Tag: Department for Digital and Culture

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 18 February 2023.

Government changes the legal definition of treasure so that more new discoveries can go on public display.

• New definition of what constitutes treasure will mean many more objects of exceptional archaeological, historical and cultural importance are protected
• Objects of historical importance more than 200 years old and containing metal will now fit the criteria of ‘treasure’
• Move will see more finds on display in museums across the country for the public to see and enjoy in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Treasure enthusiasts and museum visitors are to benefit as the Government changes the legal definition of treasure so that more artefacts can be saved for the nation. The change will mean that more new discoveries go on public display and help deepen people’s understanding of the country’s history.

Under the current definition, newly discovered artefacts can only be legally classified as treasure if they are more than 300 years old and made of precious metal or part of a collection of valuable objects or artefacts.

But to make sure the most significant future discoveries are acquired by museums for the benefit of the nation, the Government is expanding the definition set out in the Treasure Act.

The move has been prompted after a number of recent discoveries fell outside the scope of the Act, including spectacular Roman finds such as the Ryedale Hoard, now at York Museum, and the Birrus Britannicus figurine on display at Chelmsford City Museum. While these artefacts were, thankfully, acquired by museums, this new definition will make it easier for them to do so in the future.

The new criteria will apply to the most exceptional finds over 200 years old – regardless of the type of metal of which they are made – so long as they provide an important insight into the country’s heritage. This includes rare objects, those which provide a special insight into a particular person or event, or those which can shed new light on important regional histories.

Discoveries of treasure meeting these new criteria will be assessed by a coroner and will go through a formal process in which they can be acquired by a museum and go on display to the public.

Arts & Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

“There has been a huge surge in the number of detectorists – thanks in part to a range of TV programmes – and we want to ensure that new treasure discoveries are protected so everyone can enjoy them.

“Archaeological treasures offer a fascinating window into the history of our nation and the lives of our ancestors.

“We are changing the law so that more artefacts uncovered by archaeologists and members of the public can go on display in museums rather than ending up in private hands. This will make sure they can be studied, admired and enjoyed by future generations.”

Professor Michael Lewis, Head of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the British Museum, said:

“The British Museum welcomes the extension of the Treasure Act to ensure museums across the country have the opportunity to acquire more finds of archaeological significance. The reform of the Act will also update its Code of Practice to acknowledge the fundamental role of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (managed by the British Museum in England) in ensuring the successful operation of the Act.”

Dr Kath Davies, Director of Collections and Research, Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, said:

“We are pleased that, through this proposed new treasure definition, a greater number of archaeological finds of the highest significance for Wales may be declared treasure each year. This means that more treasures may be acquired by local museums across Wales, for people to see and enjoy in their own communities.”

Historian Dan Snow said:

“The search for hidden treasure has captivated us for generations but it is so much more than gold and silver. From ancient rings and coins, to Tudor drinking vessels, every discovery teaches us something new and helps us understand who we are and where we came from.

“Our shared history, and the artefacts that help us tell that story, are for everyone. That is why the treasure process is so important. These changes will have huge benefits for local communities across the country, ensuring more people can see more treasure in our museums.”

Alan Tamblyn, National Council for Metal Detecting, General Secretary, said:

“Each year over 96% of all archeological finds reported by the public come from the detecting community resulting in many amazing new finds in our museums. We are very proud of the massive contribution our members make to archaeological knowledge.

“The National Council for Metal Detecting (NCMD) supports the principle of the new significance category and the increased legal protection it gives to our Nation’s most important new finds. We also welcome the proposed improvements to the smooth running of the Treasure process.”

This new definition will mean that future discoveries of objects made of non-precious metals, like the Bronze Age Rudham dirk, a ceremonial dagger which is displayed in Norwich Museum Castle, could be classed as treasure. This exceptionally rare find was dug up in a farmer’s field in Norfolk before being acquired by the museum in 2014 thanks to support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

Other finds, however, have been lost to the public, such as the Roman Crosby Garrett Helmet, which was sold at auction for £2.3 million after being discovered by a metal detectorist in 2010. A private buyer outbid several museums to acquire the artefact.

