The current progress of the £4.4m F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio project in Banbridge, County Down, was highlighted during a special delegation visit recently at the facility.

The visit provided an opportunity for the delegation to gain valuable insights into the transformative impact that this major expansion will have on the wider community and hear about the Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Council's strategic priorities for the accredited museum once it is completed in autumn 2026.

Even though building work is still in its early stages, those in attendance were able to see first-hand how much progress has been made in a short space of time.

Planned improvements include a new collection gallery which will make more of F.E. McWilliam's nationally significant collection of art accessible to the public; a large education and community space; additional storage; an extended shop, café and tourism information; a Changing Places facility; more staff accommodation; a larger car park and two multi-purpose meeting rooms, available for programming and hire.

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This project will not only double the size of the facility but also bring many benefits. These include allowing for a significant increase in visitor capacity; creating a thriving hub for artistic expression, learning and engagement; elevating the visitor experience and ensuring the exhibition space is more welcoming to diverse audiences.

Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough, Councillor Sarah Duffy, hosted the visit and was accompanied by various fellow council members as well as members from the NI team representing the UK Government's Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Lord Mayor said: "The F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio serves as an important gateway to the borough's cultural landscape. I am really excited to see our ambitious plans start to take shape as we seek to further capitalise on its A1 location and expand its role as a cultural hub attracting significantly more local, national and international visitors."

The UK Government provided £3.8m in funding to support this key infrastructure project. Council officers took the opportunity to express their gratitude to the UK Government for supporting this expansion and to the Wolfson Foundation for providing £200,000 to fit out the new collection gallery and improve interpretation through multi-lingual video guides and accessible tours of the F.E. McWilliam collection in both British and Irish Sign Language.

The council is contributing £400,000 towards this project to provide a range of new modern amenities for visitors.

The gallery will remain open and be accessible to the public throughout much of the 15-month contract period.

For regular updates and further information on this expansion project, visit www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/femcwilliam.