WIREDGOV

Last year we assumed new responsibilities for museums and libraries, formerly held by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). We built on our strategic framework Achieving great art for everyone to produce a similar approach to our new remit with Culture knowledge and understanding: great museums and libraries for everyone.

We adapted the MLA's Renaissance programme to create a new museums funding scheme, and used the Libraries Development Initiative and the libraries consultation to begin to create a compelling and resilient vision for future public library services.

We also announced our Strategic funding programme, which is used alongside our National portfolio investment to target particular challenges, opportunities or gaps in the delivery of our goals and priorities. These funds include: Catalyst, to help arts organisations attract more from private giving; the Strategic touring programme, to encourage collaboration between organisations so that more people in England experience and are inspired by the arts; and Creative people and places, to develop excellent arts experiences to reach communities not currently engaging with the arts.

We worked in partnership with the BBC to create The Space a freely-available digital arts service, and commissioning programme that could help transform the way people connect with, and experience, arts and culture. And we began working to ensure that arts and culture seize the opportunity to make the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games a fantastic cultural celebration with the Cultural Olympiad.

Find out more about how we championed, developed and invested in the arts and culture in 2011/12 in our annual review.