B&H Museums win £2m (Council press release)

The city council is expecting to receive at least £2m from the Arts Council for radical improvements and apprenticeships within Brighton & Hove’s museums service.

The authority has actually bid for £2.7m from the Art’s Council’s Renaissance programme for the period 2012-2015.  However the final sum awarded will be subject to negotiation.

The successful bid had to meet strict Arts Council criteria encouraging excellence; audiences; resilience; leadership and children and young people.

Among improvements will be better access to exhibits via digital technology - the internet, wifi, smartphone apps and gaming technology.

The funding will pay for more exhibitions and collaborations – including universities.  Skills training will be made available for artists – especially those from under-represented groups.

Apprenticeships will be created and efforts made to involve more diverse groups in museum work.

Better marketing of museum services to tourists and improved fundraising methods are also on the cards.

There would be a programme aimed at children and young people – especially in deprived groups.

Council leader Bill Randall said:  “A key skill in running museums these days is bidding for funding in this way.  We keep a very keen eye on potential sources of money and have become very expert at securing it.

“We’re already a regional leader in museums provision and this money will help us go from strength to strength and create apprenticeships.

“This is all about getting away from the image of museums as dusty places for the few but making them dynamic, fascinating places children will be tugging their parents to.”

See also yesterday's post.