Laxton's National Holocaust Centre and Museum to use over £400,000 in funding to develop learning spaces and accessibility

A museum of huge cultural importance is using a grant worth more than £400,000 to improve its online services and make-over an important exhibition.

The National Holocaust Centre and Museum, Laxton, is among 66 cultural organisations across the country to benefit from a share of over £22.7m from Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme .

The funds, totalling £460,000, will be used to extend and rejuvenate the Journey Exhibition to for engage larger, more diverse audiences. It will also help create event and learning spaces.

The Capital Investment Programme aims to help cultural organisations across the country transform their buildings and equipment so they can operate safely post-pandemic, improve access, seize technological opportunities, and reduce environmental impact.

Marc Cave, centre director, said: “We are delighted to be awarded this generous Arts Council Capital Investment programme funding which will help us develop and improve our museum and learning centre for the benefit of future generations.”

Work to the Journey Exhibition at the centre will include increasing the capacity by extending the exhibition into what is currently a meeting room, removing pinch points that restrict the size of visiting groups.

The opening will be transformed by creating a new foyer and multi-use events room, while multi-layered interpretation will be added to open up the exhibition to a more diverse range of people.

The centre will also focus on increasing its learning provision, both online and in-person.

Multi-purpose learning areas will be created at the centre and additional unisex and accessible toilets will be built in a new extension.

The centre will be going digital as the Memorial Auditorium is transformed to double up as a broadcasting hub to reach online audiences.

A new professional standard audio visual system will be used for high-quality remote learning and presentations.

Storage will also be upgraded, for the museums important historical items.

Another extension will be used to safely store artefacts and create a workroom space for working with digital content.

The storage space will be protected against fire and have a window for visitors to look in on the museum's work in progress.

Around the centre roofing will be replaced, with improved insulation.

Darren Henley, chief executive of Arts Council England, said: “World class creativity and culture needs a resilient and sustainable infrastructure to allow it to flourish. With these investments in the buildings, equipment, and digital systems of cultural organisations across England, we are helping to secure the future of that infrastructure, and making sure that people from every part of the country can continue enjoying all the benefits it delivers for years to come.”