Arts Council England announced on Tuesday that 94 museums and organisations will receive a total of £12,271,676 in the second round of the Museum Resilience Fund. The fund aims to support museums to become more sustainable and resilient businesses.
We are really please to announce that the Association of British Transport & Engineering Museums (ABTEM) has been awarded £47,645 and will use this investment to help support the preservation of historical collection across the country which tell the story of Britain’s important industrial and transport heritage. The grant will fund the production of a new toolkit that will provide guidelines for the care and operation of larger and working objects. It will available as a free download with a hard copy option available via a print on demand service. The toolkit will be an updated version of the MGC Standards in the Museum Care and Operation of Larger & Working Objects. Arts Council England funded a feasibility study undertaken by ABTEM in 2015 and this additional grant will enable the project to be completed by 2018.
The project will begin in October and more details will be available in due course.
Speaking about the fund, John Orna-Ornstein, Director of Museums at Arts Council England said: “The focus of our investment approach for museums in 2015-18 is on building a more resilient sector. The Museum Resilience Fund is a key part of that, providing vital support to museums right across the country. The fund responds directly to the challenges facing museums like those in Lancashire and Kirklees, and also supports major strategic initiatives such as the Museums Association’s Transformers programme.”
Karen Bradley, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said: “We have a world-leading museums sector that protects and preserves our history, while also attracting millions of visitors every year.
“We want our museums to continue to thrive and this important fund will help them become more resilient and sustainable in the years to come.”
The programme complements the Arts Council’s investment in Major Partner Museums, the Museum development fund and national programmes, and will focus on any gaps (geographical or otherwise) or development opportunities across the sector.
In the last two rounds the Arts Council has awarded museums £30 million through the Museum Resilience Fund. A full list of successful applicants and further details can be found here.
ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH TRANSPORT & ENGINEERING MUSEUMS 