17 cultural venues, museums, and libraries to receive funding boost that will improve access to arts and culture across the North West

17 cultural venues, local museums and libraries are set to benefit from a:- £16.9 million funding boost, helping to ensure that everyone can access arts and culture in the places they call home.

Venues ranging from the Lowry Centre Trust, the People's History Museum and St Helens Library will receive a much needed cash boost to help open up access to facilities, complete much needed building projects and upgrade technology on site.

In total, 130 organisations across the country are receiving a share of funding, marking the 1st projects receiving cash from the Government's Arts Everywhere Fund. As the cost of living continues to affect families across Britain, funding for these venues will help provide welcoming, affordable spaces for communities to visit, come together and celebrate what makes their local area special.

Earlier this year, the Culture Secretary:- committed up to:- £1.5 billion to the cultural sector over this parliament, with the Arts Everywhere Fund aiming to save more than 1,000 cherished arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England.

Today's £16.9 million for the North West which is administered and delivered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is made up of 3 funds:

The Creative Foundations Fund (cff) has allocated:- £11.5 million to 7 arts and cultural venues to help:- theatres, performing arts venues, galleries and grassroots music venues address urgent infrastructure needs across the North West. In this round, organisations such as:- The Lowry Centre Trust, in Salford, have been awarded:- £8.5 million to upgrade critical infrastructure. This funding will improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and secure the building's future. The project includes:- replacing escalators with new lifts, providing step free access to galleries and opening up more of the building. Visitors will benefit from improved access to galleries, theatres, family and conference spaces, along with enhanced:- café and retail facilities, creating a more inclusive and welcoming experience.

The Museum Estate and Development Fund (mend) has allocated a share of just under:- £5 million to support 7 local museums across the North West to undertake vital infrastructure works, and improve the visitor experience. In this round, organisations such as the People's History Museum in Manchester have been awarded:- £2,491,670, which will support urgent works to the building, including:- roof repairs and insulation to the listed building. This will ensure that the Museum can continue to provide communities across Greater Manchester and beyond access to its collections about our national democratic heritage. In total the fund has supported:- 150 local museums over the past 4 years.

The Libraries Improvement Fund (lif) has allocated a share of just under:- £483,000 to 3 library services across the North West to help upgrade buildings and technology to better meet the needs of local communities. The fund has already supported:- 95 projects across England over 5 years and this round will support organisations such as:- St Helens Library Service. The library service will receive:- £290,000 to transform the library space in:- The Gamble Building, into a modern and flexible facility at the heart of the building's wider restoration into a community hub. The refurbished library will provide access to:- books, digital resources, learning opportunities, cultural engagement and community support for all residents from across the growing and diverse population of St Helens.

Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy said:- "I want everyone, everywhere to feel a sense of pride about where they come from. Cultural organisations across the North West are important custodians of local identity and play a key role in the story we tell ourselves as a nation. Our Arts Everywhere Fund is delivering on our commitment to support cultural assets across the country, increasing access and preserving them for future generations. This is demonstrated by grants announced today that will benefit seventeen culture venues, museums, and library services across the North West. Arts and culture are the beating hearts of our communities, they have the power to unite us in the face of division and break down barriers to opportunity. We want to harness the power to help us build a brighter future for the people of the North West."

Rebecca Ball, Area Director, North, Arts Council England said:- "Our museums, libraries and arts organisations have the power to change lives, they give us access to new worlds, teach us about our heritage and give us new perspectives on life. I'm so pleased that we'll be supporting so many of our cultural organisations in the North with this capital investment, which will ensure that they can continue to deliver incredible arts and culture to their communities."

Other examples of funded projects include:-

• Liverpool & Merseyside Theatres Trust Ltd (CFF) has been awarded:- £999,999 to improve access equipment, to upgrade its facilities and to refurbish its bathrooms, back of house offices and dressing rooms. The investment will ensure that audiences can continue to enjoy shows at the theatre for years to come.
   

• Bramall Hall in Stockport (mend) has been awarded:- £1,000,000 via Stockport Museums to support the upgrade of critical infrastructure at the Grade I listed museum. The building is 1 of the best preserved timber framed manor houses in England, with a rare suite of 16 Century wall paintings and pendentive plaster ceiling, The award will safeguard Bramall Hall for the residents of Stockport and will ensure that future generations can continue to explore this nationally significant heritage site.
   

• Rochdale Borough Council (lif) has been awarded:- £140,000 to support the transformation of 3 of its libraries into community and cultural hubs. It will also support the purchase of flexible, modern library furniture to create welcoming and culturally enriching spaces for the local community, and the improvement of digital technology and printing facilities which will be accessible to residents outside of standard library opening times.

The next rounds of these funds will open for applications in the coming months. Further details on the:- Museum Estate and Development Fund, and the new:- Museum Transformation Programme, along with the:- Libraries Improvement Fund will be announced in due course.

What are your thoughts on this news topic? Email our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or send us a message on:- Mastodon, Facebook, or Twitter. Please do let us know as we love to hear your views....