Art Fund

Nearly four in five people in Wales say arts and culture, including museums and galleries, are an important part of Welsh national identity – more than Welsh Rugby and the Welsh language. Our recent research, conducted by public opinion research agency More in Common, shows the overwhelming public support for museums and galleries across Wales ahead of the Senedd election on 7 May. Read more about the results: https://bit.ly/4uWtLEL

80% of people in Scotland say arts and culture, including museums and galleries, are an important part of their national identity – ranking higher than Scottish football. 80% of Scots say that their local museums and galleries make them proud of their local area. These statistics are from our recent polling with More in Common, highlighting the civic and social value of museums ahead of the Scottish Parliament election in May. We’re calling for political leaders to recognise the vital role museums and galleries play. Read more about the research: https://bit.ly/4uWtLEL

Our new polling shows strong public support for protecting free admission to the UK's national museums. 72% of Britons back using funds from a tourist levy to help keep national museums free for everyone. In the first decade after the free admission policy came into effect in 2001, visits to formerly charging museums rose by 151%. Our director, Jenny Waldman, said: “Our free national museums are one of the great success stories of UK cultural policy — opening up world-class collections to everyone, driving tourism, and enriching millions of lives every year. But they need additional funding in the face of rising costs. A levy, with some funds ringfenced, is a simpler way to deliver funding to keep the national museums free for everyone and ensure they continue to make the UK such a vibrant tourist destination. Charging tourists at the door risks putting up barriers for everyone.” As we reach the 25th anniversary of this landmark policy, the evidence shows that it’s important to protect universal free admission. https://bit.ly/4taW94f

Four in five people in Scotland and almost three quarters of people in Wales say their governments should maintain or increase funding for museums and galleries. Our new research findings highlight the civic and social value of museums to policymakers ahead of the Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections in May. The polling we’ve commissioned, conducted by public opinion research agency More in Common, shows overwhelming public support for museums and galleries across Scotland and Wales as well as strong backing for maintaining or increasing government funding in the sector. Are you a museum professional in Wales or Scotland? Combine this national data with your own visitor numbers and impact stories to show why museums matter: https://bit.ly/4uWtLEL

We're seeking a Programme Manager to support the delivery of Empowering Curators, a multi-year programme designed to accelerate the careers of Global Majority curators and support organisational change across the UK museum sector. Working with the Head of Programme Delivery and colleagues across Art Fund, the Empowering Curators Programme Manager will coordinate day-to-day programme activity, support Fellows and host organisations, manage events and communications, and contribute to evaluation and reporting. They will build strong relationships with partners across the museum sector while ensuring the programme runs smoothly and delivers meaningful impact. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with strong project management skills, experience in arts or cultural programmes, and a commitment to equity, inclusion and sector development. Apply by 6 April: https://bit.ly/4bO8pRa

📣 Last week to apply! Are you a curator based in the UK? Join us for London Gallery Weekend from 4–7 June 2026. In partnership with Art Fund, we are offering bursaries to cover travel to and from London and three nights’ accommodation. Explore major exhibitions, connect with galleries, and engage with a rich public programme of receptions, tours, talks and performances. 🔗 Applications close at midnight this Sunday 29 March: https://bit.ly/4kSO0yo

“The arts is an opportunity to support children with self-expression, with agency, with joy.” – Georgia Gould MP, Schools Minister Yesterday Art Fund and Clore Duffield Foundation hosted an Arts Education Symposium at Tate Britain, bringing together senior arts and museum education colleagues from across the UK to examine and explore the arts education landscape. A Q&A with Georgia Gould MP, Schools Minister, underlined the essential role of arts education and its priority in government. Hosted by Kate Bellamy and Jenny Waldman with words from Dame Vivien Duffield, the symposium featured breakout sessions led by headteachers and arts educators from across the UK. Key focus areas of the day included removing barriers to school visits to museums and galleries, improving representation and inclusion, and measuring impact. At Art Fund, we’ll continue to advocate for every school child to visit a museum at least once a year as part of the curriculum.  We look forward to sharing more insights and information from the symposium with our museum partners and the wider sector soon. 📸 Kate Bellamy, Georgia Gould MP, Dame Vivien Duffield, Jenny Waldman © Hydar Dewachi

Energy flash survey - we’re keen to assess the impact of potential energy price rises on the sector as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. We need your help to provide governments and funding bodies with robust and specific information about the impact of rising energy prices and the level of need in the coming months. By completing our flash survey, you can help us continue to make the case for the support independent museums and heritage require. The survey will be open until Monday 30 March and will only take about three minutes to complete, so please do help if you can. Take the survey: https://lnkd.in/ebUFqvDH

Today, we’re announcing Empowering Curators, a major five-year initiative that will support 20 multi-year curatorial roles for senior to mid-career curators from Global Majority backgrounds. Nine host organisations – Autograph, Chapter Arts Centre, Culture Coventry, Glasgow Life, Manchester Museum, National Museums Liverpool, Royal Museums Greenwich, Tate Liverpool, and The Whitworth – will host the first Curatorial Fellows and undertake programmes of change to advance equity and inclusion. Congratulations to the first 10 Fellows (Neicia Marsh, Sim Panaser, Taniah Simpson, Nelson Cummins, Nusrat Ahmed, Dr Jill Sutherland, Hannah Cusworth, Dr Nydia A Swaby, Carine Harmand, and Dr Christo Kefalas) who are leaders in their field and will receive tailored professional development led by Clore Leadership. Created in response to our 2022 report “It's about handing over power”, this programme addresses a critical gap. Building on Art Fund’s long-standing commitment to strengthening the sector by investing in people, we hope Empowering Curators can serve as a blueprint for the industry, showing how supporting the storytellers of tomorrow ensures museums reflect and inspire the diverse communities they serve. 🔗 https://bit.ly/3NMcZqW Empowering Curators is an Art Fund programme made possible with lead investment from Art Fund and generous support from The Headley Trust, Arts Council England, Ford Foundation, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, Rothschild Foundation, John Booth Charitable Foundation, Hollick Family Foundation and individual supporters. 

We’re offering grants to support travel and accommodation costs for curators to visit London Gallery Weekend, as part of our ongoing support for curators’ professional development. This year, bursaries include three nights’ accommodation and travel to and from London. London Gallery Weekend will help facilitate networking opportunities so funding recipients can make the most of their experience. 🔗 Apply for your bursary before 29 March: https://bit.ly/4kSO0yo