The weekly feature rounds up the latest updates in museum appointments, openings, funding and new exhibitions from across the UK.
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Appointments
Culture Minister Chris Bryant has announced the appointment of 16 new trustees for the British Museum, the Tate and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The appointments include several well-known public figures, such as TV broadcaster Claudia Winkleman, artist Sir Isaac Julien CBE, historian Tom Holland, media personality Vick Hope (Victoria Nwosu-Hope), and businesswoman Akshata Murty, wife of former PM Rishi Sunak.
Government announces 16 new trustees for British Museum, Tate and V&A
The National Videogame Museum (NVM) in Sheffield has appointed a new roster of Trustees. David Barrie, founder and CEO of Game Academy; Joe Chetcuti, creative director at Creative Assembly; Emma Cooper, creative Industries Knowledge transfer manager at Innovate UK; Natalie Kane, curator of digital design at The V&A, and Nick Poole chief executive of UKIE join the board.
London museum Queer Britain has announced that its newest patrons are musician and philanthropist Elton John and his husband, film producer and Chair of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, David Furnish.
Openings and closures
The Museum of Homelessness, which is closed to general visitors during winter as it focuses on community work, is to reopen from the 17th April 2025 for its Spring Summer season.
Exhibitions
The Holocaust Centre North in Huddersfield is presenting ‘Cambodia: 50 Years of Reckoning’, a temporary exhibition featuring works by artists Dayanny So, Charles Fox, and Komarine Romdenh-Romluc exploring personal experiences of the Cambodian Genocide. The exhibition reflects on identity, survival, and remembrance through diverse artistic perspectives. The exhibition will run from 31 March – 04 April 2025.
‘Resistance: How Protest Shaped Britain and Photography Shaped Protest’ explores a century of UK activism through around 200 photographs curated by Steve McQueen. The exhibition spans pivotal moments of social and political movements, featuring works by renowned photographers including Vanley Burke and Paul Trevor. The exhibition will be held at National Galleries of Scotland: Modern Two in Edinburgh from 21 June 2025 – 4 January 2026.
Photography exhibition ‘Focus on the Foundry’ at Loughborough Bellfoundry Museum showcases the restoration of John Taylor’s Bellfoundry through photographs captured by Mass Collective and volunteer photographers. The exhibition presents striking images and a video documenting the transformation of the historic industrial site. Exhibition runs 14 March 2024 – 14 September 2024.
The ‘Ukraine: Armoured Warfare in the Modern World’ exhibition at The Tank Museum will showcase military vehicles and personal refugee stories from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Exhibits include a Russian T-72 tank, a British Challenger 2 tank, and poignant personal items such as the Boiko family’s house keys and a child’s drawings. The exhibition will run from 04 April 2025.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park presents ‘The Pull of Gravity’, a landmark exhibition featuring over 40 works by South African artist William Kentridge, including Paper Procession – a new commission of six monumental colourful sculptures. The exhibition encompasses sculptures in various materials such as bronze, steel, and paper, with notable works including large bronzes and the first institutional presentation of ‘Self-Portrait as a Coffee Pot’ film series. ‘The Pull of Gravity’ will run from 26 January 2024 – 01 September 2024.
The Postal Museum explores the harsh realities of coal workers in St. Thomas during the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company’s operations, highlighting the exploitation of enslaved labour in coaling ships between 1841 and 1915. The exhibition ‘Voices of Resistance: Slavery and Post in the Caribbean’ reveals the gruelling work of coal carriers, particularly women who transported heavy baskets of coal under dangerous conditions. The exhibition runs from 05 April 2025 – 05 January 2026 in London.
The People’s History Museum in Manchester is celebrating Penguin Books’ 90th anniversary with ‘Easter Mini Books, Big Stories’, a family-friendly event for children aged 5+. Visitors can create mini books inspired by publishing greats and explore stories of changemakers like William Cuffay, Mary Fildes, and Jayaben Desai. The event runs from 05 April 2025 – 27 April 2025.
Tate Modern will present ‘Do Ho Suh: Walk the House’, a major survey exhibition exploring the artist’s work across three decades. The exhibition features large-scale installations, sculptures, videos, and drawings investigating themes of home and identity. The exhibition will run from 1 May – 19 October 2025 in London.
A major exhibition at The King’s Gallery in London will explore the glamorous Edwardian era, showcasing over 300 items including fashion, jewellery, paintings, and decorative arts. Highlights include works by notable artists such as John Singer Sargent, Fabergé, and Oscar Wilde, offering insights into the royal couples’ lives and cultural tastes. The exhibition ‘The Edwardians: Age of Elegance’ will run from 11 April 2025 – 23 November 2025.
Funding
Art Fund is supporting a UK-wide climate action project called THE HERDS, providing funding for 44 museums and galleries to develop local artistic initiatives from April to August 2025. Supported projects include community-driven initiatives like recycling ocean plastic into marine animal puppets in Inverclyde, creating performances about endangered species in Pembrokeshire, and developing workshops exploring wildlife changes in Flintshire and Powys.
