Previously known as Brunel’s SS Great Britain, the destination is changing its name to Bristol Dockyards.

The new name is intended to reflect the long-term ambition of the SS Great Britain Trust, the charity that runs the site, to transform the attraction into a broader cultural and learning campus encompassing the adjacent Great Western and Albion dockyards.

The trust has hit back against misleading media reports that it changed the name of the ship itself in order to remove “Great Britain” from its title.

A statement from organisation this week said: “The steamship Great Britain remains at the heart of our charity’s purpose and all the work that we deliver. The ship’s name is not changing – instead, our organisational name is changing to Bristol Dockyards. This name change allows us to grow as a heritage site and ensures we can remain taking care of the ship for years to come.

“The SS Great Britain’s name has not changed – nor will it ever change under our care – and her doors remain open to the city of Bristol and beyond.”

Made of metal and featuring engines and a propeller, the SS Great Britain is known as the world’s first modern ship. The first phase of the site’s redevelopment will be a new museum opening on 18 July in the building that housed the former Dockyard Museum.

The reimagined venue, designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, will add 2,000 square feet of exhibition space and feature newly discovered material and interactive exhibits. Displays will explore the impact of the ship “on the world, on the lives of those on board, and on the places to which it travelled”.

The museum has conducted five years of community research with local researchers to inform its new curation and interpretation.

It promises to reveal “previously untold human stories” from its 75,000-strong archive, exploring the ship’s 41 years of service from its construction in Bristol in the 1840s to its voyages to New York, Australia, India and San Francisco.

The displays will also act as a “conversation about revolutionary change in Bristol, remarkable life stories, and the extensive and sometimes challenging impact of British seafaring and the ship’s capabilities on places across the globe”, according to the museum.

Different sections will tell stories about the ship’s construction crew, as well as exploring its impact on migration to Australia and how this changed the continent and the lives of its First Nations inhabitants.

Another section will examine the role the ship played in imperial conflicts, outlining its history as a troop carrier during the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

A new space, the James W Jones room, will connect community groups and individuals through research and is named after a Black man who sailed aboard the ship.

“This reopening marks an important moment not only for the SS Great Britain Trust, but for the future of this historic site,” said Andrew Edwards, CEO of Bristol Dockyards and the SS Great Britain Trust.

“We are committed to safeguarding this extraordinary heritage while being ambitious about what it can become: a dynamic cultural campus rooted in community participation, learning and maritime heritage.

“In a city renowned for its creativity and cultural energy, Bristol Dockyards will be a place where more people can engage with the past, build skills for the future and help shape a shared civic story.”

Future phases of the redevelopment will focus on conservation work, reestablishing the Albion dock as a working dockyard for maritime skills training opportunities, and broadening its programming to “reflect the interests of a modern, diverse Bristol”.

The project is scheduled to complete in time to mark the 60th anniversary of the ship’s return to Bristol from the Falkland Islands in 2030.

The site previously underwent a redevelopment in 2005, before being named Museum of the Year the following year. That restoration project saw an innovative glass “sea” installed around the ship, allowing visitors to view the vessel from both above and below the waterline.

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The Ulster Museum shut at 1600, an hour earlier than its usual closing time, on 10 June, while the Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum closed its doors at 1400 that day.

The latter also cancelled a number of events scheduled as part of the Belfast Learning Festival, including talks on Sheila the Elephant: A Wartime Tale from Belfast, and Hidden Belfast: Civilian Voices from the Blitz.

A statement from the museum said: “We are very sorry for any disappointment or inconvenience this may cause. The safety of our visitors, participants, staff, and facilitators is our priority. Both events will be rescheduled as soon as possible, and we will share updates on the new dates once confirmed.”

A National Museums NI spokesperson the adjustments were made “in line with operational considerations and to support the safety of visitors and staff”.

It added: “We continue to monitor the situation closely and will communicate any further changes through our usual channels.”

Both museums reopened as usual today [Thursday 11 June].

Less-central museum sites in the city, such as Titanic Belfast and HMS Caroline, have continued to operate as normal.

Serious disorder broke out on 9 June after the circulation of graphic footage online showing a knife attack on a man later named as Stephen Ogilvie.

Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese man, has been charged with attempted murder.

The incident sparked rioting and racially motivated arson attacks in parts of Belfast, and other areas such as Newtownabbey and Portadown.

In a joint statement, party leaders at Belfast City Council said: “Belfast stands against violence, racism and hate. There is no place in Belfast for these, and our council stands in solidarity with all those affected by them.

“We recognise the impact that Monday’s incident in north Belfast and last night’s disorder in parts of the city is having on residents, communities, businesses and visitors – but these incidents do not represent our city.

“Belfast is a safe place – one of the safest cities in the UK. Our city has been through tough times before, but we have come together to build a better future – one which we all want to protect.”

The statement added: “All organisations, including our council, are faced with challenging decisions as they work to strike the right balance between protecting staff welfare and ensuring vital services continue as normal.

“But we want to be clear – disorder on our streets helps no-one. It damages individual lives, local communities and businesses, our city and our wider reputation.”

