archive 2005

111/05
11 August 2005                                                

Culture Minister announces £4 million funding boost for Museums

Forty museums and galleries throughout England are to benefit from grants totalling £4 million. Funded jointly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Wolfson Foundation, the grants will help improve the quality of museums' displays, public spaces, disabled access and environmental controls.

These grants mark the fourth year of the DCMS/Wolfson Foundation Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund, which has awarded £12 million to 65 different institutions around the country since it was set up in 2002.

Culture Minister David Lammy said:

"I much appreciate the Wolfson Foundation's sustained support for our joint museums and galleries improvement fund. This year, a record number of institutions across the country will be able to benefit from better exhibition spaces and improved access to collections.

Our museums are known throughout the world for their excellence, social relevance and educational benefit. They are exciting and vibrant centres to their communities, and draw visitors from all ages and walks of life. These grants will ensure that our museums and galleries continue to broaden their appeal whilst maintaining the highest standards of collection care."

Dr Victoria Harrison, Executive Secretary of the Wolfson Foundation said:

"The Trustees of the Wolfson Foundation were impressed by the range and quality of bids submitted to the Fund this year. We are delighted to continue our partnership with DCMS and to be able to help so many museums and galleries to enhance and renew their facilities and displays."
 

Notes to Editors

The DCMS/Wolfson Foundation Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund allocates funding for capital projects to national and regional museums and galleries. It was set up in 2002 and, this year, there is a total fund of £4 million.

More information on eligibility  can be found in the museums and galleries section of the dcms website .
http://www.culture.gov.uk/museums_and_galleries/wolfson_improvement_fund.htm

Invitations to apply for the 2005/06 funding round will be sent in late Nov/early Dec 2005.

Press Enquiries: 020 7211 6272
Out of hours telephone pager no: 07699 751153
Public Enquiries: 020 7211 6200

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A summary of the successful institutions and projects is given below:

Institution	Location	Project	Funding Awarded
Ashmolean Museum	Oxford	Collections management system	£65,200
Barber Institute of Fine Art	Birmingham	Improvement of lighting in the primary and education galleries	£50,000
Beamish, the North of England Open Air Museum	Stanley, Co Durham	Audio-visual access to historic buildings	£73,000
Bolton Museum & Art Gallery	Bolton	Art galleries refurbishment	£114,281
Bowes Museum	Barnard Castle, Co Durham	'The Silver Swan Experience'	£100,000
British Museum	London	Physical improvements to galleries 90-94	£150,000
Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust	Chatham, Kent	Access to No 3 Covered Slip and reserve large objects collection	£155,450
Colchester Museums – Colchester Castle	Colchester	Improvements to collection care and interpretation	£44,220
Coventry Transport Museum	Coventry	Landmarques/Blitz galleries	£150,000
Design Museum	London	Introducing physical access throughout the museum	£52,800
Hampshire County Museums Service – Fareham Museum	Fareham, Hampshire	'Access for All' - renovation and revitalisation of Fareham Community Museum	£100,000
Harris Museum & Art Gallery	Preston	Improving access, storage and interpretation of the Mrs French Scent Bottle Collection	£30,000
Herbert Art Gallery & Museum	Coventry	Peace and Reconciliation Gallery	£150,000
Horniman Museum	London	Improving access and display	£48,395

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Leicester City Museums Service	Leicester	Audio-guides	£20,000
London's Transport Museum	London	Refurbishment and improvement in access to the education suite	£150,000
Luton Museums Service – Stockwood Museum	Luton	Redisplay of Stockwood Museum stable block	£100,000
Manchester Museum	Manchester	Enabling access	£150,000
Museum of Costume	Bath	Structural and capital refit work	£100,000
Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester	Manchester	Redisplaying the Textile Gallery	£115,500
National Football Museum	Preston	'Sound, Vision and Light' - improving access and display	£40,000
National Maritime Museum	London	Provision of environmental controls at the Queen's House	£25,384
National Museum of Photography, Film & Television (NMSI)	Bradford	Gallery redevelopment	£200,000
National Museums Liverpool – Lady Lever Art Gallery	Liverpool	New entrance, reception and learning suite	£225,000
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service – Strangers Hall Museum	Norwich	'Mayors and Magnates: Bringing the 17th Century Alive' – redisplay project	£30,894
Nottingham City Council – Wollaton Hall	Nottingham	Refurbishment and redisplay	£220,000
Oxford University Museum of Natural History	Oxford	Gallery refurbishment and installation of new thematic insect and plant displays	£50,000
Institution	Location	Project	Funding Awarded
Pitt Rivers Museum	Oxford	'Making Good the Museum' - new display cases, orientation panels and seating	£70,125
Royal Armouries	Leeds	'Hands on History' project	£142,890
Royal Engineers Museum	Chatham, Kent	Museum gallery and education facility access and enlargement project	£20,000
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust	Sheffield	'What on Earth' gallery	£147,985
Sir John Soane's Museum	London	Study centre furniture	£50,000
Stoke-on-Trent Museums Service	Stoke-on-Trent	'Gateways to China' project – broadening access	£112,000
Tyne & Wear Museums – Shipley Art Gallery	Gateshead	'Designs for Life' - new decorative art gallery	£145,000
V&A Museum of Childhood	London	Creativity & Imagination Gallery	£155,000
Weald & Downland Open Air Museum	Chichester	Renewal of interpretative signs	£9,326
Wedgwood Museum Trust	Stoke-on-Trent	Improvements to environmental controls	£250,000
Whitworth Art Gallery	Manchester	Textile gallery redisplay and improvement of visitor welcome	£30,000
Wiltshire Heritage Museum	Devizes, Wiltshire	Upgrade of art gallery and lecture hall	£24,550
Wolverhampton Art Gallery	Wolverhampton	Collections learning resource centre	£133,000
			£4 million