Museums and Galleries Fund Report
This report analyses the experience from the first 25 grants made from the Museums and Galleries Fund, where work is well underway.
There is a particular focus on those institutions outside London, where financial pressures are greatest. Work should be of national significance, usually through a high quality collection or the innovation behind a curatorial idea.
The Fund was unusual in providing multi-year grants for core, curatorial work and by responding to museums and galleries’ own priorities, rather than specifying a particular solution. This resulted in a rich variety of approaches to supporting the development and strengthening of curatorial skills. Evaluation was in place from the start and this report describes the outcomes from the work.
It reveals multiplier effect from our investment in curatorial skills. The impact is felt well beyond the individual curators and their team – leading to more resilient and confident organisations, and enhancing their external profile and reputation.
Download the full report and exec summary via the links below.
Museums and Galleries Fund Seminar
Following the launch of its report on the first five years of the Museums and Galleries Fund in January, the Foundation convened a group of its grantees, funders and policy makers for a half-day seminar at Two Temple Place in London on 26 March 2019.
The idea for the event came about in response to feedback from our grantees, several of whom were keen to connect with others involved in the programme.
Some asked the Foundation to raise the profile of the work funded, and in doing so also highlight the importance of curatorial skills. The Foundation itself wished to share the experiences and learning from the Fund and develop networking opportunities for those in receipt of grants with one another and with other potential funders.
The gathering had four aims:
- Championing the value of curatorial skills
- Bringing together a range of funders and policy makers with current and former grantees to network and share experiences
- Sharing and discussing the outcomes of the first five years of the Museums and Galleries Fund
- Informing John Ellerman Foundation’s approach to future funding.
On the day we heard from a selection of grantees about the importance of the ‘under the bonnet’ work of curatorship and new approaches to curation. Key sector figures joined a discussion about future directions and challenges for collections and curatorial skills.
Museums and Galleries Fund, January 2019 - Full report
