Heritage to go on show thanks to Lotto grant

The money from the Heritage Lottery Fund allows North East Lincolnshire Council to stage 15 exhibitions over the next four years, and will support an outreach programme, featuring lectures and workshops, aimed at further unlocking the history behind the items on show.

The first exhibition, "Changing Faces", opens on Monday at the Fishing Heritage Centre in Grimsby and will feature portraits from the museum collection alongside pieces by contemporary local artists.

This will run until April 10.

David Power, principal arts development officer at the authority, said: "The council has received criticism in the past for not showcasing its extensive collection of art, costumes and artefacts to the public.

"The grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund will be extremely useful in making these items accessible to all.

"Each of exhibitions will be accompanied by a bespoke series of outreach activities, which will aim to uncover the history behind the items on show.

"They will allow local people to learn more about the collection and also about the heritage of the area. Some of the workshops will be tailored to adults and some to children, so there really is something for everybody."

Coun Leanor Pidgen, portfolio holder for culture, leisure and tourism, said some of Grimsby's most valuable possessions would be on show.

"It has enabled us to act on what local people have told us they want and to put many items of local interest of show," she said.

"The funding will provide the means for us to exhibit some of the town's most valuable and beautiful items and by the end of the programme, almost all of the items in the council's collection will have been seen."