NPO funding

27 June 2017

TWAM awarded NPO, Museum Development and Bridge funding from Arts Council

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) has announced today that it has been successful in its applications to Arts Council England for National Portfolio Organisation, Museum Development and Bridge grant funding for 2018-22.

TWAM has secured three funding agreements with the Arts Council; £12,547,720 NPO, £2,000,000 Bridge, £627,760 Museum Development.

A budget of £409 million will be available for the National Portfolio each year between 2018-22. This will include £341 million of grant-in-aid and £68 million of National Lottery funding. An increase of £37 million per annum on the previous investment period (2015-18) will be used to help support Arts Council’s ambition of achieving a 4% uplift in the proportion of the NPO budget spent outside London; support the integration of museums and libraries, for arts and museums’ activity into our portfolio; and bring new, small and diverse organisations into the portfolio.

NPO funding will enable TWAM to embrace creativity, risk and experimentation to develop a programme of creative work, inspired by the diversity of its venues, collections and audiences.

TWAM will develop its practice in delivering:

  • the Creative Case for Diversity
  • audience development including reaching larger audiences and continuing to engage those least likely to visit
  • the establishment of a new Strategic Board and Trading company which will help develop governance and increase financial resilience
  • its ongoing leadership role in the museum sector and particularly regarding work with Children and Young People
  • national partnerships and international working

As a Bridge organisation TWAM works with Arts Council, cultural organisations and learning providers to ensure that every child and young person in the North East has the opportunity to experience the richness of the arts and culture.

By 2022 Culture Bridge North East aims to have set up eight Local Cultural Education Partnerships (LCEPs) across the region. LCEPs include people from the education & culture sectors, as well as others as relevant to each local area. They are focused on the needs and perspectives of young people in their area and take a strategic approach to developing cultural education. Culture Bridge North East will also continue to support and promote Arts Award, Artsmark and the Quality Principles as well as running CPD events.

In TWAM’s role managing the Museum Development programme for the North East it supports over 50 Accredited museums, from small volunteer-run museums through to larger independents, local authority museums, National Trust properties and English Heritage sites. In 2018-22 the Museum Development programme in the North East will continue to provide a comprehensive programme of support to ensure that museums deliver excellence in the management of their collections, understand and respond to the needs of their audiences and are resilient and sustainable.

Iain Watson, Director of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, said:

“I am delighted that we have been awarded NPO funding, Bridge organisation funding and Museum Development funding. This means we can realise our ambitious plans for developing opportunities for audiences to engage with our museums and collections. It also means we can support the wider museum, cultural, education and business sector to open up even more possibilities for people, and especially children, to connect with the rich variety of culture we have on offer in the North East.”