Museums and galleries across England will be able to apply for a share of £4 million to improve exhibition spaces and increase accessibility, Arts Minister John Glen announced today.
The scheme – jointly funded by DCMS and the philanthropic Wolfson Foundation – is designed to improve the quality of displays, enhance exhibition spaces and increase access.
Since the partnership began in 2001, ten rounds of grants have helped fund 343 renovation and improvement projects at 107 museum groups and galleries. The 11th round is currently underway and is supporting an additional 39 museums.
John Glen, Arts Minister said:
This Fund is a wonderful example of how government and philanthropic organisations can work together to benefit our diverse museum sector.
These grants are an important boost to the sector, improving the visitor experience and making our world-leading collections open to as many people as possible.
Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation said:
This programme demonstrates how philanthropy and government can work fruitfully together in partnership and we are grateful to DCMS for matching our funding. The range and quality of collections in our museums and galleries is one of the great cultural assets of this country. The aim of the Fund is to create even better visitor experiences for those viewing these wonderful collections. These are projects that are often difficult to fund from other sources, and we are delighted to be continuing our investment.
Applications will be open in spring 2018, with an announcement of successful grants expected next December.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
About the Wolfson Foundation:
The Wolfson Foundation is an independent charity that supports and promotes excellence in the fields of science, health, education and the arts. All awards are given on the basis of expert review. Over £800 million (£1.7 billion in real terms) has been awarded to more than 10,000 projects throughout the UK.
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