Policy paper

Understanding the National Museums’ Partnership activities in 2020/21

Published 17 February 2023

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

Executive summary

This is the fourth Museum Partnership Report and covers the reporting period 2020/21. The purpose of this report is to understand the extent of partnership activities undertaken by the national museums and the impact of these in the UK and internationally. As with the 2018/19 and 2019/20 reports, the national museums have been surveyed on their collection sharing activities. However, this year the survey has been expanded to include a broader range of partnership activities similar to the inaugural report covering 2017/18. The museums were asked questions on the following areas of partnership work:

Sharing collections: meaning loans in and loans out, touring exhibitions and acquisitions. For the purposes of this survey, a long loan is classified as a loan which is out for 18 months or longer, and a short loan for less than 18 months.

Shared services: meaning any partnership aimed at delivering efficiencies, such as shared storage.

Sharing knowledge: including networks, staff exchanges and secondments, training aimed at the museum sector, apprenticeships, doctoral students hosted and research projects.

Audience engagement and outreach: including partnerships aimed at increasing participation, learning and education, health and wellbeing and skills and careers.

Digital and the pandemic: digital partnerships that were developed specifically in response to the pandemic or independently and any other partnerships that were developed specifically in response to the pandemic.

There are natural crossovers in many of these areas. For example, a project aimed at developing skills may also have positive impacts on learning and education, or on participation. Or a digital project developed in response to the pandemic may have had impacts on the health and wellbeing of participants. The museums were asked to input activities into the area which they felt most represented the purpose of the project. With that in mind, the numbers quoted in this section of the report should be seen as indicative rather than comprehensive given that some projects could in principle fit into several sections. Further details of how partnership projects can contribute to multiple outcomes are explored further in the case studies. Returns were received from all 22 museums surveyed. However, the National Museum of the Royal Navy was not able to submit the second part of the survey (covering other partnerships, not collections based) this year.

Key findings for 2020/21, unsurprisingly, show that most activities were impacted by the pandemic in some way. In particular, sharing collections activities were affected and many exhibitions were cancelled or postponed. Therefore the numbers are significantly lower than in previous years for these activities. In 2020/21 the national museums undertook 1,214 loans (both long and short term) of 19,150 objects in the UK. There were 346 loans of 4,997 objects lent internationally. This gives a total of 1,560 loans out (a 32% decrease on 2019/20) of 24,147 objects (a 66% decrease on 2019/20). However, numbers reported for other types of partnership activity that could be pivoted more easily to online provision are more or less on par with the 2017/18 report. The museums also reported significant numbers of partnerships developed during the pandemic in response to audience needs - many with the aim of encouraging participation and targeting issues around health and wellbeing.

Map and list of national museums

Figure 1: The 75 sites of the 22 national museums included in this report

See an interactive map of Figure 1

Key:

British Library
1.	British Library, London
58.	British Library, Boston Spa
2.	British Museum
Imperial War Museums
3.	Imperial War Museum, London
4.	Churchill War Rooms
5.	HMS Belfast
44.	Imperial War Museum, Duxford
54.	Imperial War Museum, North
6.	National Gallery
8.	National Portrait Gallery
21.	Sir John Soane’s Museum
22.	Horniman Museum
Natural History Museum
7.	Natural History Museum, London
43.	Natural History Museum, Tring
Royal Armouries
9.	Royal Armouries, White Tower
23.	Fort Nelson, Portsmouth
57.	Royal Armouries, Leeds
Royal Museums Greenwich
10.	National Maritime Museum
11.	Queen’s House
12.	Cutty Sark
13.	Royal Observatory, Greenwich
Science Museum Group
14.	Science Museum, London
55.	Science and Industry Museum, Manchester
56.	National Science and Media Museum, Bradford
59.	National Railway Museum, York
61.	Locomotion, Shildon
Tate
15.	Tate Modern
16.	Tate Britain
33.	Tate St Ives
34.	Barbara Hepworth Museum and Gardens
53.	Tate Liverpool
V&A
17.	V&A
18.	V&A Museum of Childhood
19.	National Army Museum
National Museum of the Royal Navy
24.	HMS Victory
25.	National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth
26.	HMS Warrior
27.	Action Stations
28.	LCT 7074
29.	National Marines Museum
30.	HMS M.33
31.	Royal Navy Submarine Museum
32.	Explosion Museum of Firepower
35.	Fleet Air Arm Museum
62.	HMS Caroline
RAF Museum
20.	RAF Museum, London
45.	RAF Museum, Cosford
National Museums Liverpool
46.	International Slavery Museum
47.	Walker Art Gallery
48.	World Museum
49.	Lady Lever Art Gallery
50.	Merseyside Maritime Museum
51.	Sudley House
52.	Museum of Liverpool
National Museums Scotland
67.	National Museum of Flight
68.	National Museum of Scotland
69.	National War Museum
74.	National Museum of Rural Life
National Museum Wales
36.	National Museum Cardiff
37.	St. Fagans National Museum of History
38.	National Waterfront Museum
39.	Big Pit National Coal Museum
40.	National Slate Museum
41.	National Roman Legion Museum
42.	National Wool Museum
National Museums NI
63.	Ulster Museum
64.	Ulster Transport Museum
65.	Ulster Folk Museum
66.	Ulster American Folk Park
National Galleries Scotland
70.	Scottish National Gallery
71.	Modern One
72.	Modern Two
73.	Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Wallace Collection
75.	Wallace Collection
In numerical order
1.	British Library, London
2.	British Museum
3.	Imperial War Museum, London
4.	Churchill War Museum
5.	HMS Belfast
6.	National Gallery
7.	Natural History Museum, London
8.	National Portrait Gallery
9.	Royal Armouries, White Tower
10.	National Maritime Museum
11.	Queen’s House
12.	Cutty Sark
13.	Royal Observatory, Greenwich
14.	Science Museum
15.	Tate Modern
16.	Tate Britain
17.	V&A
18.	V&A Museum of Childhood
19.	National Army Museum
20.	RAF Museum, London
21.	Sir John Soane’s Museum
22.	Horniman Museum
23.	Fort Nelson, Portsmouth
24.	HMS Victory
25.	National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth
26.	HMS Warrior
27.	Action Stations
28.	LCT 7074
29.	National Marines Museum
30.	HMS M.33
31.	Royal Navy Submarine Museum
32.	Explosion Museum of Firepower
33.	Tate St Ives
34.	Barbara Hepworth Museum and Gardens
35.	Fleet Air Arm Museum
36.	National Museum Cardiff
37.	St. Fagans National Museum of History
38.	National Waterfront Museum
39.	Big Pit National Coal Museum
40.	National Slate Museum
41.	National Roman Legion Museum
42.	National Wool Museum
43.	Natural History Museum, Tring
44.	Imperial War Museum, Duxford
45.	RAF Museum, Cosford
46.	International Slavery Museum
47.	Walker Art Gallery
48.	World Museum
49.	Lady Lever Art Gallery
50.	Merseyside Maritime Museum
51.	Sudley House
52.	Museum of Liverpool
53.	Tate Liverpool
54.	Imperial War Museum, North
55.	Science + Industry Museum
56.	National Science + Media Museum
57.	Royal Armouries, Leeds
58.	British Library, Boston Spa
59.	National Railway Museum
60.	National Museum of the Royal Navy, Hartlepool
61.	Locomotion
62.	HMS Caroline
63.	Ulster Museum
64.	Ulster Transport Museum
65.	Ulster Folk Museum
66.	Ulster American Folk Park
67.	National Museum of Flight
68.	National Museum of Scotland
69.	National War Museum
70.	Scottish National Gallery
71.	Modern One
72.	Modern Two
73.	Scottish National Portrait Gallery
74.	National Museum of Rural Life
75.	Wallace Collection

Introduction

Partnership activities by their nature can be particularly vulnerable to external events. The reporting year 2020/21 saw extreme disruption to the usual activities of museums caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns. National lockdown measures legally came into force on 23 March 2020 and lasted until 4 July . There were subsequent regional lockdowns and restrictions followed by a second national lockdown in the Autumn of 2020 with a third national lockdown announced on 4 January 2021. Restrictions eased in the spring of 2021. During periods of reopening, museums were also severely impacted by capacity restrictions and reduced staffing levels due to furlough, isolation or sickness. Therefore activities held during the entirety of this reporting period have been impacted to some extent.

Equally the capacity of partners or potential partners to enter into projects was highly impacted in similar ways - due to national and regional lockdowns, capacity restrictions and reduced staffing levels. Where projects were able to go ahead, they were often adapted for online presentation or conducted locally to manage risks associated with potential travel disruption for participants, as well as difficulties and delays in the transport of objects depending on the situation in the various partner countries.

