Category: News
Museum of London’s relocation plans to Smithfield Market get go-ahead
The relocation of the Museum of London is set to take place after redevelopment plans for the Victorian Smithfield Market were abandoned The museum said it does not currently have the space to present its collections properly, or demonstrate the… Read more
Museums among 16 organisations through to £57m second stage of ACE capital grants programme
Most of these 16 projects focus on the refurbishment or extension of existing arts buildings and range from upgrades of spaces to large scale renovations. The successful applicants have now been invited to complete a stage two application within the… Read more
Great North Museum: Hancock announces new exhibition The Extraordinary Gertrude Bell
The Extraordinary Gertrude Bell is the result of a collaboration between the museum and Newcastle University where the extensive Gertrude Bell Archive is held and is drawn from Bell’s prolific correspondence, papers and photographs, and will also feature… Read more
Museum projects that will make a difference in 2016
Flying Scotsman The record-breaking locomotive has been painstakingly restored over the past decade and the result is set to be unveiled later this month. Following this the steam engine will be the focus of a… Read more
PLB celebrate 25 years and (almost) a thousand projects as part of the museum and heritage sector
How does PLB today compare to PLB in 1990? On the one hand we’ve changed massively, and yet on the other hand, we are still very much the same approachable, creative company we began as. Since 1990 the… Read more
Museums + Heritage Awards for Excellence announces new award for volunteers
The Museums + Heritage Awards for Excellence are now in their 13th year and offer all cultural organisations, regardless of size, the opportunity to be recognised and celebrated for the quality of their work. There are a total of 12… Read more
Three Scottish museum collections gain recognised status
The Highland Folk Museum was the first open air museum in the UK and 2015 marks their 80th anniversary. Cared for by High Life Highland their collection is a record from the 17th century onwards about the… Read more
Shakespeare’s Schoolroom to open to the public for first time in April 2016 following £1.4m restoration
William Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall in Stratford-upon Avon is currently undergoing a substantial restoration programme funded by the HLF and is will open to the public next April in time for the 400th anniversary celebrations Work began on the Grade… Read more
International Slavery Museum’s first Collecting Cultures acquisition announced on International Human Rights Day
The work is a copper engraving by the famous British caricaturist James Gillray, published in 1851, depicting an infamous scene of cruelty described during a parliamentary motion for the abolition of the slave trade. The engraving shows an English slave driver… Read more
Royal College of Music Museum hits high note with £3.6m HLF grant
This investment will kick-start a three-year project to create new displays and a performance space for the RCM Museum’s extensive and precious collection of historic instruments, including the world’s earliest surviving guitar. It will also give much wider exposure… Read more
Art Fund launches 2016 Museum of the Year Prize
The £100,000 Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year is the largest arts award in Britain and the biggest museum prize in the world. It is awarded to the museum or gallery in the UK that… Read more
Turner Prize exhibition is a record-breaker for Glasgow’s international art space Tramway
The Turner Prize 2015 was announced at Tramway, Glasgow last night and awarded to Assemble, who describe themselves as a collective based in London who work across the fields of art, architecture and design. It was the… Read more
ACE announces acceptance in lieu treasures worth almost £40m accepted for the nation
The Cultural Gifts Scheme enables UK taxpayers to donate important works of art and other heritage objects to be held for the benefit of the public or the nation. In return, donors will receive a tax reduction based on a… Read more
ACE’s director of museums reflects on the ups and downs of the recent Spending Review
Let’s start with some significant positives. The news for Arts Council England and its work with regional museums across England was vastly better than expected. A small cash rise over four years means only a modest decline… Read more
English Heritage to showcase six designs for new £4m bridge at Tintagel Castle
English Heritage released images today of the shortlisted concept designs produced by the six teams vying to win the Tintagel Castle: Bridge Design Competition. The images will go on public display at the Tourist Information Centre in Tintagel village from… Read more
Museums’ space celebrations unveiled to mark ESA Astronaut Tim Peake’s historic mission to space
The UK Space Agency has teamed up with some of Britain’s most renowned cultural and academic institutions to host this free day and evening of celebratory events on Exhibition Road in South Kensington. More than 70 space-themed activities throughout the… Read more
Mary Rose Museum temporarily closes as work on phase two of the visitor experience begins
The Mary Rose Museum has closed its doors today as it begins a transformation in its visitor experience that will allow for unobstructed views of the ship’s hull and a greater appreciation of a vessel whose maiden voyage was in… Read more
14-18 NOW announces poppies will tour to Lincoln, Perth and Caernarfon in 2016
Last week the government also announced a further £2.5m grant to 14-18 NOW to take the poppies to a further 12 locations across the UK beyond 2016. The new presentations by 14-18 NOW will give people across… Read more