The John Ellerman Foundation’s Regional Museums and Galleries Fund has earmarked £500,000 to be awarded in 2018 to enable new ways of working for established curators and safeguard and advance curatorial skills through a time of development or change.

The UK-wide fund is focused on visual and decorative arts and natural history collections, and prioritises regional museums and galleries, with an average grant of around £85,000 over two to three years.

A statement from the fund said: “Museums and galleries are a means by which people engage with arts and heritage.

“Many regional institutions hold important collections which have the power to inspire creativity, motivate artistic expression and stimulate local regeneration.

“In the current climate they face increasing challenges from funding cuts and curatorial under-provision, reducing their scope to research and display collections and create new exhibitions.

“The fund aims to help strengthen regional museums and galleries in the UK. We want to help organisations enhance and sustain curatorial development to attract a broader public.”

The deadline for initial applications is 1 December 2017.

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Regional Museums and Galleries Fund