News Maidstone Museum awarded £75,000 to bring Japanese heritage to life
Funding will also go towards a new online system which will be developed to digitise the museum’s collection, making it accessible worldwide
Maidstone Museum is delighted to announce it has been awarded £75,000 from the Museum Renewal Fund, a UK Government funded initiative administered by Arts Council England to help civic museums build sustainable income streams and strengthen their resilience.
A key focus of the funding will be The Tōkaidō Way, a new touring and temporary exhibition exploring the historic Japanese route that once connected Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to Kyoto. Drawing on the museum’s renowned Japanese collection, the exhibition will offer a visually rich and immersive journey through art, culture, and travel in Edo-period Japan.
In addition to this exciting exhibition, the funding will support the development of a new online system that will bring Maidstone Museum’s collection to a global audience. This digital platform will make artefacts accessible to researchers, educators, and the public worldwide, enhancing the museum’s reach and relevance in the digital age.
The funding will also contribute to early research into a potential future exhibition about William Alexander, the Maidstone-born artist known for his depictions of 18th-century China. While still in the exploratory phase, this project aims to better understand Alexander’s legacy, his important artworks in the collection, and how it might be presented in a future exhibition.
Money will also be put towards more improvements in the museum’s “Withdrawing Room”, a stunning, wood-panelled space that has been transformed over the past year. Previously dull and underused, it has been given a new lease of life through the installation of events lighting, the stripping of old cabinets, and the addition of new chairs.
Further plans include modernising the museum’s facilities to elevate the room hire services, opening the door to more vibrant community events and expanded opportunities for evening functions. It is hoped this action will grow the evening hire offer and host a wider range of events in this revitalised space.
Councillor Stephen Thompson, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Arts at Maidstone Borough Council, said: “This is fantastic news for Maidstone. The Tōkaidō Way exhibition will showcase the strength of our Japanese collection and offer visitors a unique cultural experience. At the same time, the launch of a new digital platform marks a transformative moment for Maidstone Museum, opening up our collection to a global audience.“Thousands of artefacts will become accessible to curious minds around the world. It’s not just about preserving history; it’s about sharing it widely and laying the groundwork for future exhibitions that celebrate our heritage.”
Natalie Moor Museums and Heritage Manager at Maidstone Museum, added: “We are incredibly grateful to the Arts Council and the Department for Culture Media and Sport for this generous support. It allows us to deliver an ambitious programme that celebrates international culture, improves access to our collections, and strengthens the museum’s long-term sustainability.”
Jon Finch, chair of the English Civic Museums Network, said: “The English Civic Museums Network (ECMN) welcomes Arts Council England’s (ACE) announcement on the distribution of the Museum Renewal Fund, a fund that ECMN’s steering group and members had actively lobbied the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to establish. This vital investment represents an essential lifeline for many museums across the country.“Museums continue to face a range of unprecedented and long-term challenges that pose serious risks to their sustainability. Recent changes to national insurance contributions, coupled with rising inflation and increases to the minimum wage, are among the pressures intensifying the wider economic uncertainty at local, regional, and national levels.
“Across England, museums bring people together to connect with their heritage, the world around them, and with each other. They sit at the heart of their communities and act as custodians of the nation’s stories for current and future generations. This funding will help civic museums continue to serve their communities while also investing in new initiatives to strengthen long-term financial resilience.
“In addition to their cultural and social value, museums play a vital role in the economy. As a sector, with many institutions that are civic in nature, museums have been shown to deliver over £1.45 billion of economic output locally, regionally and nationally. This equates to approximately £3 of economic return for every £1 of public sector investment.
“We are especially grateful to ACE and DCMS for recognising the needs of the sector and for moving swiftly to establish and administer this fund. ECMN looks forward to working with both organisations to build on this momentum by identifying opportunities for greater investment, stronger partnerships, and practical policy changes to ensure that communities across England can continue to access the vital resources provided by civic museums.”
The Museum Renewal Fund is part of a wider £20 million government investment in civic museums across England.