According to the police, 16 people were arrested following the second night of violence yesterday, while 12 police officers have been injured.

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The attraction will open within a new development next to the Etihad Stadium later this year.

It will boast 10 spaces across 1,700 square meters, tackling the Premier League club’s history, from its foundation in the 1800s to its time in Moss Side and eventual move to the Etihad in 2003.

The experience will combine interactive football challenges with displays of memorabilia, including 48 major trophies won by the club’s first teams, and a pop-up temporary exhibition space.

Sports brand Puma, which has a long-standing commercial partnership with the club, will host an area of the museum where visitors have the chance to take part in a variety of active football challenges to test their football ability – including a shooting game inspired by Sergio Aguero’s iconic last-minute goal against Queens Park Rangers in 2012.

The museum, which has been designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, will sit alongside Manchester City’s current stadium tour offering.

“Building a completely new museum has allowed us to create an immersive experience that celebrates the people and moments which have shaped Manchester City,” said Danny Wilson, the managing director of Manchester City operations.

“But our story isn’t traditional and straightforward, so why should our museum experience be? We want something different. Something immersive which will resonate with our fans, as well as excite the wider city. In doing so, we have developed something that appeals to fans, complements the Etihad Campus and provides a year‑round attraction for the city.”

The experience will be situated within the new £300m Medlock Square entertainment district at Manchester’s Etihad Campus, which once open will also house a hotel, restaurants, offices and event spaces.

Football Art Prize

As World Cup fever builds, the winners of this year’s Football Art Prize have also been revealed.

The award celebrates the “passion, drama and unity” the game inspires around the globe.

The winners of the 2026 prize were announced this week at Sheffield’s Millennium Gallery, where shortlisted works can be seen on public display as part of a new exhibition opening to coincide with the first day of the World Cup.

Alina Akbar, a Manchester-based multidisciplinary artist, was awarded the first prize of £5,000 for her video Footwork, which explores the connection between football and dance.

Sheffield-based artist Conor Rogers won the second prize of £2,000 for his ongoing Betting Slip series, four works from which feature in the exhibition.

The Football Art Prize showcases the work of more than 60 UK and international artists.

The prizewinners and the other shortlisted works were selected by panellists including the director of the Design Museum, Tim Marlow, artist Harland Miller, footballer Jessica Naz and artist Emmely Elgersma.

Katie Irwin, the exhibition curator at Sheffield Museums said: “Football is the most popular sport in the world and the shortlisted works in this exhibition are a powerful testament to why the beautiful game means so much to so many.

“While the approaches and subjects differ hugely across the works on display, each is united in depicting the thrill, drama, joy and heartbreak the game conjures and reflecting our profound connection to it.”

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Between 25 June and 1 September, the UK-wide VAT rate on many leisure activities will fall from 20% to 5%, a measure intended to support families with the high cost of living over the summer holidays.  

But there is debate in the museum, heritage and wider visitor attraction sectors over the benefits of the change, with some organisations saying it could prove too costly and complex to implement, as well as putting other forms of income such as Gift Aid at risk.

Some commentators have warned the cut could even be a blow to charities, many of which are VAT-exempt and therefore ineligible for the reduction, by allowing them to be undercut by competitors.

A recent survey by the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (Asva) found that only 38% of responding organisations expected the cut to be relevant to them, and just 22% were planning to pass the saving on to visitors.

More than half of the respondents said the measure did not apply to them, either because their admissions are VAT-exempt, they already offer free entry for children, or their offer is adult-focused. 

Asva said the headline cut “masks a much more complicated reality for operators”. 

“While the reduction is welcome for businesses that can benefit, many attractions are either ineligible or face significant operational and financial considerations before making any changes,” said a statement from the association.

“Issues such as Gift Aid implications, ticketing systems, finance processes, visitor communications and operational planning are all influencing decision-making.” 

One attraction told the survey it could lose 37p in Gift Aid income for every adult ticket sold if it implements the change, “creating a complex financial balancing act despite the lower tax rate”. 

“For some organisations, retaining the VAT saving rather than reducing prices may provide valuable cashflow support and strengthen long-term financial resilience,” added Asva.

The timing of the scheme also coincides with one of the busiest periods of the year when demand is already typically strong, said Asva. 

“While some operators may benefit from improved cashflow or the ability to offer lower prices to visitors, many businesses face a challenging and fast-moving implementation process ahead of the summer holiday season.”

Some charitable organisations intentionally charge VAT for their services in order to be able to reclaim VAT on costs, and will therefore benefit from the measure. However, most museum and heritage charities will be ineligible for the cut, according to charity consultant Steve Gardam.

“This piece of economic policy ‘good news’ is unlikely to apply evenly to the non-profit museums and heritage sector, and may even leave some venues worse off as their ‘pull value’ in the family visits market is reduced,” he said in a post on social media.   

Jo Fox, an audit director at Berry & Warren accountancy firm specialising in not-for-profit businesses, also questioned if the cut would be “another blow to the charity sector”.

“The majority of zoos and museums are exempt from VAT as part of the Cultural Exemption,” said Fox in a social media post.

