The University of Oxford’s museums are set to receive a share of £20 million in funding over the next three years.
Arts Council England has announced that it is going to split the funding between 16 major partner museums as part of its renaissance programme for regional museums. The exact amounts of each major partner’s award will be finalised as part of the negotiations of the funding agreements, and will be published in April.
In total, 13 museums in Oxford are set to benefit from the grant including the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, University Museum of Natural History, Pitt Rivers Museum and University of Oxford Botanic Garden. Dr John Hobart, of Oxford University Museums, told the Oxfordshire Guardian: “We are very pleased to be included in the portfolio of regional grant holders and we are looking forward to a relationship with the Arts Council England.
“With the grant, we would hope to be able to continue the work we have invested in recently to do with public access to the collections with schools and outreach work, although we can’t confirm this yet. The museums are public museums, we are free and we believe people should have access to the collections we hold. They are designated as national and international importance. We feel that people of all ages, school groups and adults, and everyone in between, can benefit and learn from the collections that we hold.”
The awards follow the Arts Council’s assumption of responsibilities for museum development from the Museums Libraries and Archives Council in 2011. Alan Davey, chief executive for Arts Council England, said: “The announcement of our 16 major partner museums is a significant step forward in the Arts Council’s closer relationship with the wider cultural sector.
“They have all been chosen for the excellence of their work, their innovative approaches to connecting audiences with their collections, and for their compelling plans for the future. We are excited to be working with them and we’re confident that together they have the skills and ambition needed to provide the sort of inspirational leadership and direction that will benefit museums and audiences across the country.”
The Arts Council received 29 eligible applications for funding, requesting a total of £116.4 million over three years. The 16 successful applicants requested £23.5 million a year against an annual budget of around £20 million. Sally Abbott, regional director for Arts Council England, said: “The organisations who are to receive major grants funding will play an important role in leading the wider museums sector to achieve excellence.
“They will ensure a strong mandate for museums in the region to continue to hold internationally significant collections, deliver outstanding programmes and develop innovative partnerships.”
Other museums in Oxford that will receive funding include the Museum of the History of Science, Bate Collection of Musical Instruments, Harcourt Arboretum, Christ Church Picture Gallery, Museum of Oxford, Museum of the History of Science, Oxford University Press Museum, Town Hall Civic Plate Collection, and Oxfordshire and Bucks Light Infantry Museum.
