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Our Impact

As the national development body for museums and galleries, we strive to make the greatest possible impact with our work.

Find out more about the work we do at MGS to support the needs of the museum sector and achieve the aims and ambitions of Scotland’s museums and galleries strategy.

Adults stand and view museum objects which are displayed in cases on a long raised platform in the centre of a gallery.

A look back at 2022/23

MGS CEO Lucy Casot reflects on our recent work to support Scotland's museum sector.

A look back at 2022/23

Read our review

Funding

We award targetted grants which aim to build the resilience of Scotland’s museum sector and respond to its needs.

In 2022/23 we awarded 264 grants, through 9 funding streams, to a value of £6,718,506. These grants supported 199 organisations across Scotland.

Our partnership funding enabled us to extend our reach beyond the museum sector. We awarded grants to libraries, heritage, arts, and other community organisations as part of our partnership with VisitScotland for the Year of Stories 2022 Communities Stories Fund.

Knowledge sharing

We maximise our impact on Scotland’s museum sector by investing in the development of the workforce.

Our Business Support Programme encourages museums and galleries to build their financial resilience, while our Forum Connections project aims to develop stronger geographic partnerships for museum organisations. Both of these projects were made possible thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF).

We secured funding from NLHF and the Scottish Government to develop Delivering Change, a project which aims to support museums to improve access to culture. An application has been made to NLHF to fund the delivery of this project over three years.

Our Developing My Leadership and Digital Literacy for Leadership courses, Carbon Literacy training, and one-to-one marketing surgeries have all offered museum workers further opportunities to gain new skills and expertise.

We also run skills-sharing sessions and Knowledge Exchange events for the museum sector workforce. Our staff write and commission advice guides on a wide range of topics, and collate case studies of best practice by museums and galleries across Scotland.

Advocacy

We use our role as a national development body to amplify the voice of Scotland’s museum sector.

We work closely with the Scottish Government to advocate for the strategic priorities of the museum sector, ensuring that the perspectives of museums and galleries are represented in relevant consultations, in Parliamentary Committee panels and inquiries on Scotland’s culture and tourism, and across the Scottish Government’s Culture Strategy.

We regularly meet with museum services and museum sector leaders to ensure that we’re able to advocate effectively on their behalf, and work closely with UK-wide organisations to strengthen our advocacy and key messaging and find shared solutions and opportunities.

In 2022, we supported the Empire, Slavery, and Scotland’s Museums steering group with the delivery of their six recommendations to the Scottish Government.

Throughout 2022 and 2023, we conducted several surveys to improve our understanding of Scotland’s museum sector. We issued surveys on climate and finances, and organised the first large-scale survey of Scotland’s museums and galleries in over two decades.

We’re in the steering group for ongoing research into admission pricing in museums. This project, led by the Association of Independent Museums, involves several UK partners.

Partnerships

By working in partnership with stakeholders within the museum sector and beyond, we’re able to make the most of our knowledge, skills, and resources.

Our work on the development of Scotland’s museums and galleries strategy involved close collaboration and consultation with a wide range of organisations and individuals.

We work with VisitScotland on joint marketing campaigns that promote Scotland’s museums and galleries, and collaborated on the delivery of the Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund.

We have an ongoing partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, and Creative Scotland to support the safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Scotland.

Our Skills Development team has partnered with schools to deliver Workforce for the Future, a programme which aims to inspire the next generation of museum sector workers.

Work with us

We're always open to collaborations which enable us to increase the impact of our work.

Find out how you can work with us

Impact infographics

Get a snapshot of our work with these helpful infographics.

MGS impact infographic 2021
(PDF, 969 KB)
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MGS impact infographic 2020
(PDF, 498 KB)
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Annual reports and accounts

Discover more about our impact by reading our annual reports.

Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23
(PDF, 739 KB)
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A look back at 2022/23
(PDF, 2 MB)
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A look back at 2021/22
(PDF, 6 MB)
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Annual Report and Accounts 2021/22
(PDF, 449 KB)
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A look back at 2020/21
(PDF, 2 MB)
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Annual Report and Accounts 2020/21
(PDF, 412 KB)
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Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20
(PDF, 1 MB)
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Annual Report and Accounts 2018/19
(PDF, 5 MB)
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News

The latest stories about our impact on Scotland’s museum sector.

Three young adults with medium skin tone and brown hair, light skin tone and brown hair, and dark skin tone, glasses, and braided hair are stood looking down at a digital display with an image of a map on it. An older adult with light skin tone, light brown hair, wearing glasses and a lanyard is pointing at the display. Behind them is a floor to ceiling glass display case including animal skulls, domestic pottery items and interpretation text and images.
MGS Awarded £770,000 To Support Access To Culture
MGS has been awarded £770,000 for Delivering Change, a three-year programme for museums and galleries across Scotland to make changes to help all people to access culture. 
Two teenagers with dark skin and black braided hair, an adult with dark skin and red braided hair, and an adult with light skin and short brown hair stand together in front of a map panel. The adult with light skin and short brown hair gestures forward with their hand.
Economic Impact of Scotland's Museums and Galleries
Museums Galleries Scotland has recently published an Economic Impact Report in order to understand and evidence the specific economic benefits of museums and galleries in Scotland.
An adult with medium-dark skin and an adult with dark skin smile and look at a bright yellow display panel at David Livingstone Birthplace. The adult with medium-dark skin points at information on the display panel.
Our Response to the Scottish Government’s International Culture Strategy Survey
Museums Galleries Scotland advocated for the international reach and vital contributions of the museums and galleries sector by responding to a recent Scottish Government Survey.
An older adult with light skin, grey hair, and an accordion stands next to an older adult with light skin, grey hair, and a thick grey beard.
Themed Year Proves to be a Real Success Story
A newly released report has revealed the Year of Stories 2022 delivered significant benefits to Scotland and its communities.
Two adults with light skin and grey bobbed hair are sat at a table with other adults. The two people are holding and pointing at a figure carved in a light brown material.
Over £573k Awarded to 20 Museums to Support Their Resilience
Museums across Scotland have been awarded a share of £573K from the Museums Galleries Scotland Resilience Fund, thanks to support from the Scottish Government. 
A ship with three masts moored next to a large building with an angular metal roof.
Research into Admissions Pricing Policy in Museums and its Impact
The Association of Independent Museums (AIM) and partners Arts Council England, Museums Galleries Scotland, the Welsh Government, the National Museum Directors’ Council, and the Art Fund have commissioned DC Research Ltd and Durnin Research Ltd to deliver ‘Research into admissions pricing policy in museums and its impact’.