The BBC has laid out plans to work with the UK’s top arts and science institutions to make the region “the greatest cultural force in the world.”

Laying out a 10-year plan for the publicly-funded corporation, BBC director general Tony Hall said new initiatives include an ‘Ideas Service’, which will exist as an open online platform displaying materials from galleries, museums, universities and from the BBC itself.

"Our new, open BBC will act as a curator bringing the best from Britain's great cultural institutions and thinkers to everyone,” said Hall

"Britain has some of the greatest cultural forces in the world. We want to join with them, working alongside them, to make Britain the greatest cultural force in the world.

"Where Google's mission is to organise the world's information, ours in a smaller way would be to understand it. We will work with anyone who can help us understand this ever more complex world."

The UK is one of the powerhouses in the culture sector, with London alone boasting three of the 10 most visited museums and galleries in the world, including the British Museum, National Gallery and the Tate Modern. The new co-operation between the BBC and the UK’s institutions could expand these numbers and drive further visitors to Britain’s cultural hubs.