Naturally the data collected for this year should not be considered as ‘usual’ and comparisons with previous reporting years are somewhat academic due to the impact on museums’ operations. Delivery on the same scale and in the same formats as seen in previous years would be impossible. However the data collected for this year still has value, and not just in evidencing the impact of the pandemic. The case studies in particular demonstrate how museums not only changed the delivery method of pre-planned programmes, but developed new projects in response to audience needs. The types of partnerships reported also demonstrate how the national museums target programming to meet the specific needs of audiences, and the efforts made to include groups that in general tend to interact with museums less frequently.^{[footnote 1]}

Sharing collections

Sharing collections is one of the key ways in which the national museums partner with other museums and organisations in the UK and across the world. Sharing collections enables more people to enjoy and learn from the national collection and furthers research and scholarship. It was anticipated that this area of museum work would be highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns. Many exhibitions in the UK and abroad were cancelled or postponed during the reporting year and significant disruption to travel meant that many international loans in particular did not go ahead as planned. When museums and exhibitions were able to open, numbers of visitors were restricted to enable social distancing. Despite these challenges, at least 5.9 million people, in the UK and abroad, saw the national collection on display in 2020/21.

Figure 2: Number of loans out

See chart of total numbers of loans out in 2020/21.

Number of loans	Total
Total number of loans out (long and short loans, UK and international) during 2020/21	1,560
Total number of objects on loan (long and short loans, UK and international) during 2020/21	24,147
Total number of research loans out during 2020/21	6,179
Total number of objects on research loan	139,980

The table below summarises the total number of loans out reported annually since the inaugural report which covered the financial year 2017/18:

	2017/18 (17 museums surveyed)	2018/19(22 museums surveyed )	2019/20 (22 museums surveyed	2020/21 (22 museums surveyed)	% Difference from previous year
No. of objects lent out by national museums for display (UK + International, long and short term loans)	69,501	68,049	71,205	24,147	-66%
No. of venues that national museums lent to for display (UK + international, long and short term loans)	2,110	2,049	2,290	1,560	-32%
No. of people that have seen loans out for display (UK + international)	32.9 million	32.8 million	35.7 million	5.9 million	-83%
No. of objects lent out by national museums for research (UK + international)	370,982	316,064	499,973	139,890	-72%
No. of institutions that national museums lent to for research (UK + international)	6,777	6,314	6,423	6,179	-4%

The table above demonstrates that where numbers on the whole had been increasing or remaining at a similar level between 2017/18 and 2019/20, there were significant falls for 2020/21 as expected. There was a 32% drop in loans out for display purposes, and an 83% drop in reported visitor figures.

Funding

As seen in previous years, the majority of collections sharing activities are funded by the museums themselves. Costs are incurred by both borrower and lender including transportation, packing, conservation, display and courier costs. Some additional support was reported for touring exhibitions, for example, the Dorset Foundation supported the British Museum’s ‘Nordic by Nature: modern design and prints’ exhibition.

A total of 60 projects (outgoing and on site exhibitions) were reported as being supported using Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief. The aim of this tax relief is to encourage museums and galleries to develop high quality new temporary, touring and permanent exhibitions and galleries and to display their collections to a wider audience, supporting British culture across the UK. As part of the Government’s continued support for current and future projects within museums and galleries, the Exhibitions Tax Relief saw a significant temporary increase in tax relief for all upcoming exhibitions commencing from 27th October 2021. In addition to the temporary uplift, the sunset clause was also extended until 31 March 2024. The uplift is a core part of the government’s support for the recovery of the sector and it is hoped that future partnership reports will indicate that museums across the sector have made full use of these extensions.

Sharing collections in the UK

At least 1.3 million people saw the national collection on display outside of the national museums in the UK during 2020/21.

Figure 3: Cats on the Page, A British Library Touring Exhibition, on display at The Atkinson in Southport, 12 September 2020 – 9 January 2021. ©The Atkinson, Southport.

The museums reported that at least 1.3 million people saw their collections on display outside of their permanent sites in the UK in 2020/21. Visitor figures were reported for 9% of long loans out and 72% of short loans out (including touring exhibitions) so as with numbers reported in previous years, the real figure is likely to be much higher. However this still represents a significant drop (94%) from the just over 22 million visitors reported in 2019/20. This is not unexpected considering the impact of national lockdowns and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national museums reported 421,449 visitors to their outgoing touring exhibitions in the UK during 2020/21. A total of 29 unique exhibitions or displays travelled to 42 venues in the UK during 2020/21. The projects ranged in size and scale from a single object to over 400. Touring exhibitions take time and often have significant costs in development. Partner venues sometimes pay a fee in order to host them. With that in mind, cancellation is likely to be a last resort for all partners concerned. This may explain why the numbers for this sort of exchange might seem quite high considering the circumstances. By comparison, in 2019/20 the national museums toured 35 unique exhibitions to 74 venues in the UK.

49 short loans out were reported to have travelled to new partners (organisations to which the national museums had not previously lent) and five long loans out were reported as travelling to new partners. Eight touring exhibitions travelled to partner organisations the organising national had not partnered with before. This gives a total of 62 new partners out of 1,214 partners reported - 5.1%. This shows that the majority of loans in the UK travel to museums or organisations with which the national museum has an existing relationship and that loans are often repeated between partner museums once a relationship has been established.

Figure 4: Nordic table case: Kirkleatham Museum, Nordic by Nature: Modern design and prints, a British Museum Touring Exhibition, photo credit Kev Howard.

There were 76 loans out reported (74 long and two short) for which no postcode data was returned. In many instances the data was simply omitted from the survey although in some cases, in particular with loans from the military museums, the loan travelled to military offices or is even situated on board a naval vessel for which a postcode was either not available or inappropriate to supply.

The table below compares total numbers of loans out reported in 2020/21 to 2019/20.

Total short loans out (including touring exhibitions)UK 2020/21	Total short loans out (including touring exhibitions)UK 2019/20	Total long loans out UK 2020/21	Total long loans out UK 2019/20
185	641	1,029	893

The table below compares total numbers of objects on loan reported in 2020/21 to 2019/20.

Total number of objects on short loan out (including touring exhibitions) 2020/21	Total number of objects on short loan out (including touring exhibitions) 2019/20	Total number of objects on long loan out 2020/21	Total number of objects on long loan out 2019/20
3,236	9,517	15,914	50,353

Who borrowed from the national museums in 2020/21?

The chart below shows the types of organisations which borrowed from the national museums (on both long and short term loan) during 2020/21:

Type of museum	Long-term 20-21	Short term 20-21	Total
Independent museum	261	59	320
Local authority museum	196	41	237
National museum	124	52	176
Military	115	2	117
Other*	95	2	97
National Trust	55	0	55
Heritage railway	40	0	40
University	39	25	64
Government	32	1	33
English Heritage	26	0	26
HRP	15	0	15
Historic Environment Scotland	6	0	6
Private	6	2	8
School	6	0	6
Cadw	4	0	4
Hospital	4	0	4
Library and archive	3	1	4
Religious	1	0	1
Royal Collection	1	0	1

*‘Other’ includes loans to businesses, charities, trusts, societies and associations not described in other categories.

The data shows that independent museums were the most frequent borrowers from the national collections, followed by local authority museums and then the national museums lending to each other. This breakdown mirrors what we have seen in previous years, and is likely to reflect the fact that independent museums are the largest subset of museum type in the sector. Military museums, sites and individuals also receive a significant portion of loans, no doubt reflecting the inclusion of the MOD funded museums in the survey.

Short loans out

In 2020/21 there were 185 short loans out of 3,236 objects in the UK. Out of these totals, 42 projects were touring exhibitions consisting of 1,765 objects. As the tables above demonstrate, this is a significant drop from 2019/20 as to be expected.

Figure 6: Total short loans out received by region 2020/21

See an interactive map showing short loans out received by UK region.

Region	Total number of loans	Percentage of total
London	76	41
Scotland	13	7
South East England	20	11
South West England	15	8
North West England	14	8
Yorkshire and the Humber	8	4
East of England	7	4
Wales	4	2
West Midlands	8	4
East Midlands	3	2
North East England	10	5
Northern Ireland	5	3

The map and table above describe the number of short term loans received by region in the UK. Although the total number of short loans out during 2020/21 was far lower than in the previous years, it is interesting to note that the regions in receipt of the greatest percentage of the total remain the same: Greater London, followed by South East England. This is possibly due to there being an overall larger number of museums in these areas, and the national museums supporting each other through loans. In 2019/20 North West England was in receipt of the third highest number of short loans out. However in 2020/21 it is South West England by a narrow margin (15 loans out to South West as opposed to 14 to North West).

Long loans out

In 2020/21 the national museums reported 1,029 long loans out in the UK, totalling 15,914 objects. These totals seem unusual in that the number of total loans appears to have grown but the total number of objects on loan significantly decreased. Only five long loan partners were identified as being new for 2020/21 so it is unlikely that there has been a significant increase in loans out. It is more likely that loans that were otherwise due for return were extended due to the pandemic, and discrepancies in the reporting.

Figure 7: Total long loans out received by region 2020/21

See an interactive map of long loans out received by region.

Region	Number of long loans out	Percentage of total
London	228	22
Scotland	141	14
South East England	107	10
South West England	90	9
North West England	74	7
Yorkshire and the Humber	59	6
East of England	48	5
Wales	53	5
West Midlands	39	4
East Midlands	45	4
North East England	31	3
Northern Ireland	38	4

Organisations in Greater London (22%) are in receipt of the highest number of long loans out, followed by Scotland (14%) and then the South East (10%).

