Unlocking change

Museums Association and Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund

Bentley Priory

The Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund supports a range of projects that bring collections closer to people. From 5 December 2024, the Fund will be relaunched as the Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund.

Please note: The Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund, in its current form, has now closed to applications and a final group of projects awarded funding will be announced in December 2024.

Learn more about the new Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund.

As of 2023, the Collections Fund has awarded over £11m in 170 grants since 2011. In a recent Impact Report for the Collections Fund, Museums Association share their insights on how the programme evolved along with what they have learned.

To see which projects have been funded and learn how to apply to the Collections Fund, visit the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund.

Connection to Esmée's strategy

Priorities
Long-term outcomes
  • A collaborative approach to creativity and culture enables people to work together to strengthen their community.
Latest

You might be interested in

  • 2023-10-05 Cha Chai Tea private view sbrett (93)_small
    23 January 2025

    The new Esmée Fairbairn Collections and Communities Fund

    Alison Holdom, a Funding Manager Lead in Esmée’s Creative, Confident Communities team, writes about the new Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund, how it’s evolved, and our long-running partnership with the Museums Association.

    Read more
  • Restoke,TheLotusEaters,February2023-75

    Creative, Confident Communities: Update to our grant funding guidance

    We have updated our grant funding guidance for support towards our funding priorities in Creative, Confident Communities.

    Read more
  • Black Girls Hike

    New Connections: 20 organisations awarded a total of £1.4m

    At the end of last year, we announced New Connections, a new ringfenced fund for finding and supporting organisations who could not, or would not, usually apply to Esmée. We’re pleased now to share more about the organisations who have been awarded funding.

    Read more
  • Cwm-Arian-Evenlode

    Blue Spaces programme: highlights and learning so far

    Esmée’s Freshwater Partnerships Development Manager, Jenny Wheeldon, shares an update on our Blue Spaces programme. Launched in early 2023, learn more about the brilliant organisations and activities being supported through the programme, along with highlights from what we have learnt so far.

    Read more