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
Lightbox Gallery & Museum in Woking, Surrey, has appointed three new trustees: Geraldine O’Farrell, Dr. Samantha Lackey, and Sarah Atkinson. The new trustees bring expertise in engineering, contemporary art, and fundraising, respectively. The appointments come as the museum approaches its 20th anniversary in 2027.
Birmingham Museums Trust has appointed Deborah Spence as a trustee and chair of its finance and risk committee. Spence is founder and chief executive of DJS Consulting Solutions Ltd and brings over 30 years’ experience as a chartered accountant, private equity adviser, chief financial officer and consultant.
Manchester Jewish Museum has appointed Gemma Meek as its new chief executive.Meek has served as programmes manager at the museum since 2021, and Interim CEO since May 2025.
Lucy Littlewood has been appointed as the new director of the American Museum & Gardens, taking up the role on 1 March 2026. Littlewood brings leadership experience from the cultural and creative sectors, and succeeds Gareth Thomas and will lead the museum into its 250th anniversary year.
Openings & closures
Heritage of London Trust has announced the acquisition of 4 Plaistow Grove in Bromley, the south London terrace where artist David Bowie (born David Robert Jones) lived from age 8 to 20. The property is now to be restored to its original early 1960s appearance, becoming Bowie’s House’ with the aim to open to the public by the end of 2027.
Bowie’s House: star’s childhood home acquired for restoration
After two month closure for refurbishment and installation, Queer Britain Museum is re-opening to the public in February, revealing three galleries. ‘ 40 Years of BFI Flare’ displays posters charting the evolving themes and visual identities that have defined the film festival over its history.I ts collections gallery will showcase over 200 objects through six themes: Resist!; Club Kids; Queer Creativity; Body and Mind; Live, Laugh, Love; and The World Around Us. The final gallery will display ‘Queer Print – A Special Exhibition’, delving into the Queer Britain archive of objects donated by people from across the UK. It will showcase magazines, flyers, posters, zines and ephemera to tell the story of LGBTQ+ people told stories and organised through print cultures in a pre digital age.
Exhibitions
Neurodiverse Futures
Mansfield Museum | Mansfield
Opening: 15 January 2026
A digital art installation created in collaboration with neurodivergent young people from across Mansfield has opened today. The exhibition features a constantly evolving looping stream of still and moving images, generated through AI-led workshops exploring drawing, movement, sound, spoken description, and model-building. The project was developed in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, MBD (Metro Boulo Dodo), Spectrum WASP, and Mansfield District Council Cultural Services as part of an Arts Council England NPO-funded programme.
The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil (1872) – National Gallery Masterpiece Tour
South Shields Museum & Art Gallery | South Shields
Opening: 17 January 2026
Monet’s ‘The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil’ (1872) will be displayed in South Shields as part of the National Gallery Masterpiece Tour. The artwork will be shown alongside works from the museum’s own collection and new artworks co-created by young people. The exhibition explores themes of calm, retreat and resilience, forming the centrepiece of a creative programme supporting young people in South Tyneside experiencing Emotional Based School Avoidance.
The Last Letter of Mary, Queen of Scots
Perth Museum | Perth
Opening: 23 January 2026 – Closing: 23 April 2026
The exhibition features the last letter written by Mary, Queen of Scots before her execution on 8 February 1587. This is the first time in modern history the fragile letter has been seen north of Edinburgh and the longest it will be on display for a generation. The display runs for three months at Perth Museum.
Samuel Laurence Cunnane: Blue Road
Hayward Gallery | London
Opening: 17 February 2026 – Closing: 3 May 2026
The Hayward Gallery in London will present Kerry-based analogue photographer Samuel Laurence Cunnane’s first London exhibition, featuring traditional photographic prints developed by hand in his darkroom studio. The survey of Cunnane’s work to date includes images captured during his travels by van across Europe and beyond, with the titular work ‘Blue Road’ depicting a stretch of newly tarmacked road appearing as a deep blue river in early evening light. The exhibition takes place in the HENI Project Space and is the fifth in the RC Foundation Project Space Exhibition Series.
Museum of the Moon
National Museum Cardiff | Cardiff
Opening: 10 March 2026 – Closing: 12 April 2026
Luke Jerram’s seven-metre lunar installation will be suspended above the Grand Hall at National Museum Cardiff. Created using detailed NASA imagery, the artwork blends art, science and soundscape to create an immersive experience. The exhibition coincides with a piece of genuine moon rock from the Apollo 12 mission on display in the Evolution of Wales gallery.
Moveable Refreshment – Works Old and New by Robert Race
The Museum in the Park | Stroud
Opening: 24 January 2026 – Closing: 8 March 2026
This exhibition showcases the work of Robert Race, who creates inventions combining toys and automata using discarded objects, found materials, recycled items and natural materials. The display features both old and new works. Half term holiday activities for all ages will accompany the exhibition.
