Oxford,
02
August
2016
|
10:31
Europe/London

Museum service secures £76k ‘resilience funding’ from Arts Council

Oxfordshire County Council's Museum Service has been awarded a £76,050 grant to develop new partnerships and enhance its sustainability for the next half century.

The service, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, was today announced as one of 94 organisations across England to benefit from the Arts Council’s Museum Resilience Fund.

The money will help the Museum Service develop a more sustainable service model based on partnerships, improving its ability to respond to change and capitalise on future opportunities to engage people with the county’s heritage.

New possibilities

The council’s Cabinet Member for Cultural Services Lorraine Lindsay-Gale said: “This is absolutely wonderful news. I am truly excited and very grateful to the Arts Council for their understanding of the challenges we face and the aspirations that we have for the County’s Museum Service.

“This grant will enable us to explore innovative new possibilities with our cultural partners in the county. With such expertise to support us I am confident we can develop a blueprint fit for many years to come.”

Resilience fund

The Museum Resilience Fund aims to support museums to become more sustainable and resilient businesses. A total of £12.3million has been awarded across the 94 successful projects.

It focuses on addressing any gaps or development opportunities across the sector, recognising that excellence and the potential for excellence can be found in museums of all sizes.

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.

“We are pleased to be able to support Oxfordshire County Council as it looks at how the Museum Service could and should evolve, ensuring it remains relevant to audiences and sustainable.”