By Leah Conway
Kirklees museums and galleries will receive a funding boost of over £124,000. The funding comes from the Arts Council England funding from the Culture Recovery Fund grants programme.
The Cultural Recovery Fund is a funding programme that aims to support cultural organisations recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
How will the money be spent?
The funding will help Kirklees heritage sites reopen in a Covid safe way and support sustainable development. Additionally, it will fund activities and help make key collections accessible online and set up pop up museums. It will also support the protection and conservation of museum collections and the country park and gardens at Oakwell Hall.
What heritage sites will benefit?
The funding will help heritage sites all over Kirklees. It includes:
- Oakwell Hall
- Bagshaw Museum
- Tolson Museum
‘Thrive in the better times ahead’
Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said:
“Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they’ve ever faced.
“Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.”
‘Bringing out the Best’
Colin Parr, Kirklees Council’s Strategic Director responsible for Culture, said:
“The investment from the Arts Council and Government’s Culture Recovery Fund will enable us to keep our much-loved local heritage services operating and accessible; our collections well looked after for current and future generations to enjoy, and to help our communities to recover from impact of the pandemic.
“It will help us to inspire children to get excited about our history and heritage again, and by Improving our digital activity will help more people to access our collections as we come out of the pandemic and safeguard them for future generations. This grant will also help us continue the important long term strategic planning currently underway through National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Resilient Heritage programme so that we are ‘Bringing out the Best’ for many years to come.”
‘Thriving cultural sector.’
Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, said:
“Investing in a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic. These grants will help to reopen theatres, concert halls, and museums and will give artists and companies the opportunity to begin making new work.
“We are grateful to the Government for this support and for recognising the paramount importance of culture to our sense of belonging and identity as individuals and as a society.”