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
top
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 |
top
|
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 |
|
|
|
|
| top
|
 |