Lottery award brings cheer to 200-year-old Lit & Phil
First hurdle cleared in ambitious £4.8m plan
Newcastle’s historic Lit & Phil has received the perfect birthday present, support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help it secure its future and build and broaden its audience.
Coming as the venerable library on Westgate Road marks its bicentenary, the announcement gives double cause for celebration.
Development funding of £274,263 has been awarded by the Heritage Fund to help Lit & Phil trustees progress their plans to apply for a full National Grant of £4,583,016 at a later date.
The building was commissioned by the Literary & Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne, founded in 1793 by members who would go on to meet in a succession of rented rooms.
A permanent home for the Society became a pressing concern as its collections of books and (back then) museum artefacts grew at an extraordinary rate.
Money was raised and the neo-classical building, now Grade II* listed and a popular city landmark, was opened amid fanfare in 1825.
It has since hosted some of Britain’s greatest inventors and industrial pioneers, including Joseph Swan who demonstrated electric lighting there in 1881, along with leading authors (Oscar Wilde and EM Forster among them) and intellectuals.
Today the Lit & Phil, as the building has long been affectionately known, is the biggest independent library outside London with more than 200,000 books and an important music collection.
It also has a busy and varied programme of public events.
But as it enters its third century, urgent measures are required to make the building fit for modern use and ensure that its collections and facilities can be enjoyed as widely as possible.
The ultimate aim is for the Lit & Phil to be able to continue and expand its role as a catalyst for intellectual curiosity, disseminating information and stimulating discussion among people from all walks of life.
Today’s grant by the Heritage Fund shows support for the Society’s ambitions as it prepares the ground for a further application which would bring the total sum awarded to more than £4.8 million.
Trustees say that in this initial development phase, a project manager will be appointed to oversee a programme of preparatory measures.
Expert advice will be sought on improving access for disabled library users; an investigation into usage and membership will seek to determine which groups or communities are not currently well served; and links with schools, universities and adult education providers will be strengthened.
Conservation and decarbonisation strategies will be formulated and steps taken to pave the way for a digital transformation of the Lit & Phil’s operations to raise its virtual profile and improve accessibility.
Following completion of this development phase, and in the event of the larger grant being awarded, attention will turn to the delivery phase when major renovation work proceeds.
This will see the implementation of the recommendations concerning improved access and the reconfiguration of the library’s ground floor, making it more comfortable for users and enabling revenue from events and room hire to be maximised.
With the money from the Heritage Fund, along with funding from the Lit & Phil and benefactors including the Barbour Foundation which last year donated £1 million, it is envisaged that a grand opening of a renovated and improved Lit & Phil library can be pencilled in for November 2028.
Mary Durkin, chair of the Lit & Phil trustees, said: “We are absolutely delighted that The National Lottery Heritage Fund has approved this development stage grant, enabling us to proceed with plans to make the Lit & Phil an even more valuable resource, benefiting many more people.
“It shows confidence in the institution and the role it can continue to play in the cultural life of Newcastle and the region.
“Such support enables us to go forward with our educational aims and plans for digitising the collection to make it more widely accessible.”
Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We’re delighted to offer our initial support to the Lit & Phil for this inspiring project, which will help secure its future for its next century and beyond.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, this much-loved Grade II* listed library will not only be revitalised physically but will also reimagine how it connects with its community.
“This project is a powerful opportunity to celebrate heritage, promote inclusivity and expand access to a nationally significant cultural institution.
“We look forward to working closely with the team as they develop their plans for a full National Lottery grant application.”
The Lit & Phil is currently in the middle of its busy bicentenary programme of exhibitions and events.
Venture inside today and you can see the creations of the young people who took part in a Lit & Phil Invention Challenge run by the Lit & Phil and Little Inventors.
Following in the footsteps of the great inventors who have demonstrated their innovations in the library, the challenge asked youngsters to come up with ways of helping wildlife in the city.
On display are the three terrific inventions brought to life by professional makers.
Light Bird (by Eremsu, aged nine, brought to life by Lottie Smith) is a small lamppost with multiple perches and nuts for squirrels, perches for birds and flowers for bees and butterflies.
The Decision Hat (by Ethan, nine, brought to life by Carl Gregg) is a nature-friendly hat including an umbrella, a camera, branches and a controlled bird-feeder.
Traffic Tunnel 2000! (by Ivy, aged 12, realised by Chloe Rodham and Mark Rogerson) is a method of keeping wildlife safe from traffic.
Lectures this week include the latest in the free ‘Inspired by’ series of bicentenary lectures responding to those given in the past.
On Thursday, July 24 at 6pm, Prof Iain Sutcliffe, an expert on bacteria from Northumbria University, will give an updated version of Investigations into the origin and development of minute organic forms, a lecture delivered by Rev. W.H. Dallinger in the 1877-8 Lit & Phil lecture season.
For all Lit & Phil events and details of membership, go to the Lit & Phil website.