- Renowned British architecture studio Ab Rogers Design appointed to design new mobile museum after international competition
- Artworks from the Government Art Collection will tour the South West and North West of England this summer
- This is the government’s latest step towards ensuring everyone can access arts and culture in the places they call home
The UK’s first permanent mobile museum will hit the road next year, bringing world class art to the doors of people all across the country.
A total of £1.6 million, formed of £800,000 from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and £800,000 matched by arts access charity Art Explora, will be used to build a state-of-the-art vehicle and tour three national collections per year, including the Government Art Collection (GAC). Designed by renowned British architect Ab Rogers, this colourful new vehicle will be the first dedicated mobile museum in the country and is part of the Culture Secretary’s plan to ensure arts are available everywhere for everyone.
From 2027, Art Explora will tour the new mobile museum with three 12-week exhibitions each year. GAC artworks will feature in one exhibition annually, with national and regional partners including Tate, the National Portrait Gallery, Leeds Art Gallery, Birmingham Museums Trust and National Museums Liverpool among other national museums delivering the remaining programme to ensure the widest possible reach across the UK.
The Government Art Collection was established in 1899 and is a national collection of historic, modern and contemporary British art that is displayed in government buildings in the UK and around the world. The works are seen by hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, promoting British art and contributing to cultural diplomacy. Through an extensive public engagement programme, the GAC brings artworks into the heart of communities and works with UK and international partners to support creative exchange and skill development for young people.
Ahead of this, a three month pilot tour will take place in the South West and North West with an existing mobile museum. This will bring a curated selection of works from the collection to communities across England this summer, including many who have never had the chance to experience a national gallery up close.
The exhibition brings together a selection of artworks from the Government Art Collection that explores the sea’s influence on people, places and communities. Through themes of exploration, migration and climate change, the works reflect the many ways the sea has shaped the UK and the wider world.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said
I am determined that great art isn’t just for the few but for everyone, no matter where they live. The Government Art Collection belongs to the whole country, and this tour is an exciting step towards making that a reality.
By taking the collection directly into communities, to parks, schools, libraries and public squares, we’re breaking down the barriers that have kept people from experiencing the art that belongs to everyone. This is what ‘Arts Everywhere’ really means in practice, and I’m proud that we’re making it happen.
The establishment of a permanent mobile museum for the UK builds on the success of two previous Art Explora mobile museum tours, in collaboration with Tate, in 2023 and 2024 across the Midlands and the North.
The mobile museum is currently being built in Telford by Torton Bodies Limited, a leading UK firm, with a striking design by renowned British architect Ab Rogers.
Jemima Montagu, Director, Art Explora, said
There remains a growing gap between those who have access to museums, galleries and arts venues, and those who are left behind. Art Explora is trying to bridge this divide by taking art into the heart of communities and sharing our rich national collections more widely. The new UK Mobile Museum is a stunning piece of design and engineering which will itself be a source of wonder and inspiration wherever it goes. A tardis for the 21st century!
Frédéric Jousset, Founder and Chair of Trustees, Art Explora, said
Art Explora was founded on the belief that art should be accessible to everyone. We now have a growing Mobile Museum fleet in France, which – over 15 years – has proven the value of bringing art from our national collections directly to communities. UK government support for a dedicated UK truck is an important milestone, as we extend access to great art collections further across Europe.
Ab Rogers, Founder and Director, Ab Rogers Design, said
It is not every day you get the opportunity to design a mobile museum. We wanted to capture the feeling of the circus arriving in town, creating an explosive burst of energy and anticipation that contains and nurtures extraordinary, curated collections. More mobile, more vibrant and more alive than any other museum, it’s a project that’s very close to my heart.
The mobile museum is one of the core programmes of Art Explora UK, an arts charity founded in 2021 with a mission to tackle the social, economic and geographic barriers that prevent many people from participating in the arts. The mobile museum addresses these barriers head-on, setting up within walking distance of local schools and community centres in areas identified as having high deprivation and low cultural engagement. Over 36–40 weeks of touring annually, it will visit 40 – 45 locations, reaching 25,000 visitors and serving 130–150 schools each year.
This builds on the Culture Secretary’s commitment of up to £1.5 billion to the cultural sector over this parliament, with the Arts Everywhere Fund aiming to save more than 1,000 cherished arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England to ensure everyone, everywhere has access to the arts on their doorstep.
Notes to editors
- Art Explora’s mission is to expand access to the arts in the UK through innovative touring, digital and creative programmes. They work with artists, communities and cultural organisations to remove barriers to participation and make the arts accessible to all. They champion the power of art to connect people, inspire ideas and enrich lives.
- Ab Rogers is a designer specialising in small spaces and experiential design, known for his use of colour, narrative, and high functionality. Rogers’ work focuses on diverse conceptual approaches to interiors, including the use of dynamic materials, sensation, and movement.
- The Government Art Collection’s exhibition ’Shaped by the Sea’will go on tour on the Art Explora Mobile Museum for 13 weeks, from 15 June to 13 September 2026.
- The mobile museum tour will start in St Budeaux, Plymouth. It will bring historic, modern and contemporary works by British artists from the GAC to communities across the South West and the North West of England. Artists included in the exhibition Roger Ackling, Simon Bayliss, Samuel and Nathaniel Buck,Chila Kumari Singh Burman, Mohini Chandra, EVEWRIGHT, Anya Gallaccio, Lubaina Himid, Tess Jaray, Thomas Luny, Will Maclean, Zethu Maseko, Paul Nash, William Pye, Bridget Riley, Ro Robertson, Zineb Sedira, Emma Stibbon and J. M. W. Turner.
- MuMo (‘Mobile Museum’) was founded by Ingrid Brochard, designed by matali crasset with the support of the Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso.
About Art Explora
Art Explora is a non-profit arts organisation founded in the UK in 2021. Our mission is to tackle the social, economic and geographic barriers that prevent many people from having the opportunity to take part in the arts. We increase access to arts and culture through innovative programming and partnerships, new approaches to engagement and by taking cultural projects into the heart of communities, schools and care settings. We believe in building connections through the arts.
Mobile Museum Design Competition
Jury Chair
- Jemima Montagu (Director, Art Explora UK)
Jury members
- Asif Khan (Architect)
- Frédéric Jousset (Founder, Art Explora)
- Ingrid Brochard (Founder, MuMo)
- Helen Legg (Director, Tate Liverpool)
- Tim Marlow (Director, London Design Museum)
- Ben Evans (Director, London Design Festival)
- Sally Bacon (Consultant — arts and learning)
- Eliza Gluckman (Director, Government Art Collection)
International shortlist
- Ab Rogers Design
- 6A Architects
- Map Project Office (connected to Barber Osgerby)