“If attractions such as theme parks are dropping ticket prices for the reduced VAT but zoos and museums aren’t because the VAT was never there in the first place, are families going to choose to spend where they see the reductions?”

In another post, VAT consultant Scott Craig said that, “as always with VAT there appears to be more practical detail to the Government’s ‘benefits’.”

“Remember the lower VAT rate won’t necessarily mean lower admission fees or charges,” he said.

“The VAT change will need to be fully understood and refinements made to VAT accounting procedures as well as the message and information given to the public. Take professional advice if you are unsure of anything.”

Craig said the measure was “really a [sticking] plaster and there are more fundamental changes the government could and should make to the VAT system to help businesses and the not-for-profit sector”.

Asva encourages attractions to evaluate the following factors before implementing any changes:

• Confirm eligibility across admissions, packages and catering offers.
• Model the financial impact, including revenue forecasts, visitor demand and Gift Aid implications.
• Assess cashflow benefits and longer-term sustainability.
• Review systems and processes, including tax code updates, refunds and ticketing platforms.
• Plan operational changes, such as signage, websites, marketing materials and advance booking communications.
• Train staff to ensure consistent messaging and understanding of the changes.

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The museum, which is run by an arm’s-length company belonging to Hull City Council, will welcome the public through its doors on Saturday 8 August.

The east Yorkshire venue has been closed since January 2020 for a £20.4m redevelopment of its home, the Grade II*-listed, former Town Dock Offices building overlooking Queen Victoria Square.

Designed by Purcell Architecture, with restoration work by Simpsons of York, the project has seen the museum double its public space and restore the Victorian building to its original architectural grandeur.

The reimagined museum will display 50% more objects from its nationally significant collections, with around 1,300 items accessible to the public across galleries and open storage spaces.

Immersive galleries and newly displayed artefacts will tell the story of Hull’s relationship with the sea and its role in shaping trade, migration, fishing and whaling across Britain and around the world.

Among the highlights, visitors will be able to see rare examples of scrimshaw – folk art created by sailors from whale bone and teeth – from what is believed to be the largest such collection outside the US, which will be displayed in a dedicated gallery for the first time.

Visitors will also encounter the wooden dog figurehead from the Sirius, the first steamship to complete a transatlantic crossing under steam power in 1838.

Alongside its permanent galleries, a new community exhibition space will explore the region’s maritime heritage through objects, images and filmed content from local and specialist organisations preserving stories of the sea. 

The environmentally controlled gallery has been designed to national museum standards, enabling the venue to host major loans and touring exhibitions.

Previously inaccessible parts of the building will also open up to the public, including one of the museum’s three domed towers, which features a newly installed spiral staircase enabling people to climb up and see panoramic rooftop views across the city.

One of the most anticipated features of the revamp will be the Court Room, the great hall once reserved for shareholders’ meetings and special events. Known as the “best room in the city”, the space has undergone a meticulous restoration to clean and repair its ornate plasterwork, friezes and ceiling mouldings.

Working at ceiling level, it took a team from Lincoln Conservation eight weeks to restore the maritime motifs in the room to how they would have looked when the building opened in 1871.

The museum has also installed a new cafe adjacent to its redesigned atrium, which will be operated by Venue Hull, the local catering team responsible for the cafe at the nearby Ferens Art Gallery.

“The new museum allows us to tell Hull’s maritime story in a richer and more ambitious way than ever before,” said Robin Diaper, curator of social and maritime history at the museum.

“Hull is a great maritime city, made greater by its people. Our nationally significant collections will reveal not only Hull’s role as one of Britain’s great maritime cities, but also the human stories, creativity and global connections that grew from life at sea.”

Mike Ross, the leader of Hull City Council, said the reopening would “ignite our sense of civic pride in our beautiful and historic city”.

“Visiting Hull Maritime Museum will be an unforgettable experience from August, I am sure we will be welcoming visitors from far and wide to Hull to see its maritime treasures for decades to come,” he added.

The museum is the centrepiece of the wider Hull Maritime programme, a city-wide investment in maritime heritage intended to drive cultural regeneration and build on the legacy of Hull’s year as UK City of Culture in 2017.

Other heritage projects across the city include the restored Spurn Lightship, which reopened in February, the relocation of the Arctic Corsair and construction of a new, adjacent visitor centre, and the transformation of Queen’s Gardens.

A statement from Purcell said: “Hull Maritime Museum exemplifies how heritage can be a catalyst for change. By investing in historic places and the stories they hold, cities can create meaningful cultural experiences, stimulate regeneration and strengthen connections between people, place and identity. 

“We are proud to have played a role in bringing this important project to life and look forward to seeing visitors experience the renewed museum when it opens this summer.”

The museum’s transformation has been supported through a combination of local and national public and charitable funding, including £11.8m from Hull City Council, £7.7m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and £0.9m via private donations.

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The news followed hot on the heels of the release of ACE’s interim strategic framework. This will lead to a period of major change for the arm’s length arts body following the independent review of the organisation published by the Labour peer Margaret Hodge earlier this year.

