again.”
The first meeting of the Cultural Renewal Taskforce will take place this Friday 22 May, and will meet on a weekly basis.
The work of the taskforce will be supported by eight working groups chaired by DCMS Ministers, which will include representatives from key sector bodies and organisations and focused on areas like sport, entertainment and events, museums and galleries, heritage, tourism and libraries.