Loans in

The national museums frequently borrow from other museums, organisations and individuals in the UK for their own exhibitions. In 2020/21 144 short term loans in were reported, totalling 1,533 objects. The majority were reported to originate from Greater London, followed by North West England and Scotland. It is worth noting that 11 short term loans totalling 395 objects were reported as ‘unknown’ in origin. This is because they were from private lenders whose data cannot be shared.

Sharing collections internationally

Over 4.6 million people saw items from the national collection on display outside of the UK in 2020/21.

Total short loans out (including touring exhibitions) International 2020/21	Total short loans out (including touring exhibitions) International 2019/20	Total long loans out International 2020/21	Total long loans out International 2019/20
243	665	103	89

Total number of objects on short loan out (including touring exhibitions) international 2020/21	Total number of objects on short loan out (including touring exhibitions) international 2019/20	Total number of objects on long loan out international 2020/21	Total number of objects on long loan out 2019/20 international
4,173	10,846	824	487

Despite the significant travel disruption caused by the pandemic, the national museums still undertook 243 short loans out internationally in 2020/21. 63 of these loans were reported as having travelled to new partner organisations the museum had not worked with previously, representing 26% of the total. They reported 103 international long term loans out. Germany received the highest number of short term loans out (39) followed by France (36) and the USA (26). The USA was in receipt of the highest number of international long term loans, followed by Ireland. However it should be noted that many of these loans were already in place prior to the start of the reporting period so are less impacted by the pandemic. Again the data appears to show an increase in the overall numbers of long term loans out. This could also partially be due to existing loans out being extended as a result of travel restrictions.

Figure 8: International loans out (long and short) during 2020/21

See an interactive map of international loans out (long and short) during 2020/21

Country (not including UK)	Number of long-term loans	Number of short-term loans
Australia	6	6
Austria		5
Bahrain		1
Belgium	8	11
Botswana	1
Canada	4	3
Channel Islands	7
China		8
Czech Republic		1
Denmark	2	7
Finland	1	3
France	7	36
Germany	5	39
Greece	1
Hungary		1
India	4
Ireland	15	8
Israel		1
Italy	1	20
Japan	1	12
South Korea		1
Luxembourg	1
Netherlands	8	15
New Zealand	2	4
Norway		1
Oman	2
Poland		1
Portugal		1
Qatar	1	1
Russia		4
South Africa	3
Spain	3	15
Sweden		3
Switzerland		8
United Arab Emirates		1
USA	19	26
Zimbabwe	1
Total	103	243

National Museums NI: Willie Doherty: Where/Dove

In 2019, following on from an Italian networking opportunity facilitated by the British Council as they prepared for their UK/Italy 2020 Season, National Museums NI began working on a major new exhibition in partnership with Fondazione Modena Arti Visive (FMAV). Willie Doherty: Where/Dove was to be one of the most extensive and ambitious exhibitions to date dedicated to the work of Willie Doherty (b. Derry, 1959), Northern Ireland’s foremost contemporary artist. The exhibition, focussing on the theme of borders, was due to open first in Modena in 2020 and then in Belfast in early 2021, as part of the wider ‘100 Years Forward’ programme marking the centenaries of the partition of Ireland and the creation of Northern Ireland.

The COVID-19 pandemic then intervened, and as the exhibition development process became more challenging and uncertain, the exhibition theme took on new relevance and urgency. Co-curated, remotely and during a time of pandemic, and coinciding with the UK leaving the European Union, it represented a coming together of Northern Ireland and Italy, a valuable collaboration across borders. Such collaboration was tested through multiple rescheduling and the trials of navigating the post-Brexit processes for the movement of artworks as they apply to Northern Ireland. Bringing together loans from across the island of Ireland, Italy and Switzerland, and responding to and encouraging us to think deeply about recent and current events both at home and abroad, the exhibition was a truly international endeavour, and a celebration of the importance of promoting artistic achievement and partnerships across borders.

International touring exhibitions

There were 59 international touring exhibitions reported for 2020/21 totalling 3,442 objects. 19 of these travelled to venues that the museum had not worked with before, representing 32% of the total. This is a higher proportion of new partners when compared with the UK data as described above. However, the international market for loans and touring exhibitions is much larger than in the UK. Not all of these touring projects involved traditional collection sharing; demonstrating the different approaches museums can take to tour exhibitions. For example, nine international venues received Science Museums Group’s Blueprint Touring Packs.This method of touring shares the Science Museum Group’s content, concept, designs and intellectual property in a way that allows other venues to reproduce their exhibitions without having to borrow any objects. These are usually contemporary science exhibitions. So although technically not sharing collections, this approach still enables partnership working and sharing of ideas and concepts internationally. Similarly, images from the Natural History Museum’s popular Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition travelled to 18 international venues. Over 2.5 million people visited a touring exhibition created by the national museums internationally in 2020/21.

International loans in

The national museums also borrowed objects from abroad to supplement their own exhibitions and displays. They reported 31 short term loans in of 258 objects and 188 long term loans in of 2,633 objects. As previously stated, the majority of long term loans were already in situ and were not subject to the same disruption as short term loans due to the pandemic.

Sharing collections for research

Research loans out 2020/21	Research loans out 2019/20	Research loans out total object numbers 2020/21	Research loans out total object numbers 2019/20
6,179	6,423	139,890	499,973

There were 6,179 research loans out of 139,890 objects in 2020/21. 99.5% of these loans originated from the Natural History Museum. There were 892 loans out totalling 72,973 objects within the UK and 5,287 loans of 66,917 objects were international. This is on par with previous reporting years, reflecting that research loans were not impacted by the pandemic in the same way as display loans. This is largely due to the fact that they are usually not intended for public display and therefore have less demanding requirements for travel, conservation and storage. In addition, the Natural History Museum also lent 1,702 digital surrogates to organisations around the world for the purposes of research.

As seen in previous years, the geographical spread of research loans is wider than that of display loans. In 2020/21 a total of 79 countries outside of the UK received research loans from the national museums, whereas 40 countries received display loans. This echoes the data from 2019/20 where 85 countries received research loans as opposed to 49 countries receiving display loans. As stated in previous years, the reasons for this are likely to lie in the less onerous display and transport requirements for research loans.

Figure 10: Research loans out during 2020/21

See interactive map of research loans out during 2020/21.

Country	Number of loans
Argentina	43
Armenia	3
Australia	213
Austria	80
Belarus	3
Belgium	145
Bolivia	1
Brazil	202
Bulgaria	11
Canada	133
Chile	3
China	72
Colombia	4
Costa Rica	5
Croatia	1
Czech Republic	392
Denmark	77
Ecuador	1
Egypt	1
Estonia	6
Finland	51
France	253
Georgia	3
Germany	545
Greece	5
Guyana	5
Hungary	58
Iceland	1
India	28
Indonesia	8
Iran	2
Ireland	28
Israel	18
Italy	186
Japan	138
Kenya	1
South Korea	30
Latvia	8
Lithuania	8
Luxembourg	2
Macedonia	2
Malaysia	10
Malta	3
Mexico	59
Netherlands	110
New Zealand	67
Nigeria	1
Norway	65
Oman	1
Pakistan	6
Panama	2
Papua New Guinea	2
Peru	3
Philippines	2
Poland	176
Portugal	22
Qatar	1
Romania	12
Russia	144
Saudi Arabia	2
Singapore	54
Slovakia	14
Slovenia	2
South Africa	106
Spain	133
Sri Lanka	1
Sweden	175
Switzerland	97
Taiwan	20
Thailand	16
Tunisia	1
Turkey	8
Ukraine	11
UK	892
USA	1163
Uruguay	2
Venezuela	10
Vietnam	2
Zimbabwe	1
Unknown	7

The countries in receipt of the highest number of research loans in 2020/21 were as follows:

USA	1,163
Germany	545
Czech Republic	392
France	253
Australia	213

Acquisitions

The national museums supported 59 acquisitions of over 189 objects during the reporting period. Their roles ranged from acting in an advisory capacity to administrating specific acquisition funds. In addition, The British Museum supported the acquisition of objects via the treasure process during 2020/21.^{[footnote 2]} Details are included in the Treasure Annual Report, which is published online. There is a time lag on treasure acquisitions data due to the complexity of the process and to allow for museums to apply for grants or raise funds through public appeals for example. So complete data for 2020/21 will not be available until 2023.

National Museums Scotland: National Fund for Acquisitions Special Funding Scheme

National Museums Scotland administers the National Fund for Acquisitions, an annual grant of £150,000 provided by the Scottish Government to help museums throughout Scotland to acquire objects for their collections. In 2020/21 the Fund contributed 27 grants worth £86,354, helping to develop and enhance the collections of 17 organisations in 13 local authorities across Scotland. They continued to accept applications during lockdown and the subsequent period of remote working and in August 2020 launched a Special Funding Scheme to target higher levels of support to areas of greatest need. The Scheme, which can offer grants of up to 100%, operates alongside the normal funding stream which offers up to 50% of purchase price. Among the museums supported through the Special Funding Scheme were:

The Scottish Maritime Museum which acquired an 80-year-old bottle of whisky and other items recovered from the wreck of the SS Politician which ran aground on the Isle of Eriskay in 1941 en route to America with a cargo to raise funds for the war effort. Subsequent attempts by islanders to salvage the whisky inspired Compton Mackenzie’s 1947 novel Whisky Galore! and the popular Ealing Studio comedy of the same title.