The Treasure Act 1996 was introduced to enable archaeological discoveries to be acquired by museums. By widening the definition of treasure, the Government aims to improve its ability to preserve important artefacts for the nation.

The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 14 February 2023.

Next step in ongoing review of domestic women’s football, launched in September 2022, examining issues affecting the game at elite and grassroots level.

• Former professional footballer turned pundit Ian Wright and former Lionesses head coach Hope Powell to advise Carney on next stage of review
• Wider group of sports executives including from the NFL will offer advice in areas such as commercial and grassroots participation
• Carney today meets with Chelsea women’s head coach Emma Hayes at Kingsmeadow Stadium

Football pundit and former professional footballer Ian Wright and former Lionesses head coach Hope Powell will advise a review looking at ways to boost participation  and strengthen the commercial standing of women’s football in the UK.

Representatives from the NFL, the Women in Football group, sports business administrators and campaigners have also been appointed by review chair Karen Carney.

Carney, a former England and Great Britain footballer, was commissioned by the UK government to look at the state of the women’s professional game, from the grassroots to the elite level, following a recommendation in the fan-led review of football governance.

Carney has spent the last six months gathering evidence and today’s appointment of a panel of football and commercial experts will help shape the recommendations her review will make to the government. The review is expected to be published in the summer.

The women’s game has made significant progress in recent years, with UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 highlighting the changing attitudes to women’s sport. Records were shattered: there was a record global audience of more than 365 million people, almost 575,000 tickets were sold, with nearly half of ticket holders female and almost 100,000 children. There were sell-out crowds wherever the Lionesses played, and the final broke the all-time record attendance for a EUROs final – in either the men’s or women’s game.

Carney announced the panel as she met with Chelsea FC Women head coach Emma Hayes at Kingsmeadow Stadium to discuss the review’s progress, early findings and get her views on the state of the domestic game.

Ian Wright has become a highly respected voice on the state of the women’s game while Hope Powell was the first black and first female head coach of an England national team. She was also head coach at Brighton & Hove Albion Women’s Football Club.

Other appointees include Jane Purdon, chair of the Professional Game Academy Audit Company and director of the Women in Football group. She is a former director of governance at the Premier League and co-authored the Code for Sports Governance in 2016.

Brett Gosper, head of Europe and UK for the National Football League (NFL) and a former CEO of World Rugby, will advise on how to improve the fan experience. Dan Jones, a former global lead partner for sports business at Deloitte, will examine the commercial and financial model of the women’s professional club game.

Lisa O’Keefe is the secretary general of the International Working Group on Women and Sport. A former director of insight at Sport England, O’Keefe helped deliver the widely acclaimed ‘This Girl Can’ campaign which has successfully persuaded nearly four million women to get active since its launch in 2015. She will look at how to improve grassroots participation.

Chair of the review of domestic women’s football Karen Carney MBE said:

For this review, it was important to me to get the advice and support of experts across various fields, from sport to business. So I’m really pleased that Hope, Ian, Jane, Brett, Dan and Lisa have come on board.

Their experience, expertise and understanding of the world of sport will be incredibly valuable as we set out our recommendations for the growth of the game. Best of all, I know they share my ambition to make the UK one of the best places in the world to play, watch and invest in women’s football.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said:

There has been a huge surge in interest in women’s football over the past year and now is the time to supercharge the game’s growth.

Karen has chosen a range of experts from different fields to help make sure her review can really revolutionise the game, from the grassroots to the elite level, and do so in a positive and sustainable way.

This panel will bring valuable knowledge to help boost the commercial side of the sport while improving participation.

The review, launched in September 2022, has a particular focus on:

1. Assessing the potential audience reach and growth of the game – by considering the value and visibility of women’s and girls’ football in England, including the potential to grow the fanbase for women’s football and whether current growth can be achieved without overstretching infrastructure.
2. Examining the financial health of the game and its financial sustainability for the long term. This will include exploring opportunities and ways to support the commercialisation of the women’s game, broadcast revenue opportunities and the sponsorship of women’s football.
3. Examining the structures within women’s football. This includes the affiliation with men’s teams, prize money, the need for women’s football to adhere to the administrative requirements of the men’s game; and assessing the adequacy, quality, accessibility and prevalence of the facilities available for women’s and girls’ football for the growth and sustainability of the game.

