£2m to bring Brighton and Hove museums into new era

8:00pm Wednesday 25th January 2012 in News By Tim Ridgway, Local government reporter

Brighton Museum and Art Gallery Brighton Museum and Art Gallery

Museum bosses are expecting to receive a £2 million cash boost to bring exhibitions into the 21st century.

Arts Council England praised the work Brighton and Hove Royal Pavilion and Museums had done in getting young people involved as it announced the team was one of 16 groups across the country to receive the windfall.

Brighton and Hove City Council said it is expecting to receive at least £2 million from the Government body, which will lead to “radical improvements” of its service.

Council leader Bill Randall said: “A key skill in running museums these days is bidding for funding in this way – and there are many hoops to jump through.

Regional leader “We keep a very keen eye on potential sources of money and have become very expert at securing it.

“We’re already a regional leader in museums provision and this money will help us go from strength to strength and create apprenticeships.

“This is all about getting away from the image of museums as dusty places for the few but making them dynamic, fascinating places which children will be taking their parents to.”

The authority bid for the cash from the Art’s Council’s Renaissance programme, which runs until 2015.

Those to benefit will include the Royal Pavilion, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Hove Museum and Art Gallery, The Booth Museum of Natural History, Preston Manor and Brighton History Centre.

The local authority said there will be better access to exhibits via digital technology, such as the internet, smartphone apps and gaming technology.

More exhibitions and collaborations are also promised while training is to be made available for artists.

Apprenticeships will be created and efforts made to involve more diverse groups and young people in museum work.

The exact funding figure will be finalised and published in April.

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Comments(1)

Gelatine magic says...
9:22pm Sat 28 Jan 12

I remember visiting that museum as a child, and vice versa. As school children, we had to hold hands, sometimes with other boys, and walk slowly around the dusty ornaments. In those days, we were allowed to sit on the sofa shaped like lips whilst the museum photographer swore and took our pictures with his, even by today's standards, out dated camera. We were allowed to s,one in those days, and we're encouraged to put out the 'fag ends' on sometimes quite rare oil paintings if they displeased us in Amy way. Of course, kids being kids, we always found an excuse, "that duck's looking at me funny sir....stub. That tree is scaring us, headmaster....stub". Halcyon days, never to return.

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