Dynamic Collections
Important
We are no longer accepting new applications through the Dynamic Collections campaign. Please apply for funding for your project through our open programmes.
Collections help to bring to life the many stories of people and communities across the UK.
Our Dynamic Collections campaign ran from February 2022 to April 2023 and supported organisations working on engagement, re-interpretation and improving the management of their collections.
The campaign brought together project funding through our open programmes along with digital resources and knowledge sharing. It was designed to address long-term challenges in the sector, many of which were made worse by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It has also helped organisations build on innovative ideas and trends developed over the past few years, particularly in digital engagement.
The campaign also acted on the demand for collections to evolve to meet the changing needs of the communities around them, and to reflect more people's history and experiences.
Although this campaign has now ended, supporting museums, libraries, archives and other organisations to make the most of their collections continues to be important to us. We continue to support collections projects including engagement, reinterpretation and collections management through our open programme. Read more about our plans for the next decade in our Heritage 2033 strategy.
Inclusive, resilient, evolving
A dynamic collection:
- is used by, and meaningful to, a wider range of people
- enables different perspectives to be heard and a variety of stories to be told
- is actively managed and reviewed
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Blogs
Final weeks to apply for Dynamic Collections grants
Stories
Future-proofing museum collections: four Dynamic Collections successes
Projects
Your Museum of Enfield
Looking to the future, the Museum of Enfield is investing in a digital collections database and recruiting volunteers to understand and open up access to local heritage.
Projects
Object Lessons: Youth Culture Takes Shape
This project will create a digital archive of some fascinating cultural objects that ‘celebrate a century of teenage life in Britain’.
Projects
Making Mischief: the living heritage of folk costume in Britain
This collaborative project aims to document the colourful, community-based celebrations of Britain's folk heritage and bring it to life at two exhibitions.
Projects
The World Reimagined: Journey of Discovery
A vibrant art education project aiming to transform understanding of the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans and its significant global impact.
Videos
Dynamic Collections: behind the scenes at Pitt Rivers
Projects
New Voices for North East Nature
The Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN) are collecting and sharing new stories about how a connection with nature has helped people in times of need in the north east of England.
Projects
From Scutari Hospital to NHS Nightingale: the British Hotel to Seacole Recovery Centres
Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole were pioneers in British military nursing and social care, following their work in the Crimean War in the 1850s. This project by the Florence Nightingale Museum explores their achievements and legacy.
Videos
Dynamic Collections: a visit to Craven Museum
Videos
Introducing our Dynamic Collections campaign
Projects
Wear it out: The culture and heritage of LGBTQ+ dress in Sussex, 1917-2017
This cultural heritage project explored how some people from LGBTQ+ communities have historically used clothing to express identity. It focused on Sussex in the time period 1917-2017.
Publications