Funding, Income Generation & Collaboration

Our primary funders are:

• Sheffield City Council
• Arts Council England

Thanks to their continued support, we’re able to provide amazing experiences for the people of Sheffield and beyond.

We're also grateful to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for their support throughout the pandemic via the Culture Recovery Fund #HereForCulture.

Much of our work is also supported by a wide range of trusts, foundations and funding bodies. In 2022/23, these include:

• Ampersand Foundation
• John Ellerman Foundation
• J G Graves Charitable Trust
• The Guild of St George

Being a Friend is a special way to give back. Through their membership, our Friends support all aspects of our work, from conserving works in the collection to providing free events and activities for families.

Our Friends Circle are closest supporters. In 2022/23, these include:

• John Biggin
• Victoria Brown
• Peter Burridge
• John Cowling
• Mike Day
• The Duke of Devonshire
• Anne Hill
• Christine Green
• Caroline Krzesinska
• Sandra Newton
• Mel Pretious
• Roger Purkiss
• Vicky Seddon
• Adrian Stone
• Linda Tonner
• Peter Willett

Find out more about joining Sheffield Museums’ Friends or Friends Circle here

Every pound you’re able to give helps care for the city’s remarkable collections, brings outstanding cultural experiences to Sheffield and ensures your museums are free and open for everyone to enjoy.

Donate today here

From hosting weddings to our shops and cafes, we generate vital income to support the city’s museums through a range of commercial activity.

Find out more here

Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. We work closely with many organisations, individuals and our communities. In 2022/23, these include:

The V&A
The city has had a strategic partnership with the Victoria & Albert Museum since 1999. It has enabled the people of Sheffield to enjoy high quality collections and exhibitions and the trust has benefitted from curatorial advice and professional expertise through talks, secondments, trustee involvement and training.

From 2018-2021 we partnered with the V&A on Phase 1 of their national secondary school programme, DesignLab Nation which saw young people from across Sheffield using the collections to explore a range of design challenges as part of their development.

We are delighted that the 2022-23 programme DesignLab Sheffield is generously supported by Charles Turner of Durham Duplex, with support from the V&A.

The Guild of St George
The Guild of St George’s Ruskin Collection celebrates the visionary ideas of the Victorian artist and writer, John Ruskin. Sheffield Museums works closely with the Guild through its stewardship of the collection.

The Ken Hawley Collection Trust
The Ken Hawley Tool Collection is stored and displayed at Kelham Island Museum. The trust is working with the Hawley Trust to maximise opportunities to collect, display and engage with this aspect of the city’s heritage.

We work with organisations and individuals on our wide range of projects.

National Portrait Gallery
Our strong relationship with the National Portrait Gallery continued in 2022 project with Creative Connections, delivered in collaboration with artist Conor Rogers and students from Sheffield Park Academy. The resulting exhibition, Creative Connections Sheffield opened in June 2022 and included works from the national and Sheffield’s collection, alongside work created by Conor and the students.

Sheffield Assay Office
In 2022 we celebrated 20 years of the commissioning programme Precious Little Gems with a new display in collaboration with Sheffield Assay Office. We are working together to mark the 250th anniversary of the company in 2023.

ArtWorks
ArtWorks challenge people’s perceptions of learning disabilities and autism through celebrating the creativity and ambition of the artists they work with. Over 80 artists contributed to the design for a new vinyl window installation, Bubbles at the Millennium Gallery, which opened in June 2022.

Sheffield Culture Consortium
Our membership of the Sheffield Culture Consortium continues to be of strategic importance as we seek to position culture as a key component in the city’s recovery and development. We work alongside colleagues at Sheffield Theatres, Site Gallery, The Showroom, Doc/Fest, Yorkshire Artspace, Music in the Round and the Universities, to develop the Consortium’s role and deliver on its strategic objectives. The Consortium was key to the delivery of Covid recovery funding for the city’s freelance creative practitioners. The Trust continues to administer the Sheffield Culture Consortium Visual Art Newsletter.

Sheffield Culture Collective
We are a founding member of the Sheffield Culture Collective. The Collective works together to develop a strategy that will place culture at the heart of a strong, vibrant and inclusive city and as a key component in city centre development, the visitor economy, the Local Industrial Strategy and the Strategic Economic Plan for the city region – including Covid-19 recovery strategies.

South Yorkshire Museums
We meet regularly with our regional peers in Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham and discusses opportunities to share learning and resources as well as connecting planning.