Ipswich Borough Council announces that the Clore Duffield Foundation has generously awarded a grant of £200,000 to The Friends of the Ipswich Museums (FoIM).
This funding is specifically for the development of a new learning space at Ipswich Museum, which will be officially named the Clore Learning Studio and significantly extend future educational facilities and programmes. It will also cover the enhancement of the courtyard access to the new learning space, and support towards travel costs for schools. This studio is set to become a cornerstone of the Museum’s educational outreach, providing a dedicated environment for innovative learning and engagement.
Richard Wilson, Chair FoIM, says:
"I’m delighted that the Clore Duffield Foundation have awarded us the full £200,000 we applied for. This not only secures essential resources for our educational programmes but reinforces our commitment to excellence."
Councillor Carole Jones, Ipswich Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Planning and Museums, says: “This is wonderful news for Ipswich and for the redevelopment of our much-loved Museum. My thanks go to the Clore Duffield Foundation, and also to The Friends of the Ipswich Museums for – yet again – their success in getting this award, which will improve both education facilities in the new Museum and its external spaces.”
In addition to funding of £165,070 towards the Clore Learning Studio, the remainder of the funds will be allocated as follows:
Ipswich Museum Redevelopment Project is funded through a collaboration between the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), Ipswich Borough Council, Garfield Weston Foundation, Wolfson Foundation, Foyle Foundation, Friends of Ipswich Museum and Lord Belstead Trust.
Arts Council England through their Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND) are supporting the reroofing works. The Clore Duffield Foundation are supporting the development and creation of new learning space.
The project is an important opportunity to restore and refurbish the fabric of this Grade II* listed purpose-built Victorian building and to ensure visitor facilities are up to date. We will also be refreshing our gallery displays and updating the interpretation of our collections to better use the space within the building, creating more exhibition areas and extra space to display even more from the museum’s stored collections.
The Museum is currently closed during the redevelopment works and is set to reopen in late 2025, as a more relevant, exciting, and welcoming place to visit. We’ll be reinterpreting Ipswich Museum’s rich and diverse collections by working with our visitors and local communities to tell new stories to inspire and engage the next generation of visitors.
The Clore Duffield Foundation was established by Sir Charles Clore in 1964 and is now chaired by his daughter, Dame Vivien Duffield. It supports UK charities working in the arts, education, social welfare and health. This includes supporting new and existing Clore Learning Spaces to ensure children and young people, in particular, have the chance to benefit from art, culture and heritage and the inspiration, knowledge, joy and wellbeing they bring.
Since 2000, the Clore Duffield Foundation has provided funding to support the development of over 70 Clore Learning Spaces in museums, theatre and heritage sites.