Shetland Museum & Archives which purchased a porthole and steering station from the Earl of Zetland, built by Hall Russell & Co Ltd of Aberdeen in 1939, which served as the passenger and freight service on Shetland’s North Isles route before the introduction of a road-ferry service in 1975.

Leisure and Culture Dundee which acquired the Dennis the Menace costume designed and worn by Ellie Paul from Dundee on Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK for display in The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum

Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums which collected objects reflecting local responses to COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement as well as a rare example of a silver spirit kettle by Aberdeen silversmith James Gordon, and a diving helmet used in the North Sea oil and gas industry.

Shared services

This section of the survey was added for this reporting period. The purpose of this question is so that we can better understand how the national museums work together and with others to make best use of limited resources. Unlike the other questions in the survey, this question is not aimed necessarily at public facing activities but aims more to uncover how partnerships can support museum infrastructure and operations. Examples could include shared storage spaces, contracts for services such as catering or museum transport or even staff or contractors that work across sites. Sharing services can benefit museums by spreading costs between partners, enabling the sharing of expertise and making more efficient use of resources.

16 instances of shared services were reported. The majority (six) were shared storage - all with other national museums. There were five instances where the national museums reported sharing access to specialist staff (e.g. a conservator) and five instances where the shared service was categorised as ‘other’. Activities reported under ‘other’ included shared transport and security contracts for the Blythe House decant, shared use of equipment for conservation analysis and for the production of digital resources.

Sharing knowledge

The national museums are centres of expertise for the collections in their care. Museum and collections-based research is interdisciplinary, spanning the arts and humanities, sciences, digital technology, and conservation and heritage science. They are also sector leaders in many of the aspects of museum management and operations. The national museums engage in a variety of activities designed to share, develop and expand upon that knowledge. 11 national museums hold Independent Research Organisation (IRO) status, recognising their role in generating new knowledge and giving them access to research council funding in the same way as universities.

Museums undertake a variety of activities with the aim of sharing knowledge. For the 2020/21 survey, the museums were asked to report on networks, training and development and academic partnerships.

V&A: Culture in Crisis

Since 2015 the V&A’s Culture in Crisis programme has been committed to protecting the world’s cultural heritage and supporting communities that suffer cultural loss, whether through conflict, criminal acts, or natural disaster. The programme embraces a cross-disciplinary approach by providing a forum for sharing information, inspiring, and supporting action and raising public awareness.

In December 2019, the V&A launched the Culture in Crisis Portal with the support of national and international partners including colleagues at DCMS. It has rapidly grown to become the world’s largest and most accessible database of heritage protection projects. It is completely free to use and provides an invaluable insight into global efforts to protect and preserve endangered heritage around the world. The Portal is used to learn from each other, share experiences and work more collaboratively to protect the world’s cultural heritage. It connects users from 189 countries and six continents with more than 500 organisations and 1,000 Heritage Protection projects.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Culture in Crisis programme sought ways to operate differently and explore the opportunities created by changes in the way people were working. One of the most successful projects during this period was a series of webinars held under the banner of ‘Culture in Crisis Conversations’. To deliver these the V&A’s Culture in Crisis team partnered with DCMS, and the British Council. The series examined how the experiences of recent years had encouraged cultural organisations across the globe to adapt and transform in the face of global challenges, as well as how they had embraced new opportunities and looked to build a future that was more sustainable, equitable and ecological.

The first series held in 2020-2021 consisted of five sessions, each featuring a panel to discuss strategic subjects including sustainability, development, and the role of digital technologies. Throughout the series the audience was invited to join the discussion online and contribute questions, both beforehand and throughout the interactive sessions. The workshops developed organically and in response to these externally provided inputs by stimulating debate, forging new connections, generating creative approaches, and identifying recommendations for future activities.

The partnership succeeded in bringing a hugely diverse audience into the conversation. Special effort was made to not only encourage young people to join the discussions but to actively participate, including in the role of Youth Panellist. Many of these young people have developed to become regular attendees and contributors to the wider programme.

Links

• V&A · Culture In Crisis
• Culture in Crisis

Networks

There are many formal and informal networks which support the museum sector, contributing to the sharing of knowledge, skills and expertise. The national museums were asked to report on networks in which they participated in a formal capacity - as leaders, founders and institutional members. Networks enable the sharing of knowledge, ideas and best practice amongst members. It is worth noting that many museum staff participate in networks as part of their individual professional development, which is beyond the scope of this survey.

The national museums reported instances of participating in 438 networks in total in 2020/21. In 2017/18 The national museums reported 326 instances of being members, founders, and leaders of groups and networks which support the museum sector so this number represents an increase of 26%. The table below shows the types of network the national museums most frequently participate in.

Grand Total	438
Other	136
SSN	112
Working group	75
Advisory board	54
Type not reported	36
Informal	25

The national museums participate in a range of networks in different capacities. Examples of networks reported under ‘Other’ range from participation in membership organisations such as the Museums Association or the UK Registrars Group to specialist networks that are not official Subject Specialist Networks (SSN). Almost 26% of the total number of instances of participating in networks reported were Subject Specialist Networks, 112 in total. SSNs cover a wide range of subject areas and provide guidance about collections, acquisitions, preservation, access, and research. The national museums report participation in SSNs ranging in scale and subject matter- from in excess of 700 members to around 20 and covering a wide range of topics including videogame heritage, scientific instruments and the decorative arts.

Other examples of the types of networks participated in by the national museums include working groups, advisory boards, round tables and steering groups. A variety of funding sources for networks were reported, including support from funding bodies such as Arts Council England, AHRC/UKRI and Art Fund or through membership subscriptions. It is worth noting that the survey captures formal networking, however the national museums also often provide informal advice to other organisations on a variety of subjects. The museums were asked to report on any disruption caused by the pandemic to their network activities. Many reported activities moving online, however some activities were postponed or stopped completely.

Imperial War Museum: War and Conflict Subject Specialist Network

Between July 2020 and June 2021, IWM’s War and Conflict Subject Specialist Network (WCSSN) led a project called Connecting, Sharing, Learning: sustaining relationships between collections and older communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was supported by The Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund, delivered by the Museums Association.

This project responded to an increased need and desire, evidenced by WCSSN members, to support people aged 70 and over – both those living at home and those in residential care – through the COVID-19 pandemic. IWM worked with 25 WCSSN member organisations to trial new methods of collection-based engagement with older communities across the UK, with long-term benefits for audiences and organisations.

Remote consultation was conducted with Age Exchange, Barchester Care and AgeUK. IWM worked with two groups of partners recruited from the WCSSN; the first from July - December 2020 focussed on the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, and the second from January - June 2021 on the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Greenham Common Peace Camp. A steering group was also recruited to share their expertise and advice. In total, 25 partner organisations were involved.

Each partner provided digital assets which were collated into CDs, DVDs, and activity booklets, for distribution into care home communities. Over 600 copies were distributed throughout the UK, from Dumfries and Galloway to Cornwall. The groups also delivered 11 Zoom sessions with care homes on the two themes, including talks, quizzes, and interactive crosswords.

The project aims were underpinned by IWM’s vision, established in its Partnerships Strategy 2020-2025 – to engage more people across the world through innovative collaboration – and the Social Impact Framework - to improve wellbeing through connectivity. The Age UK Wellbeing index also shaped this project, particularly the key factors of “Participation in enjoyable, meaningful activities” and “Having positive social interactions”.

Connecting

The project aimed to bring together collections, communities, and organisations through digital technology. It was the first experience of digital outreach for many partners, and evaluation has shown that it has been extremely rewarding for both partners and audiences

I thoroughly enjoyed myself and found it all very interesting – how marvellous that all of this came to us. I am very thankful!

– Care home resident

Sharing

The project intended to proactively share collections with audiences, despite barriers to engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project directly supported community wellbeing and provided opportunities for reminiscence and discussion between older people and carers.

Our day centre clients were very open about their own experiences, and I learned a lot of things about them that I didn’t already know.

– Care provider

Learning

This project was designed to enable others, build confidence, and boost connectivity between collections and audiences. The project enabled innovation, building a more networked and resilient cultural sector. It has challenged ideas about collections practice, by introducing new models of audience engagement that were shared with the WCSSN.

It made me think about our collections differently.

– Project partner

Training and development

Sharing expertise and delivering projects aimed at supporting professional development is one way in which the national museums support the sector more widely. In this section of the survey, the museums were asked to report on staff secondments (internationally and within the UK) and on training sessions and programmes, workshops, sector-facing conferences and study days they had offered to external participants from the museum and adjacent sectors (for example heritage, conservation science etc) to develop skills. The museums were also asked to report on the number of apprenticeships they had hosted during the reporting period.

Staff secondments enable the sharing of institutional knowledge and expertise, as well as presenting a development opportunity for individuals. However the data shows that most of the planned staff secondments for the reporting period were cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic. Most secondments are of a residential nature and difficult to replicate online, so this is not surprising.

