Museums win £797,000 grant from Arts Council England

Published27th June 2017

A grant of almost £800,000 to Colchester & Ipswich Museums Service (CIMS) will bring more major exhibitions and a better experience for children and young people.

The grant, announced today by Arts Council England, comes as the combined museums service has won its bid for coveted National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) status, opening the door to a £200,000 boost every year from 2018 to 2022.

Competition for the fund was fierce, with museums, libraries and arts organisations all applying to the same pot.

Arts Council England supports arts and culture by funding NPOs to help them to deliver the strategic goals outlined in its bid.

CIMS’s funding boost will directly benefit the thousands of visitors to the six venues it manages - Colchester Castle, the Natural History Museum, Hollytrees Museum, Ipswich Museum, Christchurch Mansion and the Ipswich Art Gallery.

Both Colchester and Ipswich’s councils were ecstatic as the news of the award was announced.

Councillor Carole Jones, Ipswich Borough Council’s Portfolio-holder for Development and Museums, said: “This extra funding will enhance what we offer and enable us to attract more people to experience and be inspired by all our treasures. Our goal is to reach out to our community and visitors and work more closely with schools and young people. This vote of confidence in our service will bring more expertise and exciting exhibitions.”

Councillor Tim Young, Portfolio-holder for Business & Culture at Colchester Borough Council, said: “This funding is going to add real value to the number of activities and displays we are able to offer at Colchester Museums. Heritage plays a really important role in Colchester’s identity and the award of this funding is something local residents can be proud of.”

Exhibitions of a national and international status are known in the museum world as “blockbusters” and four of these will be coming to CIMS’s museums over the funding period.

In addition, activities in the museums for young children and their families will be increased. CIMS will review its primary school sessions and explore how museum objects can help secondary school children to learn STEM subjects - science, technology, English and maths.

Four additional museum posts will be created across both towns to help deliver these improvements.

The five museums attract almost 300,000 visitors each year.

cimuseums.org.uk

Note to news desks

* Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service received Arts Council England funding for The Training Museum through the Museums Resilience Fund 2015-2018. This three-year workforce development project has funded 10 traineeships, a new volunteering offer, and work with schools. Earlier this year, it was given a Stage 1 pass for £570,000 of Heritage Lottery Fund Skills for the Future funding that will continue to support skills development between 2018-2022 by funding 24 traineeships. The NPO funding further supports this cutting-edge museums service.

Arts Council England announced National Portfolio funded organisations today. For details visit www.artscouncil.org.uk

 

For further information, please contact communications@colchester.gov.uk

or the Ipswich Borough Council press office, tel: 01473 432035.

 

Issued on behalf of Colchester & Ipswich Museums Service by the IBC press office, tel: 01473 432035