Steam hosts launch of three-year events programme

A partnership of museums in Dorset and Wiltshire marked the launch of a new three-year programme of exhibitions and community engagement at an event held at STEAM Museum in Swindon.

Wessex Museums secured National Portfolio Organisation funding from Arts Council England for 2023-2026, including a funding uplift for activity focused on Swindon, an area identified for additional investment in the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper. 

The Wessex partner museums of Poole Museum, Dorset Museum, The Salisbury Museum, Wiltshire Museum, Swindon Museum & Art Gallery, Steam and Lydiard House Museum will receive £1.3m over three years to deliver a collaborative programme to improve collections, engage diverse local communities and deliver exciting events and exhibitions, as well as champion equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and environmental sustainability. 

Kristina Broughton, Wessex Museums Trust’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are so excited to be launching our new programme of work for 2023-26, supported by Arts Council England. 

“Wessex Museums has long recognised the added value we can achieve for our museums by working in partnership, and our new programme will continue in this vein but importantly, will also extend our museums’ reach to Swindon, allowing us to connect with and inspire more people through our museums across the depth and breadth of Wessex.”

Cllr Marina Strinkovsky, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Art and Heritage, said: “This is amazing news for Swindon and couldn’t have come at a better time. 

“We are laser focused on reopening the Museum and Art Gallery in its new home at the Civic Offices, where our aim will be to deliver everything the new museum partnership has been set up to do.

“Collaboration with our peer museums will help to make our outstanding collections more accessible so that more local people can enjoy them, and attract people from the rest of the region to come and appreciate the wealth of Swindon’s art and history.”

Swindon Museums Manager Frances Yeo said: “We are thrilled to be joining Wessex Museums and working collaboratively across the partnership.

“The funding from Arts Council England will enable Swindon Museums to progress community engagement programmes, collections loans and ambitious joint exhibition programmes with our partner museums across the region.”

Since first gaining NPO status in 2018, Wessex Museums has delivered a collaborative programme of community engagement, cross-partnership events and exhibitions. 

The Arts Council is investing in 990 organisations during 2023-26 so that more people in more places can enjoy creativity and culture wherever they are.

More information can be found at www.wessexmuseums.org.uk