The Harris to receive £803,249 in funding which helps safeguard nation’s cultural heritage

• The Council owned Harris is among more than 60 galleries, museums, libraries and cultural venues to receive Government’s Cultural Investment Fund (CIF)
  
• Awarded through the Museums Estate and Development Fund (MEND) strand of the funding, this award will enable the Harris to undertake urgent stonework repairs to the deteriorating façade of the building, in addition to works already being undertaken as part of the £10m National Lottery Heritage Fund project.

Galleries, museums, libraries and cultural venues across the country, including The Harris, are to benefit from almost £50 million of funding which will improve people’s access to the arts, safeguard cultural assets for future generations and power economic growth through culture.

The Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Library in Preston, Lancashire has been awarded a grant of £803,249 by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports, delivered by Arts Council England.

The Harris is a Grade I listed building, and jewel in Preston’s crown. The MEND funding compliments the existing Harris Your Place capital project to Re-imagine and preserve the Harris for future generations.  In 2021, the Harris temporarily closed to the public to begin its major capital project – Harris Your Place.

The restoration will make the Harris more welcoming and inclusive, with structural works and layout improvements to the Grade I-listed building, creating a world-class cultural attraction and community hub fit for the 21^st century. With the support of National Lottery Heritage Fund the Harris was able to commence work on an initial £10m scheme, increasing to £12.4 with the addition of Towns Fund investment and grants from Garfield Weston Foundation and Wolfson Foundation. This £803,249 award marks another significant milestone in delivery of the project, bringing the total project to £13.2m. This enables repairs to the external stonework of the building to be completed alongside Harris Your Place, in time for the planned re-opening in spring 2024.

The generous support from the MEND fund allows the project to extend the scope of works and further invest in improving the Harris, carrying out additional works to the second floor and basement that were originally outside of scope of the £10m project. This is great news for Prestonians and visitors to the city who will be able to enjoy an enhanced cultural attraction and civic hub.

Almost 130 years old the Harris is tired. It isn’t as accessible as it should be for everyone who needs it. Conservation is needed to reveal hidden original architectural details and to tackle the leaking roof and damp basement which pose a threat to the Harris’ collections. The Harris Your Place project and now with the support of the MEND funding will allow us to preserve the much loved building.

Harris Your Place is, of course, much more than preserving the building and as our way of life changes ever more quickly, we need to ensure the Harris remains a vibrant heart of the community, where people want to spend their time.

While work is carried out to our beloved building visitors are able to enjoy our continued library service and range of Harris activities at our Home-from-home in Preston’s Guild Hall and pop ups across the city.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive Officer, Arts Council England, said:

“Our artists, arts organisations, museums and libraries are experts in making villages, towns and cities better places to live, work, visit or play. This investment means they’ll be able to help more people across England to lead happier, more creative lives.

The Cultural Investment Fund will see £48 million distributed to 63 organisations. It is allocated through three streams: £24 million through the Cultural Development Fund; £18.8 million through the Museums Estate and Development Fund; and £5 million through the Libraries Improvement Fund. The announcement follows a concerted effort by the government to support the country’s vital cultural organisations.

 The Museum Estate and Development Fund helps fund museum and local authority infrastructure projects and urgent maintenance works beyond their day-to-day budgets.”

Arts Minister Lord Parkinson, said:

“Culture is the bedrock of society. It brings people together, entertains and informs us, and helps us to understand our common past and shared future.

Today we are announcing a raft of new funding for treasured cultural institutions up and down the country.

This will help them to continue their great work, advance our work to level up access to arts and culture so they can be enjoyed by people no matter where they live, and protect these cherished institutions for future generations to enjoy.”

Councillor Peter Kelly, Cabinet member for culture and leisure services at Preston City Council, added,

“We are enormously grateful to Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports, and to Arts Council England for this fantastic support, which represents more important funding for the Harris and enhances our delivery of Harris Your Place.

This is fantastic news for the Harris and for Preston. It means we can make much-needed repairs to the external stonework of the Harris as part of the wider Harris Your Place project, and welcome our visitors back to a fully renovated building in 2024.

The further funding, from the DCMS once again demonstrates the faith and commitment national funders have in the Harris Your Place and the wider City Investment Plan vision.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• This grant funding is offered to Preston City Council and is subject to approval by full Council
• The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports announced the £48m fund to safeguard the nation’s cultural heritage

 Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk.   

Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. We are also one of the bodies administering the Government’s unprecedented Culture Recovery Funds. Find out more at www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19. 

About the Harris

• Opened in 1893, the Grade I listed building is owned and managed by Preston City Council. Based in Preston, Lancashire, the Harris is one of the leading museums, galleries and libraries in the region. Host to art collections of national significance, exciting activities and events for all ages and an award-winning contemporary art programme, the Harris welcomed over 380,000 visitors in 2018/2019. www.theharris.org.uk
• The Harris made its final stage application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for £4.5million towards the Re-Imagining the Harris – Harris Your Placeproject in November 2020.  This ambitious capital scheme has already received development funding of £180,500 from Heritage Fund and is supported by key partners including Lancashire County Council, the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal.  Made possible by National Lottery players, Harris Your Place is a one in 100 year opportunity to refurbish the Harris as a cultural and community hub for everyone.  For more information go to theharris.org.uk/support-us/harris-your-place
• The Harris is proud to be an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation. The Harris consists of an art gallery, museum, library and café.

ENDS   Media Enquiries, Angela Sinclair, Communications Officer, (01772) 906476