In brief

Coventry Transport Museum has been awarded £4.6m by the Heritage Lottery Fund to transform its galleries and visitor facilities. A 12th-century school, which has been unused for 30 years, will also be transformed into an exhibition and education space. The project aims to be completed by April 2015.


Museum and gallery shops generated sales of more than £100m last year, according to research by the Association for Cultural Enterprises. Chairman John Stachiewicz said: “Museum shops and galleries don’t want to be a part of a clone town full of the same retailers selling the same products, so they continuously innovate to find way of engaging with customers, who will keep coming back.”


The Ben Uri museum and gallery in St John’s Wood, London, has axed entry charges to exhibitions following an agreement with Manya Igel Fine Arts that gave the private London art dealers preferred partner status. Benefits of the tie-up will include the option to market to the museum’s mailing list and to brand emails, marketing literature and catalogues. 


The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Singleton has received £250,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund in support of a full application for £4m to create a new refectory, learning pavilion, visitor entrance and orientation gallery. Chair of trustees Paul Rigg said the funding would help the museum provide better education, training and leisure facilities.