£124,000 Boost to Heritage Across Kirklees
Our museums and galleries will benefit from just over £124,000 of Arts Council England funding from the Culture Recovery Fund Grants programme, ensuring that the district’s much-loved heritage assets can continue to benefit local people and visitors.
This funding creates capacity for Covid safe reopening of Oakwell Hall, Bagshaw Museum and Tolson Museum in line with the government’s roadmap, as well as important sustainable development activity to plan for the future.
How will the money be spent?
Some of the activities identified for the funding include digitising key collections to make them accessible online, setting up pop up museums, as well as work to support the protection and conservation of museum collections and the country park and gardens at Oakwell Hall. The funding will also make it possible for couples to have a safe wedding at Oakwell Hall after putting their life plans on hold over the last 12 months.
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.”
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.”
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 re-open 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.”
More about the culture recovery fund
Our museums and galleries are among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. The main aim of the programme is to support cultural organisations as they transition back to a viable and sustainable operating model, following sustained closure due to Covid-19.
The funding awarded today is from a £400 million pot that was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by Arts Council England, as well as Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute.