Over the coming months, Scotland’s political conversation will intensify. Election coverage will dominate our televisions, newspapers, and social media feeds as parties set out their vision for the country’s future.
For museums, this moment matters.
As we approach the May election, museums operate in a more contested political environment. Cultural funding remains under pressure, and civic institutions are increasingly asked to justify their relevance. Meanwhile, some voices question the progressive social and civic roles that museums play.
Silence is a risk. If museums are not visible in political conversations, they risk being overlooked.
That’s why Museums Galleries Scotland is launching the Museums: Scotland’s Stories, Scotland’s Future campaign to ensure museums are recognised by all political parties as essential civic institutions. They are not just custodians of the past, but active contributors to Scotland’s future.
Museums are among the most trusted public spaces in Scotland. Every day, they support:
- Learning and education
- Health and wellbeing
- Community connection and local pride
- Fair work and economic recovery
This campaign weaves those stories together, showing how hundreds of local museums telling their stories together can transform national advocacy.
Multi-year support for Museum Futures
Mike Benson, Director of The Scottish Crannog Centre, shares how the Museum Futures programme has supported the resilience and growth of their organisation.
Our Museum Futures programme helps museums build resilience and sustainability so they can continue serving communities for years to come. It focuses on long-term solutions, strategic investment, collaboration, and experimentation with new ways of working rather than short-term fixes.
Our ask
Continued multi-year investment in Museum Futures to ensure museums can care for their collections and share Scotland’s stories.
Our Museum Futures programme helps museums build resilience and sustainability so they can continue serving communities for years to come. It focuses on long-term solutions, strategic investment, collaboration, and experimentation with new ways of working rather than short-term fixes.
Mike Benson, Director of The Scottish Crannog Centre, shares how the Museum Futures programme has supported the resilience and growth of their organisation.
Our ask
Continued multi-year investment in Museum Futures to ensure museums can care for their collections and share Scotland’s stories.
Recognition of museums as forces for social good
Sandra Lowson, Director of the David Livingstone Centre, highlights how the museum works with local people to support the health, education, and cohesion of their community.
Museums support wellbeing, learning, local pride, and economic recovery. They provide educational opportunities, creative engagement, and programmes targeting disadvantaged communities. Research shows:
- 80% of Scots believe culture offers mental or physical health benefits
- 64% of museums actively engage with health and wellbeing initiatives
Our ask
The next Scottish Government recognises museums’ essential social impact across health, education, and the economy.
Museums support wellbeing, learning, local pride, and economic recovery. They provide educational opportunities, creative engagement, and programmes targeting disadvantaged communities. Research shows:
- 80% of Scots believe culture offers mental or physical health benefits
- 64% of museums actively engage with health and wellbeing initiatives
Sandra Lowson, Director of the David Livingstone Centre, highlights how the museum works with local people to support the health, education, and cohesion of their community.
Our ask
The next Scottish Government recognises museums’ essential social impact across health, education, and the economy.
Support for museums as trusted civic spaces for inclusion
Museums provide spaces for dialogue, civic participation, and diverse voices. They use collections to connect communities, explore local heritage, and engage audiences on contemporary issues like the climate crisis.
Our ask
The civic role of museums as inclusive community spaces is recognised and championed nationally.
Museums provide spaces for dialogue, civic participation, and diverse voices. They use collections to connect communities, explore local heritage, and engage audiences on contemporary issues like the climate crisis.
Our ask
The civic role of museums as inclusive community spaces is recognised and championed nationally.
Capital investment to reduce carbon footprints and adapt for a changing climate
Museums are leading by example, modernising buildings, reducing emissions, and inspiring audiences toward greener futures. Capital support allows them to expand this work and adapt their spaces sustainably.
Our ask
Provide capital investment to help museums reduce their environmental impact and operational costs, while inspiring climate action.
Museums are leading by example, modernising buildings, reducing emissions, and inspiring audiences toward greener futures. Capital support allows them to expand this work and adapt their spaces sustainably.
Our ask
Provide capital investment to help museums reduce their environmental impact and operational costs, while inspiring climate action.
The museum sector
If you represent a museum organisation, you can get involved in the campaign by creating your own ask. This ask will be a locally relevant priority that reflects your needs while connecting to the campaign’s national ambitions.
Start by identifying one clear action you would like the next Scottish Government to take. Then download the assets from our campaign pack and share the campaign, including your ask, with candidates and political parties in your area.
You can also invite candidates to visit your museum, or host a hustings for candidates from a range of political parties. Read the campaign toolkit on our website for details on how to promote the campaign and engage with political candidates.
Highlight the vital role museums play in education, wellbeing, inclusion, local economies, and climate action: together we’ll build a powerful, collective message that demonstrates the essential role museums play in telling our stories and shaping our future.
Candidates
Contact David McDonald, our Senior Advocacy and Public Affairs Manager, if you’d like to support the campaign.
The public
Show your support for museums by sharing this campaign on social media and encouraging candidates to back our asks.
Media
For media enquiries, please contact the MGS marketing team.
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