Almost £130 million funding to be shared across 130 cultural venues in England

A funding boost of almost £130 million is set to be distributed across cultural venues, museums and libraries in England, the Government has announced.

The funding, from the Government’s Arts Everywhere Fund, will be shared among 130 venues across the country with the aim of helping to improve accessibility to arts and culture, and to provide welcoming and affordable spaces for local communities to visit.

It will be the first time that projects will benefit from the fund, which also aims to revitalise cultural infrastructure and to protect and preserve arts venues for present and future generations.

The £127.8 million boost will be administered and delivered by Arts Council England on Tuesday on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

It is made up of three funds including the Creative Foundations Fund (CFF), which has allocated £96 million to 74 arts and cultural venues across England to help theatres, performing arts venues, galleries and grassroots music venues address infrastructure needs.

The Lowry Centre Trust in Salford is one of the 74 organisations to benefit, having been awarded £8.5 million to go towards improving access to its galleries, theatres and its family and conference spaces, as well as upgrading its cafe and retail facilities.

Among those receiving the highest grants from the CFF are the Southbank Centre, which will receive £10 million, and the Royal Opera House which is expected to get £5 million.

The Museum Estate and Development Fund (Mend) has provided £25.5 million to 28 museums, which will allow them to undertake vital infrastructure works and improve their visitor experience.

Among the venues to benefit from the Mend funding is the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, which has been awarded £454,159 to safeguard key historic buildings to ensure they remain open for visitors while preserving the heritage of the region.

Other recipients include the London Transport Museum which expects to receive almost £1 million, and Bristol Museums which will receive £3,567,713.

The Libraries Improvement Fund (LIF) will also allocate £6.3 million to 28 libraries, with the aim of upgrading buildings and technology, to encourage increased visits from children and families.

It will support organisations such as Derbyshire Libraries, which has been given £440,000 to refurbish three of its sites and create more flexible and welcoming community spaces.

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.

“That’s why our Arts Everywhere Fund matters. We’re backing the places people care about most, with support for 130 venues across the country announced today.

“Arts and culture aren’t a luxury for a privileged few. They are for everyone, everywhere.

“They bring people together, open doors, and support our shared sense of belonging.

“That’s the role they can play as we build a stronger future for our country.”

Sir Nicholas Serota, Arts Council England chairman, said: “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.

“We look forward to seeing these cultural spaces flourish as they continue to provide access to excellent art and culture for everyone, everywhere, for many years to come.”

– The full list of recipients of the CFF is as follows: 

