More than 100 cultural venues, museums, and libraries across England will share £130 million in new funding, marking the largest cash injection into the arts in a decade, ministers have announced. The investment is part of the Arts Everywhere Fund, a £1.5 billion package to support cultural infrastructure projects over the current parliament, announced earlier this year by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. The fund aims to save over 1,000 arts venues, museums, libraries, and heritage buildings across England.
Venues including the Lowry Centre in Salford, the Hexagon in Reading, and the Royal Shakespeare Company in Warwickshire will receive funding to improve access, complete building projects, and upgrade technology. The money, administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is divided into three funds: the Creative Foundations Fund (£96 million to 74 arts and cultural venues), the Museum Estate and Development Fund (£25.5 million to 28 museums), and the Libraries Improvement Fund (£6.3 million to 28 library services).
Specific grants include £8.5 million for the Lowry Centre Trust to replace escalators with lifts and provide step-free access; £468,701 for Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival to modernise the concert hall; £1.75 million for Theatre Royal Stratford East for building upgrades; £454,159 for the Black Country Living Museum to safeguard historic buildings; and £1.55 million for Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire for roof and drainage repairs. Among libraries, Derbyshire Libraries will use £440,000 to refurbish three sites, and Henleaze Library in Bristol will receive £279,147 for a new front extension and digital upgrades.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “Across the country, people take real pride in where they come from. Our local arts, museums and libraries are a big part of that, telling our stories, reflecting who we are, and bringing communities together. Arts and culture aren’t a luxury for a privileged few. They are for everyone, everywhere.” Arts Council England chair Nicholas Serota added: “Arts organisations, museums and libraries are the beating heart of our communities. After significant financial pressures in recent years, this vital investment will help organisations to secure futures where they thrive and not just survive.”
The funding package is primarily designed to repair the UK’s creaking cultural infrastructure, following a 30% cut to Arts Council England funding in 2010 and a previously announced £270 million investment.
