Tag: Department for Culture and Media

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 8 January 2024.

A temporary export bar has been placed on a 15th century painting by Fra Angelico to allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire it.

• The painting is valued at over £5 million and dates from a formative period in the artist’s career

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay has placed an export bar on a 15th-century painting, ‘The Crucifixion with the Virgin, Saint John the Evangelist and the Magdalen’ by Fra Angelico.

The painting, valued at over £5 million, is at risk of leaving the UK unless a domestic buyer can be found.

The work by the leading Renaissance artist Fra Angelico depicts Christ on the Cross surrounded by the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Saint John the Evangelist. The luminous colours and refined composition are highly characteristic of Fra Angelico’s techniques, and the work, dated to the early 1420s, was painted at an important moment in Renaissance art.

The painting reflects Fra Angelico’s response to the intense period of creative innovation taking place at the time, when artists were developing new expressive and compelling forms of representation in religious and secular art.

Arts & Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

This beautiful piece by such an important figure of the early Renaissance represents a key moment in the history of European painting.

It has been in the UK for two centuries, and I hope that a domestic buyer will come forward so that it can remain here to be studied and admired for generations to come.

The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA).

Committee member Christopher Baker said:

Fra Angelico was one of the great innovators in the evolution of early 15th-century Florentine art. This profoundly moving devotional work, with its delicate colour harmonies and deeply considered, expressive figures, demonstrates the enduring power of his achievement. It is an extraordinary rarity that assists with our understanding of a formative period in the artist’s career and in the development of Italian Renaissance painting more widely. Its appeal also extends far beyond such scholarship because of its numinous beauty.

Executed in tempera on a wooden panel, the painting retains its original frame and has been in Britain since the early 19th century. It would constitute a major addition to a UK public collection and every effort should be made if possible to acquire it.

The RCEWA made its recommendation on the basis that the painting met the second and third Waverley criteria for its outstanding aesthetic importance and its outstanding significance for the study of the development of painting in Italy in the early Renaissance.

The decision on the export licence application for the painting will be deferred for a period ending on 7 April 2024 (inclusive). At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 Business Days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the painting at the recommended price of £5,001,000 (plus VAT of £180,200 which can be reclaimed by an eligible institution). The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for six months.

Offers from public bodies for less than the recommended price through the private treaty sale arrangements, where appropriate, may also be considered by the Minister. Such purchases frequently offer substantial financial benefit to a public institution wishing to acquire the item.

Notes to editors

1. In December 2022, Lord Parkinson discussed the Waverley criteria in a speech to mark their 70th anniversary, and used the opportunity to invite thoughts on the way they work – for instance, whether the Committee should say more about how it has considered items’ connection to the history of other countries as well as to the UK’s, or whether the items it considers are destined for public display rather than private collection. His full speech can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/lord-parkinson-speech-at-a-reception-to-mark-70-years-of-the-waverley-criteria
2. Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the painting should contact the RCEWA on 0207 2680534 or rcewa@artscouncil.org.uk
3. Details of the painting are as follows: Fra Angelico (active 1417; died 1455). ‘The Crucifixion’, early 1420s Tempera on panel, 59.7 x 34.2 cm. The painting retains its original engaged frame
4. Provenance: (Probably) William Bingham Baring, 2nd Lord Ashburton (1799-1864), Bath House, London; by inheritance to his widow, Louisa, Lady Ashburton (1827-1903), Kent House, London or Melchett Court, Hampshire; through her daughter, The Hon. Mary Florence Baring (1860-1902), wife of William Compton, 5th Marquess of Northampton (1851-1913), and their second son, Lord Spencer Compton (1893-1915) and by descent.
5. The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by the Arts Council (ACE), which advises the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.
6. Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Its strategic vision in Let’s Create is that, by 2030, England should be a country in which the creativity of everyone is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. ACE invests public money from the Government and the National Lottery to support the sector and deliver the vision. Following the Covid-19 crisis, ACE developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90 per cent coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. It is also one of the bodies administering the Government’s unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 2 January 2024.

Communities across Wales will be able to nominate their most cherished traditions.

Communities across Wales will be able to nominate their most cherished traditions to be included in a new register of cultural heritage in the UK.

Festive favourites, such as the Nos Galan road races, 3am carol singing and the Mari Lwyd could all be formally recognised.

Seasonal celebrations taking place at St David’s Day, the Royal Welsh Show, St Dwynwen’s Day and the tradition of holding Eisteddfodau, where all cultural activities including singing and spoken word are conducted in the Welsh language, could also be included.

