The government funding via Arts Council England will pay for some of the major refurbishment and extension of the museum building in the city’s Broad Street, currently closed, in what is the flagship project of the ongoing Stronger Hereford programme.
It aims to extend and transform the grade II-listed building with new galleries, display spaces, and commercial areas, all made fully accessible.
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The project is being led by Herefordshire Council, whose cabinet member for community services and assets Coun Harry Bramer said: “Museums are no longer just repositories of artefacts; they are dynamic spaces for learning, creativity and social connection.
“This funding will ensure that our county museum is the cultural centre it has always aspired to be.”
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Minister for arts, heritage and libraries Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said: “Our funding is helping both to create new venues and to adapt existing ones to make them more accessible, helping to deliver the government’s plan to make sure that everyone has access to excellent, life-changing cultural opportunities.”
The money appears to be a bonus on top of confirmed existing funding for the project, comprising £8.4 million from Herefordshire Council, £5.1 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and £5 million from the government’s Towns Fund.
Some of the lottery money was allocated last month to appoint Mather & Co, a design consultancy with extensive experience in museum and visitor attractions, to work with Herefordshire Council to “create an engaging and innovative visitor experience”, according the council.