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 East End Women’s Museum is building out its board of trustees, announcing three new appointments: a new chair of trustees, Catherine Owen, Head of Marketing and Events at The British Academy; communications trustee Freya Barry, Media Manager at the British Library, and General trustee, Laura Sainsbury, who is Head of Public Policy, Commercial and Institutional Banking at NatWest Group.
East End Women’s Museum begins trustee drive with three new recruits
Openings & closures
Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery (formerly Royal Cornwall Museum) reopened this weekend, after completing its £2.3m redevelopment of three key areas, and making official its rebrand. Visitors can now see the design of the new Heart of Cornwall, Nature, and Art Galleries seven days a week.
A new museum set across two sites is set to explore the history of Irish soldiers in the British armed forces. The £13.6m project ‘UNTOLD: Stories of the Irish in the British Army’, will see a location open first in Belfast, and a second in Enniskillen, backed by funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund.
£13.6m new museum to tell story of Irish soldiers in British Army
Exhibitions
V&A South Kensington in London will present ‘Design and Disability’, an exhibition centering disability as identity and culture through design, showcasing 170 objects spanning design, art, architecture, fashion, and photography across three sections – Visibility, Tools and Living. Objects include Sky Cubacub’s adaptive garments, Microsoft’s Xbox controller, and the Squeeze Chaise Longue developed with Temple Grandin. The exhibition runs from 7 June 2025 – 15 February 2026.
The Holocaust Centre North in Huddersfield will host ‘Cambodia: 50 Years of Reckoning’, a temporary exhibition featuring works by Dayanny So, Charles Fox, and Komarine Romdenh-Romluc exploring personal experiences of the Cambodian Genocide. The exhibition will showcase artworks reflecting on identity, survival, and remembrance. It runs from 31 March 2024 – 04 April 2024.
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery presents ‘Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White – Prints from the Rembrandt House Museum’, featuring 58 original prints by Rembrandt and works by local artists Harry Eccleston and Raymond Cowern. Visitors can examine the intricate prints using magnifying glasses, with this unique collection marking the first time these works have left the Netherlands, running from 06 March 2024 – 01 June 2025.
The Design Museum in London will present ‘More than Human’, a landmark exhibition exploring design beyond human-centric perspectives. Featuring over 140 works by more than 50 participants, the exhibition includes highlights such as a vast pollinator tapestry, an 8m-long mural about waterway rights, and a large-scale seaweed installation. The exhibition will run from 11 July 2025 – 06 October 2025.
London’s Wellcome Collection presents ‘Zines Forever! DIY Publications and Disability Justice’, showcasing approximately 30 zines by disabled artists exploring experiences of disability, health, and justice. The display features works including ‘Embodied: a memoir comic’ by Rae Lanzerotti and newly commissioned pieces by disabled artists. The exhibition runs from 14 March 2025 – 14 September 2025.
Towering Dreams: Extraordinary Architectural Drawings’ at Compton Verney will feature 29 works from Sir John Soane’s Museum, including 14 previously unexhibited drawings by architects such as Piranesi and John Thorpe. The exhibition will showcase architectural designs and drawings from the 18th and 19th centuries. It runs from 15 March 2025 – 31 August 2025.
Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon will unveil a new exhibition exploring the formative influences on William Shakespeare’s creative journey. The exhibition will feature items from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s collection and include two new audio-visual experiences that highlight Shakespeare’s early creative practice. The exhibition is set to begin installation in late April, with a precise launch date to be announced subsequently.
National Galleries Scotland: Modern Two in Edinburgh celebrates the centenary of the extraordinary Scottish artist Ian Hamilton Finlay with a free exhibition showcasing his sculptures, prints, archival materials and a room-sized installation. The display includes early concrete poetry such as ‘Star/Steer’ (1966), the wooden ‘Toy Cow’ (1962-63), and the installation ‘Nature over again after Poussin’ (1979) featuring photographs of his renowned garden ‘Little Sparta’. The exhibition runs from 8 March 2025 – 26 May 2025.
