What heritage means to me: Laura Hill
How do you define “heritage”?
Heritage means different things to different people. Heritage for me consists of everything tangible and intangible from the past. It can range from large-scale structures such as buildings, but also things like nursery rhymes and cultural traditions that are passed from generation to generation.
Tell us about the Dust Kickers
The Dust Kickers are a network of young people who not only care about heritage, but want to shape the way heritage is managed at a strategic level, for the benefit of other young people, but also for future generations.
[quote= Laura Hill, HLF Dust Kicker]"If there is an opportunity to create real change in something I care about, it’s a no-brainer."[/quote]
What’s it like being a Dust Kicker?
It’s been great to meet other likeminded young people, and see the variety of reasons we encounter and value heritage.
The opportunity to share your experience and thoughts with the team at HLF, and have real input into the projects, makes me feel really positive about how the heritage sector is changing for the better.
Why did you decide to apply to be a Heritage Ambassador?
If there is an opportunity to create real change in something I care about, it’s a no-brainer.
The fact that heritage organisations realise that young people are a part of their audience and they want to reach out to them is really encouraging. It’s only right that we provide insight and work with them to help them achieve this.
What first interested you in heritage?
My parents love visiting stately homes, and when I was younger I didn’t find it that interesting (unless there was an activity park in the grounds!).
I started to find it more interesting over the years, when I heard the stories of individual people and places, and how elements of these histories are still relevant today.
You're from Liverpool. Is there a piece of North West heritage or history that particularly resonates with you?
I love all of the industrial sites: the Albert Docks in Liverpool, the canals, and the mills. They are part of a past that seems difficult to imagine now, a time when regular people were involved in creating a system so much bigger than themselves, and it affected every aspect of their lives.
What’s your favourite heritage within in the UK?
Lincoln Castle - I have lots of great memories of going there as a child.
What was the last heritage you visited?
There is a cinema room at the Museum of Liverpool, showing a film about the history of cinema - those who visited as children, and those who worked in the early cinemas.
My grandma used to work at our local cinema when she was younger, so it was nice to see something about everyday leisure time that most of us can relate to in some way. The seats are proper red-velvet cinema seats that really add to the experience - much nicer than the ones we have now!
[quote]"Understanding how things are valued by others is important, and helps us to better understand them."[/quote]
Why do you think heritage is important?
Heritage is a window into history, and not just History with a capital ‘H’, but the kind of history we all connect to without realising.
It is a part of all of our lives, and if we were to forget what happened in the past, and why, we can’t fully understand or begin to appreciate where we are today. Not everything will be important to everyone - but understanding how things are valued by others is important, and helps us to better understand them.
Do you have a favourite historical figure?
Robin Hood.
Do you have a favourite meal?
Lasagna.
Do you have a favourite film?
One Fine Day.
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Young people's soapbox event kicks dust off heritage
‘Heritage Soapbox’ invited speakers from museums, parks, art collectives, dance groups and more, to share their experiences of including new audiences.
Fostering dialogue
Over 50 delegates, from heritage professionals, to those beginning their careers, to students and other young people, heard about a range of topics, such as how visual arts charity Into Art work with people with learning disabilities, or how representation of different ethnicities, sexualities and ages is important to help people value archives.
The event also fostered dialogue, with delegates being invited to discuss issues like funding, employment and training opportunities, and what heritage organisations and young people can teach one another.
[quote=Halima Khanom, The Royal Parks]“Everyone felt really energised."[/quote]
Asking questions
The day was designed to allow ideas to be shared easily, with anyone being invited to stand on the soapbox and ask questions about how young people can be better served by, and have more ownership of, heritage organisations.
It was a thought-provoking event full of discussion, challenges and inspiration.
Speaker Halima Khanom, from The Royal Parks, said “Everyone felt really energised. It’s definitely down to how we formatted today’s sessions, where you could just get up on a soapbox and shout something, which is fantastic.”
[quote=Jasmine Bigden, Heritage Soapbox delegate]“It was great to hear everyone’s interpretation of what heritage means to them."[/quote]
Looking to the future
This event follows a year of work undertaken by the #Dustkickers, who have also helped HLF allocate £10.4million to young people’s projects across the UK.
It is hoped that the event will spark further awareness of the benefits of creating opportunities for young people at all levels of heritage, from volunteering, training and apprenticeships to decision-making. #Dustkicker Floria Lundon said “I’m feeling really good about the event. It feels less like an event, and more of a massive chat.”
