\tRenowned British architecture studio Ab Rogers Design appointed to design new mobile museum after international competition
\n\tArtworks from the Government Art Collection will tour the South West and North West of England this summer
\n\tThis is the government\u2019s latest step towards ensuring everyone can access arts and\u00a0culture in the places they call home\u00a0<\/p>\n
The UK\u2019s first permanent mobile museum will hit the road next year, bringing world class art to the doors of people all across the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A total of \u00a31.6 million, formed of \u00a3800,000 from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and \u00a3800,000 matched by arts access charity Art Explora, will be used to build a state-of-the-art vehicle and tour three national collections per year, including the Government Art Collection (GAC). Designed\u00a0by renowned British architect Ab Rogers, this colourful new vehicle will be the first dedicated mobile museum in the country and is part of the Culture Secretary\u2019s plan to ensure arts are available everywhere for everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From 2027, Art Explora will tour the new mobile museum with three 12-week exhibitions each year. GAC artworks will feature in one exhibition annually, with national and regional partners including Tate, the National Portrait Gallery, Leeds Art Gallery, Birmingham Museums Trust and National Museums Liverpool among other national museums delivering the remaining programme to ensure the widest possible reach across the UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Government Art Collection was established in 1899 and is a national collection of historic, modern and contemporary British art that is displayed in government buildings in the UK and around the world. The works are seen by hundreds of thousands of visitors\u00a0annually, promoting British art and contributing to cultural diplomacy. Through an extensive public engagement programme, the GAC brings artworks into the heart of communities and works with UK and international partners to support creative exchange and skill development for young people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ahead of this, a three month pilot tour will take place in the South West and North West with an existing mobile museum. This will bring a curated selection of works from the collection to communities across England this summer, including many who have never had the chance to experience a national gallery up close.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The exhibition brings together a selection of artworks from the Government Art Collection that explores the sea\u2019s influence on people, places and communities. Through themes of exploration, migration and climate change, the works reflect the many ways the sea has shaped the UK and the wider world.<\/p>\n
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:<\/p>\n
I am determined that great art isn\u2019t just for the few but for everyone, no matter where they live. The Government Art Collection belongs to the whole country, and this tour is an exciting step towards making that a reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By taking the collection directly into communities, to parks, schools, libraries and public squares, we\u2019re breaking down the barriers that have kept people from experiencing the art that belongs to everyone. This is what \u2018Arts Everywhere\u2019 really means in practice, and I\u2019m proud that we\u2019re making it happen.<\/p>\n
The establishment of a permanent mobile museum for the UK builds on the success of two previous Art Explora mobile museum tours, in collaboration with Tate, in 2023 and 2024 across the Midlands and the North.<\/p>\n
The mobile museum is currently being built in Telford by Torton Bodies Limited, a leading UK firm, with a striking design by renowned British architect Ab Rogers.<\/p>\n
Jemima Montagu, Director, Art Explora, said:<\/p>\n
There remains a growing gap between those who have access to museums, galleries and\u00a0arts venues, and those who are left behind. Art Explora is trying to bridge this divide by taking art into the heart of communities and sharing our rich national collections more widely. The new UK Mobile Museum is a stunning piece of design and engineering\u00a0which will itself be a source of wonder and inspiration wherever it goes. A tardis for the 21st century!<\/p>\n
Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Jousset, Founder and Chair of Trustees, Art Explora, said:<\/p>\n
Art Explora was founded on the belief that art should be accessible to everyone. We now have a growing Mobile Museum fleet in France, which \u2013 over 15 years – has proven the value of bringing art from our national collections directly to communities. UK government support for a dedicated UK truck is an important milestone, as we extend access to great art collections further across Europe.<\/p>\n
Ab Rogers, Founder and Director, Ab Rogers Design, said:<\/p>\n
It is not every day you get the opportunity to design a mobile museum. We wanted to\u00a0capture the feeling of the circus arriving in town, creating an explosive burst of energy and anticipation that contains and nurtures extraordinary, curated collections. More mobile, more vibrant and more alive than any other museum, it\u2019s a project that\u2019s very close to my heart.<\/p>\n
The mobile museum is one of the core programmes of Art Explora UK, an arts charity founded in 2021 with a mission to tackle the social, economic and geographic barriers that prevent many people from participating in the arts. The mobile museum addresses these barriers head-on, setting up within walking distance of local schools and community centres in areas identified as having high deprivation and low cultural engagement. Over 36\u201340 weeks of touring annually, it will visit 40 – 45 locations, reaching 25,000 visitors and serving 130\u2013150 schools each year.<\/p>\n