Museums and Galleries Month, the biggest celebration of its kind in the world, highlights the wealth of opportunities for entertainment, cultural enrichment and education that UK's museums and art galleries have to offer. This year it takes place from 29 April until 4 June, 2006, when hundreds of individual museums, galleries and heritage attractions will be running events along the theme of Making Connections: Past, Present and Future. The aim of the month is to increase visitor numbers, raise the profile of museums and galleries and to create lasting benefits to the venues.

MGM is organised by the Campaign for Museums, a registered charity, and is supported by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) through its Renaissance in the Regions programme, Arts Council England, Borders Bookstores, the 24 Hour Museum and museums and arts organisations throughout the UK.

The first Museums and Galleries Month took place in 2000 and has been held every year since in May. An estimated 1,000 museums and galleries take part by organising events and activities and promoting MGM locally. An estimated 10m visits take place during May to museums and galleries across the UK.

A Bigger and Better MGM from 2006 onwards

MLA has confirmed core funding for MGM for three years from 2006 enabling the MGM team to put a new strategy in place, which aims to raise the profile of Museums and Galleries Month across the UK. Central to this is a commitment through MLA’s Renaissance in the Regions programme, which encourages regional museum hubs to create special promotions and events for MGM. There are also new initiatives in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland making this a truly UK wide promotion.

Loyd Grossman, Co-Chair of Museums and Galleries Month says, "Museums and Galleries Month takes a great leap forward this year towards a Bigger and Better MGM, thanks to a longer term funding commitment and enthusiastic support from museums, galleries and heritage attractions. Museums and galleries make a huge contribution to our enjoyment, education and the economy. MGM is a great opportunity for us all to focus on that rich heritage often on our own doorstep”

MGM Highlights across the UK

*Welcome Weekend 29 April/1 May with a personal welcome for visitors and ShowScotland in Scotland.

*Museums at Night (Nuit des Musees) Saturday 20 May – this French initiative encourages museums and galleries across Europe.

*Focus on Art 19th and 20th May special events broadening the understanding of contemporary art working with VAGA, the Arts Council of England and engage.

*Museum debates with high profile chairmen, James Naughtie, Dan Snow, Gillian Reynolds at The Wallace Collection (15 May), National Portrait Gallery (18 May) and Museum of London (22 May), supported by Blackwall Green.

*The People’s Museum, produced by Reef TV for BBC2, launching on 15 May with Hidden Treasure Trails on the 24 Hour Museum supported by the Foyle Foundation.

Regional and National Initiatives

MLA’s Renaissance in the Regions is delivered by a network of regional hubs who are supporting Museums and Galleries Month. Examples of key events and initiatives taking place around the country include:

East Midlands – launch of museumaker. Nineteen museums in this ambitious partnership programme will develop new relationships, new work and new audiences for contemporary craft and museum collections.

London – eleven Discover London Trails on the 24 Hour Museum with maps and descriptions in pdf format and later with additional audio guides narrated by celebrities, supported by the Mayor of London.

North West - joint promotion across the region to involve visitors the objects on display.

South East - regional promotion to support all museums and galleries across the region.

Yorkshire – schools promotion encouraging children to bring their parents. North East - the publication of a Regional Event Guide with a passport – and a prize for those who collect “visits” across the region.

South West - a major promotional campaign using radio advertising and leaflets across the region.

West Midlands, - the In the Footsteps of Giants Festival – a new event from 27 May – 4 June, celebrating the giants of the industrial revolution. East of England - a big Welcome Weekend across the region.

Wales – The Welsh Assembly government has invested in bilingual MGM print and posters and is launching MGM on 27 April in Llandudno. Show Scotland 06 is taking place from 28 April – 1 May with 100 special events in 50 Scottish museums and galleries.

Northern Ireland – special events across the province supported by a grants programme from the Northern Ireland Museums Council.

MGM is a partnership

This year, The Campaign for Museums welcomes support from Borders Bookstores for Museums and Galleries Month with a range of museum-related books on display in all their stores, and museums competitions in Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford, London and Bristol.

The Campaign for Museums works closely with the 24 Hour Museum (which it originally created with the MDA in 1999). The 24 Hour Museum is the UK’s national virtual museum and leading cultural website with some 400,000 unique visitors a month. During May, the 24 Hour Museum will be the “front page” for the MGM website (www.mgm.org.uk) to encourage more people to enjoy Museums and Galleries Month events.

Museums and Galleries Month is organised by Ylva French, Executive Director, The Campaign for Museums supported by a Working Group and Strategy Group, chaired by Virginia Tandy, Co-Chair of MGM 2006. The two groups include representatives from arts and museums organisations across the UK.

For further information (press), please contact: Victoria Harris, Nicola Dodd or Truda Spruyt, Colman Getty PR: 020 7631 2666; email firstname@colmangettypr.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

1. Events: information is now being entered on the MGM website, www.mgm.org.uk, and the growing list of events can be accessed by the public through this website or the related www.24hourmuseum.org.uk.

2. Museums and Galleries Month is organised by The Campaign for Museums, a registered charity, with support from Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) through the Renaissance in the Regions programme and Arts Council England. MGM is also supported by Borders, the 24 Hour Museum and museums, galleries and arts organisations throughout the UK.

3. Loyd Grossman, Chairman, The Campaign for Museums, and Virginia Tandy, Director Manchester Art Galleries, are Co-Chairs of MGM2006.

4. Renaissance in the Regions is MLA's £150 million programme to transform regional museums. For the first time ever, investment from central government is helping regional museums across the country to raise their standards and deliver real results in support of education, learning, community development and economic regeneration. (www.mla.gov.uk).

5. The 24 Hour Museum www.24hourmuseum.org.uk is the UK’s National Virtual Museum and is a comprehensive online guide to the UK’s museums, libraries, archives, galleries and heritage sites.

6. Show Scotland, 28 April – 1 May, is organised by the Scottish Museums Council.
More information about Show Scotland