Delegate Jasmine Bigden, who had never been involved in heritage before but attended with a friend, said: “It was great to hear everyone’s interpretation of what heritage means to them, and the ways in which they can all help out each other.”
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What heritage means to me: Nick Merriman
How do you define heritage?
Heritage, to me, is a past that is meaningful to me or my community because of what it says about our own identity.
Can you tell us about what's happening at the Horniman?
We're opening a new World Gallery, a five-year project to redisplay our anthropology collections. What it's entailed is completely reassessing all of the collections – we’ve done a huge amount of community consultations, over 200 different individuals and groups. Anthropology is with people, not about people. I think that's the new way that museums and anthropologists approach it.
What's exciting is that our previous gallery was called African Worlds, and it just focussed on Africa and the African diaspora, which was great, but it didn't show the other 80% of our collection. So, what we now have is material from all five inhabited continents. We’ve actually got 10 times as many objects on display as before - nearly all of them shown for the first time in a generation - and that breadth and depth allows us to connect with so many more communities in London or internationally.
What is your favourite artefact at the Horniman?
It's impossible to make a single choice of an object in the Horniman collection. What I really like is the fact that Horniman (Frederick Horniman, Victorian collector and founder of the museum) was interested in the every day, and the ordinary.
He collected from all over the world, to really try to demonstrate what binds us together as people rather than what divides us. As a Quaker, he was interested in common humanity, rather than the perhaps evolutionary systems of other Victorian collectors, which led from Primitivism to the triumph of the West. So this feels like a collection very much for today.
[quote=Nick Merriman, Chief Executive of Horniman Museum and Gallery]"What inspired me to work in heritage was touring junk shops in Birmingham."[/quote]
What inspired you to work in heritage?
What inspired me to work in heritage was touring junk shops in Birmingham where I grew up with my father. He was interested in the past through objects, collecting antiques and old stuff. I started collecting bottles and then had a metal detector and I loved the excitement of finding things.
That led me to study archaeology, and I've always been interested in the way in which museums can link to real people in the past through the tangible effect of looking at or even holding and handling and object. So it was the family interest leading to a professional career, which has been fantastic for me.
What's your favourite heritage within the UK?
My favourite heritage in the UK is almost a cliché actually, but, having trained as an archaeologist, I’ve become so excited by the new discoveries at Stonehenge. They’ve put Stonehenge in a much wider landscape context: the excavations at nearby Durrington Walls show a settlement that the builders of Stonhenge occupied, how they used the River Avon to transport the dead down to the stones, how the stones were for the ancestors, but wood was for the living.
What's really exciting about heritage is that it's changing all the time, as new discoveries are made.
What was the last heritage that you visited?
The last heritage I visited and really enjoyed is on the Isle of Bute in Scotland, which my family and I have been visiting for a long time. We most recently went to a wonderful site called St Blane's Chapel, on the southern tip of the island which is a very early monastic site and it's extraordinary.
It's in a bowl in the landscape surrounded by cliffs and brooding trees, and brooks and so on. It's one of the most atmospheric and spiritual places I've been to in the British Isles.
Why do you think heritage is important?
Heritage is important because it tells us something about ourselves and where we've come from - the influences that have shaped us as individuals and the society we live in.
It also reminds us that life changes: we die, there are generations before us, generations after us, so it also encourages us to think about our role in the world, what is a good life, how to live a good life, and to focus on the things that really matter.
[quote]"It's one of the most atmospheric and spiritual places I've been to in the British Isles."[/quote]
Do you have a favourite historical figure?
I don't have a favourite historical figure: the thing that really interests me in history are the anonymous people. The people who built Stonehenge, or dug the canals, or made the pyramids, or made the artefacts that we find in museums or discover on archaeological sites. So it's the anonymous person who is my historical figure of interest.
Do you have a favourite meal?
My favourite meal is lamb masala cooked at home with a masala sauce bought in India, with rice and chapattis.
Do you have a favourite film?
The Third Man. Brilliant script by Graham Greene, brilliant filming brilliant acting, atmospheric, fantastic music, wonderful.
