The Liminal Space

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Mindsets + Missions

 

What was the challenge?

Museums and science centres play an important role in inspiring the next generation of researchers and innovators, whether it’s future vaccine researchers or future historians. But we know that opportunities to engage with research and innovation through museums and science centres aren’t open to all.

Mindsets + Missions is a collaborative project designed to help museums and science centres across the UK develop new approaches to engage underrepresented groups. It is an opportunity to embed positive change for organisations and communities. The programme builds on learnings from the pandemic with the aim of moving toward bold, people-centred and resilient futures.

The programme is funded by UKRI, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). We delivered the programme in partnership with the Museums Association and the Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC).

What did we do?

In early 2023 a new cohort of 45 organisations and practitioners were selected to take part in the Mindsets + Missions project, with the understanding that there would be the chance to apply for follow-on funding to put ideas from the first stage of the programme into practice. Participants were building on a range of innovation and experimental thinking, including our existing ‘Mindsets for Museums of the Future and Science and Discovery Centre Futures: Missions and Opportunities’ research.

We recruited to our Learning Programme a vibrant mix of sector pioneers, academics and creative changemakers from across the UK so that they could come together to collectively explore and debate the role of research and innovation in their organisations and communities. Participants received small development grants to support their involvement and we coached and supported partnerships on the development of project ideas.

The Learning Programme kicked off with an in-person event in Leeds, where participants met and built connections across the cohort. Together they explored the programme’s core themes and discovered individual and collective goals. In the following weeks, the cohort attended a series of online sessions, hearing from a curated selection of guest speakers that included academic researchers, community advocates, creative changemakers and international museum and science centre professionals. The cohort also took part in workshops, facilitated by individuals with experience of working closely with under-represented audiences. Activities were supported by an online collaboration space for participants to share ideas and forge new working relationships. Throughout the programme participants contributed to a living library of case studies and resources.

After the completion of the Learning Programme, participants were invited to apply for funding grants of up to £75,000. The aim of the grants was to provide the opportunity to put the outcomes from the Learning Programme into action.

In September 2023, funding from UKRI totalling £827,945 was awarded to 12 UK museums and science centres to support community engagement with research and innovation. You can read about these fascinating projects here.

To capture the essence of the Learning Programme, we created a report that collated insights from the creative workshops and international speakers, as well as the reflections and contributions of the participants. Programme assets, resources and provocations were also included in the hope that these actionable learnings will help those beyond the cohort – in the wider museum, science centre and creative eco-systems – to experience and benefit from the programme.

In July 2025, the pilot Learning and Grants Programme culminated with a final report, aimed at professionals working within museums, science and discovery centres and other civic and cultural public engagement spaces to support them to engage underrepresented and often-marginalised groups.

The hope is that the resources and rich learnings within the report prove valuable for practitioners and help to dismantle the barriers between research, innovation and society.

 
Research, Workshop, Report, FundingSarah Douglas