The Wild Escape, led by Art Fund and supported by Arts Council England, is a major new project uniting hundreds of museums, schools, and communities in a celebration of UK wildlife and creativity. For museum teams and schools, the project offers a fun and educational way to engage children with museum collections, through a focus on wildlife and the nature around us.

The Wild Escape coincides with the BBC’s Wild Isles programme, a major new BBC natural history service, presented by Sir David Attenborough, revealing a rarely seen wild side of the UK. It will inspire primary school children through art and design activities on BBC Bitesize, also lined to from other BBC sites.

The Wild Escape

Led by the Art Fund, with support from Arts Council England, Foyle Foundation, Kusuma Trust and a group of generous individuals and trusts, The Wild Escape grant scheme has been developed and delivered by Museum Development England, Museums Galleries Scotland, Northern Ireland Museums Council and Museum Development UK.

This collaboration to deliver small grant investment in museums across the UK builds on previous work undertaken by Museum Development UK and Art Fund, which provided small grants through the Museum Development Recovery grant programme in response to the pandemic, across 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Art Fund’s director Jenny Waldman said, The Wild Escape is a fantastic opportunity for the UK’s museums, galleries and collections to creatively engage the next generation in a positive future for our wildlife and natural environment. I hope all museums, galleries and historic houses join us and take part in The Wild Escape. Where cost is a barrier, they can apply for a grant to support their activities. We are enormously grateful to Arts Council England for their generous support for this ambitious project through a major National Lottery Project Grant.”

Applications are now closed for The Wild Escape small grants however museums, galleries and historic houses can still participate and benefit from a wide range of resources and project opportunities developed as part of The Wild Escape programme. For full information and to register, please go to About | The Wild Escape or contact thewildescape@artfund.org

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Purpose of Grant: To support small-scale projects where funding has been difficult to source.

What the grant will fund: Purchase of equipment and materials; training costs; match funding towards a purchase/ project/ short term temporary contract to advise or support an activity or development e.g. making a grant application/ running events/ project management etc.

Eligibility: Applicants must be an Accredited Museum or with ‘Working Towards Accreditation’ status.  Provisionally accredited museums are eligible to apply.

Your application will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Project is viable, achievable and clearly planned
• There is a demonstrable need.
• Urgency of need and availability of other suitable funds
• Outcomes will demonstrate impact of funds.
• Project demonstrates value for money.
• Application demonstrates 10% match funding towards total project cost

Match funding: MDEM can fund up to 90% of the total project cost. A 10% match funding contribution by the museum can be in cash and/ or volunteer-time where appropriate (see application form).

What we cannot fund:

• Revenue costs such as salaries and general running costs (a grant can however fund additional staff time needed to deliver the project/ contractors/ short term contracts)
• Building (capital) work
• NPO museums

How to apply:

You can download the application form here: Small-Grants-Fund-Application-Form-2023-2024

Please contact Laura Hughes for further information and to discuss your application.

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Current Programmes:

Coming soon

Is it for you?

Eligibility: Only Accredited museums are eligible for support (and those that are listed with Arts Council as ‘Working Towards Accreditation’)

Match Funding: Applicants must demonstrate a minimum 10% match funding towards the total project costs (this can be in volunteer-time where appropriate).

When is the deadline? Museums can apply at any time between 1 April 2023 and 30 November 2023. Grants are assessed at the end of each month by the MDEM grant panel and outcomes of applications communicated to museums within the first two weeks of the following month.

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Arts Marketing Association – Inclusivity & Audiences Day 2023

MDEM is pleased to be offering up to three bursaries for individuals from accredited / WTA museums to attend the online Arts Marketing Association (AMA) Inclusivity & Audiences Day taking place on 10 May 2023. These bursaries will cover the full cost of a ticket for the day which will take place online.

Inclusivity & Audiences Day champions Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) best practice from across our sector.

To enquire about applying for bursary for the AMA Inclusivity & Audiences Day 2023, please contact the MDEM team: MDEM@leics.gov.uk

Download the application form here: Bursary application form – Inclusivity and Audiences Day 2023

Deadline for applications: 6th April 2023

Arts Marketing Association – Conference 2023: ‘Audiences at the Heart’

MDEM is offering support to enable up to three individuals from accredited / WTA museums to attend the AMA annual conference. This year’s conference will be taking place on 13-14 July 2023 in Leeds at the Leeds Playhouse.

For full details on the conference sessions, please click here.

To enquire about applying for a bursary for the AMA Conference 2023, please contact the MDEM team: MDEM@leics.gov.uk

Download the application form here: Bursary application form – AMA Conference 2023

Deadline for applications: 19th May 2023

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Please note that applications for this funding has now closed

How much can you apply for: £1,000 to £5,000 (single site) or up to £7,500 for a multi-site or partnership bid

Thanks to Art Fund partnership funding, MDEM is offering Reset & Recovery Grants to help museums in the East Midlands re-build their offer to audiences and strengthen organisationally in response to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis.  The final closing date for applications is 30 September 2022.  It will be a competitive process.

