IWM plans second world war exhibitions at Duxford site

Imperial War Museums (IWM) is preparing to apply for a £4.5m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund following news that it has secured development funding for a scheme to create second world war galleries at its Duxford site.

The Heritage Fund development funding of £222,456 will support a project that aims to tell a more coherent story of the second world war, with many items from IWM’s collection to go on public display for the first time.

The second world war exhibitions, opening in 2027, will be the centrepiece of Transforming IWM Duxford – a ten-year, multimillion-pound plan to ensure Duxford remains a regionally, nationally and internationally important museum, visitor destination and historic working airfield. 

Funding from the Heritage Fund will also support the restoration of historic hangars at IWM Duxford, ensuring IWM’s unique collections are displayed in the most appropriate conditions.

This phase of Transforming IWM Duxford follows significant changes already made to the museum. In 2020, IWM The Ops Block, which turned previously unseen historic rooms into an immersive recreation of the RAF’s Second World War Operations Room. 

And earlier this year, IWM’s conservation team carried out a project to prepare AirSpace for its long-term future as a dedicated exhibition on the cold war and contemporary conflict. This included lowering hanging aircraft and rearranging ground-level objects.

In other funding news, Bristol’s SS Great Britain Trust has secured more than £1m to create a new visitor experience.

The money includes £705,000 from the Philip Nicholas Trust (which supports maritime studies), £245,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as support from the Headley Trust. The SS Great Britain Trust is continuing to fundraise for the completion of the new museum.

The Heritage Fund money will support Global Voyages, a community-led project that will inform the redevelopment of the Dockyard Museum. 

The revamped Dockyard Museum will explore SS Great Britain's impact on the world. The historic ship, which was designed by civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, carried over 30,000 passengers and crew between 1845 and 1886.

One of the aims of the project is to ensure that the narratives told are developed with the people and cultures that the ship has affected, including those historically underrepresented in heritage sites. The project will include a new community hub and a dedicated community history curator post.

Andrew Edwards, who was appointed CEO of SS Great Britain in June last year, said: “Bristol is a city shaped by global journeys, and so is the SS Great Britain. This is not only about a funding milestone; it’s about creating opportunities for the discovery of new stories and ideas.

“By working side-by-side with Bristol residents, we can ensure the Dockyard Museum, and all our storytelling and research reflects not only the ship’s international journeys, but the lived experiences and perspectives of the city today.”