Press Releases

5 August 2002

The Race Is On To Put Culture Online

Cultural, educational and IT organisations and companies are being sought to help deliver Culture Online – the Government’s vision to bring arts and culture into classrooms and homes using digital technology.

Expressions of interest are currently being invited by the DCMS from organisations, companies and consortia to produce and deliver elements of the programme. The department currently has £13 million available to fund around 20 to 30 targeted projects over the next two years.

Culture Online will use digital technologies to increase and deepen access to, and participation in, the arts and culture. It will link into Curriculum Online and the National Grid for Learning, both run by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

Online projects might include, but would not be limited to, the resources of museums, galleries and heritage sites, archives of written, broadcast and film materials, the performing arts, oral history and community projects. Those that involve partnerships across organisations and sectors would be particularly welcomed.

Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said:
“ Culture Online will prove a powerful learning asset offering children and adults new insights into our wonderful cultural heritage. Projects should be innovative and demonstrate the creative use of new technologies. Most importantly, they should enable users to participate in new and exciting ways, perhaps by creating their own content or getting involved in real as well as virtual activities.”

Notes for Editors

1. Expressions of interest need to be made by 30 August 2002. Further details are on the Culture Online website www.cultureonline.gov.uk.

2. The project was allocated £13 million funding for 2002-04. See DCMS press notice 118/02 of 20 June 2002.

3. Culture Online is an integral part of the DCMS e-business strategy, which in itself is a response to the Government’s commitment to the UK Online programme. This programme aims to ensure everyone who wants it has access to the Internet by 2005 and that all Government services are online by that date and to make Britain one of the leading knowledge economies.