Since the launch of the review, Carney has asked for written evidence from a range of stakeholders from across the women’s game and met people from across the women’s football community.

This includes the technical staff and players at several Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship clubs, former players, the football authorities and representatives from other organisations to discuss the issues facing the game’s development.

She has also met with financial and commercial experts, alongside major broadcasters and sponsors to discuss the game’s financial health and broadcast rights.

The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 10 February 2023.

Former Lioness Jill Scott has opened the first of 23 new grassroots football facilities named after the Euro 2022 winning squad.

• The Government, the FA and the Premier League’s Football Foundation has opened the first of 23 sites to honour winning Lionesses of EURO 2022
• Naming comes as part of Government commitment to improve access to sport for women and girls, and build on the Lionesses’ inspirational legacy
• UK-wide £300 million capital investment in grassroots facilities will support talent of the future and represents biggest ever commitment to delivering equal access for women and girls playing football

The pitches, being built in or around the hometowns of the winning players are funded by the government, the FA and the Premier League’s Football Foundation. It will inspire the next generation of female stars with top class facilities.

The ‘Jill Scott Pitch’ was unveiled in a ceremony at the Perth Green Community Centre in Jarrow alongside coaches and members of the local community who will benefit from the 3G pitch. The new floodlit facility is just five miles from Jill’s hometown of Sunderland and will support the growth of female, disability and recreational football in the local area.

Following their victory – the first English football team to win a major trophy since 1966 – the Government, Premier League and the Football Association’s Football Foundation committed to naming grassroots facilities in honour of the squad. The site namings form part of national efforts to raise the profile of women’s football at the elite level and increase access and participation for women and girls at the grassroots level.

This site is one of many across the UK to have benefited from the Government’s UK-wide £300 million four-year capital investment into grassroots multi-sports facilities.

The Football Foundation is delivering outstanding grassroots facilities, more and better places to play, and transforming lives and communities where it is needed most.

Fifty per cent of the investment is going directly to the most deprived areas across the UK and the benefits will be felt beyond football: by 2025, 40 per cent of Football Foundation investment will go to projects which host at least one additional sport such as rugby, cricket, netball and basketball.

Jill Scott, MBE said:

“It’s an absolute honour to have a site that will be used by so many people in the local community named after me in the place I used to play!

“Winning the Women’s EUROS was incredibly special and I hope, thanks to this recognition and funding from The Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, this pitch will benefit Lionesses of the future.“

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said:

“I’m delighted we are honouring Jill and the entire 23 woman squad as part of our £300 million investment in grassroots multi-sport pitches.

“The Lionesses thrilled the nation with their historic Euros victory, delivering the nation’s first major tournament win in more than 50 years.

“They have inspired a generation of women and girls to believe they too can achieve their dreams.”

The FA’s Director of Women’s Football, Sue Campbell, said:

“The England women’s team changed the landscape for the women’s and girls’ game when they lifted the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 trophy last year. The success of the team wasn’t just about lifting the trophy, it was also about changing the path for women and girls who want to or currently play football up and down the country.

“By 2024 The FA want to see 5,000 good-quality pitches added to the current number. With the Football Foundation, we are prioritising the areas and communities where these new pitches are most needed. This project allows us to provide more opportunities for people to play football across the region. Jill Scott has had an incredible career and no doubt inspired many people in her hometown to take up the game, so I’m sure the ‘Jill Scott pitch’ will be extremely popular.”

Premier League Head of Community Nick Perchard said:

“The Premier League is committed to developing the game at all levels and we are investing more than ever before into women’s and girls’ football, from the WSL to grassroots.

“This includes work in partnership with The FA to develop pathways for young players, improving facilities and developing greater workforce pathways for women and girls.