Examples of training provided fared much better, largely due to the ability to pivot to online provision and the museums reported a number of workshops, lectures, talks and training courses they were able to deliver in 2020/21. Some reported a small charge for participants but the majority were reported as being free. Over 110,000 people participated in these events during 2020/21. Arguably, delivering such sessions online overcame some barriers to participation such as travel time and cost and space limitations of lecture halls or training rooms. However online provision can be problematic for specific collections or conservation based training that is best delivered in person with access to objects and some instances of training of this type were reported as being cancelled or postponed.

The National Army Museum runs a training programme specifically for Regimental and Corps Museums in the UK. They work with over 140 museums and collections to provide relevant training in museum best practice.

By hosting apprenticeships, the national museums support the talent pipeline, encourage entry into the sector and provide career development opportunities for participants. There are over 700 apprenticeship standards with a number of different areas relevant to museum work. Data shows that overall, the number of people starting apprenticeships in England during 2020/21 fell. However, 15 of the national museums reported supporting a total of 66 apprenticeships or traineeships across their sites during 2020/21. This is on par with numbers reported in 2017/18 which is perhaps surprising given the wider context for 2020/21 where many museums had to furlough or reduce staff to deal with the financial impacts of the pandemic. In many instances, the museums report having to adapt programmes to account for home working and restricted access to libraries and research materials.

Figure 11: Apprenticeships and traineeships 2020/21

See chart showing areas of museum work the apprenticeship or traineeship was intended to support

Category	Number of apprenticeships supported
FOH	18
Curatorial	10
Collections management	5
Conservation	5
HR	5
Leadership	5
Business administration	2
Data analysis	2
IT	2
Libraries and archives	2
Operations	2
Other	2
Publishing	2
Development	1
Digital	1
Finance	1
Marketing	1

The data above shows the total number of apprenticeships supported in each category. The data shows that the majority of apprenticeships and traineeships hosted by the national museums in 2020/21 were aimed at developing customer service/ front of house skills. However, curatorial skills were also well represented. Apprenticeships also covered ‘back of house’ topics like HR and management/leadership.

National Museums Scotland: Strengthening Skills and Expertise

In response to the impact of COVID-19, National Museums Scotland worked closely with colleagues in museums across Scotland to provide support and guidance tailored to their requirements. In spring 2020 they surveyed museums to gauge their most pressing needs and the best mechanisms for providing support both during lockdown and within COVID-19 restrictions for reopening to visitors. They created a webpage with online guidance and advice on the areas that museums reported as being the most critical areas of need. They included monitoring collections during museum closure, waking up collections prior to reopening, advice on managing loans during the pandemic, developing ways to work with schools remotely and guidance on key business skills such as fundraising. In 2020/21 the webpage was accessed by 1,500 users. They also set up an advice line to provide one-to-one support, directing queries to colleagues across National Museums Scotland to give specific advice by phone, email or video call. Following announcements of further lockdown restrictions in 2021, they contacted museums again for information on the support most needed and set up informal video calls providing opportunities to network and inform them how best to support during this challenging time. They also collaborated with Museums Galleries Scotland to deliver targeted online support and training sessions and participated in webinars hosted by other organisations to share advice and guidance.

Academic partnerships

Museums are a key part of research infrastructure for the arts and humanities in the UK, and they often collaborate on research projects with universities, higher education institutions, research organisations and other museums. This research develops collection knowledge and feeds into a multitude of outputs including publications, lecture series and exhibitions. 11 of the museums surveyed have IRO (Independent Research Organisation) status. This status enables them to access research funding which other museums are unable to access directly. By working in partnership and collaborating with other organisations, the museums can ensure that this support for research and development is spread more widely across the sector. The museums were surveyed on their academic partnerships. They were asked to report on ​​research projects that they participated in with partners (e.g., with other universities, libraries, museums or research organisations) and the number of doctoral students they co-hosted.

In 2017/18 the national museums reported working with external partners on at least 1,325 active research projects and collaborations involving 348 UK partners and 1,404 international partners. In 2020/21 the national museums reported as having co-hosted 350 doctoral students through programmes such as collaborative PhDs or PhD placements. This shows an increase on the 2017/18 figures where they reported co-hosting 287 doctoral students. In 2020/21 the vast majority of university partners were in the UK, although there were 12 international collaborations reported. The overwhelming majority were funded through AHRC/UKRI — 87% of the total number of projects. Other sources of funding reported include the university partners and some trusts and foundations such as the Wellcome Trust.

Research projects covered a wider and varied range of topics. For example, Project Coral, led by the Horniman Aquarium, is a project with international partners to develop techniques to stimulate coral reproduction. The Wallace Collection is undertaking a multiyear project to research and conserve five of their famous Fragonard paintings and the Science Museum is participating in Move2Learn, a three year project with researcher-practitioner teams across six museum sites in the UK and USA. The project aims to investigate the links between ‘movement and learning’ at selected science exhibits designed for young learners.

Figure 12: Funding

See chart showing how collaborative PhD projects were funded during 2020/21

Funding	Percentage of overall funding
AHRC/UKRI	87%
Other*	13%

*‘Other’ includes trusts and foundations and directly from the university.

Natural History Museum: Environmental impacts of lockdown

In 2020, the Natural History Museum (NHM) ran a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)-funded project investigating public views about the environmental impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown. NHM researchers and collaborators tracked the shift in audiences’ views and habits during the pandemic, crowdsourcing research ideas and investigating which environmental impacts the public care about the most. The project used a range of digital public engagement tools including surveys and an online photo competition on Instagram and Twitter.

The winning photographs, which tell stories about the pandemic’s impact on nature in the UK, were displayed in the Museum’s Images of Nature Gallery in Autumn 2021. The project culminated in a live interactive online event during which audiences could pose questions to young and emerging researchers about those topics, which doubled as focus groups for the Museum’s scientists to learn about people’s views on the environmental impacts of the pandemic. The NHM also collaborated with data visualisation company Beyond Words Studio to create a series of infographics that illustrate some of the changes in the movement of people, air and noise pollution and wildlife sightings in the UK. These compellingly document the 54% increase in wildlife sightings during the first 100 days of lockdown compared to the same period the previous year; the 60% drop in carbon dioxide emissions during lockdown; and the 60% drop in urban noise levels. Many people reported rediscovering the joys of birdsong, and as animals are acutely sensitive to noise pollution, affecting their behaviour, stress and even growth, the decrease was good news for the natural world too. The Natural History Museum’s Executive Director of Engagement Clare Matterson said:

These fascinating visualisations, the result of a collaboration between scientists, our digital teams and Beyond Words, bring to life some of the astonishing impacts lockdown has had on our environments and how we noticed and experienced nature in a new and different way.

Audience development and participation

The national museums engage in a wide range of partnership activities aimed at expanding audience participation. By partnering with organisations across sectors, they are able to target programming to attract new audiences and support social outcomes in their local communities and in the UK.

In 2017/18 the museums were able to report nearly 350 different partnerships that improve audience participation and social outcomes. For 2020/21 the museums reported a total of 324 projects with a total of 607 partners across the areas of participation, health and wellbeing, skills and careers and learning and education. As suggested in the 2017/18 report, the work the museums do in this area is broad, operating at many scales and in a range of contexts. Therefore these figures are representative rather than comprehensive.

Figure 14: Types of partnerships

See chart of partnership types aimed at supporting audience participation and social outcomes.

Partnership type	Percentage of total partnerships
Participation	43%
Learning and education	36%
Skills and careers	11%
Health and wellbeing	10%

Imperial War Museum: Second World War & Holocaust Partnership Programme

IWM’s multi-year Second World War and Holocaust Partnership Programme (SWW HPP), enables partners to develop meaningful, sustainable relationships with local communities, avoiding a ‘project centred’ approach and targeting activity in areas of greatest need. The SWW HP’s ‘hub and spoke’ model has built a network of partners who themselves develop partnerships within and beyond the core, multiplying the benefits of NLHF, IWM and partner investment and building more equitable cross-sector relationships. The model responded very well to the accelerated need during and post-COVID for wide-ranging collaboration within national partnerships, developing new opportunities and enabling the exchange of expertise over time.

Running from January 2020-March 2023, the SWWHPP launched two months before the first COVID-19 pandemic restrictions reached the UK. The aims of the programme remained to uncover, and share, lesser-known stories of the Second World War and the Holocaust, forge new links across the UK through community-centred public engagement and build a collaborative network of cultural organisations sharing knowledge and skills. The model had to quickly adapt to digital-only delivery.

The Partnership was built on Teams and Zoom, with multiple varieties of online events, workshops, and activities – including a ‘digital residential’ for the project interns – instigated to nurture collaboration and community. The nine Partners began identifying which community groups they wanted to work with towards the end of 2020, reaching out initially through existing local and volunteer contacts to build new relationships without the benefits of face-to-face interaction. These groups included local volunteers in Bodmin and Helston in Cornwall, sixth form students from a Jewish school in Manchester and RNIB members in Northern Ireland.

