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 Cartoon Museum in London has appointed Beth Bryan as its new director. Bryan joins the museum next month, having previously served senior roles within the Barbican Centre, Hogarth’s House and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Openings and closures
A public campaign has been launched to prevent the closure of the Quaker Tapestry Museum in Kendal. The museum houses the historic Quaker Tapestry panels within Kendal’s Quaker Meeting House. Campaigners are seeking support to keep the museum open while exploring options to secure its long-term viability.
Exhibitions
Aphrodite: The Making of a Goddess
Ashmolean | Oxford
Opening: 8 October 2026 – Closing: 11 April 2027
The exhibition traces Aphrodite’s journey from a Bronze Age cult in Cyprus to her transformation as the Roman Venus and her rebirth in Botticelli’s luminous vision. It follows her story through two millennia of artistic reinvention to the present day. The display will feature loans from major institutions worldwide, including the celebrated ‘Lely Venus’ from the Royal Collection, Yves Klein’s Blue Venus, multiple pieces from the Louvre and early objects rarely shown outside Cyprus.
Drawing the Italian Renaissance
The King’s Gallery at the Palace of Holyroodhouse | Edinburgh
Opening: 17 October 2025 – Closing: 1 March 2026
Exhibition featuring over 80 drawings by 57 Italian Renaissance artists, with 45 works displaying in Scotland for the first time. Highlights include Leonardo da Vinci’s design for a dragon costume, anatomical studies by both Leonardo and Michelangelo, Raphael’s study of ‘The Three Graces’ drawn from a nude female model, and Titian’s drawing of an ostrich believed to have been drawn from life. The exhibition explores the variety and range of Renaissance drawings from preparatory studies to elaborate gift drawings, with works carefully preserved in the Royal Collection.
Harold Gosney: Materials and Making
York Art Gallery | York
Opening: 15 November 2025 – Closing: 28 June 2026
The exhibition explores Harold Gosney’s experimentation with various types of wood and metal throughout his career and considers the importance of drawing to his artistic practice. Featuring over 45 works, highlights include his striking ‘Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ crafted from copper and Perspex, the emotive ‘Father and Son, Bam’, his ‘Jazzman’ expertly carved from a single block of sycamore wood, and a trio of drawings depicting views of the nearby York Museum Gardens. The exhibition displays sculptural forms alongside the drawings from which they originated, allowing visitors to see the creative journey from initial concept to solid object.
Fairy Tales
British Library | London
Opening: 27 March 2026 – Closing: 23 August 2026
The exhibition explores fairy tales and their enduring appeal to children worldwide, featuring stories such as ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, ‘Cinderella’, ‘Hansel and Gretel’, ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Interactive activities inspire families to discover enchanted tales from across the globe whilst examining key elements including magical creatures, mysterious woods and glamorous palaces. Items on display include historic manuscripts, contemporary illustrations, pop-up books, costumes and puppets, showcasing retellings by Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault alongside stories from India, China, Africa and North America.
The Jolly Postman
The Postal Museum | London
Opening: 14 February 2026 – Closing: [Date TBC]
This immersive, family-friendly exhibition celebrates 40 years since Janet and Allan Ahlberg’s beloved children’s book was first published. Visitors can follow the Jolly Postman’s delivery round through a fairytale neighbourhood, featuring original artwork from the Ahlberg archives, much never before displayed publicly. The exhibition displays Janet Ahlberg’s hand-drawn sketches alongside Allan Ahlberg’s notebooks, prototypes and early design concepts, paired with everyday stamps, cards and postal uniforms that inspired them.
Funding
The trust which operates the Ironbridge Gorge museums is to transfer its assets and operations to the National Trust following a £9m DCMS grant. The UNESCO World Heritage Site encompasses 10 museums and 35 listed heritage buildings and Scheduled Monuments. All the museum’s assets including its collection, which includes more than 400,000 objects, will be transferred to the National Trust.
National Trust to take over Ironbridge Gorge museums following £9m grant
