More than 70 cultural organisations across the country are to be given a financial boost by the government so they can improve people’s access to arts, support local economic growth through culture and safeguard vital local collections for future generations.
Beneficiaries of the Cultural Investment Fund, announced today by Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, include museums, cultural venues and public libraries across England.
They will share a pot of £58.8 million which will see arts venues transformed, upgraded and created as part of the government’s plans to make sure everyone, no matter where they live, can access the UK’s world-renowned culture.
Basildon Borough Council will receive £4.4 million to turn empty properties in the town centre into a creative facility for screen and immersive digital industries. The project will help support businesses and freelancers working in the film, TV, gaming, VFX and animation sectors, further demonstrating the government’s commitment to the creative industries as a priority growth sector.
Bradford, UK City of Culture 2025, will receive £4.9 million to redevelop the intercultural arts centre Kala Sangam and other cultural assets, to establish a network of local arts hubs and support the successful delivery of its year as the cultural capital and beyond.
The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent will receive £5 million to build a wrap-around extension to improve facilities and accessibility and support local education, health and wellbeing projects.
Arts Council England will deliver this fund on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture & Planning, Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, said: “We are really pleased to have secured this funding from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as part of a highly competitive bidding process, managed by Arts Council England (ACE) with support from Historic England.
“The funding for Wollaton Hall will enable repairs to take place to the roof, windows and timbers, guttering and drainage. This will ensure it is weathertight before carrying out restoration following earlier water damage to the Tudor kitchen walls and a fresco in the south stairwell. This work will start this spring and will be complete by 2026.
“The award from the Libraries Improvement Fund will help our libraries look more welcoming and inviting for our customers and improve the space available to support increased library activities and events.
“It will enable us to replace large staff desks in five of our libraries with smaller pods, buy a range of soft furnishings for public use in three libraries, replace the flooring in two libraries and extend our tablet loaning scheme to three more libraries, helping to reduce digital poverty in our more deprived communities.”
The share of the fund in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire is:
£124,355 to Nottingham City Council Library Service
£50,586 to Inspire Libraries (Nottinghamshire)
£469,992 to Wollaton Hall in Nottingham
£518,000 to Papplewick Pumping Station in Nottinghamshire
