The minister was welcomed by Loyd Grossman, Chairman of The Campaign for Museums, and Caroline Dudley, Head of Museums and Archives, Hampshire County Council, and Co-chair of MGM 2008, as well as representatives of museums and galleries around the country.

The UK-wide programme of activities launches on May 1 2008, bringing together a diverse range of venues across the country, with the 2008 theme ‘Ideas and Innovation’ being a source of inspiration for many events.

This year also sees the expansion of the popular Museums at Night event with hundreds of venues opening their doors for after-hours tours and entertainment to coincide with the major European initiative Nuit des Musées on Saturday May 17.

(Above - l to r) MGM Co-chairman Loyd Grossman, MGM organiser Ylva French of the Campaign for Museums, Culture Secretary Margaret Hodge and Caroline Dudley, Head of Museums and Archives, Hampshire County Council and Co-chair of MGM 2008 .

“Museums are there to interpret the past, but by promoting late night openings they are setting the trends for the future,” said Margaret Hodge. “This promises to be a great month for museums and galleries with some wonderful events which I hope will bring pleasure to many people.”

The culture minister also praised the all-encompassing nature of Museums and Galleries Month 2008. “It’s not just about the nationals,” she said, “it involves lots of museums all over Britain, from the smallest to the biggest.”

She also emphasised the importance of museums and galleries in education - pointing out they will play a pivotal role in the government’s commitment to five hours of culture per week for school children.

“We will soon be rolling out a pilot for this initiative,” said the minister, “and we have already had over 200 expressions of interest from across the country. Sadly we have only space for ten in the pilot scheme, but I think it reiterates the importance of the role museums and galleries make and will continue to make in our society.”

For 2008, MGM has welcomed Arts Council funding, which has facilitated artists, curators and museum and gallery professionals working together to discover the unique and unexpected in their local museum or gallery.

A dedicated arts co-ordinator, Clare Moloney, organised a nationwide series of workshops to get the programme off the ground, and also developed online toolkits to help facilitate further action.

"Artists have a very special role to play in bringing museums to life,” said Loyd Grossman. “This year we are extremely grateful for our grant from the Arts Council which has helped to sow the seeds of our MGM Arts programme."

Highlights are set to include ‘Indelible’, an innovative exhibition focusing on art and forensic science at Brighton’s Fabrica Gallery, live art and film installations at the Laing Gallery, Newcastle, and Birmingham’s ‘Artbus’; a free late-night tour that will ferry visitors to special events at the RBSA Gallery, Ikon and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts.

As ever, Museums and Galleries Month 2008 is supported by Culture24, and the MGM 2008 opening weekend sees the publication of a series of 'Museum of Me' features on the 24 Hour Museum website.

(Above) Culture24 Chair of Trustees, John Newbigin, with Margaret Hodge, Jane Finnis, (Director, Culture24), Ylva French and Jon Pratty (Culture24 Head of Content).

Museum of Me (launching May 3 2008) makes culture individual; it asks people to choose what they would put in their own personal museum. The project kicks off with a series of contributions from prominent cultural figures including Margaret Hodge, Antony Gormley and Wayne Hemingway.

Museum of Me also allows the public to contribute - to tell us what your treasured objects are and what you would like to see in your own personal museum.

“Museums and Galleries Month is about collaboration and innovation," said Caroline Dudley, Co-Chair of MGM2008, at the launch. "Since 2006, the hubs have committed to Museums and Galleries Month with festivals, promotions, collaborative ventures, print and grants programme. Outstanding efforts have been made in many regions led by the hubs or by groups of museums."

"Museums at Night is encouraging some great partnership. Particularly noteworthy this year is the Late Show in Newcastle Gateshead with a free bus service between participating museums and galleries opening late. And in Bath for the second year, doors are also opening late at museums and galleries throughout the city with entertainment for all.”

Throughout May, 24 Hour Museum will also be tracking the progress of MGM 2008 with reports from the regions, top tens, picks of the day, reviews, news and more… So keep checking 24 Hour Museum to find out what's going on during Museums and Galleries Month 2008.