Traditions that are central to Welsh culture, identity and communities, from the Urdd, to the playing of the Welsh harp and the spoken word art of Cerdd Dafod are expected to also be put forward for a UK-wide official inventory.

Modern day events like bog-snorkelling in Llanwrtyd Wells and the famous Elvis Festival in Porthcawl could be registered alongside more long-standing activities such as singing in male voice choirs.

Artisanal crafts such as slate-carving, making lovespoons and the art of making traditional Welsh cakes with a bakestone, together with the practitioners of these traditions, will also be considered.

The selected Welsh traditions will sit alongside valued traditions from across the rest of the UK, from bagpipe-playing and Highland dancing to cheese-rolling and the art of basket weaving.

It comes as the UK Government has confirmed its intention to ratify the 2003 UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which seeks to protect the crafts, practices, and traditions which are recognised as being key part of national life and providing a sense of identity to communities.

These practices are often also referred to as ‘intangible cultural heritage’ or ‘living heritage’ and are inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants.

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

The UK is rich in traditions which have been passed down from generation to generation – with the music and culture of Wales adding significantly to that richness.

These crafts, customs, and celebrations have helped to shape our communities and bring people together, who continue to shape them in turn.

By ratifying this Convention, we will be able to celebrate treasured traditions from every corner of the country, support the people who practise them, and ensure that they are passed down for future generations to enjoy.

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said:

We have a huge number of wonderful traditions and customs in Wales that help make our nation unique and distinct and it’s great that many of these will now be formally recorded and recognised.

It’s important to preserve and protect living heritage, as well as physical landmarks and heritage sites, to pass onto future generations and maintain our special Welsh culture.

By ratifying the Convention, the UK Government will be able to recognise our most important crafts and traditions in the same way as we have considered our physical heritage sites such as the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales, the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal, and the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape.

As intangible cultural heritage can only be considered as such when it is recognised by the communities, groups or individuals that create, maintain and share it, it will be these groups and people from across Wales who will be able to nominate their favourite traditions to be formally recognised.

A public consultation launched today will seek the public’s views on the UK Government’s proposed approach to implementing the Convention across the UK to safeguard valued traditions. This will include the approach to how people will be able to nominate traditions, how they will be adjudicated, and any criteria that the nominated practices will need to meet before they are considered.

The UK Government has been working closely with the Devolved Administrations, the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories in the run up to this decision and will continue to do so in order to implement the Convention and collate the UK-wide inventory, which is expected to launch for nominations next year.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 26 December 2023.

Over 800 charities and community organisations struggling with increased demand have been awarded funding as part of a £76 million package.

• Food banks, warm hubs and safe spaces amongst the first 800 charities to benefit from support for frontline charities and community organisations meeting increased demand for critical services
• Up to £38 million already allocated to support organisations carrying out vital work helping the most vulnerable
• Additional package of support to improve the energy efficiency of community organisations now open for applications

Over 800 charities and community organisations struggling with increased demand have been awarded funding as part of a £76 million package to help vulnerable people.

Projects tackling food poverty, homelessness charities and services offering financial advice are amongst those to benefit from funding, providing a much needed funding boost for those  meeting increased demand for their critical services.

The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, will continue to make awards from the Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund  throughout December and January.

Minister for Civil Society Stuart Andrew said:

Charities and community organisations are on the frontline helping the most vulnerable in society, and we are allocating £100 million in recognition that they are struggling too, as demand and costs both increase.

Over 800 charities have already been awarded these significant grants, meaning they can continue to help those in need and we will continue to roll out funding at pace.

This funding comes at a critical time as charities and organisations support more people struggling to heat their homes and access hot meals. Grants worth between £10,000 and £75,000 are being allocated to cover project and core costs, including for premise rent, utilities, staff and volunteers.

David Knott, Chief Executive at The National Lottery Community Fund, said:

We’re proud to be distributing Government funding to enable frontline projects in England to support communities facing the impact of the rising cost of living. From the provision of food, shelter and safe spaces, to financial or housing advice, over 800 awards have already been made to critical services that will strengthen communities and improve lives at a challenging time.

