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Museums, libraries and archives

Museums, libraries and archives

Museums, libraries and archives tell the stories of our cultural heritage.

Through objects, collections, film, documents and oral histories they help to give us a sense of place and identity.

Thanks to National Lottery players, since 1994 we have awarded over £2.2bn to more than 5,600 museum, library, archive and collection-based projects across the UK.

Dynamic Collections

Our Dynamic Collections campaign supports collecting organisations across the UK to become more inclusive and resilient, with a focus on engagement, re-interpretation and collections management.

It brings together project funding through our open programmes, digital resources and knowledge sharing.

Find out more about Dynamic Collections.

 

What do we support?

Our funding supports institutions large and small, including:

  • national and local authority museums, libraries and archives
  • historic libraries
  • community archives
  • institutions with heritage collections

Project ideas

Our funding could help people:

  • create exciting new exhibition and learning spaces
  • attract more diverse audiences
  • interpret and open up acquisitions
  • develop collections

For more inspiration, see the stories below or browse projects we've funded.

How to get funding

Our National Lottery Grants for Heritage programme is open for applications.

Find out more and apply
A national Welsh flag with rainbow background.

Projects

Hands on Heritage

The Hands on Heritage project at Amgueddfa Cymru–National Museum Wales’ enabled young people from diverse backgrounds to have an impact on the collections.

Performers in servants' attire at Duckie’s Lady Malcolm’s Servants’ Ball

Projects

Lady Malcolm's Servants' Balls

A collective of performance artists re-enacted Lady Malcolm’s Servants’ Ball; a firm fixture of the queer scene in London almost a century ago.

Visitors having picnics outside of Braemar Castle

News

£1.9m to help Highlands heritage

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has invested £1.9million to support the development of three spectacular Scottish heritage sites.
Four people tending to garden bed

Projects

COVID19: Museum of East Anglian Life

The open-air Museum of East Anglian Life relies on volunteers to care for its 17 historic buildings and three kilometres of woodland and nature trails.