Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park is celebrating after securing a £56,000 grant from Arts Council England (ACE) to help it improve the way it communicates and engages with current and potential visitors. The money is coming from ACE’s Museum Resilience Fund, which announced today it is investing £1.17 million in fourteen museums in the East and West Midlands. It is supporting a range projects that will make sure museums have the resources they need to make the most of their collections.
The £56,000 grant will support Compton Verney to adapt its current Electronic Point of Sales (EPOS) system into a new Customer Relationship Management system. This cost-effective set-up will also capture visitor information to help improve the gallery’s commercial sales and fundraising, including the introduction of a new membership programme for students.
This investment will help make the gallery more resilient as it starts to open its grounds all year round following a £2.5 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which will see its ‘Capability’ Brown parklands used for arts and heritage exhibitions.
Compton Verney Director Dr Steven Parissien said “At Compton Verney we want to redefine the art gallery as a place for everyone which encourages tranquil reflection, inspirational insight and a sense of fun through a fusion of art, architecture and, increasingly, parkland. This goal will be achieved by opening the landscape to the public all year round from 2017, and will be supported by our new Welcome Centre, the restored Chapel, our hugely diverse landscape-based activity programme and our exciting new art commissions for the park.We are very grateful to Arts Council England in supporting us to achieve this vision.”
Peter Knott, Area Director, Arts Council England, said “In the Midlands we’re fortunate to have an exceptional mix of museums on our doorstep housing local histories and national treasures. We believe these museums – and the objects they keep safe - play a vital part in community life, helping us celebrate our heritage, deepening our knowledge of the world around us, and entertaining people of all ages. This latest investment from our Museum Resilience Fund is about helping our region’s museums become more sustainable businesses so their rich collections can be used and enjoyed for many years to come.”