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Changing face of anthropology at the Horniman
The gallery redevelopment, which will take three years to complete, will transform the way the Horniman displays its Anthropology collection – a designated collection of national and international importance – bringing more than 3,000 artefacts from around the world to public view, many for the first time. It follows the Horniman's three-year Collections, People, Stories review which revealed the strength and depth of the 80,000-strong collection.
Janet Vitmayer, Director of the Horniman Museum and Gardens, says: "This is wonderful news and the start of an incredibly exciting new phase in the Horniman's history. With this redevelopment of our galleries, our public can look forward to seeing and interacting with world-class displays from many more countries and cultures. We want our visitors to be able to stand in our galleries, surrounded by objects and stories from around the world that will move, enlighten, fascinate and inspire them."
The project will also include:
- restoration of some of the original architectural features of the historic building
- a flexible, creative studio space for cutting-edge displays and artistic collaborations
- a new display exploring the history of founder Frederick Horniman and his family, and the origins of the collections and museum
Sandie Dawe MBE, HLF Trustee, said: "The Horniman is a much-loved visitor attraction in South London. Over the years, HLF has been one of its most staunch supporters and so we’re especially pleased that they’ve continued their ongoing vision with plans for new gallery spaces and an extensive activities programme. We particularly liked that the museum is getting more of its collection out of the store and on display and will tell the story of the Horniman family themselves. In so doing they will reflect the capital’s reputation as one of the foremost global cities."
Alongside the HLF Heritage Grant funding, the Horniman needs to raise an additional £1.3m from other sources including individual donors, corporate support, trusts and foundations. The redevelopment is scheduled for completion in 2018.
Notes to editors
Collections People Stories is a three-year review of the Horniman’s Anthropology collections, funded through the Horniman Museum’s Major partner museum funding from Arts Council England. The review has highlighted the range, scale and importance of both its stored collections and those on display. The project investigates new and innovative ways of collections research, engagement and interpretation. It also facilitates academic and community consultation and debate, to both unpack the legacy of the Anthropology collections and unlock their values for communities and visitors today. The different activities and events over the course of the project have fed into establishing a vision for redeveloping the Anthropology galleries at the Horniman.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens opened in 1901 as a gift to the people in perpetuity from tea trader and philanthropist Frederick John Horniman, to "bring the world to Forest Hill". Today the Horniman has a collection of 350,000 objects, specimens and artefacts from around the world. Its galleries include natural history, anthropology, music and an acclaimed aquarium. Indoor exhibits link to the award-winning display gardens – from food and dye gardens to an interactive sound garden – set among 16 acres of beautiful, green space offering spectacular views across London. Visitors come time and again to participate in the museum's exciting range of events and activities, sample the tasty delights from the popular cafe, and shop for interesting gifts in the gift shop. Their spaces are available for hire including the stunning Grade II listed Victorian conservatory built in 1894 and newly built Gardens Pavilion.
Contact
Horniman Press Office, on tel: 020 8291 8166 or email: press@horniman.ac.uk
Global story for London’s Horniman
A grant of £3.3million will enable the museum to transform the way it displays its anthropology collection, tell stories from around the world and celebrate the wonder and complexity of what it means to be human.
Alongside the gallery, a new studio will host a programme of performances and exhibitions inspired by the collection.
[quote=Stuart Hobley, Head of HLF London]“The project will ensure that people – from our ancestors to today’s visitors – remain at its heart.”[/quote]
People, past and present
More than 3,000 objects will be displayed in the gallery. Robert Storries, Keeper of Anthropology at the Horniman, explained: “The displays will show how 'things' connect people – practically and emotionally – as well as giving each of us a glimpse into other ways of understanding the world we all share.”
Stuart Hobley, Head of HLF London, said: “Already much-loved in South London, the Horniman has an incredible global story to tell. Thanks to National Lottery players this project will enable previously hidden items from the museum’s anthropology collections to be enjoyed for the first time and ensure that people – from our ancestors to today’s visitors – remain at its heart.”
Next steps
The museum’s current anthropology gallery will close from September 2016. The Horniman is raising a further £1.4m of funding to complete the project and the new World Gallery is expected to open in 2018.
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What heritage means to me: Carmen Talbot
How do you define “heritage”?
I’ve heard many definitions over the years. I suppose to me it’s what we value in our collective memory. That’s tangible and intangible heritage like objects, buildings, stories, dances and recipes.
Tell us about the Rebellious Sounds Archive
We are creating the first oral history archive of stories of women's activism, pertaining to the South West. We’re doing that by collecting stories – I go around and speak to women, or women contact me, and I record their accounts.
