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We have been successful in our bid to secure continuing major funding from Arts Council England over the next three years.
Sheffield Museums has been awarded Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) funding, a three-year funding stream which has seen applications from hundreds of museums, galleries, theatres and arts organisations across the country.
The Trust will continue to receive £814,720 each year from 2023 to 2026 to support its creative programme and associated staff team.
This vital funding for the charity, which runs Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, Graves Gallery, Kelham Island Museum, Millennium Gallery, Shepherd Wheel Workshop and Weston Park Museum, will support our work to develop compelling museum experiences with, by and for the people of Sheffield and visitors to the city alike.
Sheffield Museums Trust was established in spring 2021, bringing together Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust and Museums Sheffield to create a new united city museums service. Since the Trust’s formation, we’ve successfully delivered a wide range of exhibitions and activities and welcomed the return of popular largescale events such as Kelham Island Museum’s Victorian Christmas Market. The Trust has also removed all admission charges, ensuring that the museums and the city’s collections are available for everyone to enjoy.
Sheffield Museums and its preceding legacy trusts have received £814,000 each year in National Portfolio Funding since the funding stream became available to museums in 2017. Alongside this funding from Arts Council England, the Trust also receives a £1.7m annual service fee from its primary funder, Sheffield City Council.
Like organisations and businesses around the globe, the city’s museums have been severely impacted by both the pandemic and the current cost of living crisis. While visitor numbers are recovering post-pandemic, a volatile economic climate and increasing inflationary pressures has seen the Trust continue to navigate a challenging financial landscape. Each year, we must generate £1.5m in addition to the funding we receive from Sheffield City Council and Arts Council England to run our sites, care for the city’s collections, deliver exhibitions and events and provide a wide range of learning opportunities for Sheffield’s schools and communities.
‘We’re hugely grateful to Arts Council England for their continued investment in Sheffield Museums. National Portfolio Organisation funding plays a vital role in supporting our work across the city’s museums and beyond. We’re looking forward to working collaboratively over the next three years to provide meaningful, inspiring experiences for people throughout the city and the wider region.’Kim Streets, Chief Executive of Sheffield Museums
