Bristol Museums among cultural institutions in the South West to receive civic arts funding

Image: M Shed Bristol courtesy Bristol Museums

Bristol Museums, The Box (Plymouth City Council), Museum of Gloucester and the Bridport Museum Trust are among councils, museums and trusts across England to receive grants from the UK Government's £20m Museum Renewal Fund,

administered by Arts Council England, according to the Museums Association.

Exeter City Council will receive £114,202, Bristol Museums £495,320 and the Museum of Gloucester £360,378, with further funding for other councils and institutions.

The cultural sector acts as a significant boost to the economy in the south west region and Bristol City Council's Head of Culture and Creative Industries, Philip Walker, will joining Future Cities Forum's 'Innovation Cities' discussion event this week, to describe the value of this important sector.

In July this year Arts University Plymouth joined five partner universities at the House of Commons to launch Creative Industries in the Great South West: Leading from the Edge, fresh evidence that the region is the UK’s fastest‑growing creative powerhouse, matching London as the joint‑fastest UK region for creative job growth (4.1% per year, 2019–22) and contributing £2.7 billion GVA through 15,870 businesses and 35,000 employees.

The report highlights the strength and scale of the South West’s creative economy, showing how far the region has already come, and why it’s ready for future investment:

• £2.7 billion GVA and at least £2.3 billion turnover generated each year, with an impressive £76,700 GVA per employee.

• 15,870 registered creative businesses spread across 22 significant clusters, from Cornwall’s screen sector to Dorset’s immersive tech corridor.

• A workforce of 35,000 employees is boosted by over 40,000 freelancers and 50,000 creative roles in non‑creative industries, bringing the total creative talent pool close to 75,000 people.

• Job growth of 4.1% (2019–22) – the joint‑fastest of any UK region and approaching London’s rate – confirms the South West as the nation’s creative growth engine.

• Every creative job generates 1.9 additional jobs elsewhere in the economy, underlining the sector’s powerful spillover effects.

• Firms that buy from the Creative Industries are over twice as likely to innovate, highlighting the sector’s catalytic role in cross‑industry productivity and competitiveness.

On the latest funding across the UK, The Museums Association states:

'Civic museums have been awarded grants across England in this latest round of funding which will be shared between 75 civic museums, including Birmingham Museums Trust, York Museums Trust, Chatham Historic Dockyard, Barnsley Museums, Brighton and Hove Museums and Discover Bucks Museum.

'Part of the £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund, announced by the culture secretary Lisa Nandy in February 2025, the Museum Renewal Fund aims to improve public access to collections, protect community and educational programmes, and help ensure local and regional museums are fit for the future.

'The grants will protect opening hours and job opportunities as well as strengthening museums’ ability to attract tourists and employers to regions across the country.'

Nicholas Serota, chair of Arts Council England, said: “Travelling through cities, towns, and villages across the UK, I have seen that museums and art galleries are often a proud focal point in communities, telling important stories about history, people and place. This funding will provide a crucial lifeline for local museums in stabilising their financial situation and building towards a sustainable future.”