[quote]"We are creating the first oral history archive of stories of women's activism, pertaining to the South West."[/quote]
The project is run by Dreadnought South West, an arts and heritage charity whose focus is on education for women and girls, and advancing their position in society. We’re funded primarily by HLF, with additional support from the Big Lottery Fund, Exeter City Council and our local Fawcett Society. We've also just launched a Crowdfunder.
Each recording is around 40-60 minutes long, and these are collected in the archive. We take three to four minute excerpts from the recordings, which are going in our touring exhibition, called The Listening Booth. It’s an installation designed to look like a voting booth, where visitors can select ‘voting cards’, each of which will play them a different women’s story. We’re really excited about it!
What does coordinating a project like this involve?
There’s just two people in the project team at the moment (plus support from Dreadnought) – my role involves recording the oral histories, and curating the stories that go into the touring exhibition. I put together the touring schedule for the booth, and I’m also doing workshops along the booth’s route.
Why did you decide to create the Rebellious Sounds Archive?
One of Dreadnought’s directors, Natalie McGrath, started going to archives and trying to research the suffragist and suffragette movement in the South West. Sometimes she was finding a lot of information but sometimes she wasn’t, and it made her start thinking about how women’s activism might be underrepresented in archives, and how Dreadnought as an organisation can attempt to rectify that.
The woman I was speaking to yesterday didn’t think of herself as a protestor – she was just saying to me: “are you sure you want to hear about this?” It’s really interesting that some people are responding in this way. I think one of the purposes of this project is to make people recognise their own actions and achievements.
Do you have a favourite piece of feminist heritage?
[quote]"I think one of the purposes of this project is to make people recognise their own actions and achievements."[/quote]
A few years ago, in a previous job, I stumbled on a police file on this woman called Violet Van Der Elst, who was a human rights and anti-capital punishment campaigner in the 1930s.
She would drive her Rolls Royce in front of prisons and block the route, and create a huge fuss. And I've got this huge, fantastic police document where there's photographs of her just shouting in the face of police officers. In the 1930s this is really impressive!
I’m a really big fan of hers. It's that kind of story that I'm now able to speak about, connected through this archive.
What inspired you to work in heritage?
I’ve always been fascinated with the past. As a child I wanted to be an ancient Greek when I grew up. Now, having studied ancient history, and as a woman, I think that was a ridiculous plan! I wouldn’t want to be a woman in any time except now, and even then sometimes it’s scary.
What’s your favourite piece of heritage within the UK?
I live very near the National Trust Greenway – one of Agatha Christie’s residences. It’s a beautiful site, and Agatha Christie’s work is so well known – when you go there you can see how she was inspired.
I’m really in to gardening and there’s fantastic walled kitchen garden on the site as well so I love that!
What was the last heritage you visited or enjoyed interacting with?
I went to see a piece called No Petticoats Here by musician Louise Jordan. It was a mix of song and oral history – she researched different women from the First World War, who were munitions workers, or scientists. I was blown away by it.
Why do you think heritage is important?
We can’t really think about who we are and who we want to be, unless we think about what happened in the past. So I think recording and understanding and talking about our heritage is incredibly important.
Do you have a favourite historical figure?
Sappho.
Do you have a favourite meal?
Spaghetti alla puttanesca, the prostitute's spaghetti, as it translates - it's my favourite thing to eat!
Do you have a favourite film?
V for Vendetta.
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Ballots for both: Britain celebrates centenary of women’s suffrage
HLF has supported a number of creative and engaging centenary women’s suffrage projects which are providing new insights and a greater understanding of the context, experiences and struggles for democratic rights fought by women.
[quote=LIz Ellis, HLF Policy Adviser]"We are supporting projects across the UK...which we hope will inspire young people today and into the future.”[/quote]
Liz Ellis, Policy Advisor Communities and Diversity at HLF, said: “It’s hard to believe that it’s only 100 years since the Representation of the People Act was passed. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to a number of forward-thinking and courageous women for helping make this happen. To mark this, we are supporting projects across the UK that celebrate these achievements and which we hope will inspire young people today and into the future.”
Suffrage projects funded include:
1. ‘She Bangs the Drums’, Manchester
Young people in Manchester’s Contact Young Company have used their National Lottery grant of £41,500 to work with the People’s History Museum and the John Rylands Library to celebrate the lives of the women who achieved change in the 20th century and link these experiences with democratic struggles today.
