The Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund is now open for applications for 2027. The fund, run by the Museums Association, supports work by museums and community organisations, including industrial heritage sites, to strengthen communities, using their collections. Grants of up to £110,000 over a maximum of three years, can be applied for. The Museum…
Category: museums
Exploring the Role and Impact of Small Museums in Places: Take Part in New AIM Survey
The Association of Independent Museums (AIM) is seeking your (Industrial Heritage) organisation’s views on the role and impact of small and medium museums across the UK, with a particular focus on their contribution to local placemaking and community life as part of a research project in partnership with Arts Council England; Culture Division, Welsh Government;…
New Resource Hub for Sharing Climate Guidance with Heritage Organisations
New Resource Hub for sharing climate guidance with heritage organisations
Kids in Museums Training for Summer 2026
Kids in Museums training for summer 2026
Museum Development North Course: ‘Getting the Word Out: An Introduction to Marketing for Museums’
This training course from Museum Development North, on the 24th June, is aimed at museum professionals in North museums who have responsibility for marketing, and should be useful for those running industrial heritage sites. It will also act as as a refresher course for more experienced museum marketing professionals who are seeking new ideas and…
Museum Development North: Introduction to AI in Museums
Museum Development North are running a free online training session on 30 April providing a short introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) in museums. It is aimed at museum staff, volunteers, and trustees wishing to find out more about AI, and how their organisation might respond to these emerging technologies. The three-hour session will cover: Key…
Museum Association Survey Shows Continuing Financial Pressure on Museum Sector
The latest annual Museums Association (MA) members survey for 2025/26 has been published, shedding light on the condition of the sector across the UK. 705 responses were recieved from people working in or with museums. This latest survey shows that the financial pressures on museums of all types and sizes remained high in 2025/26. This…
Cross-party Praise for Smaller Museums in Westminster Hall Debate
On the 6 March a Westminster Hall Debate was held on the contibution of local museums to the UK. The debate was called by the Labour MP for Thurrock, Jen Craft, who highlighted the positive impact of her borough’s “fantastic local museums”, but also the challenges they are facing due to limited funding and the…
Spring Online Seminars from AIM
The spring series of online seminars from the Association of Independant Museums (AIM) are now booking. AIM run regular events for members and non-members, in-person and online, designed for those working with and for independent museums. The Spring 2026 online seminars include a number relevant to industrial heritage sites such as: Trustee induction – 12…
UK Government Announces Five Year £1.5 Billion Investment in the Cultural Sector
The UK Government has announced that £1.5 billion will be invested in the culture sector (including arts venues, museums, libraries, and heritage buildings) in England over five years in order to prevent closures and address urgent capital needs. The support includes more than £100 million of new monies specifically earmarked for local museums (many of which…
