The Dudson Museum is among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. This award will ensure the museum can survive lockdown and re-open once restrictions are lifted.

VAST in Stoke-on-Trent has received a grant of £18,900 from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help The Dudson Museum recover and reopen.

Nearly £400 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country including VAST in the latest round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund, the Culture Secretary announced today.

This funding will enable staff of The Dudson Museum to continue to work while it is required to remain closed. This will enable the museum to continue to put in place plans for new ways of operating and to develop the visitor experience in order to secure the future of the museum so that it can continue to provide a memorable experience for its visitors in the years to come. Funding previously received in the first round helped the museum greatly including providing the opportunity to develop a brand-new interactive, Dudson Museum website which delves into the history of the museum together with, latest news, exciting events and a new virtual tour feature.

Over £800 million in grants and loans has already been awarded to support almost 3,800 cinemas, performance venues, museums, heritage sites and other cultural organisations dealing with the immediate challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

This brings the Government’s total investment across grants, capital and repayable finance from the Culture Recovery Fund so far to more than £1.2 billion across over 5,000 individual cultural and heritage organisations and sites.

The second round of awards made on 2 April 2021 will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for reopening and recovery. After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a much-needed helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said:

“Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they’ve ever faced.

Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.”

Curator of The Dudson Museum, Alison Morgan, said:

“As we look forward with optimism to the relaxation of COVID restrictions and the eventual re-opening of the unique Dudson Museum, this crucial funding will support us through the weeks to come, ensuring that visitors are once again able to not only enjoy the treasures within and the warm welcome to which they have become accustomed, but will also be able to take advantage of our new initiatives and plans for increased interactive activities for all age groups.  The Cultural Recovery Fund has already played a central part in our survival through testing times, and this additional funding will help our continuance as the light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter and also help us to develop and grow as we can finally move forward with a positive outlook, now having the opportunity to adapt to a potentially new and exciting future.”              

Ros Kerslake, CEO of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:

“Spring is definitely here, bringing not only sunshine but that sense of optimism and hope for the future. We are all looking forward to heritage places and other visitor attractions reopening and I am very pleased that we have been able to support DCMS in delivering this vital funding to ensure the UK’s heritage sector can rebuild and thrive, boosting local economies, creating jobs and supporting personal wellbeing.” 

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said:

“The value of our heritage sites and the people who run them has been amply demonstrated, as they have provided an anchor for so many of us through the dark days of the last year. Vital grants from the Culture Recovery Fund have helped them   survive and will now help them recover, as the places we all cherish start to reopen in the months ahead.”

The funding awarded today is from a £400 million pot that was held back last year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund could continue to help organisations in need as the public health picture changed. The funding has been awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England as well as the British Film Institute and Arts Council England.

To find out more about the museum and its heritage, visit the Dudson Museum website or get in touch via [email protected]