THIRTEEN individuals and organisations in Thurrock have shared more than £100,000 in grants from the Arts Council's Covid-19 emergency response fund.

The biggest single grant has been awarded to Grays-based Quest Music services while the Evewright Arts Foundation - which is commissioned to created a piece of artwork at the Port of Tilbury Cruise terminal - is the other big recipient.

Evewright Arts Foundation is a not-for-profit voluntary community organisation which 'seeks out, finds and preserves valuable untold stories from marginalised black communities'.

The project to be unveiled at the cruise terminal was featured on Thurrock Nub News last month.

Quest Music got £34,084, Evewright £32,129 and a third Thurrock organisation to benefit is the Temple Springs music centre in Grays, which received £9,980.

Ten unnamed individuals in the borough got between £2,350 and £3,000 each for projects including music, visual arts and dance.

In total the Arts Council has given out £64 million to 'alleviate the "immediate pressures" faced by artists, arts organisations, museums, and libraries over the summer.

A total of 13,606 individuals and organisations from across England applied and 10,000 candidates were successful and grants range from £125 to £40,000.

Recipients of the funding range from individual dancers and musicians to a London-based project aimed at documenting the stories of migrant women who came to the UK in the 1960s.

£50 million was given to 2,182 organisations around England, while £16 million was given to individuals.

£13.1 million funding was made to Black and minority ethnic individuals and Black and minority ethnic-led organisations. £8.5 million has been given to deaf or disabled individuals and disabled-led organisations.