Culture Recovery Fund – Round 1 CRF1
13th October 2020 Pen Museum Update
Absolutely thrilled to have been awarded funding as part of the Culture Recovery Fund. This vital support will help improve access to our unique and wonderful steel pen collection and enable us to recount the important social history of Birmingham’s 19th Century pen workers whose skill and craftsmanship helped to improve literacy across the world.
Andy Munro, Chair of the Trustees of the Pen Museum said; “We are delighted for this vital lifeline from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund. The Pen Museum is a charity and is almost exclusively run by a loyal band of knowledgeable volunteers to keep this important part of Birmingham’s and the UK’s Heritage alive. Birmingham dominated the world’s production of steel pens in the mid to late 19th century, which, had a significant impact on improving literacy on a global basis. It has been estimated that the City produced approximately three quarters of the world’s pens in the mid to late 19th century. The Museum’s planned re-opening will go ahead with a renewed vigour and optimism and our work to improve the accessibility and appreciation of the collections will be greatly enhanced by this support.”
And we are #HereForCulture too. #HereForCulture is a movement that unites the public, government and cultural organisations in support of our fantastic cinemas, theatres, music venues, museums, galleries and heritage. We want people to make sure that where they are able to visit local culture venues in their communities, they do so in a covid secure way. Plus, with more and more culture being curated online, there is no better time to support and enjoy all the new and exciting ways culture is available to us. By being #HereForCulture, we aren’t just supporting the people in the industry, we’re also supporting communities across the country.