“We are delighted to see our funding going towards new pitches honouring the Lionesses, bringing together state-of-the-art facilities with inspirational role models to get more girls playing the game.”

Robert Sullivan, CEO of The Football Foundation said:

“We are committed to improving the experience of playing football for everyone and thanks to investment from The Premier League, The FA and Government, the Football Foundation is directing more funding into projects all of which will offer equal access to play for women and girls.

“At the end of the last academic year there were over 100,000 more girls playing football and since the Lionesses’ glory last summer we are seeing even more girls are lacing up their boots.

“Over 8,500 female football teams are playing at sites that have received funding from the Football Foundation, whether that be for new goalposts, improved grass pitches or brand-new changing pavilions and 3G pitches. But we know there is more to do if we’re going to meet this rising demand, which is why we are here today with Jill to make that commitment – and inspire all those who saw their win to get down to their local pitch.”

To ensure women and girls can benefit from these facilities, and help create a lasting  legacy, all sites in the multisport grassroots programme must provide access based on the needs of the local women’s and girls’ teams. The move is also designed to support the Football Association’s ambition for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 to create 500,000 extra opportunities for women and girls to play football.

The Government’s grassroots multi-sport pitches programme has successfully delivered more than £43 million of funding across the UK last year, with an additional £168 million to be invested into facilities in England between 2022 and 2025 – on top of an existing and continuing £18m annual commitment.

The Government is a major supporter of women’s football and is working to improve access and build on its commercial success for the long term. It is working alongside The FA to achieve the ambition of equal access to football for girls in 90 per cent of schools by 2024. The Department for Education’s £320 million PE and School Sports Premium School Sport and Activity Action Plan will help more girls to take part in sport and physical activity.

The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 31 January 2023.

The Secretary of State has appointed Dame Jane Francis to the Board of the Natural History Museum for 4 years.

The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 31 January 2023.

The Secretary of State has reappointed Gail Boyle as a Member of the Treasure Valuation Committee from 30 March 2023 until 29 March 2026.

Gail Boyle

Gail Boyle is Senior Curator (Archaeology & World Cultures) for Bristol Culture. She has been a successful museum archaeologist for over 35 years and played leading roles in a wide variety of innovative, complex and collaborative exhibition, engagement and research projects. As well as being a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, Gail was awarded the Fellowship of the Museums Association (2018) in recognition of the significant contribution she has made to the museum sector. Gail also sits on several UK heritage and museum related bodies, including Historic England’s Future Archaeological Archives Programme and the Portable Antiquities Scheme Advisory Group.

As former Chair of the Society for Museum Archaeology (2012–2018) Gail instigated and co-authored 3 national surveys of ‘Museums Collecting Archaeology’ (2016-2018), and produced national guidance on the rationalisation of archaeological collections. She was also the chief architect of the Society for Museum Archaeology’s Archaeological Resources and Training project and was both a contributor to, and editor of, new Standards and Guidance in the Care of Archaeological Collections 2020.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Members of the Treasure Valuation Committee are not remunerated. This reappointment 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. Gail Boyle has not declared any significant political activity. She is an elected member and Chair of Pucklechurch Parish Council. She was last elected in May 2019 and has no political affiliation.

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

Export bar placed on the relief to allow time for a UK institution to acquire the work.

• The relief depicts a group of female musicians asleep in the palace of the pharaoh Akhenaten

A limestone relief that offers an insight into daily Egyptian life more than 3,300 years ago is at risk of leaving the UK unless a domestic buyer can be found.

The artwork depicts a group of female musicians asleep in the palace of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten. It was created at some point during his 17-year reign from 1351 to 1334 BC.

The relief could be very valuable to historians studying this period of history. It is highly unusual in depicting women as musicians and by making them the focus of attention, unlike other, more marginal, depictions. It also offers an insight into life in the palace at the time away from the king and queen.

There are also very few reliefs from this period that have survived in such a large piece, with four figures depicted on the same fragment of stone.

