David Lammy speaking at the Foundling Museum. Photo: Robert Chadwick, courtesy London Museums Hub

Less than a week after Prime Minister Tony Blair hailed the success of Britain's creative economy and the arts, Culture Minister David Lammy has made a speech placing the nation’s museums at the heart of the UK’s 'cultural renaissance'.

The Minister was speaking at the Foundling Museum in Bloomsbury on March 12 2007 as part of a showcase event highlighting the investment which Renaissance, the government’s investment programme for regional museums, has brought to the capital.

“The Prime Minister talked last week of a renaissance of British culture - and at the heart of that renaissance I believe are our museums,” said the Minister.

“Renaissance has been absolutely vital to regeneration, to tackling deprivation, to bringing us that creative economy and inspiring young people. As a London MP I thank you all very much for all you are doing - especially in relation to young people.”

MPs and guests rubbed shoulders with an array of museum workers and sector professionals to highlight the Renaissance-funded educational work taking place in London museums.

Museums are at the heart of the UK's creative renaissance said Mr Lammy. Photo: Robert Chadwick, courtesy London Museums Hub

Mr Lammy spoke about the increasing educational role that all museums are now playing in engaging with children and young people beyond the classroom, at all stages and within all subjects covered by the curriculum.

“Long gone are the days when you could expect to teach young people by rote learning, simply in the classroom and expect them to understand and concentrate,” he said. “They want to handle, to touch and to experience. Renaissance has, and is, changing the museum landscape across this country. No-one can now seriously doubt the educational role of museums.”

Citing recent research the Minister said that last year 3.5 million children made visits to the Hub museums that lead the Renaissance programme, while 1.12 million schoolchildren were included in museum activities supported by the Renaissance scheme nationally.

“32 per cent of school visits were made by schoolchildren in the bottom 20 per cent of the deprivation index and that’s hugely important,” added Mr Lammy, who went on to highlight research showing that 77 per cent of museums now boasted a bespoke educational facility compared to only 36 per cent in 1994.

The Culture Minister with two costumed interpreters working in London museums. Photo: Robert Chadwick, courtesy London Museums Hub

Mr Lammy also said that recent research by the University of Leicester revealed that 90 per cent of teachers now believe museums, archives and galleries to be very important in raising attainment and helping with teaching.

In London, the Renaissance scheme is delivered by a partnership of ‘Hub’ museums consisting of the Museum of London, the Geffrye Museum, London’s Transport Museum and the Horniman Museum. By 2008 the programme will have invested another £1.25 million in museum education services.

Jack Lohman, Director of the Museum of London, lead partner in the London Museums Hub, said: “Renaissance funding has given us a once in a lifetime opportunity to unlock the potential that museums have to inspire learning and enjoyment for all Londoners.”

“The Foundling Museum represents one of the key aspects of the Renaissance programme, and that’s partnership. As well as working together as a consortium of four museums we also seek to work in partnership with smaller museums. In London our aim is to support the development of innovative programmes through strategic investment using the Renaissance flag.”

The Renaissance programme in London represents an investment of £13 million over five years and Mr Lohman said it had, “brought an extraordinary transformation”.

The Culture Minister photographed with museum interperters and children from Parkwood Primary School. Photo: Robert Chadwick, courtesy London Museums Hub

The event at the Foundling Museum was also a lobbying opportunity for London museums to try and ensure sustained funding of the Renaissance scheme beyond its 2008 shelf life. Though falling short of making any funding promises, Mr Lammy seemed to indicate continued government support for the scheme – whoever might be in power.

“I’d like to point out that I am joined here today by my opposition colleague Ed Vasey MP, and I think that underlines the cross-party support there is for this programme,” said the Minister.

The MPs and guests were also able to talk to costumed interpreters who have been delivering education programmes both in and out of museums - including a survivor of the great plague, a Roman lady and a member of the Women’s Voluntary Service from World War Two.

Year Five children from Parkwood Primary School in Hackney were also on hand to show the Minister and invited guests the kind of educational workshops held at the Foundling and other museums while a variety of Renaissance-funded educational resources - from contemporary dance workshops at London's Transport Museum to the popular aquarium workshops at the Horniman Museum - were showcased.

Courtesy of London’s Transport Museum, a London Routemaster bus made a special journey taking guests from The Foundling Museum to Westminster at the end of the event.