For museums there are lots of important issues that ACE needs to address, including the forthcoming redesign of the Accreditation scheme, improvements to the Government Indemnity Scheme and the development of a national strategy for museums.

So, with ACE about to undergo a period of upheaval, what do we know about the person that will lead the organisation from 1 August when she takes over from Serota? What will we get for the £60,000 per annum that the ACE chair receives for a time commitment of two days per week?

Firstly, she has big shoes to fill. Serota has been the ACE chair for nearly 10 years and joined the organisation with an impressive track record of leading a number of visual arts organisations, most notably Tate. Prior to working at Tate, he also headed the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, and the Whitechapel Gallery.

Airey has had a very different career, having spent 30 years working for major broadcasters. Her roles include serving as chief executive of Channel 5 and she has also held posts at ITV and Yahoo! for Europe, Middle East and Africa. She was the chief executive of Getty Images between 2015 and 2018. 

Airey is currently the chair of the National Youth Theatre and the educational platform Digital Theatre+. She also chairs the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship board, a position she has held since 2019. 

In 2021 she joined the board of Channel 4, where she acted as interim chair from 2022 – 25. She is currently deputy chair of the board.

Unsurprisingly, culture secretary Lisa Nandy, who made the appointment, gave an enthusiastic statement.

“Dawn brings more than just a wide range of experience across broadcasting, theatre and the wider arts – she brings a passion for what the arts can do for this country and all the people in it. I have no doubt that she will insist on pressing ahead with long overdue action to put people back at the centre of their own national story.

The outgoing Serota also gave a positive comment: “In Dawn, the arts council will have a leader who understands the unique role the arts play in society and the profound impact they have on individuals. I am confident that, under her stewardship, the organisation will thrive and the sector will flourish.”

A report in the Guardian on Airey’s appointment said that she was “familiar with navigating institutions under pressure”, which should come in useful.

The Guardian introduced its article with: “When Dawn Airey ran Channel 5, she famously described the channel’s core strengths as the three Fs: ‘films, football and fucking.’ The comment by the veteran television executive set the tone for a career defined by boldness and commercial instinct.”

A 2024 interview with Diva magazine included details about her work in the media: “Her meteoric rise in broadcasting caught the attention of the press, who relished publishing articles using snide nicknames like ‘Scary Airey’. What was that about, apart from blatant misogyny and tabloid sensationalism?

“‘I wasn’t going to fold,’ explains Dawn. ‘If they decided to give me a mouthful of invective, they occasionally would get it back. The reality is I’m a bloody pussycat. That’s my nature, but I’m resilient and I’m a fighter. If you cross me or I see an injustice, I will just not put up with it. That comes from my mum, who instilled: ‘Stand up for what you believe. Do not be bullied.’”

Commenting on her role at ACE Airey said: “The importance of the arts council in championing art and culture has never been more needed because the sector has never been more vital to our nation. In a world where Al, technology and automation are increasingly dominant, human connection, experience, imagination and creativity are the things that bring us together. They are the quintessential elements of a creative life and of a life well lived.

“The arts council has a clear new mandate, informed by the recent Independent Review – to do more to support, nurture and protect the arts, and to do so transparently, with speed and with a fairer distribution of spend.”

In the 2024 birthday honours, Airey was awarded a CBE for services to theatre and to charity. She is a vice president and Fellow of the Royal Television Society, and a fellow of the Royal Society for Arts.

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The new Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, which comes into force across the UK next April, aims to improve security at public premises and events.

Also known as Martyn’s Law, in tribute to Martyn Hett, one of the 22 victims of the 2017 Manchester arena attack, the act requires those responsible for certain premises and events to take appropriate steps to reduce vulnerability to terrorist attacks and consider how they would respond in the event of an attack.

The Home Office published detailed guidance to support organisations to comply with the new legislation earlier this year, and Historic England has now created its own guidance specifically for the heritage sector.

Qualifying premises

According to the guidance, one area that may cause confusion is whether a site falls under the scope of the law. There are no parameters around the size of a building or the materials from which it is made, but the legislation relies on the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 definition of a building as including “any structure or erection, and any part of a building, as so defined, but does not include plant or machinery comprised in a building”.

Premises where it’s not possible or reasonable to assume more than 200 people will be present at any one time are excluded from the act. Open-air locations such as parks and gardens are also excluded from the new law if they are open access and do not have any measures in place, such as walls or gates, to control, restrict or check visitor admissions.

Historic England’s guidance states: “[A] heritage site that is wholly an open-air site (for example, the foundations of a Roman villa) would not fall within the scope of the act as a qualifying premises, even if 200 or more people may be present at the site at any one time.”

However, a site may still fall within the scope of the act if a specific event takes place there, which has restricted or controlled entry and expects to have 800 or more people present at any one time, or if the site also includes non-open-air buildings that are accessible to the public such as a visitor centre or cafe.

Reasonable practicable procedures

Smaller premises where between 200 and 799 people, including staff and volunteers, could reasonably be present at any one time must comply with the law under its standard tier requirements for public protection measures.

These include staff ensuring evacuation routes are in place, knowing how to swiftly implement a lockdown in the building, and being able to quickly communicate with their visitors in the event of an attack.