Southbank Centre – £10,000,000
Harrow Arts Centre – £630,014
Certain Blacks – £150,000
Autograph ABP – £499,950
The Lyric Theatre Hammersmith Limited – £534,227
Theatre Royal Stratford East – £1,750,000
St Margaret’s House   – £700,000
Create London, The White House, Dagenham – £500,000
Shoreditch Town Hall – £899,847
Kiln Theatre – £296,500
London Contemporary Dance (The Place) Limited – £660,000
Electric Ballroom CIC – £497,000
Rich Mix Cultural Foundation – £2,205,000
Royal Opera House – £5,000,000
VocalEyes – £102,254
English National Opera – £1,601,293
Northern Stage (Theatrical Productions) Ltd – £192,600
Queen’s Hall Arts – £393,068
36 Lime Street Ltd – £847,932
Baltic Flour Mills Visual Arts Trust – £3,649,800
Gateway Studio CIO, New Trinity – £400,000
Middlesbrough Council Cultural Services – £2,595,000
The Cluny Events (North East) CIC – £334,000
Theatre Porto – £139,000
esea contemporary – £359,100
The Lowry Centre Trust – £8,500,000
Liverpool & Merseyside Theatres Trust Ltd – £999,999
Blackburn with Darwen BC – £990,000
Skylight Circus Arts – £125,990
Octopus Collective Ltd, Barrow – £396,000
New Wolsey Theatre Company Ltd – £529,340
Palace Theatre Watford Limited – £999,896
Creative Arts East – £144,226
Stagetext – £183,356
Wysing Arts Centre – £195,000
Firstsite Ltd – £995,000
Britten Pears Arts – £1,954,825
Worthing Borough Council – £371,278
Brighton Dome & Festival Limited – £468,701
Watermill Theatre – £300,000
The Mill Arts Centre – £135,000
Kent County Council – £865,000
Portsmouth New Theatre Royal – £450,000
The Hexagon, Reading – £2,068,000
Turner Sims, Southampton – £350,000
Play to the Crowd, Theatre Royal Winchester – £398,000
TwoCan Inclusive Theatre Company – £283,169
Taunton Theatre Association Ltd – £527,083
Wiltshire Creative – £3,000,000
Friends of the Lyric CIC – £170,000
Newlyn Art Gallery Ltd – £726,599
Theatre Royal (Plymouth) Ltd – £8,356,000
Music Venue Properties – £999,000
Trinity Community Arts – £390,000
University of Leicester, Attenborough Arts Centre – £899,999
Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage, Leicester – £119,725
Northampton Theatres Trust – £538,000
Nottingham Playhouse – £285,574
North Kesteven District Council – £107,777
Stoke on Trent & North Staffordshire Theatre Trust – £295,308
Royal Shakespeare Company – £7,298,800
Paines Plough – £750,000
Birmingham Royal Ballet – £949,953
Birmingham Repertory Theatre – £3,047,229
Claybody Theatre – £150,000
Wolverhampton Arts Centre – £4,999,999
Hull Truck Theatre – £318,911
Barnsley Civic Enterprise Ltd Civic – £805,165
Kirklees Theatre Trust – £630,000
Yorkshire Dance Centre Trust – £750,000
Mind the Gap Studio – £100,000
Northern Ballet Limited – £522,500
Rotherham Theatres – £200,000
Scarborough Theatre Trust Ltd – £2,700,000

– The full list of recipients of the Mend fund is as follows:

London Transport Museum – £999,999
Museum of the Order of St John – £413,015
Hartlepool Borough Council – £2,458,641
Chesters Roman Fort – £476,566
Grundy Art Gallery – £357,000
People’s History Museum – £2,491,670
Port Sunlight Village Trust – £499,999
Lancaster City Museum – £94,056
Barmall Hall, Stockport Museums – £1,000,000
Greater Manchester Transport Society – £244,000
The Armitt Museum and Library – £238,098
Natural History Museum, Colchester – £499,477
Sheringham Museum – £456,170
Walmer Council – £3,080,000
The Brickworks Museum – £280,000
Whitchurch Silk Mill – £210,045
Brading Roman Villa – £80,707
Bristol Museums – £3,567,713
Boston Guildhall – £401,112
National Tramway Museum – £492,880
Creswell Crags – £184,705
Newstead Abbey, Nottingham – £1,550,747
Black Country Living Museum – £454,159
Compton Verney – £794,750
Burton Constable Hall – £242,000
Oakwell Hall, Kirklees – £1,638,724
Yorkshire Museum – £2,000,000
Ryedale Folk Museum – £350,676

– The full list of recipients of the LIF is as follows:

London Borough Havering – £499,000
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham – £300,000
London Borough of Ealing Libraries – £50,000
RBG – Sport, Leisure and Library Services, Greenwich Libraries – £121,755
Harrow Libraries – £110,000
Camden Council – £149,655
East Ham Co-Working and Study Space – £350,000
Suffolk County Council – £500,000
Cambridgeshire Community and Cultural Services – £150,000
Hartlepool Borough Council – £94,400
Northumberland Libraries – £491,022
Gateshead Council – Library Service – £71,794
Manchester City Council – £52,942
St Helens Council Library Service – £290,000
Rochdale Borough Council – £140,000
Surrey Libraries – £50,000
South Gloucestershire Council (Cultural Services) –  £167,639
Devon County Council – £200,000
Bristol City Council – £279,147
Derbyshire County Council – £440,000
Walsall Council – £170,000
City of Wolverhampton Council –  £270,000
Shropshire Libraries –  £299,000
Telford & Wrekin – £235,971
Sheffield Libraries – £87,000
North Lincolnshire Council – £265,560
Hull Culture and Leisure Library – £203,175
East Riding Libraries – £300,000