The UK government has announced plans to distribute £4m (US$4.9m, €4.6m) in funding to galleries and culture centres across Britain.
Jointly funded through a partnership between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and the Wolfson Foundation, the grants will allow 39 institutions in England to increase access, improve displays and enhance public spaces.
Among the projects included, Manchester’s National Football Museum will receive £102,156 (US$126,000, €118,000) to extend its main galleries and create two new exhibition spaces, allowing the museum to put the Chris Unger History of Women’s Football Collection and its expanded football toys and games collection on public display for the first time.
The Weald and Downland Museum in Chichester receives the largest slice of the pie, with £224,500 (US$276,000, €259,000) going towards the reconstruction of two historic buildings dedicated to the production of food. The project, says the DCMS, will develop the museum’s educational programme and the accessibility of its collections.
The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A),
which last week appointed Labour MP Tristram Hunt as its new director, will receive £200,000 (US$246,000, €230,000) for the phase two renovation of its West Court and Central Gallery.
The Leicester Arts and Museum Service will gain also significant contribution to the refurbishment of its Ancient Egyptian Gallery, with a grant of £145,000 (US$178,000, €167,000) awarded to help increase family and school visitors.
“Our museums and galleries are among the best in the world and we should be rightly proud of these institutions,” said minister for digital and culture, Matt Hancock.
“We want people to be able to enjoy world-leading culture wherever they live and whatever their background. These grants will make an important contribution toward increasing access to their wonderful collections and improving the visitor experience at museums right across the country.
“I applaud the Wolfson Foundation’s generosity in matching the government’s investment pound for pound in this important work.”
