The weekly feature rounds up the latest updates in museum appointments, openings, funding and new exhibitions from across the UK.
Museum Moves is supported by DJW Projects Limited: DJW Projects Limited. DJW Projects Limited is recognised as one of the UK’s leading forces in the audio-visual industry, providing creative lighting, Audio Visual and multimedia solutions globally to achieve the ultimate technological experience, using sound, lighting, vision and interaction.
Appointments
The Freud Museum London has appointed a new director, Anna Jobson. The new appointment is currently an independent strategist, with over twenty-five years’ experience of working in the arts, culture and education sectors.
Baroness Jan Royall, former Labour Cabinet Minister, former Leader of the House of Lords has been appointed Chair of the Board of Directors of ALVA, the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park has appointed Dr Alexandra Hodby as head of programmes on a permanent basis, following her interim tenure in the position.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s interim head of programmes made permanent
Openings and closures
Birmingham Museums Trust has said it is fundraising with the goal of fully reopening Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in the early 2030s. Plans include an upgraded space to” increase its civic use”, with a wider offer of experiences, activities and uses. It is set to redisplay Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery “focused on the people of Birmingham, telling stories and perspectives that reflect the diversity of the city and its uniqueness.”
Exhibitions
Agatha Christie
British Library | London
Opening: 30 October 2026 – Closing: 20 June 2027
The British Library presents a major exhibition marking 50 years since Agatha Christie’s death, exploring the work of the celebrated crime writer. The exhibition examines the origins of iconic characters like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, whilst exploring Christie’s life, travels, and interests including archaeology and pharmacology. Items on display include Christie’s Remington typewriter from 1937, her notes for the Witness for the Prosecution theatre adaptation, typescript of House of Beauty (her first short story), study notes for her pharmaceutical exam from 1917, family photographs from her travels, and personal letters including one about her journey on the Orient Express.
Us – a retrospective
Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery | Alnwick
Opening: 16 September 2025 – Closing: 14 December 2025
Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery in Alnwick presents a retrospective showcasing the work of artists Sarah and Geoffrey Bradford. Geoffrey’s work depicts the transformation of materials and recent collages, revisiting themes such as glasshouses and the coast, using a materials-led process with found and salvaged materials including boxes made from various found materials. Sarah’s abstract paintings are inspired by music, places, objects and landscapes, with oil paint of different consistencies progressively laid down using brushes, scrapers and hands. A selection of cards will be available to purchase in the Bailiffgate shop.
Women of Wartime – Secrets
Blenheim Palace | Oxfordshire
Opening: 3 September 2025 – Closing: 30 September 2025
Blenheim Palace presents a new trail marking the 85th anniversary of MI5’s relocation from London to the palace in September 1940. The exhibition tells the story of the women who worked for Britain’s counter-espionage unit at the palace for around eight years after MI5’s previous headquarters at Wormwood Scrubs prison was bombed during The Blitz. Visitors can discover the women’s roles at MI5 and their daily lives, with a special code-breaking sheet available to decipher secret messages.
Remember Respond Resist
The Box | Plymouth
Opening: 4 October 2025 – Closing: 11 January 2026
The Box, Plymouth presents ‘Remember Respond Resist’, an innovative series of exhibitions exploring shared histories, themes and experiences connecting Poland and the UK. A central element of the British Council’s UK/Poland Season 2025, the programme examines reactions to instability and change through art and history from World War II to the present day. The North Gallery showcases work by 21 internationally acclaimed artists from the British Council collection, including Henry Moore, Hew Locke, Simon Norfolk, Lubaina Himid, David Shrigley and Andrzej Jackowski, featuring sculpture, textiles, taxidermy, painting, drawing, and collage.
Historic Dockyard Chatham to display 20,000 community-made poppies
Threads of Remembrance
Historic Dockyard Chatham | Chatham
Historic Dockyard Chatham displays 20,000 community-made poppies at the National Destroyer Memorial, created in partnership with Nucleus Arts and supported by Medway Council. The installation honours 11,000 naval personnel who lost their lives aboard 142 Royal Navy destroyers sunk during the Second World War. At the centre of the memorial is HMS Cavalier, the last surviving Royal Navy destroyer of the Second World War.
