Delivering Change is a Museums Galleries Scotland programme that recognises that museums have played a part in excluding the experiences and histories of many of Scotland’s people and communities. This three-year programme, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, and the Scottish Government supports museums and galleries across Scotland to make changes to help all people to access culture.  

Do you have an idea about how museums could work better for you or your community? Would you like up to £25,000 to help transform museums? 

Narrow and incomplete representations of Scotland and Scottish people prevent us from creating a fair, tolerant, peaceful society. Museums don’t always represent the diversity that enriches Scotland. This is because museums have been built on models of systemic exclusion.  

Systemic exclusion is where groups of people have been intentionally disadvantaged based on their identity, while advantaging members of the dominant group. Disadvantaged identities could include people’s race, disability, sexuality, social class, education level, and gender.   

The Delivering Change team is working with a group of museums to make them safer and more inclusive for systemically excluded  communities. This means that these museums will have developed the skills they need to work with communities in a way that respects and values people and their experiences.  

During Delivering Change we’ll support approximately 10 community groups to connect with one of the Museum Transformers we’re working with. The Delivering Change team will work with you and your museum partner to help explore your idea and gain the tools to make it happen.  

We welcome your ideas for working together with a museum partner to build solidarity and transform museum spaces for you or your community. Some examples of ideas are: museum displays, community curated exhibits, oral history, accessible tours, artistic collaborations, and multilingual resources. Most importantly it’s your  idea and we’re here to help make it happen.  

Once accepted on the programme your group will: 

• Receive a development grant of £2,000. This money can be used to support you and your community to take part in the programme. You might want to spend it on travel costs, childcare, venue hire etc.  
• There will be an initial visit from Delivering Change staff to discuss your project idea and to begin to plan what support, training, and resources you need to participate in the programme. 
• Your group will then work with the Delivering Change team to be partnered with one of the Museum Transformers. 
• Then you and your partner museum will develop your project, with support from the Delivering Change team. 
• Once your project is developed and approved then project funding of up to £25,000 will be awarded. 
• You and your partnered museum can then get started on making your project a reality. 

The programme is open to community groups and grassroots organisations based in Scotland. We’re looking for: 

• Groups with lived experience of systemic exclusion. By that we mean groups of people who have been intentionally disadvantaged based on their identity. This could be because of their race, disability, sexuality, social class, education level, or gender, or a mix of these
• Groups who would like to engage in partnership work with a museum/gallery 
• Groups who can tell us how working with a partner museum will benefit them and their community 
• Groups who can commit to taking part in a project lasting up to 2 years (June 2024 to June 2026) 
• We’re very happy to speak to groups who have never applied for funding before 
• You don’t have to have any previous experience of working with museums or heritage

• To have the confidence and tools to navigate the museum sector to develop further partnerships
• To have a better awareness and understanding of your Human Rights, and the ability to advocate for them, using the Human Rights-Based Approach
• To have increased resilience and developed your organisations’ capacity
• To have enhanced your capacity to share the stories of your community

We’re very happy to speak to groups who have never applied for funding before.

In order to qualify for the larger grant of up to £25,000, we will ask for your group to meet some basic governance standards. This is to ensure that your group can effectively deliver the project. At this first stage these standards are not required. During your project development phase, the Delivering Change team will be able to provide assistance and/or sign posting to help you to meet the basic requirements, including: 

• A constitution 
• A safeguarding policy
• A bank account in the group’s name 

We appreciate that it will take time to develop your idea. We can support you in this. Please get in touch before applying, as we have advisors who would be happy to chat through your ideas and the application process.

To get in touch email the project team at deliveringchange@museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk or call 0131 550 4100 and ask to speak to a Delivering Change team member.

Once you have had an introductory chat you can then submit your application. Applications can be submitted in these formats: 

• Online 
• Word Doc 
• Video submissions

We can supply applications in different languages, to request this please e-mail us.

The deadline is 5pm on 30th May 2024 to submit your application.

Assessment Panel decision by 30th August.