Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund Opens for UK Applications

The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation have recently relaunched its Collection Fund as the Communities and Collections Fund to better represent its dual focus on collections and inclusion. 

Although the overall purpose of the Communities and Collections Fund has not changed, the fund will place more emphasis on equitable working, supporting wellbeing and legacy planning.

The fund offers:

• Core grants to museums that have established strategic aims for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and that are ready to use their collections and the funding to support social and climate justice, in ways that are relevant to local contexts and relationships.
• Partnership project grants to museums and community organisations that work equitably together and share aims for DEI, and which have ambitious and compelling ideas for inclusive project work with collections.

Grants of £40,000 to £100,000 are available over a period of up to three years. It is expected that around 12 grants will be awarded across the two funding rounds in 2025.

Applications are open to all Museums Association institutional member museums and galleries in the UK. Applicants should initially contact a member of Communities and Collections Fund staff before submitting an EOI to ensure that the fund is a good fit and to help draw out the strengths in their application.

Commenting on the relaunch, Sharon Heal, director, Museums Association said:

“The development of the fund over the past 11 years has shown a real desire on the part of museums to forge strong connections between collections and communities and our research earlier this year told us that the fund should have a focus on people and should support community organisations to have a say in how the funding is spent.

“In order to do that well, we have to look after the people that we work with – staff and community partners – and make sure relationships between museums and communities are truly equitable. These exciting changes will be part of the new fund and I hope will support museums across the UK to put people at the heart of what they do.”

The next deadline for expressions of interest is 5 February 2025.