Kendal’s Abbot Hall has been awarded £295,000 from Arts Council England.
Lakeland Arts, which runs the gallery, has secured £295,713 from its museum renewal fund, a national programme designed to safeguard public access to museum collections and strengthen the cultural offer for communities.
The grant will support Abbot Hall’s continued development.
Lakeland Arts said the funding would allow the creation and delivery of a strategic plan to strengthen Abbot Hall’s long-term sustainability and deepen its role within the community.
Planned initiatives include:
- Enhancing programming and community engagement through new collaborations with local partners.
- Strengthening brand identity and positioning within the local community through specialist consultancy support.
- Upgrading outdated systems and IT infrastructure to improve efficiency, increase staff capacity, and enhance the visitor experience.
- Improving the café bar offering to elevate the visitor journey and support commercial growth.
- Diversifying income streams to support financial stability and reduce reliance on single funding sources.
- Developing an online retail strategy to increase programme visibility, encourage in-person engagement, and generate sustainable income that supports future programming.
Luis Martins, acting chief executive officer at Lakeland Arts, said: “This investment comes at a pivotal moment for Lakeland Arts, enabling us to build resilience, invest in our people, and continue to deliver exceptional cultural experiences for our audiences.
It represents a significant opportunity not only for Abbot Hall, but for the wider community we serve – allowing us to strengthen our role as a creative and welcoming space in Kendal where art, heritage, and place come together to inspire connection and curiosity.
“This grant will help us to look confidently to the future, supporting our vision to make art and culture a meaningful part of everyday life across Cumbria.”
Abbot Hall opened as an art gallery in 1962. It is in a Grade I listed Georgian building on the banks of the River Kent and has a collection of historic and contemporary art.
The collection is one of the largest of its kind in the North, featuring works by Lucian Freud, Bridget Riley, Barbara Hepworth, David Hockney, Paula Rego, John Ruskin, Kurt Schwitters, Emma Stibbon, JMW Turner and Charmaine Watkiss.
