A funding boost of almost £130 million is set to be distributed across cultural venues, museums and libraries in England, the Government has announced.
The funding, from the Government’s Arts Everywhere Fund, will be shared among 130 venues across the country with the aim of helping to improve accessibility to arts and culture, and to provide welcoming and affordable spaces for local communities to visit.
It will be the first time that projects will benefit from the fund, which also aims to revitalise cultural infrastructure and to protect and preserve arts venues for present and future generations.
The £127.8 million boost will be administered and delivered by Arts Council England on Tuesday on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
It is made up of three funds including the Creative Foundations Fund (CFF), which has allocated £96 million to 74 arts and cultural venues across England to help theatres, performing arts venues, galleries and grassroots music venues address infrastructure needs.
The Lowry Centre Trust in Salford is one of the 74 organisations to benefit, having been awarded £8.5 million to go towards improving access to its galleries, theatres and its family and conference spaces, as well as upgrading its cafe and retail facilities.
Among those receiving the highest grants from the CFF are the Southbank Centre, which will receive £10 million, and the Royal Opera House which is expected to get £5 million.
The Museum Estate and Development Fund (Mend) has provided £25.5 million to 28 museums, which will allow them to undertake vital infrastructure works and improve their visitor experience.
Among the venues to benefit from the Mend funding is the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, which has been awarded £454,159 to safeguard key historic buildings to ensure they remain open for visitors while preserving the heritage of the region.
Other recipients include the London Transport Museum which expects to receive almost £1 million, and Bristol Museums which will receive £3,567,713.
The Libraries Improvement Fund (LIF) will also allocate £6.3 million to 28 libraries, with the aim of upgrading buildings and technology, to encourage increased visits from children and families.
It will support organisations such as Derbyshire Libraries, which has been given £440,000 to refurbish three of its sites and create more flexible and welcoming community spaces.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “Across the country, people take real pride in where they come from.
“Our local arts, museums and libraries are a big part of that, telling our stories, reflecting who we are, and bringing communities together.
“That’s why our Arts Everywhere Fund matters. We’re backing the places people care about most, with support for 130 venues across the country announced today.
“Arts and culture aren’t a luxury for a privileged few. They are for everyone, everywhere.
“They bring people together, open doors, and support our shared sense of belonging.
“That’s the role they can play as we build a stronger future for our country.”
Sir Nicholas Serota, Arts Council England chairman, said: “Arts organisations, museums and libraries are the beating heart of our communities.
“After significant financial pressures in recent years, this vital investment will help organisations to secure futures where they thrive and not just survive.
“We look forward to seeing these cultural spaces flourish as they continue to provide access to excellent art and culture for everyone, everywhere, for many years to come.”
– The full list of recipients of the CFF is as follows:
