Council welcomes £1.4 million grant for museum roof repairs
Urgent repairs to the Georgian roof of Brighton’s historic Museum and Art Gallery will be carried out later this year, thanks to a £1.4 million grant.
The Grade II* listed Georgian building, owned by Brighton & Hove City Council and managed by the Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust, has received the funding from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports, delivered by Arts Council England.
The money will be used to help fund repairs to the Georgian glass lantern above the central main gallery.
The historic building, part of the Royal Pavilion Estate, is among galleries, museums, libraries and other cultural venues across the country to benefit from almost £50 million of funding.
Urgent repairs
“We are so grateful to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and Arts Council England for this important award from the Cultural Investment Funds, including Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND),” said Hedley Swain, CEO of the Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust.
“It will allow us to make urgent and timely repairs to the roof of Brighton Museum and Art Gallery allowing us to stay open and plan with confidence for the future. Additional funding will be provided by Brighton & Hove City Council to whom we are also deeply grateful.
“It’s so important that buildings like this are maintained for the benefit of current and future generations.”
Georgian glass lantern
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery is one of the first purpose-built museums in the UK. It holds two designated collections, World Arts & Anthropology, and Decorative Arts and other collections of fine art, ceramics and furniture.
In 2019, a survey found that the roof of the Museum needed urgent repairs to the Georgian glass lantern above the central main gallery, essential to ensure the safety of the galleries, exhibits, staff and visitors beneath
The work will include the construction of a new glazed lantern over the Museum’s main circulation hall along with structural support, and a metal staircase and timber boarded walkway to provide access for maintenance.
Bird protection will be provided, and lightning protection installed along with new thermal insulation and fire safety systems.
Fantastic news
Councillor Martin Osborne, co-chair of the Tourism, Equalities, Communities and Culture Committee added: “This is fantastic news, not just for the museum but the whole Royal Pavilion Estate.
"As the Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre renovation project nears completion, it’s wonderful that work can begin to enhance and preserve another of our unique and important historic buildings.”
The grant will enable the work to be carried out as a matter of urgency and repairs are expected to take around four months starting in the Autumn 2022.
During the building work Brighton Museum will remain open although the 20th Century Gallery will be closed.
Supporting culture
The Cultural Investment Fund will see £48 million distributed to 63 organisations. It is allocated through three streams: £24 million through the Cultural Development Fund, £18.8 million through the Museums Estate and Development Fund, and £5 million through the Libraries Improvement Fund.
The announcement follows a concerted effort by the government to support the country’s vital cultural organisations
Darren Henley, Chief Executive Officer, Arts Council England, said: “Our artists, arts organisations, museums and libraries are experts in making villages, towns and cities better places to live, work, visit or play. This investment means they’ll be able to help more people across England to lead happier, more creative lives”.
Bringing people together
Arts Minister Lord Parkinson, said: “Culture is the bedrock of society. It brings people together, entertains and informs us, and helps us to understand our common past and shared future.
“This raft of new funding for treasured cultural institutions up and down the country will help them to continue their great work, advance our work to level up access to arts and culture so they can be enjoyed by people no matter where they live, and protect these cherished institutions for future generations to enjoy.”