Examples of organisations that will be supported include:

• Springwell Village Community Venue, Sunderland: Funding of £45,000 is supporting the project to focus on its food supply of hot meals and food parcels, and the provision of toiletry packs for disadvantaged young people and older people in the community. It will also provide a safe and warm space over the winter months to support those struggling with the rising cost of utility bills.
• Brunswick Youth and Community Centre, Merseyside: In the past 12 months BYCC have adapted their support offer to provide additional food, clothes and essential items due to significant surge in need. Funding of £39,500 will support the project to deliver these services and expand the offering to more beneficiaries, as well as increasing access to their warm space.
• Muslim Women’s Council, Bradford: The Curry Circle project provides hot meals in a warm environment to anyone facing food poverty. Funding of over £50,000 is supporting  it to revive a number of services including increased number of hot takeaways, doorstep delivery of food parcels and survival packs with sanitary products. They also aim to provide weekly access to debt advice at the venue where the meals are served.
• SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets, London: SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets is a community-based charity providing services including after school clubs, holiday provision, youth services, employment support, women’s services, health and fitness programmes and older peoples’ services for disadvantaged residents in the borough.  Funding of over £28,000 will support the continuation of these services, including a food bank, youth safe hub, a warm hub for those aged 50+ and clothing recycling programme.
• The Centre Project Limited, Leicester: This community hub has been awarded over £40,000 to expand and continue its range of services, which includes a foodbank, warm space, hot meals, social activities, youth club and advice services. They support people who may be vulnerable due to loneliness, isolation, poor housing, unemployment, homelessness, mental health issues or in crisis.
• Housing Matters, Bristol: Housing Matters offers an advice, support and advocacy service for people in housing and financial crisis in and around Bristol, advising clients on disputes with landlords, rent arrears, disrepair and overcrowding amongst other issues. Funding of nearly £40,000 is supporting it to pay for the running costs of its housing advice service including telephone, email and face to face support offered at community centres.
• SHAPE Birmingham, Birmingham: SHAPE offers shelter for homeless young women. SHAPE is currently facing an increase in demand for its services due to a rise in the cost of living, alongside a rise in running costs of the hostel. Funding of over £35,000 is supporting them to hire a part time worker, enabling them to support more young women.
• Christian Action and Resource Enterprise, Grimsby: Christian Action and Resource Enterprise Ltd (CARE) is an established charity running various projects including housing, food, furniture and emergency supplies, warmth, a safe space, and financial and housing advice in North East Lincolnshire. Funding of £75,000 will pay for extra staff hours and the cost of additional IT infrastructure, allowing it to continue its work assessing residents for food and utility vouchers; giving advice and help with finances; support for those struggling with domestic abuse; and providing housing for vulnerable people.

As part of the £100 million package of support allocated during the Spring Budget, it was also announced that £25.5 million will be used to pay for measures to help voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in England improve their energy efficiency.

Funding will help the long term energy and financial resilience of the sector as well as supporting the Government’s commitment to meeting a net zero target by 2050. Via independent energy assessments, organisations will be able to identify how to reduce bills through measures such as improving or installing new energy features in the building. The fund will also support the installation of new energy measures, such as insulation, heating and lighting systems, where applicants are eligible.

Applications for the £25.5m VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, administered by community charity Groundwork, are now open. Eligible organisations are able to apply for funding via the Groundwork website.

This funding follows a support package of £750 million dedicated to help charities adapt and maintain essential services during the pandemic as part of the government’s unprecedented £400 billion COVID support package.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 23 December 2023.

Public encouraged to propose festive traditions, such as Christmas pantomime and Hogmanay, for formal recognition alongside other mainstays of UK culture.

Communities across Scotland will be able to nominate their most cherished traditions to be included in a new register of cultural heritage in the UK.

Festive favourites, such as pantomime, Hogmanay and pagan Yuletide traditions could all be formally recognised.

Seasonal celebrations taking place at St Andrew’s Day, Burns Night, Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Up Helly Aa in the Shetlands could also be included.

Traditions that are central to Scottish culture, identity and communities, from Highland dancing to bagpipe playing, cèilidhs and commons riding are expected to also be put forward for a UK-wide official inventory.

Artisanal crafts such as kilt-making, tweed-weaving and the art of making the perfect haggis, together with the practitioners of these traditions, will also be considered.

The selected Scottish traditions will sit alongside valued traditions from across the rest of the UK, from the male voice choirs of the Welsh Valleys to cheese-rolling and the art of basket-weaving.

It comes as the UK Government has confirmed its intention to ratify the 2003 UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which seeks to protect the crafts, practices, and traditions which are recognised as being key part of national life and providing a sense of identity to communities.

