Arts Council England Press Office

Arts Council England has today (Tuesday 24 January 2012) announced the 16 Major partner museums (see Notes to Editors) who will together receive approximately £20 million a year in funding for the next three years (April 2012 – March 2015) as part of its Renaissance programme for regional museums.

Arts Council England today (Tuesday 3 January) announced the appointment Simon Mellor as the organisation’s new Executive Director, Arts.

This Christmas, the nation has received twelve treasures through the Government’s Acceptance in Lieu (AIL) scheme. As a result, the public will be able to enjoy, an outstanding Turner watercolour of Rome, a Rubens painting rarely seen on public display, and, fittingly, a beautiful Nativity scene by the Italian Renaissance painter Garofalo. Other treasures include two significant historical archives which throw light on the life of Lord Louis Mountbatten and Britain’s maritime mastery, plus a superbly decorated Iron Age artefact from Wales.

Three giant crocheted lions travel the country on the lead up to London 2012 Olympic Games

Tour venues across the East Midlands and London’s Natural History Museum

Shauna Richardson’s ‘Lionheart Project’ has announced its UK tour, which will see three giant crocheted lions travelling the country in a 16 metre long illuminated glass case. Starting on 1 May 2012 at Chatsworth in Derbyshire, the three giant lions will tour the East Midlands before arriving at the Natural History Museum in London in time for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Harking back to a travelling menagerie show, the lions will also visit venues in Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northampton and Nottingham, calling in at events such as SO Festival and Twycross Zoo. The lions will reach out to an estimated audience of more than half a million visitors across all venues, with countless more sightings when they take to the road.

Arts Council England has today (Tuesday 24 January 2012) announced the 16 Major partner museums who will together receive approximately £20 million a year in funding for the next three years (April 2012 – March 2015) as part of its Renaissance programme for regional museums.