• Renowned British architecture studio Ab Rogers Design appointed to design new mobile museum after international competition

• Museum will bring world class art to people across the country

• Birmingham Museums Trust selected as one of the regional partners.

Birmingham Museums Trust is one of the partners helping to bring world class art to the doors of people across the country with the UK’s first permanent mobile museum which will hit the road next year.  

A total of £1.6 million, formed of £800,000 from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and £800,000 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 by 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’s plan to ensure arts are available everywhere for everyone.  

Birmingham Museums’ partnership with the mobile museum delivers on one of the recommendations from its citizens’ jury that collections should be taken out to different parts of the city and to different types of spaces, which may in turn encourage people from different communities to visit museum buildings.  

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.  

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 annually, 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.  

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.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

“I am determined that great art isn’t 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.  

“By taking the collection directly into communities, to parks, schools, libraries and public squares, we’re breaking down the barriers that have kept people from experiencing the art that belongs to everyone. This is what ‘Arts Everywhere’ really means in practice, and I’m proud that we’re making it happen.”

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.

Rosie Barker, head of curatorial and participation at Birmingham Museums Trust, said:

“We’re delighted to be part of this initiative, which will bring world class art directly into communities across the UK.  

“At Birmingham Museums Trust, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to engage with culture, regardless of where they live, and the mobile museum is an exciting new way to connect people with extraordinary collections, spark curiosity and create meaningful experiences.”

Jemima Montagu, director of Art Explora, said:

“There remains a growing gap between those who have access to museums, galleries and arts 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 which will itself be a source of wonder and inspiration wherever it goes. A tardis for the 21st century!”

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 to 40 weeks of touring annually, it will visit 40 to 45 locations, reaching 25,000 visitors and serving 130 to 150 schools each year.