Major new grant funding for cultural institutions

Whitworth Art Gallery

The partnership of Manchester City Galleries, Whitworth Art Gallery and The Manchester Museum today received confirmation of three year’s major grant funding from Arts Council England (ACE).

They join a list of only 16 major museum partners across the country to receive this funding.

The Arts Council received 29 eligible applications for major partner funding, requesting a total of £116 million over three years. The 16 successful applicants requested £23.5 million a year against an annual budget of approximately £20 million.

The exact amounts of each major partner’s awards will be finalised as part of the negotiations of their funding agreements. This represents a significant and vital investment in Manchester’s major museum and galleries.

ACE judged the partnership proposal as outstanding, commending the work the three organisations do with their internationally recognised collections, the strength and diversity of their work with audiences in Manchester and across the region and their innovative work with children and young people.

The award reflects the success of the strategic partnership between Manchester City Council and The University of Manchester, established last year with the appointment of Maria Balshaw as joint Director of Manchester City Galleries and Whitworth Art Gallery. It enables partnership venues to further increase their contribution to the city’s cultural life, with the development of:

· City-wide learning programmes, using Manchester’s remarkable collections, focused particularly on engaging families and older people and building on distinctive strengths such as arts and health and volunteering

· An international exhibitions programme, building on each organisations’ distinctive strengths, bringing these together for the benefit of visitors

· Shared approaches to promoting cultural tourism, retail, environmental sustainability and fundraising to make all three organisations financially resilient.

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Executive Member for Culture and Leisure, said: “Manchester is working hard to realise its ambitions to become a world-class cultural city. This major grant to three of the city’s finest cultural institutions is a fantastic endorsement of our lively artistic scene and great track record in sharing our cultural wealth with the widest possible audiences.”

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester, said: “I’m delighted that the groundbreaking partnership between the University of Manchester and Manchester City Council has been recognised as outstanding by Arts Council England. This award recognises our regional and national excellence and will ensure these three great institutions continue to offer intellectual, cultural and artistic leadership for the city region and beyond.”

Sarah Maxfield, Regional Director, Arts Council England said: "The Manchester Museums Partnership will play a significant and important role in leading the wider museums sector to achieve excellence. The Manchester Museums Partnership made an outstanding proposal demonstrating aspirations to continue and broaden their reach through engagement with wider and more diverse audiences."