Liverpool's new museum wins grant to cover first year’s running costs

Oct 13 2007 by Staff Reporter, Liverpool Daily Post

An artist's impression of the Mann Island development, next to the proposed new museum (200)

LIVERPOOL’S new museum has won a £1.4m Government grant to pay its running costs for its first year.

The waterfront X-shaped development will benefit from the extra funding in 2010 after a spending review by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Culture Secretary James Purnell pledged an extra £50m to Arts Council England to be invested in the arts over the next three years.

The funding guarantees free public admission to England’s national museums and galleries until at least 2011.

National Museums Liverpool say the extra £1.4m funding will enable them to provide a world-class tourist attraction, displaying popular objects like the Lion steam locomotive and a carriage from Liverpool's historic overhead railway.

The museum, being built next to the Three Graces has received £68m in total, with £32.7m from the Northwest Regional Development Agency, £5m from Merseyside Objective One programme, £11.4m from The Heritage Lottery Fund which will pay for the internal fit-out, plus £1m from the Garfield Weston Foundation and £3m from NML’s own capital funds.

Mr Purnell said: “Our arts and culture matter.

“They are a key part of the life and identity of our country, and that’s why the Government has invested heavily in them since 1997. This country can hold its own on the international stage, producing brilliant, world-class and groundbreaking work.”

A spokeswoman for NML said: “We are delighted to hear the Museum of Liverpool will be supported with additional revenue funding.

“This will help us to showcase our collections to the widest possible audience, providing a world-class tourist attraction that will be a key physical legacy of the European Capital of Culture year in 2008.”