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.

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.

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