Museums, libraries and archives

Museums, libraries and archives

A person handles large parchment documents in an archive room, with shelves of archive boxes in the background
Black Cultural Archives. Credit: Kois Miah
Museums, libraries and archives tell the stories of our cultural heritage.

Through objects, collections, film, documents and oral histories they help to give us a sense of place and identity.

Thanks to National Lottery players, since 1994 we have awarded £2.4billion to 5,900 museum, library, archive and collection-based projects across the UK.

What do we support?

Our funding supports institutions large and small, including:

  • national and local authority museums, libraries and archives
  • historic libraries
  • community archives
  • institutions with heritage collections

Project ideas

Our funding could help people:

  • create exciting new exhibition and learning spaces
  • attract more diverse audiences
  • interpret and open up acquisitions
  • develop collections

For more inspiration, see the stories below or browse projects we've funded.

How to get funding

Our National Lottery Heritage Grants programme is open for applications.

The Lightbox, Woking
The Lightbox, Woking

Projects

Woking Museum Arts & Crafts Centre

Woking Museum Arts and Craft Centre, now known as The Lightbox, was conceived by a local community group in 1993 to establish a museum of Woking’s local and social history.

Outside view of the New Shetland Museum & Archives
Outside view of the New Shetland Museum & Archives

Projects

New Shetland Museum & Archives

Part of Lerwick’s original waterfront was transformed into an environmentally-conscious heritage attraction using sustainable materials and traditional craftsmanship.

Visitors at Kelvingrove Art Galleryand Museum

Projects

Kelvingrove New Century Project

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum has undergone major refurbishment to relaunch the site as a world-class facility.

People in New Devon Record Office

Projects

New Devon Record Office

The Devon Record Office holds judicial, administrative and ecclesiastical records from 11th century to the 20th century.

Young people in First World War historical costume
The cast of the play celebrate their achievements

Projects

Working The War

A group of young people researched the personal stories of families who worked in the local torpedo factory during the First World War.

Young people discovering film related museum objects
Young people discovering film related museum objects

Projects

Bradford film history and heritage uncovered and explained

A group of young people from a local school worked with Bradford UNESCO City of Film (BUCF) to plan and deliver a heritage project alongside Bradford Industrial Museum, National Media Museum and Yorkshire Film Archive.

Participants of the Iranian Heritage Project
Participants of the Iranian Heritage Project

Projects

Iranian Heritage Project

Northern Cultural Projects CIC spent a year investigating and documenting the Iranian Heritage of the North East.

An illustration of a bleeding eye on a page loaded into a typewriter

Projects

Unlocking the Anthony Burgess archive

The International Anthony Burgess Foundation (IABF) celebrated the life and work of Anthony Burgess, the novelist, poet, playwright, critic and composer born in Manchester in 1917.

The room for Ancoats developed as part of the A Different Spirit project
The room for Ancoats developed as part of the A Different Spirit project

Projects

A Different Spirit

Young people worked with creative practitioners, historians, curators and local residents to uncover the history of Ancoats Art Museum.

If you query is regarding our application portal, please contact our support team.