Latest news with #ArtsEverywhereFund
The Guardian
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Lesley Manville calls for better funding for UK regional theatre
Lesley Manville has called for better funding for theatres around the UK, saying her biggest 'bugbear' with the stage industry was 'there is not enough money thrown into regional theatre'. Manville was speaking on Sunday night at the Olivier awards in London, where she was named best actress for her performance as Jocasta in Oedipus at Wyndham's theatre. The Oliviers honour London productions but, talking to the Guardian, Manville put the focus on theatres outside the capital. Early in her career, she performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon and, in 2016, she appeared at Bristol Old Vic with Jeremy Irons in Long Day's Journey into Night. 'Repertory theatres are not funded properly any more,' she said. 'There still is a bit of a north-south divide. I'd love to see regional theatres given more funding. When I was starting out, it was amazing. You could go anywhere. It was a real training ground.' Oedipus was also named best revival at the awards, and Manville praised adapter and director Robert Icke for his version of Sophocles' tragedy, about what she called 'a complex relationship … to say the least'. Manville added that she was saddened that 'some young actors are not encouraged to go and do plays anywhere. Just do it!' Theatre, she said, was a vital training ground and offered opportunities unmatched by screen work. 'You will learn more by stepping foot on stage, where you can't be edited,' she said. 'Nobody's going to hold your hand, you're on your own, and you've got to make it work.' Earlier this year, the charity Theatres Trust published its annual register of buildings 'at risk', with 43 facing threats including closure and severe decay, but which have the potential to be revived for their communities. In December, analysis by the Campaign for the Arts alliance revealed that local government culture spending per person in England had been cut by more than 50% since 2009-10. In February, the government announced a £270m Arts Everywhere Fund for arts venues, with more than 85% dedicated to urgent building works and infrastructure upgrades.
The Independent
25-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Museums and libraries to receive £30m in funding for repairs and upgrades
Museums and libraries are to receive £30 million in government funding from the Department Of Culture, Media And Sport (DCMS) for maintenance repairs and upgrades to their buildings. The funding, which institutions will be able to apply for in May, comes after Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced the £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund in February, which aims to support economic growth and increase opportunities in the sector. The latest initiative aims to keep museums and libraries accessible so they can 'continue to tell the story of our nation's rich history and providing spaces for people from all walks of life to access books, work and learn'. Libraries will be entitled to £5.5 million of funding, while museums in England will be able to apply for a share of £25 million, with grants valued from £50,000 to £5 million to be made available. Arts minister Sir Chris Bryant said: 'Local museums are the storytellers of our nation's rich history and creative heritage, providing precious civic spaces that attract millions of visitors every year. 'Whilst public libraries play a key role in communities by providing access to spaces where everyone can work and learn. 'Our Plan For Change will support these vital institutions to boost opportunity for all. 'I'm delighted that this investment into museums and libraries will fund repairs and upgrades to their infrastructure, improving the experience for visitors and ensuring they can be enjoyed for generations to come.' Arts Council England chief executive Darren Henley added: 'Museums and libraries are cherished cultural spaces in villages, towns and cities across the country where people come together, share ideas and make discoveries. 'This new investment in museums and libraries will help secure their future for years to come'. The Libraries Improvement Fund (LIF) will open for expressions of interest on May 6, followed by the Museum Estate And Development Fund (MEND) which will open for expressions of interest on May 12.
