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
Alongside the reappointment of Professor Anya Hurlbert and Baroness Nicky Morgan from 1 November 2026, the Prime Minister has appointed five new Trustees, including Priya Guha, Professor Thomas Solomon and Toufic Machnouk, to the Science Museum Group Board for four-year terms which began 1 July.
The Secretary of State has appointed three new Trustees to the Royal Armouries Board: Rebecca Crook and Judith Donovan for four-year terms from 26 September 2026, and Helen Williams for a four-year term from 1 October 2026.
Openings and closures
Winchester Science Centre is opening three new outdoor science exhibits; Dino Dig, The Chalk Stream, and Dormouse Den – on 18 July. The exhibits, designed for children aged 3 to 12, offer a science-led day out with opportunities for hands-on discovery and exploration.
Exhibitions
Drawn on the Western Front: Paul Sarrut and the Indian Army
National Army Museum | London
Opening: 7 July 2026 – Closing: 27 February 2027
This free exhibition presents over 50 original drawings and works on paper by French liaison officer Paul Sarrut, who depicted Indian soldiers serving on the Western Front during the First World War. Highlights include 13 drawings acquired in 2021 with support from Art Fund, many of which have not been shown publicly for over a century. The exhibition also features the Victoria Crosses awarded to Khudadad Khan, the first Muslim and first soldier from the Indian subcontinent to receive the award, and Frank de Pass, the first Jewish recipient.
From Fairlie to the World: The Fife Design Story
Scottish Maritime Museum (Denny Tank) | Dumbarton
Opening: 4 July 2025 – Closing: 22 January 2027
This exhibition celebrates three generations of the Fife yacht-building dynasty, whose Ayrshire yard operated from 1803 to 1944 and attracted clients from across Europe and as far as Australia. Watercolours by marine artist Alastair Houston, who was born in Fairlie and has painted Fife yachts on the international sailing circuit, are displayed alongside original tools, models, plans, historic photographs and business records from the museum’s national maritime heritage collection. Entry is included with museum admission.
Together We Play
National Videogame Museum | Sheffield
Opening: 18 July 2026 – Closing: 1 September 2026
Together We Play celebrates the communities, collections, friendships and spaces created through a shared love of videogames, placing personal player stories and fan collections at the heart of the exhibition. Highlights include a specially commissioned mural by Sheffield artist William Exley, a Guinness World Record-breaking Tomb Raider games library, and themed playable spaces recreating an 1980s living room and a 1990s desktop PC gaming environment. The exhibition is supported by the BFI National Lottery Screen Heritage Fund.
View museum announcement →
Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess
Ashmolean Museum | Oxford
Opening: 8 October 2026 – Closing: 11 April 2027
This exhibition traces Aphrodite’s origins in ancient Cyprus through to contemporary art and fashion, spanning over 5,000 years of history. Highlights include a Crouching Aphrodite (c. 199 CE) from the Royal Collection, a Capitoline Venus (c. 160 CE) on loan from the Louvre, and Botticelli’s ‘Venus’ (c. 1490) from the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin. The exhibition is curated by Dr Anja Ulbrich, a specialist in Cypriot archaeology and female deities of Cyprus.
Richard Slee: Sunlit Uplands and Withdrawing Rooms
The Holburne | Bath
Opening: 25 September 2026 – Closing: 10 January 2027
This exhibition brings together major ceramic works by Richard Slee, spanning the Holburne’s Ballroom and other galleries. It features ‘Sunlit Uplands’ (2021), an installation of more than 400 individual ceramic islands referencing post-Brexit political rhetoric, alongside newer works exploring interior themes in the section titled ‘Withdrawing Rooms’. Slee’s practice draws on the history of ceramics through references to the decorative, ornamental and symbolic to comment on contemporary culture.
Es Devlin: Other Worlds
Design Museum | London
Opening: 2 October 2026 – Closing: 4 April 2027
The Design Museum presents ‘Es Devlin: Other Worlds’, the British artist and designer’s first retrospective in Europe. The exhibition spans Devlin’s 30-year career across sculpture, stage design, music, language and light, featuring artworks, installations, film and the largest solo presentation of her archive to date. Highlights include a reimagined version of her 2022 installation ‘Come Home Again’, a 30-year archival desk installation and an extensive display of early works across the gallery walls.
View museum announcement →
