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UK pledges major boost for the arts

The British government has pledged to invest nearly $2 billion in an effort to help struggling arts and cultural centers.

It's the biggest ever such investment for the sector, and it's hoped the funds will allow outdoor and socially distanced performances at venues -- hit hard by the coronavirus, like so many others.

It effects everything from London's glittering West End and opera houses to small local venues.

Culture Minister Oliver Dowden:

"And look, arts are at the absolute heart of our national life, whether it's your local theatre where you go to see the panto or part of the history of our nation from Shakespeare to Ed Sheeran. It's essential that we preserve that. We have already put a lot of support in for example through the job furloughing scheme, back deferral business rate relief."

It comes as the country slowly begins to reopen.

On Saturday (July 4), England took its biggest steps yet by reopening pubs, hairdressers, and restaurants, bolstered by the government cutting social distancing guidelines from 2 meters to a 1 meter minimum.

But it is unclear how that could be implemented in most cultural venues which rely on near-full capacity in order to make a profit.

One of London's most iconic venues, the Royal Albert Hall, warned last month that it would run out of cash by early 2021 as it lost income and refunded tickets.

The concert hall says the investment is, quote, "an absolute life saver for all of us."