One funding source that appears under threat in England from the new coalition government is Regional Development Agency (RDA) support.
The government has unveiled plans to replace RDAs with Local Enterprise Partnerships, which will be bring together local authorities and business bodies. However, these will take the form of the existing RDAs in areas where they are popular.
RDAs have helped fund recent capital projects such as the £26m Great North Museum in Newcastle and the £20m Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has been especially supportive of museums, contributing to the £12.5m redevelopment of the People’s History Museum in Manchester and the £72m Museum of Liverpool, to be unveiled in 2011.
The NWDA has also financed three temporary exhibitions at Tate Liverpool with £880,000 of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) money. Tate Liverpool director Christoph Grunenberg said such exhibitions would not be possible without support from the ERDF and the RDA.
NWDA cash has also supported the Manchester Museums Consortium, a group of eight museums and galleries that are promoting a two-year programme of exhibitions and events.
Other RDAs to have backed temporary shows include Advantage West Midlands, which provided £190,000 for exhibitions that formed part of last year’s Celebration of Imagination festival.
The future of the eight RDAs is unclear but their role, and ability to fund museums and galleries, is likely to be much reduced.
Simon Stephens
The government has unveiled plans to replace RDAs with Local Enterprise Partnerships, which will be bring together local authorities and business bodies. However, these will take the form of the existing RDAs in areas where they are popular.
RDAs have helped fund recent capital projects such as the £26m Great North Museum in Newcastle and the £20m Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has been especially supportive of museums, contributing to the £12.5m redevelopment of the People’s History Museum in Manchester and the £72m Museum of Liverpool, to be unveiled in 2011.
The NWDA has also financed three temporary exhibitions at Tate Liverpool with £880,000 of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) money. Tate Liverpool director Christoph Grunenberg said such exhibitions would not be possible without support from the ERDF and the RDA.
NWDA cash has also supported the Manchester Museums Consortium, a group of eight museums and galleries that are promoting a two-year programme of exhibitions and events.
Other RDAs to have backed temporary shows include Advantage West Midlands, which provided £190,000 for exhibitions that formed part of last year’s Celebration of Imagination festival.
The future of the eight RDAs is unclear but their role, and ability to fund museums and galleries, is likely to be much reduced.
Simon Stephens