These practices are often also referred to as ‘intangible cultural heritage’ or ‘living heritage’ and are inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants.

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

“The UK is rich in traditions which have been passed down from generation to generation, and so many of those which are best known around the world – from bagpipe-playing to the Highland games – are Scottish.

“These crafts, customs, and celebrations have helped to shape our communities and bring people together, who continue to shape them in turn.

“By ratifying this Convention, we will be able to celebrate treasured traditions from every corner of the country, support the people who practise them, and ensure that they are passed down for future generations to enjoy.”

By ratifying the Convention, the UK Government will be able to recognise Scotland’s most important crafts and traditions in the same way as we have considered physical heritage sites such as New Lanark, Edinburgh Old Town, and the Heart of Neolithic Orkney.

UK Government minister for Scotland, John Lamont, said:

“Hogmanay, Burns Night and ceilidh dancing are Scottish traditions celebrated across the world and now we will be able to give them recognition alongside those from around the UK as part of this international convention.

“I encourage communities across the country to nominate their local traditions that will be ratified and help to preserve them for generations to come.”

As intangible cultural heritage can only be considered as such when it is recognised by the communities, groups or individuals that create, maintain and share it, it will be these groups and people from across Scotland who will be able to nominate the UK’s favourite traditions to be formally recognised.

A public consultation launched today will seek the public’s views on the UK Government’s proposed approach to implementing the Convention across the UK to safeguard valued traditions. This will include the approach to how people will be able to nominate traditions, how they will be adjudicated, and any criteria that the nominated practices will need to meet before they are considered.

The UK Government has been working closely with the Devolved Administrations, the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories in the run up to this decision and will continue to do so in order to implement the Convention and collate the UK-wide inventory, which is expected to launch for nominations next year.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 23 December 2023.

Public encouraged to propose festive traditions, such as Christmas pantomime and carol-singing, as well as others from all year round, for formal recognition as mainstays of UK culture.

• UK to ratify 2003 UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
• Public consultation launched to inform UK’s approach to creating a new register for traditions valued by communities up and down the country

Communities across the UK will be able to nominate their most cherished local traditions to be included in a new register of cultural heritage in the UK.

Festive favourites, such as pantomime, carol-singing and the art of making a Christmas wreath could all be formally recognised – as could others from throughout the year, such sea shanties, cèilidh and calligraphy.

Seasonal celebrations taking place at Patron Saints’ days, Hogmanay, Burns Night, Shrove Tuesday, and the Welsh tradition of holding Eisteddfodau, where all cultural activities including singing and spoken word are conducted in the Welsh language, could also be included.

Traditions that are central to the rich tapestry which makes up the UK’s many cultures and identity – from Highland dancing to bagpipe playing, cheese-rolling and the male voice choirs of the Welsh valleys – are expected to also be put forward for a UK-wide official inventory. This could also include traditions brought to the UK by immigrant communities, such as Notting Hill Carnival and steel-drumming.

Artisanal crafts such as basket-weaving, thatching and the arts of creating tartan and tweed, as well as the practitioners of these traditions, will also be considered.

It comes as the UK Government has confirmed its intention to ratify the 2003 UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which seeks to protect the crafts, practices, and traditions which are recognised as being key part of national life and providing a sense of identity to communities across the UK.

These practices are often also referred to as ‘intangible cultural heritage’ or ‘living heritage’ and are inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants.

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

The UK is rich in traditions which are passed down from generation to generation.

These crafts, customs, and celebrations have helped to shape our communities and bring people together, who continue to shape them in turn.

By ratifying this Convention, we will be able to celebrate treasured traditions from every corner of the UK, support the people who practise them, and ensure they are passed down for future generations to enjoy.

By ratifying the Convention, the UK Government will be able to recognise our most important crafts and traditions in the same way as we have considered our physical heritage sites such as the Giant’s Causeway, Fountains Abbey, and the Tower of London.

As intangible cultural heritage can only be considered as such when it is recognised by the communities, groups or individuals that create, maintain and share it, it will be these groups and people who will be able to nominate the UK’s cherished traditions to be formally recognised.

A public consultation launched today will seek the public’s views on the UK Government’s proposed approach to implementing the Convention across the UK to safeguard valued traditions. This will include the approach to how people will be able to nominate traditions, how they will be adjudicated, and any criteria that the nominated practices will need to meet before they are considered.

The UK Government has been working closely with the Devolved Administrations, the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories in the run up to this decision, and will continue to do so in order to implement the Convention and collate the UK-wide inventory, which is expected to launch for nominations next year.