Larger premises, where 800-plus people will be present, are required to implement the advanced tier requirements, taking further steps to reduce their vulnerability to acts of terrorism around four areas: monitoring, movement, physical safety and security, and security of information.

Measures might include CCTV, bag search policies, vehicle security barriers or social media policies that limit the sharing of sensitive information.

Historic England points out that there is no one-size-fits-all approach and each site must consider the nature of its premises or event and the resources at its disposal.

The objectives of the desired procedures or measures must be balanced against the cost, time and challenges involved in implementing them.

“For a qualifying heritage premises staffed by a small number of volunteers, such as a parish church, what might be considered as reasonably practicable public protection procedures may be influenced by the capacity of these volunteers to arrange, implement and enact said procedures,” its guidance continues.

“For a listed building, what might be considered as reasonably practicable public protection measures may be influenced by the available budget, as well as restrictions on making alterations to the building in accordance with the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.”

It urges venues to consider the significance of the heritage asset before installing any physical security measures, and to engage with the Local Planning Authority or Historic England for support.

The installation of a physical feature, such as a security barrier or CCTV cameras, which affects the special interest of a listed building, may also require consent from the Local Planning Authority.

Likewise, public protection measures could impact archaeological sites or other heritage assets, while physical security measures within a scheduled monument may require Scheduled Monument Consent before the work can proceed. 

“Ultimately, the outcome of these consent procedures may influence what reasonably practicable public protection measures can be implemented at a site,” Historic England says.

The guidance also includes links to resources that may be helpful when considering the implication and implementation of Martyn’s Law.

Historic England is running a free webinar on 10 June introducing Martyn’s Law and the current terrorist threat.

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Prime minister Keir Starmer announced the cash injection during a visit to the Science Museum Group’s most northerly site this week.

“I’m really pleased we’ve been able to put forward this money – and I look forward visiting myself but also thinking about all of the people who will be visiting in the future and the experiences they will have,” he said during the visit.

The Central Hall project will create a new building at the centre of the museum site, providing level access throughout as well as a new interactive gallery called Railway Futures: The Porterbrook Gallery. 

The project initially received funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in 2019. Architects Feilden Fowles were appointed in 2020 and the project received planning permission in 2022.

At the time, the museum said it hoped to begin construction in 2023 and open the space in autumn 2025. As it is, the new money will enable the organisation to sign the main construction contract on the project “within days”.

The original budget for Central Hall was £16.5m in 2020, but it is unclear whether those costs have increased in the years since.

The planned circular building – a reference to the historic locomotive roundhouses – will be clad in recycled copper and featuring high, glazed ceilings with timber radials.

The National Railway Museum is part of York Central, a 45-hectare brownfield regeneration scheme that aims to turn underused railway land into a distinctive new city quarter with residential neighbourhoods, civic spaces and commercial real estate.  

Northern exposure

In other funding news, Liverpool’s International Slavery Museums and Maritime Museum received £19m of public investment last month from the DCMS’s Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund.

The redevelopment is part of the Waterfront Transformation Project, reimagining the area between Royal Albert Dock and Mann Island, combining storytelling, heritage, community and connectivity.

Led by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, the redevelopment includes a new entrance for the Slavery Museum and a link bridge connecting two buildings while providing panoramic views across the docks. The Maritime Museum’s entrance will also be revistalised as part of the project, and its spaces reimagined.

Ralph Appelbaum Associates is leading on the exhibition design for both museums, and the project will see new galleries, as well as shared spaces for community uses, research, learning and events.

Laura Pye, the director of National Museums Liverpool, said: “The transformation of International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum is a landmark project for Liverpool’s historic waterfront, promising to bring a significant boost to the region’s visitor economy.

“With the vision for both museums driven by community stakeholders and engagement it also represents a powerful moment for unheard or under-represented stories to have a platform like never before. 

“We’re hugely grateful to the UK Government for this investment and the confidence it shows in the vision for the museums, and teams making it a reality. This support is ensuring we continue to serve the needs of our communities and audiences, now and for generations to come.”

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The interim exhibition space, called Two Rooms by Jewish Museum London, will launch on 17 June at JW3, a Jewish community centre in north London.

The space will feature temporary exhibitions and displays from the permanent collection while the museum works towards finding a new permanent home by 2030.

The museum has continued to lend work from its collection and run education programmes throughout its closure.

The new interim space will open with two exhibitions, Legacy: The Story of the Jewish Family who Founded J. Lyons and Fed Britain, and Tree of Life: Stories from Jewish Museum London’s Collection.

The first exhibition explores the legacy of the J Lyons family empire, from setting up the Lyons Tea Houses to introducing fast food to Britain via the Wimpy hamburger chain, as well as building the Trocadero and the Strand Palace Hotel. It will address the challenges of antisemitism faced by the German-Jewish immigrant family.

The second gallery will display highlights from the museum’s 35,000-strong permanent collection and reflect on its own history as a collecting institution.

