The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report which provided an update on the Museums Partnership Reading (MPR) and sought agreement to authorise the extension of the agreement with the University of Reading in the event of a successful funding bid.

The report explained that the Museums Partnership Reading was a strategic partnership between Reading Museum and the University of Reading’s Museum of English Rural Life (The MERL) which was part of the Arts Council England National Portfolio 2018-2023.  The two museums had been working together to provide cultural opportunities for Reading’s diverse communities.  An application had been submitted by the MPR on 18^th May 2022 to Arts Council England’s 2023-26 Investment Programme seeking a further three years investment from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2026 from the National Portfolio Organisations programme.  A National Portfolio Organisation was defined by Arts Council England as an organisation that received direct investment from the organisation in order to help support and realise delivery of Arts Council England outcomes based on the ACE Strategy ‘Let’s Create’.

The report set out the achievements to date of the MPR and detailed the nine core activities for 2023-24, plus an additional tenth activity to extended MPR’s successful model of partnership to develop some of the activities with cultural partners in Slough.

Resolved –

(1)      That the successful track record of the Museums Partnership Reading (Reading Museum and the Museum of English Rural Life) to date be noted;

(2)      That the Council’s partnership with the University of Reading  be extended until 2026 to continue the Museums Partnership Reading as a National Portfolio Organisation subject to Arts Council England offering NPO funding for 2023 to 2026;

(3)      That the Executive Director for Environment, Neighbourhoods and Economic Growth, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Leisure & Culture, the Assistant Director of Legal and Democratic Services and the Director of Finance be authorised to extend the partnership agreement with the University of Reading for the Museums Partnership Reading.