The Digital Internship programme within the SWWHPP – each partner hosted a Digital Intern for 12 months – has enabled young people without previous experience in museums to develop employment skills and meaningful routes into the cultural sector, while building a network of contacts across the UK. A robust digital infrastructure was developed to support the interns during COVID-19 restrictions, which prioritises wellbeing and connection, through regular online meetups, skills training and networking, and clear placement plans created in collaboration with the host partner. The two day ‘digital residential’ consisted of discussions about IWM Governance policies, the approach to design in the new Second World War and The Holocaust Galleries as well as presentations on public engagement, IWM’s sound archive and exhibition interpretation and planning a digital event.

Partners include:

• Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums
• The National Holocaust Centre and Museum
• Manchester Jewish Museum
• Centre for the Movement of People at Aberystwyth University
• Cornwall Museums Partnership
• National Museums NI
• Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association
• Industrial Museums Scotland

Participation

The national museums reported 140 projects aimed at improving audience participation, working with 270 partner organisations for 2020/21.

The majority of these partnerships were with community groups. Other partners reported were with local authorities, charities and social care organisations, demonstrating the extent to which museums partner across different sectors to address audience needs.

Figure 16: Most commonly reported type of partner organisation for projects aimed at participation

See chart shows the most commonly reported type of partner organisation for projects aimed at participation.

Type of organisation	Percentage reported
Community groups	24%
Other	23%
Charities	15%
Arts organisations	9%
University	9%
Social care organisations	6%
Local authorities	5%
Museums	5%

Museums were asked whether there was a specific target audience their project was intended to reach. The most commonly reported was local communities (25%) - meaning groups or individuals in the geographical location of the museum. 11% were reported as specifically targeting people identifying as black, Asian or minority ethnic and 7% as people with special educational needs and disabilities. Other projects reported were intended to engage young people and families, older adults, people experiencing loneliness or social isolation and people identifying as LGBTQI+. The museums reported that over 17,000 people participated in programming aimed at increasing audience participation during 2020/21.

Tate Liverpool: Tackling the Blues

Tackling the Blues (TtB) is a sport, physical activity, arts and education-based mental health literacy programme. It supports children and young people aged 6-16 who are experiencing or are at risk of developing mental illness. TtB is delivered in partnership between the Faculty of Education and the Department of Sport and Physical Activity at Edge Hill University, Everton in the Community and Tate Liverpool. The programme is currently funded by the Office for Students and Research England with support from the Premier League Charitable Fund. It seeks to address the complex social determinants and inequalities associated with mental health and illness.

Objectives:

• contribute to the prevention and early intervention of mental illness in children and young people
• promote mental health literacy and support for children and young people
• Support schools to develop whole-school approaches to mental health and wellbeing
• undertake systematic, rigorous and robust research designed to understand and improve mental health and wellbeing
• develop resources, CPD and other training opportunities to support education professionals

Tate Liverpool joined the partnership in 2020 to develop an arts-based offer in 28 primary and secondary schools across Merseyside. To date, the schools offer has now engaged 2,231 children and young people in mental health awareness sessions.

Underpinning some of this work is the New Economics Foundation’s ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’ – connect, keep learning, be active, take notice, give. Tate Liverpool sought to use this model to raise mental health awareness in the gallery and hosted ‘Creation Stations’ at Tate in 2021. Using arts-based approaches, the programme encouraged healthy discussion around mental health. Activities were themed around the 5 Ways to Wellbeing, and the space was designed to reflect themes via an imagined neighbourhood comprising: The Connection Café (Connect), The Learning Lookout (Keep Learning), The Draw Explore (Be Active), The Bureau of Marvellous Missions (Take Notice) and The Giving Garden (Give).

In each area visitors could take part in an arts-based activity that linked to Tate’s national collection of art. Activities were supported by TtB mentors (students from Edge Hill University) who encouraged participation and conversations around mental health.

I just wanted to let you know how great today was. I’ve been feeling really rubbish recently and it was an absolute tonic hanging out in the creation station. 

–  Adult carer

I love it here. It was the best time of my holiday.

– Young participant

Due to the programme’s success, Tate will continue to host Creation Stations as part of this partnership and will also conduct a period of research and evaluation with Edge Hill University to measure knowledge exchange and impact of the programme.

For more visit: Creation Stations: Tate Liverpool and Tackling the Blues.

Health and wellbeing

Research suggests that art interventions can have a positive impact on health and wellbeing. The national museums reported partnering with a range of organisations, including charities, hospitals, care homes and community groups to deliver activities, events and programmes aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of participants.

The national museums reported a total of 31 events, projects or activities with a total of 53 partner organisations aimed at improving health and wellbeing. Over 9,000 people are reported as having participated in these activities during 2020/21. The museums report that some activities were pre-planned and had to be adapted to be held online due to the pandemic. They also reported that some activities (almost 20%) were specifically developed in response to the pandemic. This is not surprising given the circumstances - with a spotlight on the work of healthcare providers across the country and concerns about the impact of lockdown on vulnerable groups. For example The British Museum report hosting online activities for local communities in Camden aimed at tackling social isolation during lockdown. Royal Museums Greenwich delivered online workshops for people with dementia and the RAF Museum organised museum-themed gift parcels for local families at Christmas.

Figure 18: Percentage of health and/or wellbeing concerns reported

See chart showing the specific health and/or wellbeing issues and concerns the reported activities were designed to support

Health and/or wellbeing concern	Percentage reported
General health and wellbeing	38%
Loneliness and social isolation	26%
Dementia	15%
Mental health	11%
People in a care-giving environment (in-patients, care homes)	8%
Carers	2%

National Museums Liverpool: On the Road

The Museum of Liverpool focuses on Liverpool’s social history and community heritage, its national and global significance. Through their pioneering dementia care programme House of Memories, in June 2021, they launched the world’s first immersive mobile museum experience On the Road, designed specifically for elders and people living with dementia.  The initiative was developed in consultation with a diverse range of health, private and voluntary sector partners, and most importantly, the dementia community. The approach is of great value to museum and social care institutions and networks interested in cultural care methodology and the development of museum social prescribing.

On The Road provides an innovative virtual “front door” to the Museum of Liverpool’s collections. It is a unique digital museum experience, designed specifically to foster older people’s positive health and wellbeing. The programme’s content is co-created with stakeholders from across the dementia community and social care sectors. The process is centred around the person living with dementia; the design of digital activities is influenced and driven by their input and guidance; their lived experience is acknowledged throughout and an integral part of the continued development of the project.

On The Road takes the Museum of Liverpool into known disadvantaged neighbourhoods and settings across Liverpool to deliver an interactive museum experience designed to enable conversations about shared histories linked to the Museum and personal memories.  It is a 30 sqm mobile space that opens into an interactive immersive cinema. Participants experience 3D immersive scenes, such as the Liverpool Overhead Railway, local streets and a 1950’s corner shop; where sound, visuals and smells evoke precious memories of days gone by. For example: the museum recreated a journey on the Liverpool Overhead Railway using moving images, film footage of the passing dockyards, sounds of the train wheels on the track, the horn and the guard’s voice.  The experience is further enhanced through the use of physical props, such as the issuing of paper tickets and costume, and through access support to help with visual and hearing impairment needs, helping participants navigate the immersive experience. The target audience is people living with dementia and older people experiencing loneliness and social isolation.

On the Road presents new possibilities for museum engagement and healthy ageing in the heart of the community, through connecting digital museum collections and memories, artworks, music, community celebrations, and museum objects for meaningful activity that promotes living a culturally rich and happy life. From June-December 2021, they were able to visit a diverse range of care and community settings (despite continued pandemic isolation scenarios) and have plans to tour the city region on a weekly basis. Feedback from participants has been extremely positive.

Learning and education

Learning is at the heart of museums, with many museums identifying delivering education as their primary function. The national museums reported 117 projects aimed at supporting learning and education with 164 partners for 2020/21. Partners included schools, local authorities, universities, arts organisations and charities. They reported that over 95,000 children or young people participated in activities of this type, the majority of them online. Activities ranged from creating or providing resources on a range of curriculum subjects to the delivery of talks or specific activities. Funding came from a variety of sources including charities, trusts and foundations, corporate partners and partner organisations although the museums also reported funding or part funding at least 33 of the reported projects (28% of the total) from their core budgets.

The British Museum’s Samsung Digital Discovery Centre (SDDC) offers free digital activities for schools and families. The SDDC saw a huge growth in demand during 2020/21 hosting 605 virtual visits up from 68 in 2019/20.

As seen with other activities, some pre planned events were moved online whereas some activities were created specifically in response to the pandemic. For some events that were able to be hosted on site, some museums reported having to limit numbers to comply with social distancing guidelines.

The majority of activities reported were aimed at supporting children/young people in the local community (ie. local families, local schools). Others were specifically targeted at children/young people from a low socio-economic background, with special educational needs and disabilities or in a care-giving environment (including hospitals, social care, fostering). It should also be said that in addition the national museums entertain thousands of school visits annually across their sites. Data for the number of facilitated and self-directed visits to the national museums by visitors under 18 in formal education is collated for the DCMS sponsored museums annual performance indicators and is published online.

