National Science and Media Museum secures £3m grant
Plans by the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford to develop two new galleries have been boosted by a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, it was announced this week.
The £3.08m given to the museum, which is part of the Science Museum Group, is part of £24m that the Heritage Fund has awarded to projects across the UK in its latest funding round.
Others who have been awarded money include Mon Life, part of Monmouthshire County Council, which has received £349,928 to redevelop Shire Hall Museum. This will house the collection of Monmouth Museum, which is moving to Shire Hall, a Grade 1-listed building that was constructed in 1724.
The National Science and Media Museum is spending £6m on the two new galleries. The Sound and Vision project will feature objects and stories from its collections of photography, film, television, animation, videogames and sound technologies.
The scheme is designed to ensure that the museum is at the heart of Bradford’s year as the UK City of Culture in 2025.
“By working collaboratively with our local audiences, our new galleries will connect our community to our world class collections and truly reflect that Bradford is one of the UK’s most diverse and fastest growing cities,” said Jo Quinton-Tulloch, the director of the National Science and Media Museum.
“Visitors will be able to find stories that resonate with them, showing how all areas of our collections – from photography to gaming – are embedded in every aspect of our lives, and inspiring the next generation of creatives, inventors and scientists.”
To facilitate the capital works, the National Science and Media Museum has announced a period of temporary closure from June 2023 to summer 2024. In addition to the new galleries, the project will see the ground floor of the museum reconfigured, creating a new public space and an enhanced visitor welcome.
The Sound and Vision Project also has support from the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund 2022-24 and Bradford Metropolitan District Council.
The Heritage Fund has also give the green light for a proposed £5m application from Crystal Palace Park. This money will advance the park's regeneration plan, including restoration to the Tidal Lakes, home of the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, a new dinosaur-themed playground and information centre.