Bursary for museum marketing photography

Boost your marketing by applying for up to £1,000 to pay for new photographs of your museum or gallery.

An adult with light skin and red hair tied into a bun crouches and points a camera and an adult and child who are engaged in conversation.

Eye-catching photography is a great way to promote your museum or gallery to potential visitors. It can transform your website, social media, and print materials.

Your museum organisation can apply for up to £1,000 (including VAT) to spend on commissioning photography for marketing purposes. We have a total of £6,000 available to award.

Our marketing team will offer successful applicants continued support as they undertake their commissions.

This bursary is open to Accredited and non-Accredited museum organisations in Scotland.

Successful applicants will pay upfront for the photography, and then submit an invoice to MGS for reimbursement. Bursary recipients must spend their award by the end of the financial year (31st March 2025).

Bursary recipients will make the photography they commission available for MGS to use. We also recommend that the photographs are released to the public domain via an open licence. We’ll advise recipients on how to use Wikimedia Commons to ensure open access for their photographs.

To apply for this bursary, please follow the link below.

You’ll be asked to describe the photographs you would like to commission, and how you will use them. Museums which demonstrate a clear need for photography will be prioritised for this funding.

You’ll also need to provide an estimate of your costs. Preferably, this will include quotes from the people you plan to work with. Follow our guidance below to make sure you identify the right photographers and models for the job. The bursary can cover travel expenses, but not the purchase of equipment.

Applications close on January 27th 2025. Awards will be announced on February 10th.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your plans, get in touch with our marketing team. Please be aware that we won’t be available to respond to any emails for a short period from December 20th to January 6th.