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

“This limestone relief offers a beguiling glimpse into daily life in the Amarna Period of Ancient Egypt and is hugely valuable to academics researching this fascinating period of history. I hope a UK buyer can come forward so this important artefact can be enjoyed and studied here by future generations, for the benefit of people all over the world”.

The minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest.

Committee Member Pippa Shirley said:

“This ancient object speaks to us with extraordinary clarity across thousands of years. It shows an instantly recognizable subject – a group of women asleep. They are musicians, and we see them in wholly natural, individual poses, lying on mats with sheets drawn up around them, with their instruments (harps, lutes and box lyres) close at hand, and a brazier in each room to keep them warm. They are part of the entourage of the fabled pharaoh, Akhenaten and his equally famous queen, Nefertiti, and are depicted with great care by the sculptor in their palace quarters. Glimpses of the private lives of servants from this period are immensely rare, and this one, in the revolutionary style developed by Akhenaten for the palaces and temples at his new capital city, Amarna, is unparalleled. The King and Queen oversaw the design and execution of the decorative schemes, and encouraged not only greater artistic freedom and naturalistic composition, but a growing interest in reflecting the lives of ordinary people. Although only a fragment, the light the relief casts on aspects of art, culture and daily life during the reign of one of the most intriguing rulers of Ancient Egypt means that every effort should be made to keep it in this country”.

The committee made its recommendation on the basis the relief meets the second and third Waverley criteria for its outstanding contribution to the study of Amarna period, Egyptology, art history and early human societies.

The decision on the export licence application for the relief will be deferred for a period ending on 22 April 2023. 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 relief at the recommended price of £69,300 (plus VAT of £2,860 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 three months.

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

Millions of people across the country and the Commonwealth are invited to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort over a weekend of special events.

• The Nation and the Commonwealth will have the opportunity to join a weekend of celebrations to mark the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort
• Coronation Big Lunches, thousands of street parties, and The Big Help Out will bring communities together over special Bank Holiday Coronation weekend

The Coronation will take place on the morning of Saturday May 6 at Westminster Abbey, London. Tens of thousands of people are expected to visit the capital city to experience this unique and historic occasion, with millions more watching from home, across the UK and around the globe.

Coronation Big Lunches, thousands of street parties, and a day dedicated to good causes will bring communities together throughout the UK over the special Coronation Bank Holiday weekend.

On Sunday May 7 a spectacular Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle will showcase the country’s diverse cultural heritage in music, theatre and dance. One of the highlights of the concert will be “Lighting up the Nation”, in which iconic locations across the UK will be lit up with projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.

Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said:

The Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort is a huge milestone in the history of the UK and Commonwealth.

The weekend of events will bring people together to celebrate our Monarchy and the mixture of tradition and modernity, culture and community that makes our country great.

Everyone is invited to join in, on any day, whether that is by hosting a special street party, watching the Coronation ceremony or spectacular concert on TV, or stepping forward during The Big Help Out to help causes that matter to them.

Tens of thousands of Coronation Big Lunches and street parties will be held in the UK and Commonwealth on Sunday and across the weekend. Big Lunches take place across the UK annually and last year they raised more than £22 million for local charities.

The activities on Sunday will culminate in a fantastic evening of song and dance at the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle, staged and broadcast by the BBC in front of an audience of several thousand members of the public, selected for free tickets via a public ballot.

The weekend of celebrations will end with the Big Help Out on Monday May 8 – a special Bank Holiday proclaimed by the Prime Minister in honour of the Coronation.

Created by Britain’s best loved charities and organised by The Together Coalition, it will highlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities across the nation.

In tribute to His Majesty The King’s lifetime of public service, The Big Help Out will encourage people to come out and support the causes that matter to them.

Hundreds of activities are planned for the day by local community groups, organisations and charities including The Scouts, Royal Voluntary Service, National Trust and RNLI. Further details and ways to take part will be announced shortly.