2. ‘Echoes of Holloway Prison’, London
Thanks to a £73,700 HLF grant, Islington Museum brings to life the powerful stories behind the bars of Holloway Prison. Exploring its period as a mixed prison - with Oscar Wilde as its most famous inmate - to the women held there for demonstrating at Greenham Common, the project also includes a number of compelling suffragette stories.
3. PROCESSIONS, 14-18 NOW and Artichoke
Women and girls across the UK will mark the centenary of the Representation of the People Act by walking together in public processions across the nations on Sunday 10 June. Part of the National Lottery-funded 14-18 NOW - the First World War Centenary cultural programme - this mass-participation event will form a living portrait of women in the 21st century and a visual expression of equality, strength and cultural representation.
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History of Suffrage in Ulster Explored in New Project
The award was made to Glenravel Local History Project and will support a programme of volunteer-led research into the history, development, activities, achievements and legacy of the local suffrage movement.
Suffragettes were political activists who campaigned for women’s right to vote. Women from all social classes were involved in the suffrage movement as no woman, regardless of her position, could vote. They organised and took part in marches and demonstrations, often using militant tactics to raise awareness of their cause. While the legacy of the Suffragettes is still apparent today, little information exists about the history of the movement in Ulster.
The new ‘Suffrage in Ulster’ project will provide opportunities for the local community, including historical societies, arts groups and young people involved in the Community Empowerment Project, to become involved in a range of activities. The volunteers will receive training in local history and research skills, ranging from utilising the resources available at the local library and online, to conducting more detailed research of information held at the Public Record Office and National Archives in Dublin.
Using these newly acquired skills the volunteers will research the history of the local suffrage movement, from the formation of the first suffrage society in Belfast by Isabella Todd in 1876 to the passing of the Equal Franchise Act in 1928, which finally gave women equal voting rights with men. The movement’s leading figures, the impacts of the First World War and the introduction and effects of the ‘Cat and Mouse’ Act, will also be explored by the participants during the one year project. The volunteers will use their findings to produce a booklet, an education pack for use by local schools and develop a website to share this untold heritage with wider audiences.
As Crumlin Road Gaol played an important part in the suffrage story – ‘A’ wing being where the Suffragette prisoners, incarcerated for crimes such as possession of explosive materials, were housed – training will also be delivered to the current tour guides of Old Belfast Prison to enable them to educate visitors about this part of the prison’s history and the wider suffragette movement in Ulster.
Funding for the project was awarded through HLF’s ‘Your Heritage’ programme which provides grants of up to £50,000 for projects that enable people to explore, protect and celebrate their own or other people’s heritage.
Announcing support for the project, Head of HLF Northern Ireland, Paul Mullan, said: “This project will help to uncover the story of the suffrage movement in Ulster and create a permanent record of this heritage by exploring the personalities and key events which both directly and indirectly led to the extension of the vote to women.
“It’s wonderful to support this project which, with participation and learning at its heart, will provide opportunities for the local community to become actively involved in the activities to research and share this fascinating aspect of our local heritage with wider audiences.”
Joe Baker, on behalf of Glenravel Local History Project, said: “We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund have supported this scheme. The local Suffragettes are largely forgotten and most people focus instead on their activities in London. At the end of this project we will have lots of new material on the local Suffrage movement and I think people will find it absolutely fascinating.”
Notes to editors
HLF has grant-giving programmes to support both large and small heritage projects, and since 1994 has awarded £135million to projects across Northern Ireland. For more information about HLF's funding programmes.
Further information
Julie Halliday, HLF Northern Ireland on 07733 100 674 or julieh@hlf.org.uk
Joe Baker, Glenravel Local History Project on 028 9031 0859 or 07738 962 703.
What heritage means to me: Stephen Clews
How do you define “heritage”?
Its old stuff, fascinating in itself, that makes it easier to understand the world and the people who live in it today.
