The Burton at Bideford is one of 75 organisations across England to be awarded a grant from Arts Council England’s Museum Renewal Fund.
The fund, delivered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will support museums in stabilising their financial situation and building towards sustainable and thriving futures.
Museums, galleries and other cultural organisations are crucial to communities across the nation. The Museum Renewal Fund will help to alleviate some of the pressures facing these organisations, including rising costs and income generation challenges, while giving them room to plan for future development and growth.
The Burton’s ongoing partnership with Torridge District Council gives communities across the district access to world-class collections, heritage and culture. This ranges from major partnerships with Tate that bring work by internationally renowned artists to Northern Devon, to innovative programmes like Burton Futures, which takes art education into rural schools across Torridge. In 2024-25 The Burton attracted over 163,000 visitors to Bideford, with over 50% from local communities and nearly 20% travelling over 100 miles across the UK to visit.
Investment from the Museum Renewal Fund will allow The Burton to continue to provide high-quality cultural services in Torridge this year, while also developing new initiatives to support resilience for the future. This includes the digital transformation of The Burton website and shop, a new fundraising strategy with a focus on individual patrons and sponsors, and a marketing campaign for the organisation’s 75th anniversary year.
Harriet Cooper, Director at The Burton at Bideford said:
“It has been a challenging few years for the museum sector and as The Burton at Bideford enters its 75th year in 2026 we will create an ambitious strategy for our role in the next 75-years of culture in Torridge. Investment from Arts Council England’s Museum Renewal Fund acknowledges the quality of the service The Burton provides, and will support us to think about innovative new ways to strengthen our financial base. We believe that all communities in Northern Devon should have free access to world-class collections, heritage and culture, and we continue to work with Torridge District Council to ensure our community is at the heart of this vision.”
Cllr Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, Lead Member for Culture & Community Engagement at Torridge District Council, said:
“This grant is really great news for The Burton at Bideford and all of the communities across Torridge that it works with. This year every £1 invested by Torridge District Council will enable The Burton to bring nearly £4 more into our local economy, contributing to real impacts across culture, health and wellbeing while attracting both locals and visitors into Bideford.”
Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, commented:
“Travelling through cities, towns, and villages across the UK, I have seen that museums and art galleries are often a proud focal point in communities, telling important stories about history, people and place. This funding will provide a crucial lifeline for local museums in stabilising their financial situation and building towards a sustainable future.”
If you would like to find out more about how to support The Burton at Bideford please get in touch at info@theburton.org
