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
The Royal Cornwall Museum has announced five new trustee appointments aimed at supporting its ongoing transformation programme, which includes capital works funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Royal Cornwall Museum appoints new trustees to support £2.3m development
A round-up of 2024’s most important appointments has been published in Advisor’s 2024 new retrospective.
Openings & closures
Hull Maritime Museum has announced that it will now reopen in spring 2026 following a major restoration. The project was last set to open in late 2025, but has been delayed by restorations to its roof. The project will now see Macron complete fit out and installation of new displays, and is set to introduce new technology including immersive projections, films and a planetarium.
Exhibitions
‘Jane Austen: Down to the Sea’ explores the celebrated author’s relationship with coastal Britain and the sea’s influence on her works, featuring her personal letters, Regency costume, period paintings and contemporary objects alongside interactive displays. The exhibition examines both the sea’s dual nature in Austen’s fictional worlds and its broader significance in Regency Britain, from naval warfare to seaside holidays. The exhibition will run at Dorset Museum and Art Gallery from 14 June 2025 – 14 September 2025.
Chichester Cathedral‘s exhibition ‘Religion, Rebellion & Reformation’ showcases nine centuries of Sussex history through significant artefacts including medieval Bishops’ rings, a 12th-century reliquary, a 15th-century theological treatise, and a First World War trench Bible. The display features treasures from churches, archives and libraries across the Diocese of Chichester, spanning over 100 miles through East and West Sussex. The exhibition runs from 14 February 2025 – 15 November 2025.
The exhibition ‘Out of Context’ at the Horniman Museum and Gardens features works by contemporary West African and diaspora artists, including photographs of Vodou traditions by Tamibé Bourdanné, illustrated Bini Playing Cards by Osaze Amadasun, and AI-generated interpretations of museum objects by HUMAN TAKES FLIGHT® (Oreoluwa Ayoade). The exhibition complements the museum’s ‘The Great Kingdom of Benin’ display, which includes returned Benin bronze plaques, Osaru Obaseki’s bronze sculpture ‘Ame / Oyevbamen’, and a wallpaper backdrop created by 12th the Creator with Benin City schoolchildren. The exhibition runs from 6 December 2024 – 30 November 2025.
The V&A is staging a comprehensive exhibition dedicated to Cartier jewels and watches, featuring more than 350 objects including the Williamson Diamond brooch commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II, Grace Kelly’s engagement ring, and María Félix’s snake necklace. The exhibition will explore the evolution of the Maison’s legacy through three main sections, showcasing pieces from the V&A and Cartier Collection, alongside previously unseen drawings from both archives and significant loans from His Majesty The King, international museums, and private collections. The exhibition will run from 12 April 2025 – 16 November 2025 in the Sainsbury Gallery at V&A South Kensington.
One of the exhibitions announced as part of Historic Royal Palaces’ 2025 programme is ‘Dress Codes’ at Kensington Palace. It will display royal fashion through the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, including garments worn by Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess of Wales, alongside a rare Japanese court suit and a 1920s Reville court dress.The exhibition opens 13 March 2024.
IWM has unveiled its 2025 programme. Among the announcements is a new major commission at IWM North, which features a large-scale neon installation on the museum’s façade by artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman, exploring themes of Indian independence, Partition and migration to Britain. The work forms part of the IWM 14-18 Now Legacy Fund programme and will run from 30 January 2025 – 31 August 2025.
Also programmed is ‘Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict’ at IWM London, which examines conflict-related sexual violence through untold stories of child evacuees, trafficking victims, prisoners of war, and survivors from WWI to present day. The exhibition highlights ongoing efforts for justice and prevention of sexual violence in conflict zones, featuring survivor testimonies and advocacy work. The exhibition runs from 23 May to 2 November 2025.
Funding
The Association of Independent Museums is to launch a new grant called ‘Museum Fundamentals’, in 2025. It said the funding will combine the familiar conservator support offered by the Pilgrim Trust funded grants, with new funding to support back of house activity and mentoring for larger projects. More information is to be announced on its website later this month.