RAF Museum: Escape room

Throughout the pandemic, the RAF Museum’s access and learning teams developed a host of online resources for schools, students and families. In addition, their Cosford-based team reached out to partners to see if any planned onsite events could be re-developed for online engagement.

Partners at Staffordshire Libraries were keen to replace their Youth Teen Fiction awards which were held at the museum annually pre-pandemic. They invited the RAF Museum team to develop an online escape room – and they were delighted to rise to the challenge, researching, writing and developing content for the escape room based on the RAF Museum’s collection displayed at Cosford.

Liz Gardner, Library Development Officer for Stafford and Burton District, said:

For several years, the RAF Museum Cosford has generously provided the venue for Staffordshire Libraries’ Young Teen Fiction Award (YTF) annual celebration event for Middle and High schools from across the county. During the pandemic, YTF had to switch to an online celebration and, as part of this virtual offer, we asked Kelly and her team if they would like to create a mini RAF Museum escape room as part of our larger YTF escape room. After liaising with Kelly around a brief for this work and discussing how we could raise the profile of the museum through the escape room, we received some brilliant high-quality content from the team consisting of videos and quiz questions linked to images of artefacts from the Museum collections, all accessed through a framed image of the RAF Museum, Cosford logo on the escape room wall. We have had over 15,000 attempts of the YTF escape room since it was launched. In July 2022, we returned to the Museum for a hybrid YTF celebration day, in person and streamed online, with multiple schools and guest authors. We can’t wait!

Skills and careers

The national museums engage in activities designed to support people in developing skills and their careers, whether to help them enter the workplace or as professional development. There is some natural overlap between these activities and those designed to support museum sector skills as described above. However, the data shows that museums also support skills development in a range of areas beyond the sector. For example the museums report delivering events to support teacher training, small businesses, and to help people develop language skills. The museums reported a total of 36 projects, delivered with 120 partners for this section of the survey.

The Routes In network is hosted by Tate Young People’s Programme and brings together over 100 individuals from the cultural, education, youth and training sectors to share best practice around creating progression routes for young people into the creative and cultural industries.

V&A: Innovate

V&A Innovate is an annual National Schools Challenge for Key Stage 3, including teacher CPD and an online resource hub. It aims to activate the V&A’s collection of art, design and performance and dynamic creative networks to inspire, empower and enrich future generations of artists, creatives, designers and innovators.

The National Schools Challenge asks students in years 7, 8 and 9 to design solutions to real-world issues. Students work in teams to explore a theme inspired by the V&A collections that ask critical questions about the issues shaping our world. Teams submit their ideas, and a panel of industry judges select finalists to visit the V&A for a pitching and awards day. Teams share their ideas with the judges and have the chance to come away with awards for their school.

The programme ran in 2020-21 despite the challenges faced by schools due to COVID-19. Remote learning was particularly difficult for practical subjects like D&T and art and design, and after-school clubs weren’t running. To deliver V&A Innovate remotely, teachers downloaded resource packs, including human-centred design activities and insights into inspiring objects from the V&A collections. Students watched animations and films with designers, artists, and curators highlighting innovative objects and showcasing exciting contemporary creative practice. The resources were downloaded 2,430 times in 2020-21 and the films have been viewed over 33,000 times from 2019-21. The challenge received 141 entries with 465 students taking part from Sheffield, Woking, London, Preston, Newbury, Henley-on-Thames, and Coventry. The pitching and awards day took place online with students pitching their ideas to the judging panel: Ade Adepitan, Loyle Carner, and Roma Agrawal.

The V&A delivered a series of free, online V&A innovate talks with designers, artists, and leading design educators with 584 instances of engagement.

They also ran a series of co-design workshops with teachers to develop the 2021-22 programme. The programme has human-centred design methodologies at its core and the annual themes, resources and CPD programme are co-designed with teachers to ensure that the programme is relevant and inspiring for schools.

I would recommend it to all design and technology teachers.

– Teacher

We developed our designing and thinking skills to think more outside the box and to produce something which will actually improve someone’s life.

– Student

It has helped enormously, supporting and preparing pupils for the DT GCSE. The resources are excellent.

– Teacher

The ideas that these young people have created through V&A Innovate are so on point – it’s been a powerful and emotional experience hearing from them.

– Ade Adepitan, judge 2020/21

V&A Innovate

Response to the pandemic

The 2020/21 survey has captured some of the ways in which museums responded to the pandemic and associated lockdowns. The survey responses show how many pre-planned projects were adapted for online presentation but also how specific activities were designed in response to the needs of local communities and audiences. In fact, the national museums reported a total of 90 new activities, events or initiatives that were not pre-planned, which were created in response to the pandemic during 2020/21. This is no small feat considering that many staff were furloughed or isolating.

The British Library: National Library of Miniature Books

In early May 2020, the British Library’s Learning team launched a nationwide campaign inviting children to make their own tiny volumes for a virtual National Library of Miniature Books. The project was inspired by miniature items in the Library’s collection, including the minute books made by the Brontë siblings for their toy soldiers. Building on the Library’s recently launched website, Discovering Children’s Books, the initiative aimed to offer stimulating activities during the COVID-19 period, and to encourage children to work on a project collaboratively, while they were living in isolation from their peers. The Library commissioned high-profile authors Jacqueline Wilson, Axel Scheffler, Philip Ardagh, Katherine Rundell, Joseph Coelho, Jane Porter and Viviane Schwarz to create their own miniature books, which were showcased online to encourage children to take part. Over 420 submissions were sent by children across the country, covering an array of subjects, from a guide book on Minecraft to a recipe book for rice crispy cakes, from facts about planets, cats and rainbows to a Gothic tale. Axel Scheffler illustrated a ‘National Miniature Library’ bookshelf, onto which the Library Photoshopped the participants’ work, and this was celebrated on the Library’s website and social media channels. Following this successful model, the team launched further creative campaigns that year, asking children to make concertina books, star in their own stories, and create their own poetry notebooks.

The children have loved finding out about and making miniature books. Half the children have started making another miniature book for no other reason than they enjoyed the experience so much.

– Teacher from Norwich

Activities undertaken by the national museums included creating downloadable resources to be used by teachers, parents or health practitioners. Some distributed printed activity packs to people’s homes. Many events, talks and workshops were streamed online. Some even developed online exhibitions, for example National Museums Liverpool created ‘Crypto Connections: Exploring the Personal’. This online collection was the outcome of a project which explored our relationship to our personal possessions and museum artefacts. Participants each chose both a personal possession and a museum object or artwork from National Museums Liverpool’s collection that they felt a connection to. This online exhibition presents these museum objects and the personal possessions of the participants.

Digital events offered the opportunity to reach a vast, and possibly new or broader audience. For example, The National Portrait Gallery (prior to its closure for refurbishment) partnered with Classic FM to film four musicians in the Gallery in June 2020. They were filmed close to portraits of musicians or composers, often linked to the music they were playing, for example, Vaughan Williams. The films were shared on the NPG’s digital channels and by Classic FM and attracted 88,000 views on the NPG’s channels.

The National Gallery: Digital billboards

The National Gallery, in response to the first temporary closure of the gallery in 2020, worked to ensure that the collection remained accessible and visible to the widest possible audience during the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, The Gallery partnered with digital advertising screen media owner Ocean Outdoor, to digitally display favourite masterpiece paintings from the nation’s collection on the streets of the UK. Ocean Outdoor offered a network of high impact digital sites across the country to display high resolution images of seven of the National Gallery’s most iconic paintings.

This partnership supported The National Gallery in continuing to deliver the governing mission of the Gallery to make the collection accessible for education and enjoyment to the widest possible public. During an unprecedented time, these large-scale digital displays allowed widespread introduction of paintings of great significance to audiences in the open air and in local neighbourhoods. The displays surprised and inspired the public across the country bringing extraordinary paintings to people in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Southampton. Over the two-week live period, the campaign achieved an estimated 7 million impressions.

The partnership continued to develop in 2021 when Ocean Outdoor again generously partnered with the Gallery, this time to present artworks created by primary school students from the Gallery’s annual Take One Picture exhibition. Take One Picture, a national programme for primary schools, aims to inspire a lifelong love of art and learning. Every year, one picture is selected from the collection to inspire cross-curricular work in primary classrooms. Due to lockdown restrictions, the onsite exhibition was only open for two weeks, meaning that many children missed the opportunity to see their artworks on display in the Gallery. However, the partnership with Ocean Outdoor allowed the Gallery to show a selection of projects on 60 digital billboards across England and Scotland, celebrating the children’s achievements on a grand scale with over 10 million impressions made. Some of the billboards were located close to participating schools, meaning that students could see their own artworks showcased. One participating teacher said:

Lots of members of our school community were able to see it because it was in such a prominent place and so close to school which was fantastic! It was wonderful to see the children’s work celebrated in such a way.

Conclusions

The data collected for 2020/21 demonstrates the resilience of some types of partnership, and the innovative ways in which the sector responded to unforeseen circumstances and pivoted to enable the delivery of public programming to audiences throughout the UK and internationally through different channels and methods.