Peter Stewart LVO, Chief Purpose Officer at the Eden Project (who are behind The Coronation Big Lunch) said:

We’re so excited about The Coronation Big Lunch on May 7, it is a fantastic opportunity to be part of the celebrations and something for us all to look forward to! The Big Lunch has always been about community – last year almost two thirds of people who took part said The Big Lunch had encouraged more people to get involved in voluntary work. Sharing friendship, food and fun together gives people more than just a good time – people feel less lonely, make friends and go on to get more involved with their community, all as a result of sharing a sarnie and a chat in their neighbourhood. The Coronation Big Lunch helps you bring the celebration right into your own street or back yard so that anyone and everyone, across the UK and beyond, can be part of this amazing moment in our history. Get yourself an organiser pack, knock next door and get planning – this is going to be an event to remember!

Jon Knight, Chief Executive of the Together Coalition, said:

The Big Help Out is going to be a festival of volunteering. A day when people up and down the country will roll up their sleeves and do their bit. In the run up to the day we’ll also be launching new ways of getting involved in volunteering in your community. The aim is to create a legacy of better-connected communities long beyond the Coronation itself.

If you’re a voluntary group who wants to be part of it, please reach out now so we can make this the start of the biggest volunteering effort in our country’s history.

The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 20 January 2023.

Government funding package awarded to organisation to boost regional growth of tech start-ups and scale-ups.

• Grant will build on Barclays Eagle Labs’ track record of supporting high-growth businesses across the UK and deliver new programmes
• Two-year programme to start in April 2023

Barclays Eagle Labs has been awarded a new grant to boost small and scaling tech businesses in all corners of the UK.

Estimates suggest strengthening regional tech industries could grow the UK’s digital sector by an additional £41.5 billion by 2025 and create 678,000 jobs.

The £12.09 million Digital Growth Grant builds on more than £42.2 million invested by the government to support tech start-ups and scale-ups since 2016.

Combined investment from Eagle Labs and the government will increase support for the tech sector so more than 22,000 businesses can benefit, with at least 80 per cent based outside London.

Barclays Eagle Labs has expertly delivered growth programmes, business mentoring and events to start-ups and scale-ups since 2015. Their growing network already supports businesses from Aberdeen and Belfast to Cardiff and Cumbria through 38 physical sites, as well as virtually across the country.

Together with best-in-class business support experts, Eagle Labs will create effective local networks to help tech businesses wherever they are in the country.

Eagle Labs and industry partners will provide specialist support, funded by the Digital Growth Grant, for founders from underserved communities – for example expanding access to their growth programmes for Black and female founded businesses.

The grant will fund training resources and opportunities for entrepreneurs, including a Learning Management System providing virtual training to over 10,000 businesses and training modules created for young people to inspire the next generation of UK entrepreneurs.

Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, Paul Scully, said:

We want to unlock the potential of the next generation of start-ups and scale-ups and boost tech businesses in all corners of the country.

Barclays Eagle Labs are digital industry experts and will help tens of thousands of tech firms and founders to achieve their dreams and create jobs and economic growth.

The Digital Growth Grant was awarded following an open competition and rigorous assessment process. The Barclays Eagle Labs bid represented the best value for taxpayers’ money as the full grant will be allocated to supporting the UK tech ecosystem, with Eagle Labs absorbing all operational and people costs associated with delivering the programme of activity.

It will enable Eagle Labs to launch new programmes to grow tech businesses as well as increasing access to Eagle Labs’ existing services. The funding will double the number of mentoring sessions offered to tech firms to 1,500 a year.

The independent panel assessing applications concluded Eagle Labs was uniquely positioned to deliver targeted support across the country. A bespoke regional partnership programme will ensure funding and training reflects the challenges digital businesses are facing in their area.

Amanda Allan, Director of Barclays Eagle Labs, said:

Eagle Labs’ vision is to make the UK tech sector an engine for growth and for the UK to be the best place in the world to start and grow a tech business

Through the Digital Growth Grant, we’re excited to double down to reach more businesses across the country with our best-in-class business growth programmes and bespoke regional support.

We have a track record of supporting over 8000 start-ups and high-growth businesses since we launched in 2015 and we’re proud that, due to our established Eagle Labs network, we can pass through all grant funds to our delivery partners and programmes, helping to maximise the impact of the grant in supporting the UK tech ecosystem.