UK Government minister for Scotland, John Lamont, said:

Hogmanay, Burns Night and ceilidh dancing are Scottish traditions celebrated across the world and now we will be able to give them recognition alongside those from around the UK as part of this international convention.

I encourage communities across the country to nominate their local traditions that will be ratified and help to preserve them for generations to come.

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said:

We have a huge number of wonderful traditions and customs in Wales that help make our nation unique and distinct and it’s great that many of these will now be formally recorded and recognised.

It’s important to preserve and protect living heritage, as well as physical landmarks and heritage sites, to pass onto future generations and maintain our special Welsh culture.

Minister of State for Northern Ireland Steve Baker said:

Northern Ireland has a rich culture, and I welcome this initiative to enable communities to nominate what matters to them for recognition.

This is a great opportunity to ensure the UK’s cultural heritage is preserved for the benefit of future generations.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 22 December 2023.

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme supporting the protection of religious buildings representing all faiths and denominations, benefiting local communities.

• Cash boost comes as more than a million people across the country expected to attend Midnight Mass and Christmas Day services in their local church
• Since 2010, the Government has returned £346 million to listed churches, synagogues, mosques and temples

Nearly 5,000 religious buildings in the United Kingdom have received a share of up to £42 million in public funding ahead of this year’s festive celebrations, as the Government continues its support for the conservation of listed places of worship across the country.

As more than one million people are expected to attend Midnight Mass and Christmas Day services, they might be attending one of the 4,900 places of worship which have benefited from Government support over the last year to ease the cost of essential conservation and maintenance work.

Beneficiaries of the scheme this year include:

• Leicester Cathedral in Leicester, which has received more than £600,000 to restore the historic building, including renewing the cathedral’s heating, lighting and electrics and creating a heritage learning centre for visitors from the local community and beyond;
• the 11th-century Chichester Cathedral in Chichester, which has received more than £195,000 for its roof and lighting projects. The cash from the Listed Places of Worship Fund has also supported organ repair and maintenance, new fire and intruder alarms, and support with other major projects to protect this Norman building;
• the 12th-century Collegiate Church of St Mary in Warwick, which has been granted over £141,500 to repair the ancient tower, including work on the clocks and faces. Funding also supported the maintenance of electric and heating systems as well as new security and alarm systems;
• the Grade II*-listed All Saints’ Church in Wokingham, which has received £112,000 to rebuild the Copeman Hart organ and install new speakers. New underfloor heating was installed alongside an accessible toilet and entrance;
• Salford Cathedral, which has received more than £452,000 for a series of works to protect the long-term safety of the 19th-century building, including refurbishment of the roof, new insulation, replacement windows and doors, and new lighting;
• Llandaff Cathedral, originally opened in 1290, which has received more than £67,000 for design and work to replace the current heating and lighting system;
• Netherlee and Stamperland Parish Church, East Renfrewshire, which has received £104,000 for works to refurbish the sanctuary roof with works to the masonry, gutters, downpipes, lead works and drains;
• Shankill Parish Church, Lurgan, Craigavon, which received £92,000 to fund the repair of dry rot, the roof and the lightning conductor on the church’s spire.

To mark the impact of the scheme over the last twelve months, Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay visited St Mary’s Church in Hitchin, Hertfordshire to see how the more than £5,000 it has received has helped to support works on the church’s bells.

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

As churches across the country fill up for Nativity plays and Christmas services, it’s a reminder of the huge role that they and other places of worship play in the lives of their community.

The Listed Places of Worship Scheme supports these precious buildings, which are cherished by people of all faiths and none.

With nearly 5,000 supported over the past year alone, I’m glad to see the difference it has made to visitors, worshippers, and the people who look after them for the benefit of future generations.

Anne King, leader of the “spaceforall” community project at All Saints’ Church in Wokingham said:

We simply could not have done the work without the VAT grant. The refund of £250,000 was essential, and, importantly for our cash flow, always paid promptly. We can now run concerts, community drop ins and a lively café as well as enjoying worship in beautiful surroundings.

Karen Rooms, Dean Designate of Leicester Cathedral said:

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme is providing vital grant support covering the VAT we incur on the extensive repair work being carried out on our Grade II* listed building as part of our Leicester Cathedral Revealed project. We are very grateful for this support which is an essential part of the overall funding package.