In a statement, the museum said that following a period of significant financial and organisational challenges between 2019 and 2024, it had stabilised operations. It has retained its National Portfolio Organisation status with Arts Council England and is now “moving forwards with a renewed nationwide vision that celebrates Jewish culture, art, learning, public engagement and contribution to Britain”.

The new premises aim to serve as both a public-facing exhibition space and a “testing ground for the museum’s future direction”.

The museum’s recently appointed CEO, Charles Ross, described the initiative as “a reset and a new beginning” for one of Britain’s oldest Jewish cultural institutions.

Ross said: “While we have continued our programme of educational outreach, object loans and displays around the UK over the past few years, this new interim space is intended to further build public engagement, present thought provoking exhibitions, display highlights from our collection and reconnect with communities as we develop a broader national strategy.

“Current plans for our new permanent home are now being crystallised and will be shared in the coming months.”

The museum has worked with consulting firm Barker Langham to consult with staff, trustees and supporters and run feasibility tests. According to its 2025 annual report, the favoured option chosen is “a new museum based in London’s East End acting as a gateway to a Jewish Heritage Quarter, which will expand to partner with other Jewish cultural heritage sites and organisations across the UK, forming an ecosystem of Jewish culture and heritage”.

A full business plan is now under development ahead of the launch of a capital project.

Nick Viner, the chair of the museum’s board, said: “The Jewish Museum has emerged from a challenging period and is now entering a new phase with renewed confidence, new leadership and a clear sense of purpose. Holding exhibitions in this interim space is an important step towards creating a new museum that reflects and celebrates the richness, complexity and continuing contribution of Jewish life in Britain.”

Viner emphasised the increasing importance of the institution’s role amid rising antisemitism and debates around identity, heritage and belonging in Britain.

He said: “The British Jewish community is an integral part of the story of immigration and cultural identity in Britain, not a world apart. Over the centuries, we have fostered peace, prosperity and progress across a wide range of fields, despite the various forms of prejudice we have faced and continue to face.

“The Jewish Museum London tells these stories. We aim to celebrate the Jewish contribution to this country and create greater understanding and connection both within the Jewish community and with wider audiences.”

The opening comes at the tail end of the UK’s first-ever Jewish Culture Month, a new festival that launched on 16 May and aims to showcase and celebrate Jewish culture and heritage across the country.

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The organisation, known to the public as Brighton & Hove Museums, runs five museum and heritage sites on behalf of Brighton & Hove City Council.

Opening hours at four of those sites were disrupted on 3 June due to a strike over pay and conditions. The affected venues included the Royal Pavilion (open with reduced hours); Brighton Museum & Art Gallery (closed); Preston Manor (closed); and Hove Museum of Creativity (closed).

The trust has confirmed that closures planned for 4 and 5 June are no longer going ahead and the venues are now operating under their usual opening hours.

The trust’s final site, the Booth Museum, is temporarily closed for improvement works.

The dispute began with two days of strike action in April after workers said they had been ordered to sign new contracts that threatened their existing pay and conditions.

The previously council-run museums were transferred to an independent trust in 2020, with trust staff employed on the same terms as council workers. This agreement came to an end in March.

The GMB Union, which is representing the workers, said the new contracts would put the previous benefits package “severely under threat”, affecting access to pay rises, the Local Government Pension Scheme and benefits such as holiday allowance, parental leave and sick pay.   

The dispute escalated last week after GMB called on the council to intervene “before the trust’s financial difficulties lead to bankruptcy”.

The union’s regional organiser, Oliver Cruikshank, said union officials had attended a meeting with the trust on 27 May and presented a “fair and reasonable proposal” that offered compromise on certain issues, including pay.

“This was rejected out of hand, with the existing offer no longer on the table and no plans for the board to meet to discuss any further resolution,” said Cruikshank.

“GMB is entering these negotiations in good faith, with agreement seeming close a few weeks ago, but have been faced with a trust who are not even prepared to discuss the pay rise our members were due in April.

“We understand that the trust may be facing serious monetary issues, but it is not our members – the lowest paid but most important staff within the trust – who should shoulder the blame for this nor the responsibility to dig the trust out of any holes.

“In order to avoid further strike dates being issued, the trust need to call an urgent meeting, with trustees and decision makers from the council present, to be able to negotiate with GMB representatives and finally put a stop to this dispute.”

Brighton & Hove Museums has strongly rejected the union’s claims about its financial standing.

A statement issued by the trust expressed “deep disappointment over a series of inaccurate and misleading claims issued by the GMB Union” about the industrial action.

It continued: “Leadership at the independent charitable trust has categorically corrected union assertions regarding the charity’s financial standing and a refusal to negotiate, stating that the public narrative put forward by the Union is factually incorrect.

“The trust firmly rejected any suggestion of potential bankruptcy, correcting the claim as entirely false. Far from being financially unstable, the independent trust model was specifically chosen by Brighton & Hove City Council to provide long-term resilience.

“The model allows the charity to access vital independent revenue streams, such as Gift Aid, tax relief and charitable donations that are completely unavailable to local authorities, shielding Brighton’s heritage from severe local council budget cuts.”

The trust also rejected the union’s claim that management had walked away from negotiations. A further meeting held on Tuesday this week did not resolve the dispute but did result in some progress, Museums Journal understands.  

