Art Fund's Going Places is the largest collaborative touring project of its kind. Six museum networks spanning the breadth of the UK – from Edinburgh to Penzance and Lisburn to Carmarthen – will co-create 12 major touring exhibitions over the next five years. When touring the networks, they will be reimagined by each partner museum into a new exhibition.

Local communities will be invited to explore collections not currently on display and hand-pick artworks and objects to feature in the exhibitions, as well as contribute items to reflect personal stories and experiences.

By collaborating with contemporary artists and craftspeople, participants will also co-create new works inspired by local collections, histories and landscapes.

Strengthening the sector through partnerships

Art Fund’s 2024 Museum Directors survey found that 63% of museums are looking to work in partnership with other museums on exhibition making.

By pooling resources, sharing expertise and working together, museums are championing a sustainable and collaborative approach to touring exhibitions.

Jenny Waldman, Director, Art Fund

Jenny Waldman, Director, Art Fund, said: “Going Places is a celebration of UK collections and the people who bring them to life. By pooling resources, sharing expertise and working together, museums are championing a sustainable and collaborative approach to touring exhibitions.”

Exhibitions to look out for

Some of the UK-wide museum networks co-creating exhibitions will include:

Green Spaces Shared Places

Placing young communities’ voices at the heart of conversations to explore the positive impact that the great outdoors can have on our health.

Organisations involved: Arlington Court and the National Trust Carriage Museum; Dales Countryside Museum; Sunderland Culture, and The National Memorial Arboretum.

The first exhibition will open at The National Memorial Arboretum in May 2026.

Long Distance Connections

Exploring the stories of women artists with works from all three museums brought together in dialogue to create new narratives.

Organisations involved: Museums Worcestershire; OnFife; Penlee House Gallery & Museum.

The first exhibition will open at Penlee House Gallery & Museum in May 2026.

New Faces New Focus

Connecting newly formed and isolated communities with heritage collections, to explore journeys from migration and exile to the milestones, traditions and celebrations of life.

Organisations involved: Aberdeenshire Council; Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council; Open Eye Gallery.

The first exhibition will open at Open Eye Gallery in September 2026.

Communities of Making

Using their collections to focus on the evolution of local heritage and traditions of making, such as Irish linen, Scottish wool and Welsh basketry.

Organisations involved: CofGâr – Carmarthenshire Museums & Arts Service; High Life Highland – Highland Folk Museum and Inverness Museum & Art Gallery; the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum.

The first exhibition will open at Inverness Museum & Art Gallery in April 2027.

We’re committed to supporting collections

We awarded Going Places a £2.86m grant, alongside £1.5m from the Julia Rausing Trust. Art Fund is continuing to fundraise for this programme to make the biggest impact for museums and visitors across the UK.

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We believe in the power of museums to inspire, offer joy, build pride in places and, of course, to provide a great day out. Going Places is a brilliant programme bringing together small and medium sized museums and galleries, enabling them to share diverse and much-loved collections in a unique and dynamic way, involving people right across the UK.”

Get funding for your project

Since 1994 we have awarded £2.4bn to 5,900 museum, library, archive and collection-based projects across the UK.

If you have a project idea, explore our available funding.