Elizabeth Cranfield, Churchwarden, St Mary’s Church, Hitchin said:

We are very grateful to this scheme for the grants that we have received over the last few years. The works have included – replacing crumbling stonework; repairs to leaking roofs and gutters; recasting of the tenor bell and provision of rope guides greatly improving the sound and handling of the ring of 12 bells; installation of a roof alarm. These grants have significantly reduced the cost to St Mary’s. It has been easy to use the Scheme and it has undoubtedly supported our vision to keep St Mary’s as a beautiful place of Christian witness for the town and beyond.

Ruth Bamford, Communar and Bursar for Chichester Cathedral said:

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme has enabled many projects at Chichester Cathedral. Our fundraising arm, the Chichester Cathedral Restoration and Development Trust, do a fantastic job but without the ability to recover VAT through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, they would have to fundraise for VAT charges. Funders would rather see their investment go towards something tangible rather than towards taxes.

Recent projects supported by the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme include the complete replacement of the old leaky copper roof with a new lead one. We are also upgrading the Cathedral’s internal lighting scheme replacing old lights and cabling with a bespoke LED scheme. The new lighting is sympathetic to the building and has reduced energy consumption by 50%.

Aside from the major projects, the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme also covers many general repair and maintenance costs for the Cathedral, effectively making the Cathedral fabric neutral in respect of VAT.

Canon Michael Jones of Salford Cathedral said:

We are delighted and so grateful to have been a beneficiary of the Listed Places of Worship Grant.

This additional funding is much needed on our journey to fix and restore some of the original design features that have been lost over the years. Not only is the project looking to restore the Cathedral’s heritage, using innovative technologies will also provide new sources of energy to heat and light the Cathedral as well as offer long term drainage and roofing solutions to increasingly unpredictable and extreme patterns of weather associated with climate change.

The project will enhance the sacred space and what we are able to offer the community here in Salford.

John Luxton, Church Warden at Collegiate Church of St Mary in Warwick said:

St Mary’s is incredibly grateful for the support provided by the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme which was critical in enabling the church to raise the funding required to restore the amazing tower of our Grade I listed building.

I would urge any organisation in a similar position, seeking support, to investigate the scheme and then check out the eligibility criteria.

Tony Ireland, Project Manager for Netherlee and Stamperland said:

For us the Listed Places of Worship Scheme was seamlessly administered and the refunds authorised were efficiently delivered direct to our bank account. We found the explanatory notes detailing the operation of the Scheme straightforward to understand and a useful reference tool to establish what works qualified for support under the Scheme. The grant application forms were submitted electronically and after the first form was successfully submitted and approved the subsequent applications confidently followed. For listed property such as ours this Scheme delivered not just financial support but a very real feeling that we were part of an important national effort. Thank you Grants Team!

Archdeacon Mark Harvey, Rector, Shankill Parish Lurgan said:

The Church of Christ the Redeemer in the Parish of Shankill, Lurgan, was consecrated for worship in 1863, and is the largest parish church building in the Church of Ireland. Prior to the pandemic, we had been planning to carry out a complete re-ordering of the inside of the church. This had to be delayed however due to urgent repair works. In 2022, we discovered and treated an extensive outbreak of dry rot, and then in 2023, we undertook the enormous task of completely replacing our 160 year-old roof. The total cost of these repair projects was £716,000 plus VAT.

We could not have completed this work without the benefit of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme which has enabled us to claim back the VAT on these significant repairs and so reduced the financial burden on the parish.

We now plan to carry out the internal works to the church starting in mid-2024 at an estimated cost of £1.5-£2 million plus VAT. The support of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme thus far has been a huge factor in allowing us to progress these plans.

Since 2010, the Places of Worship Fund has invested £346 million in listed churches, synagogues, mosques and temples. The fund provides grants towards the VAT incurred on eligible costs, such as works to the roofs, masonry and monuments integral to the buildings.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 21 December 2023.

The Prime Minister has reappointed Allegra Berman, Amanda Levete, and Amanda Spielman as Trustees to the Victoria & Albert Museum, for terms of 4 years.

Allegra Berman

Reappointed from 01 March 2024 until 29 February 2028.

Allegra Berman is a General Manager and the Global Head of Institutional Sales within the Markets & Securities Services division of HSBC Bank plc. Allegra has 30 years’ experience in investment banking across a number of areas, including capital markets, mergers & acquisitions, infrastructure finance, corporate banking, Securities Services and Markets.

Allegra was previously a Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery and Chair of its Investment Committee and Finance Committees. Allegra is currently a Trustee of the Wolfson Foundation and Chair of its Risk & Audit Committee.