“The charity remains entirely committed to open, realistic dialogue and continues to welcome engagement with all representative union bodies to find a mutually agreeable resolution to the ongoing dispute,” said the trust.

The statement also sought to correct “misinformation surrounding current working contracts”.

The trust said there are “absolutely zero reductions to basic salaries” and the charity “continues to guarantee robust contractual benefits that match or outclass standard sector rates”.

The statement said: “The main operational change from the amendments is a necessary transition away from national local government (NJC) pay awards to an independent, local negotiation model. This shift is a direct, unavoidable consequence of the conclusion of Brighton & Hove City Council’s five-year funding deal in March 2026.”

The trust said its board of trustees is “legally required to approve any formal financial proposals”. The board is scheduled to review and agree on the staff pay award for 2026-27 at its next planned meeting in July.

“For months, we have acted with the utmost patience and respect as we navigate the harsh economic realities facing the cultural sector,” said Hedley Swain, the CEO of Brighton & Hove Museums.

“Making minor adjustments to our terms is not a choice; it is an absolute necessity if we are to protect the financial resilience of this charity, safeguard five significant historic buildings, and care for over one million items in our collections.

“It is deeply disappointing that, rather than engaging in constructive dialogue to help us protect these sites, GMB officials are choosing to fabricate a crisis for a media headline. Their spurious actions are disrespectful towards our hardworking charitable trust staff, who pay the union to negotiate and deserve far better representation.”

Swain also hit back at what he called “disingenuous and highly divisive” claims by union officials that “one specific group of our workforce is ‘more important’ than another.”

“We are an organisation filled with dedicated, highly skilled professionals across every single department, from front-of-house to finance, world-class conservation, and education. Every single member of our team is valued equally, and it is insulting to the rest of our staff for the GMB to diminish their contributions,” he said.

Swain said the “door remains firmly open for genuine, realistic negotiation” to bring the dispute to an end.

Update
04.06.2026

Article updated following an announcement from Brighton & Hove Museums that strike closures planned on 4 and 5 June are no longer going ahead.

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The centre will run a programme of ticketed exhibitions, as well as a free displays, activities, a garden and illustration library.

The venue has opened in the historic Dunard Engine House, a redeveloped 18th and 19^th-century waterworks in Clerkenwell, London.

Tim Ronalds Architects led the renovation, a £12.5m project that included £3.75m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Other investment came from the London Borough of Islington as well as from trusts, foundations and philanthropists.

Three ticketed exhibitions open this week. The centre’s inaugural Quentin Blake exhibition, titled Quentin Blake: Performance (until April 2027), demonstrates the artist’s depiction of theatre through illustration over the last 70 years of his career.

Queer as Comics charts the history of LGBTQIA+ comics and their makers from 1940s to now through original artworks, comic strips, graphic novels and zines.

The site’s windmill base houses artist residency show, Murugiah: Ever Feel Like (until 31 August), a solo show by British-Sri Lankan artist Murugiah, whose colourful work explores themes around daily life and identity.

The free-to-enter public illustration library at the venue houses more than 1,000 publications and offers a comfortable space where visitors can read illustrated books, comics, graphic novels, picture books and zines.

Visitors can also enjoy new gardens designed by landscape designer Sue Amos. Plants have also been selected to reference illustration, including raw materials for inks, timber for charcoal and leaves for tracing.

The site’s history of engineering, labour, natural resources and urban development is told through interpretation panels designed by illustrator Nina Chakrabarti.

Playable benches designed by experts Play Build Play provide fun for families, while the Studio Garden, an enclosed play surface, will be available to visiting schools and open to the public on weekends.

The cafe, run by catering company Deeney’s, with a new large wall mural by nonagenarian Blake, titled A Bridge to the Past, which explores the history of the building its function of supplying water to London. The centre’s shop stocks illustration and exhibition related gifts and souvenirs.

Lindsey Glen, the director of the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, said: “This Friday we celebrate a landmark opening: a permanent national centre for an artform that is used every day, all over the world, to share stories and ideas. We are so excited to welcome our first visitors. We hope to inspire them to look at the world afresh and empower them with new creative skills and tools of their own.”

Illustrator Quentin Blake said: “Illustration is a language that is both expressive and easily understood. Some form of it probably exists all over the world, and it’s an art in which our country has a great tradition. One also which I have practised with joy and fascination for the 70 years of my working life. You will understand if I am enthusiastic that as many people may be able to share in the riches it offers.

“I am passionate in my enthusiasm for New River Head. One day I hope it will show some of my archive of several thousand original drawings—but, much more importantly, it will be an international centre for the display, discussion and celebration of the extraordinary wealth of what illustration has to offer.”

Blake founded his charity dedicated to illustration in 2002, always with the aim of creating the UK’s first public space dedicated to illustration. In 2014, the charity opened the House of Illustration, a public space in King’s Cross with galleries, a learning studio and a shop.

The venue ran exhibitions, residencies, talks and creative workshops but was always looking for a larger permanent home. New River Head, a derelict waterworks in Clerkenwell, was purchased by Blake’s charity with the help of a donation in 2019 and fundraising began to restore it.

