Three Cumbrian arts and heritage organisations were able to celebrate when Arts Council England announced the results of its Major Grants Programme this morning.
The ‘Cumbria Museums Consortium’, comprising Tullie House in Carlisle, The Wordsworth Trust in Grasmere and the Lakeland Arts Trust in Kendal and Bowness was awarded a total of over £3 million over a three year period.
Wordsworth Trust Director, Michael McGregor said, “This award is a huge vote of confidence in Cumbria’s museums. Arts Council funding will allow us to build on a strong partnership, helping us to reach out and benefit more people, in Cumbria and beyond.”
The three organisations will work together to develop the numbers and diversify the type of people who visit and participate in their activities. The focus of the project will be on children, young people and new audiences, and will deliver employment and tourism benefits across Cumbria.
Tullie House director Hilary Wade said “We are all absolutely delighted with the news and are looking forward to working with our partners to strengthen the cultural offer of Cumbria”.
Gordon Watson, Chief Executive of the Lakeland Arts Trust "The Lakeland Arts Trust is looking forward to working to develop museums across Cumbria as centres for learning, heritage and creativity. We really welcome this significant new investment in Cumbria."
Arts Council England received 29 eligible applications totalling £116.4 million over three years against a total available budget of around £60 million. The Cumbria Museums Consortium’s application was one of only 16 to be successful.
Sarah Maxfield, Regional Director, Arts Council England said: “We are delighted that we have been able to fund the Cumbria Museums Consortium comprising Tullie House, Lakeland Arts Trust and The Wordsworth Trust. Together they will ensure a strong mandate for museums in Cumbria and will work to build wider resilience with partner museums. Our funding will also go towards developing the museums’ focus on creative collaborations with its local communities and will help to ensure that they reach new and more diverse audiences both locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.”