Museum scheme to support early child development launches

Museums across the UK will work on ways to use culture to support children in their early years as part of a £1m pilot programme.

Funded by Art Fund, the national charity for art, and Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency for social good, Mini Wonders – the Early Years Innovation in Museums programme aims to support early child development and enhance parent-child interactions.

Designed for children aged between two and four-year-old, the funders say the programme will "blend creativity with well-evidenced messages and strategies to support parents with their children’s social-emotional development".

The ambition is that the research and development process will create an evidence base that will allow the work to be scaled up across the UK.

Jenny Waldman, Director of Art Fund, said: “Museums are inspiring places for children and their families in every part of the UK.

"This exciting project combines the skills and expertise of Art Fund and Nesta, along with eight museums and galleries across the UK, to harness their amazing spaces and collections in a programme designed to break down barriers to opportunity. Together, we will design a way of working that will have real impact where it’s most needed.

“The importance of foundational early-years experiences is crucial to giving the next generation the skills and experience to thrive. This programme and the recent Art Fund Museum of the Year winner, Young V&A, show how a museum can be an agent of change and inspiration to the next generation.”

Ravi Gurumurthy, Chief Executive of Nesta, said: “We are really pleased to be working with Art Fund and these eight amazing museums and galleries from across the UK on this programme.

"The environment and experiences of early childhood shape our brains and bodies, creating the building blocks of our physical, emotional and cognitive skills – but not every child gets what they need to develop during their earliest years."

Museums taking part in the programme are: Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales; Great North Museum: Hancock; Leeds Museums & Galleries; Mansfield Museum; National Galleries of Scotland; Norfolk Museums Service; Tate Britain; and Ulster Museum.