Bournemouth Clifftop Museum Receives Vital Funding
BOURNEMOUTH / AGILITYPR.NEWS / October 16, 2020 / The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum receives a lifeline grant from Government’s £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund
The Bournemouth based museum and gallery has been awarded £225,916 to help face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure it has a sustainable future. The Russell-Cotes is one of 1,385 cultural and creative organisations across the country receiving urgently needed support. £257 million of investment has been announced this week as part of the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund grants programme being administered by Arts Council England.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: -
“This funding is a vital boost for the theatres, music venues, museums and cultural organisations that form the soul of our nation. It will protect these special places, save jobs and help the culture sector’s recovery.
“These places and projects are cultural beacons the length and breadth of the country. This unprecedented investment in the arts is proof this government is here for culture, with further support to come in the days and weeks ahead so that the culture sector can bounce back strongly.”
The Russell-Cotes stands out as a unique, flamboyant and exceptional place. The quirky Victorian villa sits on a cliff top with stunning views of Poole Bay from the first-floor rooms - The Isle of Wight to the east and the Purbecks in the west. It holds a nationally significant collection of fine and decorative art including major works by Edwin Landseer, John Brett and notably of course Rossetti’s Venus Verticordia. The permanent collection also includes 2,500 oil paintings and over 16,000 objects of world culture. Regular exhibitions, such as the recent “Beyond The Brotherhood: The Pre Raphaelite Legacy ” show , are a vital income stream and inspire many people to visit the museum for the first time while helping to facilitate the loaning of globally important works from national and international cultural institutions.
This very welcome grant will be used, amongst other things, to improve a range of facilities, invest in new projects such as setting up an outdoor terrace café, upgrade the digital offering and ensure that this Bournemouth cultural gem has a future.
Chair, Arts Council England, Sir Nicholas Serota, said: -
“Theatres, museums, galleries, dance companies and music venues bring joy to people and life to our cities, towns and villages. This life-changing funding will save thousands of cultural spaces loved by local communities and international audiences. Further funding is still to be announced and we are working hard to support our sector during these challenging times.”
Cllr Mohan Iyengar, Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Leisure and Culture at BCP Council commented: -
“We are delighted that the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum has been granted £225,916 as part of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.
Russell-Cotes is a vital part of our cultural landscape. I’m pleased to see that this historic building has re-opened safely, and the new money will finance extra safety features and new facilities such as the outdoor terrace café. It will also allow Russell-Cotes to continue its extremely successful and lucrative exhibition programme, such as the recent fascinating “Beyond the Brotherhood: The Pre-Raphaelite Legacy” show. All-together, it means a secure future for this extraordinary house, museum and art collection for the benefit of our residents and visitors.”
The final word to Professor Stuart Bartholomew CBE DL; Chair Russell-Cotes management Committee:-
“Our Galleries and Museums, alongside all arts institutions are experiencing very challenging times. This grant from Arts Council England is welcome and will help us to continue as the unique Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum”.
About Us
Arts Council England
ACE is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision.
Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. We are also one of several bodies administering the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund and unprecedented support package of £1.57 billion for the culture and heritage sector. Find out more at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19
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