Tell us about what’s happening at the Roman Baths
Loads! The multi-faceted Archway Project is delivering several things at once in an area to the south of the main Roman Baths site. This includes:
[quote]"We knew we could make the Roman Baths and Bath a better place for everyone."[/quote]
- a new Clore Learning Centre for the Roman Baths that will allow us to provide state-of-the-art learning facilities for young people
- an innovative new Investigation Zone set amongst underground Roman ruins, where active archaeology will be part of the experience
- an extension to the area of the Roman remains that people can visit and where they will see a Roman exercise court and an unusual bath house feature called a Laconicum
- the conservation and regeneration of old spa buildings that are over a hundred years old and badly dilapidated. They tell a very special part of Bath's Spa story
- and last but not least, a new World Heritage Centre for the city, which visitors can use as a launchpad from which they can set out to discover many aspects of the World Heritage site
What’s your role in this heritage project?
I’m called the Project Leader so I have to keep it on track and lead the talented team who do all the work!
Why did you decide to create The Archway Project?
Because there were some clear needs, and we could see that if we could crack them we knew we could make the Roman Baths and Bath a better place for everyone.
What's your favourite aspect / artefact in the Roman Baths?
One of the ‘curse tablets’ from the Sacred Spring, where it was thrown in nearly 2000 years ago as a message to the goddess. It is incomplete and broken into two pieces. It has writing on it that you can barely see and no-one can understand. It uses the Latin alphabet, but it isn’t Latin.
The words it contains are a privately written message to the goddess, and if we could read them we would know what someone said to their goddess all that time ago. We think they may be the only words to have survived across the centuries and down the generations from the Celtic language spoken in Britain before the Romans. It gives us an astonishingly tenuous connection to a world we hardly know.
For a museum professional it is one of the most challenging objects you could ever be asked to display. It is inherently and deeply inaccessible, incomplete and incomprehensible – but it has a great story to tell!
What’s it like managing the Roman Baths and Pump Room?
Challenging because every question has a complex answer, but brilliant because of the talented staff you work with.
What inspired you to work in heritage? How did you end up doing the job you do now?
I found it fascinating when I was at school and I still do. Luck!
What’s your favourite heritage within the UK?
This place – really!
[quote]"[Heritage] helps to give you a better sense and understanding of who and what you are."[/quote]
What was the last heritage you visited / enjoyed interacting with?
Last week I was in the People’s History Museum in Manchester which used to be known as The National Museum of Labour History. A great example of a small museum with a magnificent collection of colourful trade union and Friendly Society banners which leads you to a fascinating story of politics and social history.
I went on a tour of the banner conservation workshop which is an outstanding facility in which conservation is carried out in full sight of the visiting public. The collections are very unlike those held here, but in their own special way they still provide a fascinating insight into the lives of people at a different time in the past.
Why do you think heritage is important?
I think it helps give you a better sense and understanding of who and what you are.
Do you have a favourite historical figure?
Nelson Mandela – a great rugby fan.
Do you have a favourite meal?
Anything Italian.
Do you have a favourite film?
Kung Fu Panda 2 – great on a long haul flight.
#ThanksToYou
To celebrate the £7.8billion raised by National Lottery players over the last 23 years for heritage projects like The Archway Project, the Roman Baths are joining HLF-supported heritage sites across the UK in offering special deals to visitors who show a valid National Lottery ticket.
On Wednesday 13 December, the Roman Baths are offering free entry for visitors with National Lottery tickets.
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Bath Abbey says ‘thank you’ 10 million times
Bath Abbey’s Footprint project, an ambitious and transformative programme of works planned to secure the Abbey’s physical future and open it up to the community, took a huge step forward this week, as it announced its success in its latest bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), unlocking £10.7million of funding.
This grant will help fund the physical work needed to the fabric of the Abbey and provide the space to enable the Abbey’s facilities for education and for music to be developed. The project will make a major impact on the ability of the Abbey to fulfil the various roles that it plays for the city of Bath and the surrounding region. The success of this application means that HLF is confident in Bath Abbey’s plans and believes that a high-quality project will be delivered.
[quote=Charles Curnock, Director of the Footprint Project]“Bath Abbey belongs to all the people of the city and we hope very much that local residents will want to leave their own footprint here for hundreds of years to come.” [/quote]
Footprint will provide a stable, level and restored floor within the Abbey by filling voids caused by thousands of burials together with an innovative, eco-friendly hydrothermal heating system, using energy in the water from Bath’s famous hot springs. In addition, the HLF support will enable the Abbey to realise exciting plans for a discovery centre and a song school, two key resources that will enable the Abbey to better serve both the residents of Bath and the hundreds of thousands of visitors it welcomes every year.
