Funding boost for community groups to amplify underrepresented voices in collaboration with museums
Museums Galleries Scotland has awarded over £56,000 to two community groups in Shetland and Dundee as part of the Delivering Change: Community Catalysts programme.
Both groups have received £28,333 to collaborate with a museum on a project aimed at highlighting underrepresented voices. The funded projects focus on community engagement and will explore personal and collective narratives related to exclusion and migration.
The community groups and partnering museums are participating in Delivering Change, a programme that supports museums and community groups in restructuring as organisations based on anti-oppression principles. It recognises that museums have played a part in excluding the experiences and histories of many communities in Scotland and supports museums and galleries across the country to make changes that allow everyone to access culture. Delivering Change is delivered by MGS and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and the Scottish Government.
Sheila Asante, Programme Manager for Delivering Change said:
“I am excited that the final two Community Catalysts projects have been awarded funding and are beginning to take shape. Both projects are directly supporting our community partners to build lasting relationships with our Delivering Change Museum Transformers. These two projects in Dundee and Shetland are great examples of how community groups can work with museums to tell their stories in their own way.”
Zya Community will use its funding to collaborate with Shetland Museum and Archives on their project, Centring the Heritage and Experience of Creatives of Colour. The project will showcase the work of four artists, culminating in an exhibition at Shetland Museum and Archives in October 2026. The work will draw on themes of systemic exclusion, as well as the lived experiences of Shetland community members, including living with geographical isolation, the necessity of collective resilience, and adapting to a landscape that can shape daily life. As part of the project, Zya Community will co-design a resource with Inlet Leith for artists of colour looking to work with museums and galleries and navigate the research-to-exhibition process.
Nikki Kilburn, Director of Zya Community said:
“Partnering with Shetland Museum and Archives through Delivering Change is a unique opportunity to reimagine how collections can inspire. This funding enables us to support artists to lead that process, ensuring creativity and community voices are at the heart of systemic change.”
Dundee International Women’s Centre will work with the McManus Art Gallery and Museum to showcase the stories of women from migrant communities in Dundee. The project offers migrant women the opportunity to research and talk about migration, including their own stories, through creative outputs which will then be displayed in an exhibition at the McManus. A separate celebration event will be held at Dundee International Women’s Centre, where the women can share and celebrate their culture further through food, music, and storytelling. Participants will develop the direction of the project themselves, allowing them to learn new skills and feel empowered to share their culture.
Asma Hussein, Project Leader at Dundee International Women’s Centre said:
“The Women of Dundee journey has begun and our participants are excited about the initiative. We have seen that in conversations about how and why each person came to Dundee, which included moments of laughter and tears, creating a sense of bonding between the women. The ladies are writing and sharing their view of Dundee, whether it is a few words, as some struggle a little more with English than others, to remarkably eloquent pieces. With everyone’s support, the funds will enable us to provide our women with the chance to have their stories published and shared.”
