Latest news with #JennieLee
Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
It's so tempting to abolish the culture department — but don't do it, Keir
It often surprises younger colleagues to learn that, for most of the 20th century, Britain's arts somehow survived — indeed flourished — without a cabinet minister or government department with responsibility for culture. Tucked into a broom cupboard somewhere in Whitehall was an 'office for arts and libraries' with a staff of about three people run by a junior minister. (The exception was Jennie Lee, who had cabinet status as arts minister in the 1960s.) It was only in 1992, when John Major had to find a suitably grand and flamboyant job for the grand and flamboyant David Mellor, that the Department of National Heritage was founded, only for its initials to be instantly translated as 'department of nothing happening'. When Tony Blair came to
BBC News
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Yorkshire museums to get share of £270m 'Arts Everywhere' fund
Five museums in Yorkshire have been awarded funding as part of a £270m investment in arts and culture in the Museum of North Craven Life, in Settle, will receive almost £800,000, while the Land of Iron, in Skinningrove, will be given almost £656, Gallery, in Sheffield, will be awarded £315,000, the Bankfield Museum in Halifax, is to receive £442,000 and the Beck Isle Museum, in Pickering, will receive almost £400, Secretary Lisa Nandy said the money would be used to help venues in urgent need of financial support to remain open, protect jobs and carry out vital repair work. The announcement marks 60 years since the first arts white paper, issued by Labour arts minister Jennie Lee, that promised a vision of "arts for everyone, everywhere".Heather Lane, honorary curator of the Museum of North Craven Life, said the money would pay for repairs to the roof."We have had to close to the public several times recently because of water coming in," she said."The funding will relieve us of this problem, and will go a long way to helping protect the collections we have on the site."Nick Weffon, marketing manager at Land of Iron - which charts the history of the region's first ironstone mine - said the funding would help to "stabilise, preserve and restore" parts of the the mine not previously open to the Kirstie Hamilton, director of programmes at Sheffield Museums said the funding would support repairs to the Millennium Gallery's escalators."We're hugely grateful for this vital investment into the building's physical infrastructure, enabling us to continue to create and deliver inspiring, accessible experiences for years to come," she of a speech in Stratford-upon-Avon, Nandy said: "The funding we are announcing today will allow the arts to continue to flourish across Britain, creating good jobs and growth by fixing the foundations in our cultural venues, museums, libraries and heritage institutions."Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
