Baltic and Hartlepool Museum win Arts Everywhere grants

The funding forms part of the government’s new Arts Everywhere Fund — a £1.5 billion programme to support arts and heritage infrastructure across England — and will help improve public access and upgrade vital facilities.

Among the recipients are the Baltic Flour Mills Visual Arts Trust, the Museum of Hartlepool and Northumberland Libraries.

The Baltic (Image: Newsquest)

Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, said: “I want everyone, everywhere to feel a sense of pride about where they come from.

“Cultural organisations across the North East are important custodians of local identity and play a key role in the story we tell ourselves as a nation.

“Our Arts Everywhere Fund is delivering on our commitment to support cultural assets across the country, increasing access and preserving them for future generations.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport Lisa Nandy (Image: PA)

“This is demonstrated by grants announced today that will benefit twelve culture venues, museums, and library service across the North East.”

Seven organisations in the region will receive funding through the Creative Foundations Fund (CFF) to carry out urgent building improvements and infrastructure repairs.

The Baltic Flour Mills Visual Arts Trust will receive £3,649,800 for critical upgrades and essential maintenance to support its exhibitions and activities.

Chesters Roman Fort (Image: Newsquest)

Northern Stage will receive £192,600; Queen’s Hall Arts, £393,068; Gateway Studio CIO (New Trinity), £400,000; Middlesbrough Council Cultural Services, £2,595,000; The Cluny Events (North East) CIC, £334,000; and Thirty-Six Lime Street Limited, £847,932.

The Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND) will distribute almost £3 million across two museums in the region.

Hartlepool Borough Council will receive £2,458,641 for urgent works at the Museum of Hartlepool, including improvements to protect and display its collection and enable the reopening of PS Wingfield Castle.

Chesters Roman Fort & Museum has been awarded £476,566 via English Heritage to carry out urgent repair works which have been caused by water ingress.

Three library services will benefit from the Libraries Improvement Fund (LIF).

Hartlepool Borough Council will receive £94,400, Northumberland Libraries £491,022, and Gateshead Council’s library service £71,794.

Rebecca Ball, area director for the North at Arts Council England, said: “Our museums, libraries and arts organisations have the power to change lives, they give us access to new worlds, teach us about our heritage and give us new perspectives on life.

“I’m so pleased that we’ll be supporting so many of our cultural organisations in the North with this capital investment, which will ensure that they can continue to deliver incredible arts and culture to their communities.”

The funding will support a range of improvement projects across the North East.

For example, 36 Lime Street in Newcastle, home to the city’s longest-running artist studio collective, will be refurbished to improve accessibility and energy efficiency.

The upgrades will ensure affordable studio space for more than 50 artists and expand opportunities for young people and schools.

In Hartlepool, the funding will support Museum of Hartlepool in carrying out essential repairs and enhancing its visitor experience.

Visitors in Northumberland will benefit from extended library opening hours and improved self-service technology, allowing access beyond current staffed times.

A portion of the funding will also be used to improve Gateshead’s MakerPlace, a digital design and craft space for community groups, schools and individuals.

The upgrade will include new equipment such as VR headsets, soundproof pods, sound recording and podcasting facilities, and compatible software.

The improvements are aimed at attracting new users and enabling greater flexibility for different types of sessions and events.

Ms Nandy said: “Arts and culture are the beating hearts of our communities, they have the power to unite us in the face of division and break down barriers to opportunity.

“We want to harness the power to help us build a brighter future for the people of the North East.”

The next rounds of these funds will open for applications in the coming months. Further details on the Museum Estate and Development Fund, and the new Museum Transformation Programme, along with the Libraries Improvement Fund will be announced in due course.

The Arts Everywhere Fund hopes to safeguard more than 1,000 arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England.