BBC News
21-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
The Sainsbury Centre and Bressingham Steam and Gardens get £1.7m
An arts venue and a steam museum in Norfolk have been awarded government grants totalling about £ than £1.2m will be spent on public gallery spaces and a new goods lift to move artworks at The Sainsbury Centre, at the University of East Anglia in Steam and Gardens in Diss will get nearly £430,000 for a replacement roof and other work at its locomotive exhibition Harper, deputy director of the Sainsbury Centre, said the grant was a "great acknowledgement" of the "globally important work we do". She said the grant "enables the necessary updates to our infrastructure to maintain the conservation and curatorial care of artworks for many years to come".Rob Ellis, trustee at Bressingham Steam and Gardens, said: "We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded this funding."The museum has various steam trains and vehicles as part of its collection, along with railway lines and other grants are part of £270m in funding for 29 arts venues, museums and libraries across the government said its Arts Everywhere Fund aimed to "boost local economies" with money awarded from April. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
20-02-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Lisa Nandy announces £270m fund for UK's ‘crumbling' cultural infrastructure
Culture has been 'erased' from communities and curriculums, according to the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy who vowed to make the arts more accessible by announcing new funding for Britain's 'crumbling' cultural infrastructure. The £270m fund will support attractions 'in urgent need of financial support to keep them up and running, helping to carry out vital infrastructure work and improve long-term financial resilience', according to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Nandy said: 'For too many young people in this country, culture hasn't just been erased from the curriculum, it's been erased from our communities as well. 'The Arts Everywhere Fund is designed specifically to address that, to make sure that communities who value their heritage and the contribution that they've made to this country can still continue to open those institutions to communities and tell that story as part of our national story.' The money includes £120m, which will be available to 17 leading institutions such as the British Museum, National Gallery and National Museums Liverpool, which all get money directly from the DCMS. Those venues will also receive a 5% increase in their annual grants, but that increase will not be given to institutions that get their money from Arts Council England. Nandy said that the money would 'shore up those institutions that are at risk of closure' and support our 'crumbling infrastructure'. The cost of capital projects can easily run into millions. The Octagon theatre in Bolton underwent a programme of works with an estimated cost of £10m, while some theatres built with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) have been quoted similar amounts to have it removed and repaired. When asked if the money will go far enough, Nandy said the government investment should lead to more philanthropic funds flowing away from London and into the regions. She said: 'Small amounts of government money can unlock much larger sums. Over the last decade and a half, we've seen philanthropy step in to fill the gap that's been lost from some government funding. But the problem is so much of that has been targeted towards a handful of major institutions, mostly in London.' The announcement was timed to mark the 60th anniversary of the publication of Jennie Lee's white paper on the arts. When Lee became the first arts minister in 1964 she tripled the Arts Council grant over a six-year period, and pumped resources into regional arts institutions. Nandy said that today not enough children felt comfortable in the UK's cultural institutions. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'I come from a family that is heavily steeped in the theatre,' said Nandy, whose father sat on the board of the National Theatre and whose sister worked at the Royal Exchange in Manchester. 'I'm very comfortable in those spaces … I'm welcome, where I belong. But too many kids growing up today just don't have that feeling. They don't have that belief. One of the things I'm going to ask the arts world to do more of today is to open their doors to the communities to make sure that they are properly community spaces.' Earlier this week, the government confirmed a £10m investment into the British Library North in Leeds, while a further £5m went to the National Poetry Centre in the same city as part of a £47m fund for culture projects across the UK. The £10m for the British Library North will be spent revamping the Egyptian-style Temple Works building, which is a derelict Grade I-listed building that will be converted into a northern outpost for the library. The £5m for the National Poetry Centre will renovate a Grade II-listed building to create a national headquarters for poetry.
BBC News
20-02-2025
- BBC News
Colchester Castle receives £1.3m for 'urgent' repairs
A castle that boasts the largest Norman keep in Europe has received nearly £1.3m for urgent to upgrade Colchester Castle's drainage system and fix issues caused by water leakage is due to start in the coming investment is part of the government's £270m Arts Everywhere Fund, which aims to boost growth by improving heritage and cultural year the Grade I listed landmark had 83,000 visitors, including 20,000 schoolchildren, and is to remain open during the works. The castle was built in the 1070s upon the historic foundations of the Temple of Claudius, which was decimated during Boudica's uprising against the Labour MP Pam Cox said: "The funding will not only address the urgent drainage issues but also ensure that the castle remains a cherished landmark for residents and visitors alike."Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said investment in the arts and cultural venues was vital. "They are the building blocks of our world-leading creative industries and make a huge contribution towards boosting growth and breaking down barriers to opportunities for young people to learn the creative skills they need to succeed," she announcement includes a pot of money worth £120m, which will be available to 17 major institutions such as the British Museum, National Gallery and National Museums the package has been criticised for supporting "traditional and heritage culture" at the expense of contemporary facilities. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