As seen in the 2017/18 report, the national museums remain engaged in partnerships with wide ranging impacts — in research and innovation, in developing career opportunities, in supporting learning and education and in encouraging participation. Where activities could be delivered through digital platforms, numbers are similar to those reported in 2017/18. As well as adapting existing programming, the data shows that the museums developed specific partnership activities aimed at increasing participation and supporting audiences during lockdown.

However, as could be expected, the data also shows that many areas of traditional museum programming were negatively impacted — in particular activities that rely on on-site delivery. The data shows that the number of short term loans were dramatically reduced for this reporting period, and many museums reported the cancellation and postponement of exhibitions. This is reflected in the total loan numbers which had previously been increasing overall year on year.

Looking ahead and next steps

Partnership work is integral to the delivery of programming across the portfolios of the national museums and enables them to make connections across sectors and to different audiences. Partnerships are also crucial for the resilience of the sector, and will have an important part to play in post-pandemic recovery and in supporting levelling up of regions across the UK. The national museums have a key role, as sector leaders, to initiate and support this work going forward as they themselves also start building back capacity. However, it is important to note that the national museums are but one part of a vibrant and varied museum sector in the UK. Many regional museums partner with the national museums on initiatives, but also with each other and with other organisations both locally, nationally and internationally.

The pandemic necessitated a number of changes in behaviours — both in how audiences engaged with museums and how museums facilitated that engagement. The shift to digital provision is perhaps the most notable change, however only time will tell whether we will continue to see a large proportion of online programming or whether activities will shift back to on site and in person in the absence of restrictions. Holding events online enabled museums to engage wider and larger audiences, and try new initiatives. However it should be noted that holding activities online may reduce opportunities for income generation that can be gained through on site visits (such as retail and catering) and that further data is likely to be required on the make-up of digital audiences before definitive conclusions can be made about improved diversity. It is also important to note that the shift to digital provision, within the national museums and elsewhere in the sector, is dependent on the presence of in-house skills, resources and infrastructure. The pandemic has raised questions in regards to digital capacity within the sector. It’s possible that further partnership work, for example, in collaboration with the digital and tech sectors, may help address this.

Partnerships enable better sustainability within the sector by supporting museums to reach increased and more diverse audiences, to build financial resilience and to adapt and change to external circumstances. The data gathered for this reporting year cannot be seen as ‘usual’ and it is therefore difficult to compare to previous reporting years. Nonetheless, it has been useful to quantify the impact of the pandemic on partnership activity by comparing the data to previous reports.

It is anticipated that future iterations of this report will be useful in gauging sector recovery (by tracking numbers, types and impacts of partnerships) and in tracking any post-COVID behaviour changes or trends within the sector. Many of the loans that went ahead during this time, for example, were installed with virtual supervision rather than a traditional courier to accompany the object. Combined with wider concerns around carbon footprint and the increasing costs of mounting exhibitions, it is possible that this practice will continue and become more commonplace. As mentioned previously, digital programming may feature more heavily in forward plans and future connections and we are interested in recording its impact into the future.

Appendix 1: List of images

• Figure 1: The 75 sites of the 22 national museums included in this report

• Figure 2: Chart showing total loans out for 2020/21

• Figure 3: Cats on the Page, A British Library Touring Exhibition, on display at the Atkinson in Southport, 12 September 2020 – 9 January 2021.©The Atkinson, Southport.

• Figure 4: Nordic table case: Kirkleatham Museum, Nordic by Nature: Modern design and prints, a British Museum Touring Exhibition, photo credit Kev Howard

• Figure 5: Chart showing the the types of organisation which borrowed from the national museums in 2020/21

• Figure 6: interactive map showing short loans out received by UK region

• Figure 7: interactive map of long loans out received by region

• Figure 8: map of international short term loans out during 2020/21

• Figure 9: Willie Doherty and Anne Stewart in ‘WILLIE DOHERTY WHERE’ at Ulster Museum

• Figure 10: interactive map of research loans out during 2020/21

• Figure 11: chart showing what areas of museum work the apprenticeship or traineeship was intended to support

• Figure 12: chart showing how collaborative PhD projects were funded during 2020/21

• Figure 13: Infographic © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London

• Figure 14: chart of partnership types aimed at supporting audience participation and social outcomes

• Figure 15: Map of programme partners © IWM

• Figure 16: This chart shows the most commonly reported type of partner organisation for projects aimed at participation

• Figure 17: Creation Stations at Tate Liverpool © Tate 2020/2021 Photographer Gareth Jones

• Figure 18: chart showing the specific health and/or wellbeing issues and concerns the reported activities were designed to support

• Figure 19: On the Road, Courtesy of National Museums Liverpool.

• Figure 20: Image used courtesy of Staffordshire Libraries and Arts Service

• Figure 21: Students from The Charter School North Dulwich see their work on display at the museum in Nov 21 after lockdown restrictions lifted, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

• Figure 22: The National Library of Miniature Books © Axel Scheffler.

• Figure 23: Photo: Manchester Gateway Piccadilly © Ocean Outdoor

Appendix 2: The 2020/21 Survey

Part 1: Sharing collections

The museums were asked to:

• list venues that you have loaned collections to and borrowed from on short term loan between 1st April 2020 and 31st March 2021

• list venues that you have loaned collections to and borrowed from on long loan between 1st April 2020 and 31st March 2021

• list details of touring exhibitions between 1st April 2020 and 31st March 2021

• list any acquisitions made by other museums and institutions that you have supported between 1st April 2020 and 31st March 2021

• list any shared services shared with other museums and institutions between 1st April 2020 and 31st March 2021

Part 2: Other partnerships

The museums were asked to:

• list the Subject Specialist Networks and other specialist groups that support knowledge exchange in the museum sector you are either an organisational member of or lead or chair

• list any staff exchange programmes you have participated in both the UK and Internationally

• list training sessions and programmes, workshops, sector-facing conferences or study days that you have offered to external participants from the museum and adjacent sectors to develop their skills

• list any apprenticeships or traineeships that your organisation hosted

• list doctoral students you have hosted

• list research projects that you participated in with partners (eg with other universities, libraries, museums or research organisations)

• list projects aimed at improving and diversifying participation which includes any partnerships that aimed to engage your audiences (eg through public programming)

• list partnership projects delivering education to young people which includes both arts, culture, history as well as other forms of education (eg STEM learning)

• list projects that had a specific aim of improving health and wellbeing for your audiences

• list partnerships that aimed to support the development of professions/skills outside the sector (e.g business and language skills, teacher training)

• list any digital partnerships that were developed both independently and in response to the pandemic

• list any partnership activities (without a digital focus) that were not specifically planned, but were developed in order to overcome a barrier or challenge posed by the pandemic

• projects relate to any partnership activities which do not fit into any of the previous categories

Appendix 3: Useful links

British Library

Borrowing collection items for public exhibition - The British Library

Touring Exhibition Hire - The British Library

British Museum

How to borrow British Museum objects

International touring exhibitions: British Museum

UK touring exhibitions and loans: British Museum

The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS): The British Museum

Imperial War Museums

Loans Programme: Imperial War Museums

Partnerships: Imperial War Museums

National Gallery

Borrowing from the National Gallery: A Guide - About us

Loans out policy: Policies - The National Gallery, London

Partnering with the National Gallery: About us

National Portrait Gallery

National Programmes

Collection loans - National Portrait Gallery

Sir John Soane’s Museum

Collections: Sir John Soane’s Museum

Governance and Management: Sir John Soane’s Museum

Horniman Museum

Loans - Horniman Museum and Gardens

Projects - Horniman Museum and Gardens

Natural History Museum

Loans: Natural History Museum

National impact: Natural History Museum

Royal Armouries

Loans

Royal Museums Greenwich

Borrowing from our collections: Royal Museums Greenwich

International touring and activities: Royal Museums Greenwich

Science Museum Group

Object loans - Science Museum Group

Touring Exhibitions - Science Museum Group

Projects and partnerships - Science Museum Group

Tate

Collection: Tate

UK and International Programmes: Tate

Plus Tate

V&A

V&A: Loans

V&A: Exhibitions For Hire

V&A: International Work

V&A:  The Ace/V&A Purchase Grant Fund

National Army Museum

Borrowing from the National Army Museum

National Museum of the Royal Navy

Collections: National Museum of the Royal Navy

RAF Museum

Loans

National Museums Liverpool

Touring exhibitions and loans: National Museums Liverpool

Partnerships: National Museums Liverpool

National Museums Scotland

Loans: National Museums Scotland

Touring exhibitions: National Museums Scotland

National Museums Scotland: National Programme 2021/2022

National Fund for Acquisitions

National strategy

National Museum Wales

Loans Service Background: Museum Wales

International Donations

Portable Antiquities Scheme in Wales (PAS Cymru)

National Museums NI

Our Collections: National Museums NI

Our Collections: National Museums NI

National Galleries Scotland

Managing the Collection: National Galleries of Scotland

Strategic Plan 2019-23

Wallace Collection

The Wallace Collection Loans Out Policy

1. The Participation Survey collects information about the way adults (16+) engage with arts, heritage, museums and galleries, and library sectors, both in physical (in-person) and digital ways. ↩

2. See details of the Treasure Act 1996. ↩