Hastings Museum & Art Gallery joins the new National Portfolio

Hastings Museum & Art Gallery to receive a funding boost. It was announced on Friday that Hastings Museum & Art Gallery has been awarded £450,000 by Arts Council England and has joined its new National Portfolio.

The funding from Arts Council England will allow the museum to work on engaging with new audiences, as well as maintaining existing audiences. It will see the museum working more outside of the museum walls in the community.

Cllr Andy Batsford, portfolio holder for culture and health, said: "This funding is wonderful news for Hastings Museum & Art Gallery. It will enable them to keep developing the huge range of events and activities they offer. The museum really is a fantastic asset for our town. If you haven't been, I would encourage you to come along - there really is something for everyone to enjoy."

Damian Etheraads, museum and cultural development manager, said: "The team and I are delighted to receive this new funding from Arts Council England. It is a privilege to join the National Portfolio. This funding will allow us to keep moving forward and working with local people to improve the museum and things we do here. We would like to say a big thank you to Arts Council England and Hastings Borough Council for their continued support of the museum."

Since 2018 the museum been on journey to become more community focused and relevant. It now has a successful track record of innovative working with local people to add their voices to the collections and create exhibitions and events. The museum programme puts inclusivity and community involvement at the heart of its work. It builds on the successful approach that has been developed over the last few years. The museum aims to connect people and communities with cultural activities to improve health and wellbeing and provide access to lifelong learning opportunities. The team are committed to achieving greater access, opportunity and fairness for the town's communities.

Today it is one of the leading museums in Sussex and has a growing national profile. It has been shortlisted for the Family Friendly Museum Award 2019, Family Favourites Award for Best Educational Day Out in London & South East 2019 and the Museums Change Lives Awards 2020. The museum also received the Bronze Award for Best Small Visitor Attraction in The Beautiful South Awards for Excellence 2020-2021. This year it was shortlisted by the Museum + Heritage Awards for community engagement programme of the year.