Purpose of Grant: To support effective operation in 2022 particularly where museums are implementing new approaches and ideas in response to the crisis to address audience needs and the development of a sustainable offer going forward.  Should you have immediate and basic costs associated with reopening please refer to our Small Grants Fund for grants up to £1,500.

What the grant can fund: purchase of equipment and materials; training costs; project development costs (e.g. digital engagement/ new interpretation/ displays/ audience development activity); consultancy; marketing and promotions; development of income generation opportunities etc.

Priority will also be given to museums that are addressing long term sustainability of their organisation e.g. redesigning services to maintain and develop connections with communities, diversifying the volunteer workforce and/or exploring engagement with new audiences through e.g. collaborations with other organisations.

When is the deadline? 30 September 2022, 5pm

Timetable:

How to apply:

You can download the application form here: Reset & Recovery-Grants-Fund-Application-Form-2022-23

The grant Terms and Conditions can be viewed here: Reset & Recovery Grants – Terms and Conditions 2022-23

Contact information: You are welcome to discuss your application with the MDEM programme manager in advance of submission – liz.moran@leics.gov.uk

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Small Grants Case Studies 2020-21

Royal Crown Derby Museum – £1,193

To purchase a digital screen enabling the medium-term realisation of a larger outreach project and the longer-term use of screen within the visitor experience.

What the Museum said about the difference the funding will make: This grant will help use and share digital content collected during ‘lockdown’ having an immediate engagement benefit as well as providing an asset for future use. This grant will support outreach projects including a live application for funding from The Space for a project to source and share digital content from the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller (GRT) communities who are collectors of Royal Crown Derby. The resulting submissions will be shared here on site using the screen.

1620s House, Leicestershire County Council – £1,170

To work with two artists to produce digital content that will be made available to schools to STEM learning inside the classroom from September 2020

Creating STEM related activity inspired by the house, its gardens and the 17^th Scientific Revolution is crucial to inform the new programme of work – the project’s legacy. Inspired by this theme, Ashok Mistry will be delivering a KS2 targeted live session with pre-recorded video- focusing on dyes and the mechanics of plants. Andrew McWilliam from Chorus Theatre will also be live streaming into the classroom, using his drama skills to demonstrate how STEM curriculum links can be incorporated into his practice with KS1 pupils, inspired by the technology inside the house.

What the Museum said about the difference the funding will make: The fact that we will be creating a completely new model of delivery is really exciting. The evaluation we conduct with the schools after the delivery will help us to then produce tested and robust ideas on content, pricing and marketing. Live streaming will develop skills and knowledge in the workforce and the digital content will further the pupils learning.

The Museum of the Mercian Regiment at Nottingham Castle – £1215

The grant funded consultants to undertake a review and help create plans for a refresh of the displays in preparation for the reopening of Nottingham Castle – The Castle is closed for redevelopment and houses the main museum gallery.

What the Museum said about the difference the funding will make: This refresh would include interactives; how the objects are displayed and ensuring we get the most out of the spaces. In addition, we would like to try to display more of our collection and being able to know what is achievable is key to the success of the refresh.

Collections Access Grants:

Spalding Gentlemen’s Society – £1,000

The grant funded freezing of objects to kill pests (in textiles), volunteer training costs and purchase of specialist materials such as object handling gloves.  Advice sought from Anta Hollinshead at MDEM. Project completed early 2021.

RAF Ingham Heritage Group – £807

The grant funded the purchase of specialist storage materials (boxes, paper, moth traps, id labels etc.) – advice sought from Anita Hollinshead at MDEM

Framework Knitters Museum – £400

The grant funded purchase of environmental monitoring equipment

MDEM Recovery Grants:

Museum of Timekeeping – £7,610

The grant funded relocation of an exhibition to a larger room, to free up space to create a shop (to improve income generation opportunities and change visitor flow).  The grant funded purchase of display furniture, a till for the shop and relocation costs. To be completed by summer 2021.

Bassetlaw Museum – £2,803

The grant funded a project to create enhanced digital provision to encourage the return of pre-Covid audiences, attract new audiences and reach those not able to visit physically.

Daventry Museum – £9,341

The grant funded a Museum Website Revamp, to provide greater digital content, usability and engagement and to include a searchable online museum collection linked to the museum’s story themes.

Eyam Museum – £9,800

The grant funded the re-building of Eyam Museum’s offer by developing its digital presence to capitalise on media interest, grow new audiences and enable proactive public engagement and new partnerships. Funding included increased staff time to undertake the work.

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