Amanda Levete

Reappointed from 01 March 2024 until 29 February 2028.

Amanda Levete is a Stirling Prize–winning architect and principal of architecture studio AL_A.

Completed museum projects include the V&A Exhibition Road Quarter and MAAT, the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology in Lisbon. Ongoing commissions include Paisley Museum in Scotland, the D’Ieteren headquarters in Brussels and the Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall in Serbia.

Amanda trained at the Architectural Association and worked for Richard Rogers before joining Future Systems as a partner in 1989, where she established the ground-breaking Media Centre at Lord’s Cricket Ground. She founded AL_A in 2009 with directors Ho-Yin Ng, Alice Dietsch and Maximiliano Arrocet.

Amanda was awarded a CBE for services to architecture in 2017 and in 2019 she was made an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. In 2021, she was elected a Royal Academician at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Amanda Spielman

Reappointed from 01 March 2024 until 29 February 2028.

Amanda Spielman has been a V&A trustee since 2020. She is chair of the audit committee and a member of the Young V&A committee.

Amanda has served for nearly seven years as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector at Ofsted, which is responsible for the inspection of schools, colleges, apprenticeships, adult education, nurseries, childminders and children’s social care. In this role she has spoken regularly about education, including speeches about art & design, design & technology and music.

Before this she was chair of Ofqual, the qualifications regulator, and research and policy director at the academy chain Ark Schools. Her early career was in strategy consulting, finance and investment at KPMG, Kleinwort Benson, Mercer Management Consulting and Nomura International.

She has also been a council member at Brunel University London and at the Institute of Education, a director of the Wales Millennium Centre, and a school governor. She holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Buckingham and is an honorary fellow of Brunel University.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Trustees of the Victoria & Albert Museum are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Allegra Berman, Amanda Levete and Amanda Spielman have not declared any significant political activity.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 15 December 2023.

A temporary export bar has been placed on a rare drawing by 17th century artist Samuel Cooper, valued at almost £115,000, to allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire the work.

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay has placed an export bar on a rare drawing by prominent 17th-century artist Samuel Cooper.

Widely regarded as the finest portrait miniaturist of the seventeenth century, with portraits of Oliver Cromwell and Charles II among his works, only a handful of Cooper’s drawings are understood to remain in existence.

Titled ‘Portrait of a Dead Child’, the drawing depicts the infant grandson of Cooper’s uncle and tutor, John Hoskins the Elder. The work is minutely drawn in a technique characteristic of a miniaturist, with delicate cross-hatching in the face and the shadows cast on his forehead by the edge of his cap.

The work is valued at £114,300 (plus VAT of £4,860), and at risk of leaving the UK unless a domestic buyer can be found to save it for the nation.

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

This rare and intensely personal drawing by Samuel Cooper – one of the foremost English artists of the seventeenth century – is a deeply poignant work, as well as an important one.

It is right that it should remain in the UK so that it can be studied and contribute to our understanding of Cooper and his period.

The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA).

Committee Member Pippa Shirley:

There is something deeply touching about this tender portrait and made even more poignant by the family network which connects the artist and subject. The baby was the son of Samuel Cooper’s cousin, John Hoskins Junior – in whose father’s studio Cooper had trained as a miniaturist, and who is the subject of a lively drawing on the reverse of the same sheet. In depicting his small relative in what must have been a highly emotional moment, Cooper brought all his powers of observation and a scintillating technique to bear. The detailed focus on the fragility of the face and the stillness of the tiny curled fingers, contrasting with the creation of a sense of volume through body colour in the cap and clothes creates an image of immense impact.

Cooper had an uncanny ability as an artist and miniature painter, admired in his own time, to get under the skin of his sitters, and his extraordinary sensitivity and perception is nowhere more clearly demonstrated than in this drawing. Arguably the greatest English-born artist of his time, patrons flocked to Cooper’s studio, and his work was praised by Samuel Pepys as ‘so extraordinary as I do never expect to see his like again’. Although many miniatures by Cooper survive, only seven drawings by him are recorded, making this one particularly precious. This, and the extreme rarity of drawings of a child’s deathbed at this period, the brilliance of execution and the light the drawing throws on artistic practice in the 1650s opens up a number of new lines of understanding and research, making it all the more desirable that it can be kept in this country. It also speaks to us all.

