Colchester's Firstsite reveals plans after £995k funding

Colchester venues have received a £1.5m government boost for the arts from the government as part of a £127.8m package.

Firstsite has received the most money out of any Colchester organisation securing £995,000 in capital investment from Arts Council England.

Stagetext, based at the Mercury Theatre, has also been awarded £183,356 to continue its work making culture accessible and Colchester Museums' Natural History Museum has been given £499,477.

Funding - Pam Cox welcomed the government's £1.5m funding to the arts in Colchester (Image: Colchester Council)

Colchester’s MP Pam Cox said the Labour government is backing cultural institutions.

Ms Cox said: “Colchester’s arts and cultural spaces are at the heart of our community, bringing people together and celebrating what makes Colchester special.

“This funding will help secure the future of Firstsite and the Natural History Museum, improving access and ensuring it continues to serve local people for years to come."

The £995,000 investment will be used to transform the Firstsite building in Lewis Gardens to be a next-generation creative environment.

This funding will deliver three major developments:

• The creation of a climate-controlled environment across all galleries to enable ambitious, museum-quality exhibitions. 
• The development of a new immersive digital space in Gallery 1 to create new possibilities for artists and audiences. 
• A full upgrade of the building management systems, ensuring long-term sustainability, resilience, and operational efficiency.

The new immersive digital gallery will be designed as a flexible, future-facing space meaning cutting-edge work across digital art, moving image, and interactive experiences can be supported.

The climate-controlled exhibitions mean the museum will be able to host a broader range of national and international loans exhibitions which will help create new partnerships.

Recognition - Firstsite Director Sally Shaw said the funding was a powerful vote of confidence in Firstsite's vision (Image: Jayne Lloyd)

Firstsite said the funding will help attract new visitors further supporting the city’s economy, following on from the museum’s recent success including being named Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2021.

Lisa Nandy, culture secretary, said cultural organisations such as Firstsite play a key role in the story we tell ourselves as a nation.

Ms Nandy said: “Arts and culture are the beating hearts of our communities, they have the power to unite us in the face of division and break down barriers to opportunity.

“We want to harness the power to help us build a brighter future for the people of the East of England.”

Sally Shaw, director of Firstsite, said: “This is not just an investment in our building—it is an investment in creativity as essential infrastructure.

“At a time when the world is becoming more complex, divided, and fast-moving, the ability to think creatively is no longer optional - it is critical. This funding allows us to create conditions where that kind of thinking can happen every day, for everyone.

“In an intensely competitive funding landscape, this award is a powerful vote of confidence in our vision: to build a space where creativity is part of daily life - accessible, ambitious, and relevant to the challenges we all face. These developments will allow us to bring exceptional work to Colchester, support artists to take risks and experiment, and create experiences that genuinely stay with people long after they leave the building.”

Hazel Edwards, South East area director for Arts Council England, said they are proud to support the government’s new wave of investments.

She said: “This funding will help safeguard historic buildings, modernise essential public spaces, and ensure that cultural organisations can continue to thrive, adapt, and inspire.

“By investing in the foundations of our cultural lives, we are helping to secure a more sustainable, more accessible, and more creative future for people across the East of England and beyond.”