Midnight at the Museum awarded National Lottery Funding

Kate Hulme has been awarded £14,984 through Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants for Midnight at the Museum, a Hastings Museum & Art Gallery project.

Midnight at the Museum is a new storytelling and well-being activity for children that Hastings Museum & Art Gallery is running this autumn and winter.

In this free storytelling subscription for children aged 6-9, participants will receive a wellbeing journal and letters from six special characters inspired by museum objects. They'll hear about the objects' epic adventures and learn about overcoming emotional difficulties through the power of storytelling. Fun activities will help develop their creativity and they can even write back to their new friends at the museum. Local illustrator Holly Pearce and animator Marli Weare have helped to bring the magic to life.

National Lottery Project Grants is the Arts Council's open access programme for arts, museums and libraries projects. The fund supports thousands of individual artists, community and cultural organisations thanks to National Lottery investment.

National Lottery players raise over £36 million for good causes each week, funding arts, heritage, sports, voluntary and charity projects around the UK. Over £43 billion has been raised for Good Causes since the National Lottery began in 1994.

The first Midnight at the Museum packs will be sent out at the start of November 2021.

Kate Hulme said, "We are thrilled to be able to bring such a magical storytelling project directly to local children's letterboxes."

Councillor Paul Barnett, lead for regeneration and culture at Hastings Borough Council, said,

"It's great that such a fantastic project has received this funding from the National Lottery. The wellbeing of children is so important, and to be able to use items from the museum's collection to assist with promoting positive mental health is brilliant. Midnight at the Museum looks to be a wonderful activity for little ones, and we're glad that the museum can support it."

Hazel Edwards, Area Director, South East, Arts Council England said,
"I am pleased that with funding from Arts Council England, supported by the National Lottery and its players, has enabled Midnight at the Museum to encourage children to develop their creativity and improve their wellbeing. I hope this storytelling project will inspire these children to a life of creativity and storytelling."

For more information, please contact:
Kate Hulme on kate@katehulme.co.uk or 07810 637060