Art Fund’s Reimagine Fund opens for collections-based projects

The Art Fund has launched the latest round of its Reimagine funding programme, with grants available for collections-based work.

First launched in 2020, the Reimagine programme aims to provide funding for the sector’s most pressing needs. Last year, grants were only available to museums and galleries reliant on local authority funding.

In 2025, the focus switches to collections, exploring how objects can contribute to audience and skills development, organisational resilience, shared learning and greater recognition for the sector.

“Now in its fifth year, we’re turning our focus to an area at the heart of Art Fund's mission: collections,” said Jenny Waldman, the director of the Art Fund.

“The UK holds some of the world’s most remarkable collections and the need for support to care for and share them is greater than ever. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we’re pleased to announce £1m in grants is available to help museums reimagine their work with collections in creative, impactful ways."

Grants of up to £50,000 are available for “innovative, impactful projects" that will help organisations reimagine their work with collections. As part of this aim, applications should fall under one or more of these categories: relevance, research and rationalisation, and resilience.

Activities the Art Fund’s 2025 Reimagine grants may fund:

Relevance

• Working with audiences to uncover objects and stories of local significance.
• Increasing public access to collections and encouraging a sense of ownership.
• Recontextualising unknown and/or contested objects.
• Using collections to shape programming, cultural education and strategic partnerships.
• Exploring the potential of collections to support placemaking and evidence social impact

Research and rationalisation

• Identifying rare or star objects for deeper research and engagement.
• Uncovering gaps in collections and exploring opportunities for future acquisitions.
• Revisiting collections management work, taking stock of objects and documentation.
• Supporting staff to examine approaches to repatriation, restitution or ethical object disposal.
• Exploring radical approaches or solutions to object transfer, storage and digitization.
• Considering environmental sustainability and responsibility in relation to collections

Resilience

• Establishing specialist networks or advisory groups to devise and share toolkits or best practice.
• Exploring the potential of collections to generate income and increase audiences.
• Bringing in specialist support or facilitation to encourage organisation-wide buy-in to collections work.
• Delivering training, creating resources or supporting staff and volunteers to boost skills, morale and retention.
• Increasing staff capacity to tackle collections backlogs and/or to shape longer-term collections care.
• Equipping organisations to take advantage of Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief.

Examples set out in the guidance range from recontextualising unknown and/or contested objects to repatriation, restitution or ethical object disposal.

Funding is available to organisations that hold permanent collections, with applications open until 12 August.

The 2024 Reimagine programme awarded £800,000 to 20 museums and galleries, alongside a further £200,000 through Museum Development UK. Recipients included the Museum of Making in Derby, Birmingham Museum Trust and The People’s Palace in Glasgow. 

Projects include sensory exhibitions for disabled and neurodivergent adults; behind-the-scenes tours for rurally isolated groups; artwork loans to local schools; and creative workshops for men accessing mental health support services.