Arts Council England (ACE) has announced the 87 organisations that will receive £17.8m through the second round of the Renaissance Strategic Support Fund.
The awards are for projects commencing in April 2013, and for activity up to 31 March 2014. The arts council has also supported a number of awards for activity across 2013/14 and 2014/15.
Recipients include the Geffrye Museum in London, which will receive £790,000 over two years to help establish its new gallery and develop collections, learning and outreach programmes; Portsmouth Museums, which will receive £90,000 to establish outreach work around its D-Day Museum; and Ryedale Folk Museum in Yorkshire, which will receive £123,085 to tour its newly acquired Harrison Collection of English everyday life.
Alan Davey, ACE chief executive, said: "Our investment of almost £18m in smaller to medium-sized museums is testament to our belief in the strength and potential of the museums sector in this country. These projects will really help these museums to grow their appeal and to become more sustainable.
"And we want to build on this ambition next year. When the new application process opens in the autumn, we hope to see really exciting applications that will help transform the way visitors of all ages experience museums."
Matthew Tanner, vice chairman of the Association of Independent Museums, which will receive £286,000 in funding to establish a benchmarking system across the independent museum sector, said: “Some of the best museums in the UK are small and medium-sized independents, and ACE's support through the Renaissance Strategic Support Fund plays a significant part in developing and sustaining such excellence.”
The awards are for projects commencing in April 2013, and for activity up to 31 March 2014. The arts council has also supported a number of awards for activity across 2013/14 and 2014/15.
Recipients include the Geffrye Museum in London, which will receive £790,000 over two years to help establish its new gallery and develop collections, learning and outreach programmes; Portsmouth Museums, which will receive £90,000 to establish outreach work around its D-Day Museum; and Ryedale Folk Museum in Yorkshire, which will receive £123,085 to tour its newly acquired Harrison Collection of English everyday life.
Alan Davey, ACE chief executive, said: "Our investment of almost £18m in smaller to medium-sized museums is testament to our belief in the strength and potential of the museums sector in this country. These projects will really help these museums to grow their appeal and to become more sustainable.
"And we want to build on this ambition next year. When the new application process opens in the autumn, we hope to see really exciting applications that will help transform the way visitors of all ages experience museums."
Matthew Tanner, vice chairman of the Association of Independent Museums, which will receive £286,000 in funding to establish a benchmarking system across the independent museum sector, said: “Some of the best museums in the UK are small and medium-sized independents, and ACE's support through the Renaissance Strategic Support Fund plays a significant part in developing and sustaining such excellence.”