The RCEWA made its recommendation on the grounds of the drawing meeting the second and third

Waverley criteria for its outstanding aesthetic importance and its outstanding significance for the

study of the representation of death and the work of Samuel Cooper.

The decision on the export licence application for the drawing will be deferred for a period ending on 14 March 2024 (inclusive). At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 Business Days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the drawing at the recommended price of £114,300 (plus VAT of £4,860). The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for three months

ENDS

1. Lord Parkinson discussed the Waverley criteria in a speech to mark their 70th anniversary, and used the opportunity to invite thoughts on the way they work – for instance, whether the Committee should say more about how it has considered items’ connection to the history of other countries as well as to the UK’s, or whether the items it considers are destined for public display rather than private collection. His full speech can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/lord-parkinson-speech-at-a-reception-to-mark-70-years-of-the-waverley-criteria
2. Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the drawing should contact the RCEWA on 02072680534 or rcewa@artscouncil.org.uk .
3. Details of the object are as follows: Samuel Cooper (1609-1672), Portrait of a Dead Child, the Artist’s Cousin. Pencil and black chalk heightened with body colour on paper prepared with an orange-pink wash, 145 x 185 mm. Verso: Portrait of a Gentleman, traditionally identified as John Hoskins Junior (c. 1617-after 1703), the artist’s cousin. Pencil and red chalk. Verso inscribed Dead Child; and in another hand: Mr S.C. child done by him; and in the same hand lower right NB ye son of: Old Mr Hoskins’s Son.
4. Provenance: possibly Mrs Samuel Cooper (1623-1693), the artist’s wife; possibly Mrs Richard Gibson, nee Anne Shepherd (d. 1707); possibly Susannah-Penelope Rosse (d. 1700), her daughter; possibly Michael Rosse (d. c. 1735), her husband; his sale, Cecil Street, London, 2 or 26 April 1723; possibly Christopher Tower (1657-1728) of Huntsmoor Park, Bucks; possibly Christopher Tower (1692-1771); possibly Christopher Tower (1747-1810); possibly the Revd William Tower (1789-1847), Weald Hall, Essex; certainly Ellen Tower, Mrs William Henry Harford (1832-1907); Hugh Wyndham Luttrell Harford (1862-1920); Arthur Hugh Harford (1905-1985); by descent.
5. The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by Arts Council England (ACE), which advises the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.
6. Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Its strategic vision in Let’s Create is that, by 2030, England should be a country in which the creativity of everyone is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. ACE invests public money from the Government and the National Lottery to support the sector and deliver the vision. Following the Covid-19 crisis, ACE developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90 per cent coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. It is also one of the bodies administering the Government’s unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund.

The press release issued by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on 14 December 2023.

The Prime Minister has appointed Rachel Smith as Digital Trustee of the Imperial War Museum for a term of 4 years.

Rachel Smith

Appointed for a four year term commencing 1 November 2023.

Rachel is UK & Middle East Managing Director at SQLI Digital Experience, a digital and commerce agency, part of SQLI Group; she advises on digital, customer experience and transformation strategies. Rachel has a breadth of digital & tech expertise across multiple sectors, with a record of delivering growth, decreasing operational costs, and improving financial bottom line.

An expert at cross functional advisory, building effective teams and stakeholder engagement in multiple geographies, Rachel is known for her ability to combine multiple lenses (business, experience & tech) to drive solutions and growth. Prior to 2010, she has experience in the museums and cultural sector in digital, marketing, fundraising and communications.

Rachel was an advisory board member of Youth Dance England (now One Dance UK).

Remuneration and Governance Code

Trustees of the Imperial War Museum are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Rachel Smith has not declared any significant political activity.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 13 December 2023.

Martyn Henderson OBE has been appointed as the interim Chief Operating Officer to lead the preparatory work to set up the new independent regulator for men’s elite football.

Henderson is currently the Chief Executive of the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA). He has been in the role for five years.

During his tenure Henderson has worked with fans, campaign groups and the industry to introduce licensed ‘safe’ standing in top flight football grounds in England and Wales for the first time in nearly 30 years.

He supported the live events sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the leader of the Government’s Events Research Programme, which oversaw the safe return of live events, for which he was awarded an OBE. He also guided the SGSA through an independent review, which found that the SGSA “is seen nationally and internationally as a centre of excellence on sports ground safety, that punches well above its weight”.

Henderson is the first appointment to establish the new independent regulator for men’s elite football, which will be tasked with improving the way clubs are financially and operationally run.

He will take up the new role in early 2024. Further appointments will be announced in due course.