Millions in funding for National Media and Science Museum in Bradford and Halifax's Piece Hall

More than £3m has been awarded to Bradford's National Science and Media Museum by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, towards its £6m Sound and Vision project.

The Piece Hall in Halifax has also been granted £650,600 to help build resilience in its next chapter, the Heritage Fund confirmed today in its latest round of funding awards.

Helen Featherstone is director for the North for the Heritage Fund, having joined in January. As the body released its 10-year strategy this month she said it sets out a statement to the sector.

"It is ambitious," she said. "Across the country, we hope to invest £3.6bn over 10 years.

"The North is distinct in terms of its heritage. It has an awful lot to offer, with outstanding and exceptional heritage. It's a really beautiful place - full of wonder.

"It should help us ensure that heritage is cared for and sustained for the future as well."

The Heritage Fund, with funding raised by National Lottery players for good causes, has awarded £8.2bn to more than 45,000 projects since 1994.

Under today's awards, the National Science and Media Museum has secured £3.08m towards a project to transform two galleries ahead of Bradford's City of Culture.

Jo Quinton-Tulloch, Director of the National Science and Media Museum, said: “We are thrilled that The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded us this significant investment to realise our ambition to completely transform our visitor offer both in terms of content and accessibility.

"By working collaboratively with our local audiences, our new galleries will connect our community to our world class collections and truly reflect that Bradford is one of the UK’s most diverse and fastest growing cities.

"Visitors will be able to find stories that resonate with them, showing how all areas of our collections – from photography to gaming – are embedded in every aspect of our lives, and inspiring the next generation of creatives, inventors and scientists.”

In Halifax, meanwhile, sums will go towards building resilience for the Piece Hall post-Covid, as it looks to a new chapter and building a sustainable future.

Both are examples of how investing in culture can drive more investments, said Ms Featherstone, with the Piece Hall having welcomed 10m visitors since it opened.

"Highlighting and showcasing what we have in the North can attract investment for years," she said. Such a statement of place, and pride in place, dominates in the new Heritage Fund strategy.

Under Heritage 2033 there are four investment principles; saving heritage, protecting the environment, inclusion and access and organisational sustainability.

There will be new funding streams to tackle heritage issues and react with interventions, a focus on large scale projects to revive landscapes and support nature recovery.

"It sets out a really clear vision with where we want to go and what we want to achieve," said Ms Featherstone. "It's making a statement to the sector.

"Heritage helps us understand who we are," she added. "It's about a sense of identity, and place. When you understand the story - behind that building or that parkland that used to be a mine - you understand the context of how it has come to be."