From world-famous institutions to local hidden gems, we explore the best museums across the UK and what makes them stand out in a time of funding cuts and rising visitor demand.
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00:00Five museums from across the UK, all bursting with energy and fresh ideas, are in the running
00:06for the country's biggest museum prize, and it can give us a pretty good must-visit
00:10list of museum spots.
00:13The Art Fund Museum of the Year Award, worth £120,000 to the winner, has unveiled its
00:192025 shortlist.
00:21Together, the list represents the best of British museums today, from immersive heritage
00:26experiences to cutting-edge contemporary art and revitalise community spaces.
00:33First up is Beamish, known as the Living Museum of the North.
00:37It brings history to life with period dress staff, vintage trams and scenes from everyday
00:42life in the 1820s through to the 1950s.
00:46Next Perth Museum, which reopened in March after a £27 million transformation, is home
00:52to the legendary Stone of Destiny, now back in Perthshire for the first time in seven
00:57hundred years.
00:58Over in Belfast, the Golden Thread Gallery reopened in a striking new venue in August.
01:04A former Gas Corporation showroom now housing two major gallery spaces, and Northern Ireland's
01:10first dedicated visual art archive and research library.
01:15Chapter in Cardiff is a multi-arts hub with theatres, cinemas, galleries and a community
01:20garden.
01:21It champions inclusivity and has launched new residency schemes offering free studio space
01:26to local artists.
01:28And Compton Verney, set in Capability Brown designed Parkland, has added a striking sculpture
01:33trail featuring works by Louise Bourgeois and Permindecor to its permanent collection.
01:39But the celebration of UK museums comes at a time of deep concern across the sector.
01:44The government has announced £270 million in funding to keep cultural institutions afloat,
01:51tackle crumbling buildings and to help strengthen long-term resilience.
01:56Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy unveiled the funding, marking 60 years since the UK's first arts
02:02white paper.
02:03She said the investment would stop beloved institutions from closing, citing leaking roofs, closed stages
02:09and buckets catching drips at theatres and galleries across the country.
02:14Seventeen of the country's largest venues, including the British Museum and the National Gallery,
02:20will share a pot of £120 million, alongside a five percent rise in their annual grants, worth
02:27more than £15 million in total.