Frenquently asked questions

Q. When was Renaissance set up?
A. In 2001 MLA published Renaissance in the Regions: A new vision for England’s museums.  This called for a new framework for regional museums, enabling them to become sector leaders and models of best practices. Visit the MLA website.

In October 2002, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced £70 million to support the first delivery phase of Renaissance in the Regions. 

Q. Where does Renaissance funding come from?
A. The funding comes from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).  The current funding programme runs to March 2009. The Renaissance funding has also been used to secure additional funding for the sector.

Q. Has Renaissance secured any additional funding?
A. Renaissance funding has been used as match funding to enable additional money to be levered in to provide additional support and finance for the Renaissance programme and the region’s museums.  Additional funding has been sourced through the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, Young Roots, Arts Council East Midlands, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, ERDF and Creative Partnerships.

Q. How long will the Renaissance programme last? Is it permanent?
A. The current Renaissance programme ends in March 2009. However, MLA nationally and regionally will be lobbying the government to continue the funding to support the strides forward that museums have made, supported by Renaissance.

Further funding beyond March 2009 will be known by the end of 2008.

Q. How do you ensure that the funding is fairly distributed?
A. For individual projects within Renaissance, applications for funding are open to all the region’s museums and are allocated to the best applications in relation to set criteria. Grants provided through the regional grant fund and Museums and Galleries Month are open to all museums and judged by a panel based on agreed and publicised criteria.

The support provided by Renaissance staff is available to all museums in the region. 

Q. Is this a national programme?
A. Renaissance is a programme for all museums in England, delivered regionally to benefit regional museums. There are nine regions delivering Renaissance programme work in the UK. The regions are: East Midlands, East of England, London, South East, South West, West Midlands, North West, North East and Yorkshire.  Each region is delivering the Renaissance priorities in different ways, but all are working in local partnerships with the aim of establishing a strong, effective museums sector.
 
Q. How can museums benefit?
A. Regional museums are already benefiting from investment, advice and support provided through Renaissance.  Further information for museums is available from the museum development officers, who support museums on a county basis.  

New initiatives and programmes are open to all museums.  Visit the different sections in our work to find out more.

Q. How do small, independent museums fit in?
A. Renaissance aims to strengthen the entire sector and provide funding, support and advice that will benefit the entire sector especially smaller museums. Since 2006, Renaissance funding has increasingly focus on supporting the wider museums community, especially through the appointment of new county museum development officers.

Visit the museum development officers page for more information about them and their work and for more information about the Museum 2 Business programme that provides business support to museums in Objective 2 areas visit the highlights and initiatives section in the Museums Development area of our work.

Q. How is MLA East Midlands involved?
A. The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) is the national body that secured the funding for Renaissance from the government.  Renaissance is one of MLA’s national projects, run regionally by partnerships including the regional MLA; MLA East Midlands for the East Midlands.

MLA East Midlands is both part of Renaissance East Midlands and supports its work providing expert advice in a range of areas.  MLA East Midlands works with and complements Renaissance staff and MLA East Midlands staff sit on the area Specialist Panels set up to drive the work in each Renaissance East Midlands focus area: learning, audience development, museums development, collections, workforce development, income generation and digitisation.

Q. What about libraries and archives, why isn’t there a similar programme for them?
A. Framework for the Future is the government’s vision for public libraries, MLA has developed and is implementing a national action plan for libraries based on this vision.  This is just one programme for libraries, with others being developed and supported by MLA Partnership and regional MLA bodies across England.  For more information visit the MLA website.

In 2002, DCMS commissioned MLA to set up the Archives Task Force to analyse the state of archives and the support they need. From 2002-2003 the Task Force held the most extensive consultation into archives in 50 years, with more than 700 submissions from archive users and those working in archives and records management.

The recommendations of the Task Force report aim to make a real difference and impact on individuals and communities. The aim is a strategy for national knowledge management, benefiting all users and the preserving archival heritage for future generations.