The Reverend Prebendary Edward Mason, Rector of Bath Abbey, said: “We are all delighted to learn that we have secured this support from HLF. This is great news for the Abbey, the city and the region and also for those who have personally put so much time, effort and money into the project. The Abbey has been at the centre of the Bath community for over 1,200 years and, thanks to the HLF, Footprint will enable it to continue serve current and future generations for hundreds of years to come.”
Nerys Watts, Head of HLF South West, said: “The great medieval Bath Abbey has a rich history and the innovative Footprint project will ensure that this special place can continue to play a vital role in the lives of the thousands of people who visit every year. Our support for the essential capital works, collections care and use of sustainable energy will bring the Abbey into the 21st century, enabling people from Bath and further afield to enjoy this special place long into the future.”
Charles Curnock, Director of the Footprint Project, said: “We are enormously grateful to HLF for this wonderful grant. We can now believe that we really have a project. The grant also provides a fantastic boost to our remaining fundraising. In addition to other funds which have been so generously given, the total project cost of £19.3m is now firmly within our sights – there is £1.5m left to raise. We don’t however underestimate the effort which will still be needed to secure this funding; we do however very much appreciate all those who have helped the project to date in many different ways.
“This final fundraising phase is now a chance for everyone to get involved. In particular we are collaborating with LocalGiving and the Bath Percent Club with the aim of raising £50,000 from friends and visitors – with the added bonus that every pound donated will be matched with another pound from the Bath Percent Club. This campaign is being run on LocalGiving’s secure online giving platform, meaning that everyone can keep a track of progress, and donate online. Bath Abbey belongs to all the people of the city and we hope very much that local residents will want to leave their own footprint here for hundreds of years to come.”
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UK’s oldest theatre, a 1950s town and Romans underground: £48m for heritage
The £48million investment will save some of the nation’s most significant heritage, create 100 jobs and boost tourism across England.
Sir Peter Luff, Chair of HLF, said: “This investment, every penny of which has been made possible by National Lottery players, is a powerful demonstration of the range, beauty, fascination and significance of our nation’s heritage.”
[quote= Peter Luff, Chair of HLF]“We must remember that heritage isn’t just about buildings, archives and wildlife, important as these things are. It's also about the people and communities whose lives they changed in the past – and will change in the future.”[/quote]
Eight projects made possible by National Lottery players
- £2.3m for Bristol Old Vic, in the year it marks its 250th anniversary, to carry out major restoration work, conserve and digitise its theatrical heritage archives and bring Thunder Run – an 18th-century ‘surround system’ in the roof space which mimicked thunder during performances – back to life
- £10.9m for Beamish Museum to open up a new decade of North East life and continue to build on growing visitor numbers. A 1950s town will be filled with objects and stories donated by local people, feature Aged Miners’ Homes repurposed as a wellbeing centre and include a cinema moved brick by brick from another town
- £3.4m for the Archway Centre project in Bath which will create a Learning Centre and World Heritage Centre at the Roman Baths and open up areas of Roman remains, including a rare laconicum (sauna) and an exercise courtyard
- £2.5m for the Canal & River Trust to restore the Montgomery Canal for people and wildlife
- £4.6m for the Royal Air Force Museum’s programme to connect a global audience with the RAF’s centenary in 2018
- £7.6m to create the Medicine Galleries at the Science Museum, based on the extraordinary collections of Sir Henry Wellcome
- £3.6m for the Royal College of Music’s project to create new displays and a performance space for its collection of historic instruments, including the world’s earliest surviving guitar
- £12.8m for Canterbury Cathedral to carry out vital restoration and develop a Pilgrims Pass scheme
Heritage and culture belong to everyone
Sir Peter Luff added: “We must remember that heritage isn’t just about buildings, archives and wildlife, important as these things are. It's also about the people and communities whose lives they changed in the past – and will change in the future.
"It's about the tourism and regeneration that will boost local economies, about the new jobs, the new training programmes and the new volunteering roles that will be created. It's also about the visitors from all walks of life who will gain new insights into our shared heritage.”
Karen Bradley, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, welcomed the news. She said: "Our heritage and culture belongs to everyone. It lies at the heart of our communities and has the power to create jobs, boost tourism and the local community. It is fantastic to see such a wonderful range of heritage and museum projects receive generous funding thanks to National Lottery Players.”
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