A LEADING tourist attraction has been awarded a government grant to build a national collection of historic African artefacts.

Brighton's Royal Pavilion and Museums was handed the £240,000 grant through the prestigious and highly competitive Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Collecting Cultures programme.

The money is handed to libraries and museums so they can develop their collections through buying new items.

Museum bosses have indicated they will use the money to expand their collection of African fashion and dress.

It is hoped the additional items will create a national resource.

Items from the new collection will form part of a planned exhibition for 2016 called Fashion Cities Africa.

Helen Mears, keeper of world art at the Pavilion and Museum, said the grant presented a “fantastic opportunity” to develop their collection.

She added: “We can move the collection on from its colonial roots, to bring it up to date and to demonstrate how museums can engage with recent histories and contemporary realities.

“We are also excited about the possibility of making more tangible links between there and here by working with partners in African countries and with members of African diasporas living in Brighton and Hove.

“It is incredibly difficult to raise funds to add items to museum collections so we are hugely grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for this significant investment in the future of the collection."

Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, chair of Brighton and Hove City Council's economic development and culture committee, said: “This award highlights not only the hard work of the staff at the Royal Pavilion and Museums, but also the importance of the service's outstanding collection of historic African textiles.

“It provides us with a unique opportunity to further enrich and interpret these collections for the benefit of both local residents and visitors to the city.”