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The government has appointed Dawn Airey to chair the arm’s-length body, succeeding Nicholas Serota, who will step down next month after almost 10 years in the role.

Airey has over 30 years of experience in the media and creative industries, and has held senior leadership positions across several major broadcasters. Currently the deputy chair of the board at Channel 4, she will initially serve a four-year term as chair of the arts council, starting on 1 August.

The appointment comes during a period of major change for ACE following the independent review of the organisation published by the Labour peer Margaret Hodge earlier this year.

Last week, the arts council launched a new strategic framework in response to Hodge’s recommendation to scrap its existing 10-year strategy, Let’s Create, in favour of a “less prescriptive” framework with a renewed focus on excellence.  

According to the arts council, the interim strategic framework will act as a “stepping stone” while work begins on developing an new strategy in late 2026.

The simplified framework aims to move away from the administrative burden imposed by Let’s Create, which was criticised for its heavy reporting demands and focus on metrics and impact.

In place of the former strategy’s seven outcomes and investment principles, the new framework outlines just three principles:

• support excellence
• deliver for everybody
• reach everywhere.

The new strategic framework says the arts council “will only invest in work that we believe is, or has the potential to be, excellent”, although it makes clear that it doesn’t “expect any single artist, arts organisation, museum or library to deliver for everybody, everywhere”.

The framework has dropped references to previous priorities such as cultural democracy and co-creation, which were central funding requirements of the previous strategy.

The document also commits to changing how the arts council supports individual artists and freelancers, with work starting immediately on a new Service for Individuals, which will include a national funding programme and signposting of relevant training and skills development opportunities.

The strategic framework reiterates the arts council’s commitment to “the values of diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity”, and says the body will continue to “invest to grow opportunities for Black, Asian, and ethnically diverse people, Disabled people, and people from working class backgrounds”.

The third principle promises to “balance investment and activity across the country” to redress the uneven distribution of funding for arts and culture.

While the previous strategy was criticised for its one-size-fits-all approach to funding different arts sectors, the arts council now says it will draw on external expertise “to help us understand the distinct needs and opportunities of the museums, libraries and artforms in which we invest, and to work with us in the design of our services”. 

ACE also says it will produce specific guidance for each funding initiative it delivers.

The framework is realistic about the arts council’s funding limitations. “Our resources are finite and competition for them is intense: we already receive more applications for excellent work than we are able to fund,” it says. “This means we will need to make difficult judgments about how best to invest to meet our objectives.”

The document emphasises the arts council’s role as an independent arm’s length body, stating that “we – and the government – see independent decision making free of political interference as central to protecting artistic freedom”.

However, it explicitly aligns ACE with the government’s policy priorities (see box), which the document makes clear the arts council is required to deliver through its services and development work.

The UK Government’s current priorities for the arts:

• Expanding engagement: enabling excellent arts for everyone everywhere, ensuring that the benefits of funding are felt in towns and villages as well as major cities – especially for children and young people;
• Giving agency: ensuring that Arts Council England takes full account of local voices and needs in its decision-making;
• Fostering creative diversity: fostering and developing diverse creativity, upholding our cultural heritage in its full variety, protecting and promoting freedom of expression;
• Fixing foundations: supporting the economic viability of the sector so that it thrives, and assisting organisations in caring for the cultural assets of our communities;
• Rebuilding social fabric: helping reintegrate the arts into the social fabric of our communities up and down the country.

The framework has had a cautious welcome from the culture sector.

“Personally, I don’t have a problem with a public funding body supporting excellence and quality,” said Paula Orell, the national director of England Contemporary Visual Arts Network in a post on LinkedIn.

“For me, the important point is that excellence exists across the whole visual arts ecosystem from artists and studios to galleries, museums and community organisations, and that opportunity is available to people wherever they live and whatever their background.

“I’m particularly pleased to see the continued commitment to the arm’s-length principle and a stronger focus on support for individual artists and freelancers.”

However, it has also been criticised for failing to define excellence, and for lacking teeth when it comes to progress in areas like diversity. 

In a statement marking her appointment, incoming chair Airey said: “The importance of the arts council in championing art and culture has never been more needed because the sector has never been more vital to our nation.

“In a world where Al, technology and automation are increasingly dominant, human connection, experience, imagination and creativity are the things that bring us together. They are the quintessential elements of a creative life and of a life well lived.

“The arts council has a clear new mandate, informed by the recent Independent Review – to do more to support, nurture and protect the arts, and to do so transparently, with speed and with a fairer distribution of spend.”

Serota said that his decade as chair of ACE had “been a great honour”.

“Over the last decade, we have navigated periods of significant change and uncertainty, including a global pandemic, economic challenges and shifts in the way people engage with culture,” he said. “Through it all, the creativity, resilience and ambition of the sector have been extraordinary.”

Serota said Airey would be a leader “who understands the unique role the arts play in society and the profound impact they have on individuals”.

He added: “I am confident that, under her stewardship, the organisation will thrive and the sector will flourish.”

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