Four million pound fund for Scottish museums

Image: Aberdeen Maritime Museum, Aberdeen Archives

A new funding programme has launched to support the long-term sustainability of Scotland’s museums and galleries, writes the Museums Association.

Museum Futures is a partnership programme developed by the Scottish Government, Museums Galleries Scotland and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Museums across the country will be able to access a programme of funding and non-financial support to “accelerate collaboration, innovation, and embed organisational sustainability across the museum sector”. 

The initiative is backed by £4m of Scottish Government funding, announced by first minister John Swinney ahead of a visit to the Museum of Childhood in Edinburgh. A 2024 survey conducted by Museums Galleries Scotland and DC Research found that 11% of respondents reported that their organisation could be at risk of closure within the next year.

Developed in direct response to the significant challenges faced by the sector, Museum Futures aims to “create new pathways to support the innovation needed to transition to a more sustainable way of working across the sector”.

The programme also responds to the Scottish Parliament culture committee’s call for a strategic approach to the allocation of additional funding for culture to ensure maximum impact. 

Museum Futures will offer two main channels of funding: an open fund that aims to build leadership capacity and enable strategic change at an organisational level; and a strategic, targeted fund to enable change at a sector level by piloting initiatives that explore new ways of working on the ground through collaborative and place-based approaches. 

Alongside funding, Museum Futures will offer wraparound organisational support, including skills development, professional mentoring, and advice.

This includes a new Organisational Health Checker developed by Museums Galleries Scotland to help museums identify their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities and allow them to make informed decisions regarding immediate and longer-term priorities, including future investment. The tool aims to provide organisational information to create a strong foundation for any museum engaging with the new programme.   

The programme will offer support for both Accredited and non-Accredited museums, enabling development across the sector ecosystem. 

Lucy Casot, the CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland said: “Museum Futures takes a progressive new approach to sector investment and development, allowing us to imagine and test what a strong museum sector can look like.

“It provides capacity to explore how the sector can adapt to meet current and future challenges while removing some of the risks of trying something new. It gives museums a chance to plan for long-term sustainability instead of just getting through another year. 

“Museum Futures recognises the hard journey that our sector has had and seeks to offer a positive and collaborative way to address barriers and support change together.   

This is a momentous opportunity for Scotland’s museums, and I would like to thank our partners and sector colleagues who have shaped and will continue to develop this innovative new programme.”  

Swinney said the programme “reflects the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensure our museums flourish, having heard the sector’s voices on the challenges they are currently facing loud and clear”.

“I would strongly encourage anyone who might be eligible to consider how they could secure their part of Scotland’s story with this funding and support,” he added.  

Matthew Bellhouse Moran, executive director of the Scottish Maritime Museum, said:

 “I welcome the launch of the Museums Futures programme which acknowledges the new landscape in which museums now operate. The programme offers opportunities for museums to experiment with new ideas and ways of working, a rare opportunity when so many funders do not consider learning as a success criteria in of itself.   

“I am delighted that Museums Galleries Scotland has listened to the sector and acknowledged that things need to change. This programme will allow museums to plan for change without exposing their organisations to the unmitigated risk that can come with trying something new or radical. I can’t wait to see what work and learning Museum Futures brings out over the coming years.”