Southbank Centre – £10,000,000Harrow Arts Centre – £630,014Certain Blacks – £150,000Autograph ABP – £499,950The Lyric Theatre Hammersmith Limited – £534,227Theatre Royal Stratford East – £1,750,000St Margaret’s House – £700,000Create London, The White House, Dagenham – £500,000Shoreditch Town Hall – £899,847Kiln Theatre – £296,500London Contemporary Dance (The Place) Limited – £660,000Electric Ballroom CIC – £497,000Rich Mix Cultural Foundation – £2,205,000Royal Opera House – £5,000,000VocalEyes – £102,254English National Opera – £1,601,293Northern Stage (Theatrical Productions) Ltd – £192,600Queen’s Hall Arts – £393,06836 Lime Street Ltd – £847,932Baltic Flour Mills Visual Arts Trust – £3,649,800Gateway Studio CIO, New Trinity – £400,000Middlesbrough Council Cultural Services – £2,595,000The Cluny Events (North East) CIC – £334,000Theatre Porto – £139,000esea contemporary – £359,100The Lowry Centre Trust – £8,500,000Liverpool & Merseyside Theatres Trust Ltd – £999,999Blackburn with Darwen BC – £990,000Skylight Circus Arts – £125,990Octopus Collective Ltd, Barrow – £396,000New Wolsey Theatre Company Ltd – £529,340Palace Theatre Watford Limited – £999,896Creative Arts East – £144,226Stagetext – £183,356Wysing Arts Centre – £195,000Firstsite Ltd – £995,000Britten Pears Arts – £1,954,825Worthing Borough Council – £371,278Brighton Dome & Festival Limited – £468,701Watermill Theatre – £300,000The Mill Arts Centre – £135,000Kent County Council – £865,000Portsmouth New Theatre Royal – £450,000The Hexagon, Reading – £2,068,000Turner Sims, Southampton – £350,000Play to the Crowd, Theatre Royal Winchester – £398,000TwoCan Inclusive Theatre Company – £283,169Taunton Theatre Association Ltd – £527,083Wiltshire Creative – £3,000,000Friends of the Lyric CIC – £170,000Newlyn Art Gallery Ltd – £726,599Theatre Royal (Plymouth) Ltd – £8,356,000Music Venue Properties – £999,000Trinity Community Arts – £390,000University of Leicester, Attenborough Arts Centre – £899,999Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage, Leicester – £119,725Northampton Theatres Trust – £538,000Nottingham Playhouse – £285,574North Kesteven District Council – £107,777Stoke on Trent & North Staffordshire Theatre Trust – £295,308Royal Shakespeare Company – £7,298,800Paines Plough – £750,000Birmingham Royal Ballet – £949,953Birmingham Repertory Theatre – £3,047,229Claybody Theatre – £150,000Wolverhampton Arts Centre – £4,999,999Hull Truck Theatre – £318,911Barnsley Civic Enterprise Ltd Civic – £805,165Kirklees Theatre Trust – £630,000Yorkshire Dance Centre Trust – £750,000Mind the Gap Studio – £100,000Northern Ballet Limited – £522,500Rotherham Theatres – £200,000Scarborough Theatre Trust Ltd – £2,700,000
– The full list of recipients of the Mend fund is as follows:London Transport Museum – £999,999Museum of the Order of St John – £413,015Hartlepool Borough Council – £2,458,641Chesters Roman Fort – £476,566Grundy Art Gallery – £357,000People’s History Museum – £2,491,670Port Sunlight Village Trust – £499,999Lancaster City Museum – £94,056Barmall Hall, Stockport Museums – £1,000,000Greater Manchester Transport Society – £244,000The Armitt Museum and Library – £238,098Natural History Museum, Colchester – £499,477Sheringham Museum – £456,170Walmer Council – £3,080,000The Brickworks Museum – £280,000Whitchurch Silk Mill – £210,045Brading Roman Villa – £80,707Bristol Museums – £3,567,713Boston Guildhall – £401,112National Tramway Museum – £492,880Creswell Crags – £184,705Newstead Abbey, Nottingham – £1,550,747Black Country Living Museum – £454,159Compton Verney – £794,750Burton Constable Hall – £242,000Oakwell Hall, Kirklees – £1,638,724Yorkshire Museum – £2,000,000Ryedale Folk Museum – £350,676
– The full list of recipients of the LIF is as follows:London Borough Havering – £499,000London Borough of Barking and Dagenham – £300,000London Borough of Ealing Libraries – £50,000RBG – Sport, Leisure and Library Services, Greenwich Libraries – £121,755Harrow Libraries – £110,000Camden Council – £149,655East Ham Co-Working and Study Space – £350,000Suffolk County Council – £500,000Cambridgeshire Community and Cultural Services – £150,000Hartlepool Borough Council – £94,400Northumberland Libraries – £491,022Gateshead Council – Library Service – £71,794Manchester City Council – £52,942St Helens Council Library Service – £290,000Rochdale Borough Council – £140,000Surrey Libraries – £50,000South Gloucestershire Council (Cultural Services) – £167,639Devon County Council – £200,000Bristol City Council – £279,147Derbyshire County Council – £440,000Walsall Council – £170,000City of Wolverhampton Council – £270,000Shropshire Libraries – £299,000Telford & Wrekin – £235,971Sheffield Libraries – £87,000North Lincolnshire Council – £265,560Hull Culture and Leisure Library – £203,175East Riding Libraries – £300,000
