Art Fund and Nesta announce R&D scheme for pre-school children

The arts charity Art Fund and the social innovation agency Nesta have collaborated for the first time to develop a two-year research and development programme aimed at pre-school children.

The scheme aims to build on existing work by UK museums and galleries supporting families and the formative experiences of early-years children.

The £1m Mini Wonders - the Early Years Innovation in Museums programme has been jointly created and funded by Art Fund, through a legacy grant from the Foyle Foundation, and Nesta.

Last summer, Art Fund partnered with the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums in Newcastle and the Whitworth in Manchester to deliver facilitated activities for more than 60 families.

Following an open application process, eight museums and galleries from across the UK have been selected to help develop a prototype scheme that aims to “unlock the social value of cultural spaces for families”.

They will receive a grant to pilot the programme with a partner using museum spaces and collections.

The eight lead museum partners

• Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales
• Great North Museum: Hancock
• Leeds Museums & Galleries
• Mansfield Museum
• National Galleries of Scotland
• Norfolk Museums Service
• Tate Britain
• Ulster Museum

The programme, believed to be the first of its kind in the UK, aims to embed creativity and learning as part of children’s formative experiences and support parents with their children’s social-emotional development.

The ambition is that the research and development process will create a robust evidence base that will allow the programme to be scaled up across the UK, with those taking part able to tailor the content to their museum and communities.

“This exciting project combines the skills and expertise of Art Fund and Nesta, along with eight museums and galleries across the UK, to harness their amazing spaces and collections in a programme designed to break down barriers to opportunity,” Jenny Waldman, director of the Art Fund, said.

“Together, we will design a way of working that will have real impact where it’s most needed. The importance of foundational early-years experiences is crucial to giving the next generation the skills and experience to thrive.” 

Ravi Gurumurthy, the chief executive of Nesta, added: “The environment and experiences of early childhood shape our brains and bodies, creating the building blocks of our physical, emotional and cognitive skills – but not every child gets what they need to develop during their earliest years.

“This programme will combine expertise in child development, learning and creativity, drawing on the unique potential of museum collections and spaces, to support parents and their young children to learn, develop and thrive.”