14.10.19
UK heritage and culture to receive £250m investment
The role of culture in communities is being reinforced with a £250m investment for young people and local growth.
Cultural projects, museums, libraries and other creative industries have reason to celebrate after the Culture Secretary announced a game-changing investment for the culture and creative sector.
Of the funds, over £125m will be put into regional museums and libraries across the country, giving them scope to become more attractive and interesting particularly with young people.
More than £90m will be used to extend the Cultural Development Fund for another five years, meaning more money available for boosting heritage, culture and creativity, pushing forward growth and regeneration in communities.
More specifically, York’s National Railway Museum with receive a further £18.5m making it the cultural hub of York Central and triggering a huge transformation. This will consist of new gallery and exhibition spaces, improved accessibility and the restoration of heritage buildings.
£7m will be set aside for Coventry and the UK City of Culture programme, planning for an ‘extraordinary year of events’ in 2021, welcoming more than 2.5 million extra visitors.
The funds will come in annual £50m injections over the next five years from the Department or Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in a bid to support new culture development in our regions, while breathing new life into existing assets.
Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan said:
“Creative and cultural institutions are at the heart of our communities. The Cultural Investment Fund is the Government’s biggest ever single investment in cultural infrastructure, local museums and neighbourhood libraries and will benefit communities across the country. This will help drive growth, rejuvenate high streets and attract tourists to our world-class cultural attractions.”
Upgrading infrastructure and regenerating museums and their precious artefacts are some of the goals in this project. Others include making libraries more modern and introducing cutting edge technology to attract a new generation.
Tim Davie, Industry co-chair of the Creative Industries Council said:
“Our creative industries are world renowned and vital to future economic growth. This extra funding is excellent news. It will extend the successful work developing vibrant creative industry hubs across England, a central theme of the Creative Industries Sector Deal agreed between the Creative Industries Council and Government last year.”