Tech Nation will continue to deliver remaining DCMS grant funding until March 2023. The Digital Growth Grant will be awarded to Barclays Eagle Labs from April 2023 and will fund activity until March 2025.

The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 19 January 2023.

Limestone sculpture from circa 2400 BC to 2300 BC depicts the priest Mehernefer of the vulture goddess Nekhbet seated next to his standing son.

An ancient Egyptian statue once owned by King George III is at risk of leaving the country unless a UK buyer can be found.

The limestone statue of the pair of priests is thought to have been created circa 2400 to 2300 BC, during Egypt’s Old Kingdom period. It was one of the first antiquities from the country to be brought to the UK after it was acquired by Sir James Porter while he was ambassador to Constantinople in 1746–62.

After being brought to the UK the sculpture, which is worth £6,014,500, formed part of King George III’s collection.

One of only a handful of figures from Egypt’s Old Kingdom in the UK, the statue depicts the priest Mehernefer of the vulture goddess Nekhbet seated next to his standing son, who bore the same name and was the priest of the snake goddess Wadjet. The hieroglyphic inscription also says he was an agent of the king in Nubia, a partly colonised region to the south of Egypt.

The son, who is naked, has his hair in a youth lock hanging to one side and his hand is placed on his father’s shoulder. Their poses and depiction, particularly the prominence of the son standing nearly as tall as his father, are highly unusual in statues of this kind. The statue has been restored from badly broken fragments. A third figure, representing the father’s wife, was previously cut away from the statue.

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

“This incredibly rare sculpture offers a fascinating glimpse into life in ancient Egypt. I hope a UK buyer can be found so that this artefact can remain in the country to be enjoyed and studied here by future generations.”

The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest. The committee agreed that the sculpture is of extremely high quality and completeness with a distinguished history in British collections. It also sheds light on the collecting approach of King George III during his reign.

Committee member Christopher Baker said:

“An ancient work of rare beauty and refinement with an extraordinary history, this riveting sculpture has a very special place in the stories of both Egyptology and British collecting. Dating from c.2,400-2,300 BC, during the period known as the Old Kingdom, it is remarkably well preserved and conveys across the millennia with great dignity and tenderness a father-son relationship.

“Arriving in Britain in the mid-18th century, and as such being among the earliest works of ancient Egyptian art to come to this country, it has passed through very distinguished collections: it was acquired by Sir James Porter, Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, and presented to King George III. He subsequently gave it to his friend, the architect Thomas Worsley, in whose family’s collection in Yorkshire it has remained ever since. Pre-eminent in terms of its history, aesthetic quality and the rich scholarship it could inspire, every effort should be made to secure this precious sculpture for a British collection.”

Committee member Peter Barber said:

“This handsome sculpture is of a type that is rarely to be met with in ancient Egyptian art and – through its link with Nubia – has much to tell us about ancient Egyptian political history.

“But its provenance makes it of particular importance to the cultural history of Britain. It is one of the first ancient Egyptian sculptures to have been appreciated in England but it also illustrates the marked change in the cultural and artistic tastes of George III, one of our most culturally sophisticated monarchs, in the mid-1760s. Under the influence of Lord Bute he had concentrated since the early 1750s on classical European art from the Greeks and – as here – even earlier civilisations. After Bute’s fall, however, he re-focused, as befitted a ‘Patriot King’, on British antiquity and works connected to its growing empire. His gift of the sculpture to Thomas Worsley before 1778 testifies to this change.

“It would be a great pity if a work so closely linked to the development of British and royal taste since the mid-eighteenth century left the United Kingdom.”

The committee made its recommendation on the grounds that the statue met all three of the Waverley criteria: being closely connected with our history and national life, of outstanding aesthetic importance, and of outstanding significance for the study of the archaeological and social history of Old Kingdom Egypt and human civilisation as well as British and Royal collecting of such material.

The decision on the export licence application for the statue will be deferred for a period ending on 18 May 2023 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 statue at the recommended price of £6,014,500 (plus VAT of £202,900 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.