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Visitors soar at Leeds museums
Leeds City Museum.
Leeds has been named one of the UK’s cultural capitals after a transformation which has seen visitor numbers to its museums and galleries more than treble to a million.
The city is one of 16 ‘renaissance’ cities recognised by the Arts Council England (ACE). An extra £2 million a year could now be pumped into the city’s galleries and museums services.
In 2004, the council-run service had just 334,000 visitors. This year, numbers will pass 1.1 million, increasing to 2 million users if virtual visits are taken into account.
John Roles, head of Leeds Museums and Galleries (LMG), said: “This is a huge endorsement of what Leeds Museums and Galleries have been trying to achieve over the last seven years and really puts Leeds as a city on the UK’s cultural map.
“We are being recognised for excellence in the collections and heritage we hold, the programmes we run and the people who work for and with us.” The money - the amount of which is to be finalised in March - will help build on work improving collections and visitor numbers, as well as other criteria like reaching out to young people.
It follows Leeds’ success in the first part of the Government’s Renaissance in the Regions project, when the city was given just £150,000 to turn around its cultural fortunes.
The city scored an “outstanding” tag in several of the areas in its new bid application, which was described as a “model application”.
Mr Roles added; “Not only have we seen huge increases in visitors, users and schools, but four of our collections are designated by the Government as being of national or international importance.
“In the last 12 months over 520 objects from collections have been lent - many of them abroad- as far afield as China and Russia, Canada and America. We are part of a thriving cultural landscape in Leeds and Yorkshire and our success here reflects that.”
The majority of the LMG service’s everyday funding comes from Leeds City Council. The nine cultural include Leeds City Museum, Leeds Art Gallery, Armley Mills Museum and Kirkstall Abbey.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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