Regeneration

Residents local to a museum in Suffolk say changing its name may lead to a loss of local heritage.

Stowmarket’s Museum of East Anglian Life is rebranding to the Food Museum. 

Matthew Attwood, creator of a petition against the rebrand that received over 1,000 signatures online, says changing the name and ethos of the museum would mean the loss of the only local institution dedicated to its culture, heritage and history.

The museum has defended its decision, saying the change reflects a consultation that found most of its collections related to food, and that many people were unsure what the museum offered.

A spokesperson said preserving local heritage remains a “real priority”.

“We’re changing our name but keeping our collections which do tell the story of food and farming in East Anglia. We’re just trying to make it more appealing to bring more people in, that’s the key.”

An Arts Council England (ACE) business innovation programme has been delayed without a new start date.

The Reset and Innovation Programme, assigned £12m and originally planned for January, is part of the funder's three-year delivery plan for the Let's Create strategy.

The initiative will support organisations to apply ACE's investment principles and pursue innovations that build their long-term sustainability, including new partnerships and business models or company mergers.

An ACE spokesperson attributed the delay to "knock on" effects arising from its efforts to support the sector throughout the pandemic.

“Plans are still being finalised. We aim to share information in the coming months.”

A £6m arts facility in Inverness has opened to its first residents.

Sited in a former Victorian school, construction on The Inverness Creative Academy took four years.

Project developers say the space features affordable accommodation for up to 44 artists and 54 workspaces for creative businesses, social enterprises and charities.

A public space at the venue is expected to be completed later this month.

The project was managed by Wasps, a national provider of creative workspaces across Scotland.

The Museum of London’s main site is closing at the end of year as it prepares for relocation.

The museum is moving to West Smithfield’s General Market, within the city’s Culture Mile, where it will occupy market buildings that have been empty for more than 30 years.

Its reopening in 2025 will be marked with a festival and a rebrand to The London Museum.

The Museum of London Docklands will remain open throughout but will undergo a name change to become The London Museum Docklands next January.

Museum of London Director Sharon Ament said the venue will become “more than a museum”.

“It will be a new civic space for millions of visitors to enjoy, 24 hours a day… It will bring a new economy and foster a new relationship between people and the place in which they live, work or are visiting.”
 

The UK's oldest working cinema has reopened under new management.

The Electric in Birmingham, closed for nearly two years due to Covid-19, has been taken over by Kevin Markwick, operator of the Picture House Cinema in Uckfield, East Sussex.

"Can’t pretend there isn’t much to do, but I’m excited and want to make The Electric the go to place in Birmingham for film lovers," he tweeted.

The Electric showed its first film in 1909.

It became an adult movie theatre in the 70s before showing mainstream and art house films.

Tate Liverpool is seeking architects to lead a £25m renovation project.

A tender notice says the three-and-a-half year redevelopment of the Albert Docks site will "reimagine the gallery spaces to meet the scale and ambition of today's most exciting artists".

The Tate wants its gallery to "better connect with the city and its communities, creating an environment that is flexible and inviting and able to host people, art and ideas in equal part".

£10m has already been contributed via the Government's Levelling Up Fund for the works, expected to complete in December 2025.