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Leeds Museums & Galleries part of £1m early years programme

Press release, 23 September 2024

Art Fund, the national charity for art, and Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency for social good, have launched a £1m programme to support families of young children with engaging museum experiences.

‘Mini Wonders’ has been created to support and enhance families whose children were born during the COVID-19 pandemic by offering life-enriching experiences through eight museums and galleries, including Leeds Industrial Museum (Leeds Museums & Galleries).

The programme will initially run for two years, using museum spaces and collections to develop a programme which hopes to give young children the best possible start as they move towards primary school.

The organisations taking part are:

  • Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales
  • Great North Museum: Hancock and Discovery Museum, both part of Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums
  • Leeds Museums & Galleries
  • Mansfield Museum
  • National Galleries of Scotland
  • Norfolk Museums Service
  • Tate Britain
  • Ulster Museum


Kate Fellows, Head of Learning and Access at Leeds Museums & Galleries said:

‘It’s great to have the opportunity at Leeds Industrial Museum to work closely with our Children’s Centres in Armley and the families that live in LS12. We know that families with children born around the pandemic missed a lot of their early chances to meet other parents and other children.

We are hoping that the 8-week-programmes can help families connect, gain confidence in their own skills as parents, and prepare the children for school, all by playing at the museum. The research aspect of the programme means that Leeds Museums and Galleries, along with the other partners, are leading the way for museums nationally in working with families in this way.’

Jenny Waldman, Director, Art Fund, said:

‘The importance of foundational early-years experiences is crucial to giving the next generation the skills and experience to thrive. The recent Art Fund Museum of the Year winner, Young V&A, is a showcase of how a museum can be an agent of change and inspiration to the next generation.’