World Collections Programme

The World Collections Programme (WCP) was formed in 2008 to establish two-way partnerships with institutions in Asia and Africa, and increase their access to UK collections and expertise.

Priority regions for cultural exchange

  • Africa
  • The Middle East
 
  • India
  • China
WCP map of activity across the world 

Participating UK institutions

  • British Museum
  • British Library
  • Natural History Museum
  • Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew)
  • Tate
  • Victoria and Albert Museum
 

Although DCMS funding for the programme ended in April 2011, the network continues to enable greater coordination of international activities outside of Europe between the six members. Chaired by British Museum Director Neil MacGregor, the programme also draws on international partnerships through DCMS, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, BBC World Service, British Council and other UK bodies.

Funding and previous activities

Between April 2008 and April 2011 the WCP received funding from DCMS of £1 million per year. This funding allowed a wide range of activities and programmes to take place, as detailed below.

WCP activities

  • Developing new relationships
  • Digitisation of the Collections enabling wider electronic access
  • Professional development, training, skill sharing and staff exchange
  • Non-English language access to the Collections (online, radio etc)
  • Public programme connected to exhibitions
  • Overseas exhibitions and loans
  • Join research and conservation opportunities

WCP projects

Find out about the different World Collections Programme projects:

Show all Africa projects

African Digital Plants Resources
Digital record of African plant specimen

African Sound Archives
Giving the public access to African sounds in the British Library and Kenyan National Archives

Conservation Training
A three week training programme based at the British Museum.

Develop a partnership with the Institute of Ethiopian Studies
Greater access to UK-based Ethiopian collections

National Museum, Addis Ababa
Gallery management, exhibition display and textile conservation training

National Museums Kenya
Partnership project with National Museums Kenya

Money in Africa
Developing links between numismatic collections in the UK and Africa

Show all Middle East projects

Digital photograph exhibition, Kabul
Exhibition of digital copies of photographic images held in the archives of the six partner institutions

Jameel Prize 2009 exhibition tour
Exhibition of work by nine artists exploring Islamic artistic tradition and contemporary practice

Middle Eastern Contemporary Art
Building relationships between UK partners and artists and contemporary art institutions across the Middle East

Museum Management Seminar, Damascus
4-day seminar between the WCP partners and curators from Syria, Jordan and Palestine

World Ceramics exhibition
The Victoria and Albert Museum touring exhibition travels to Damascus and Istanbul

Show all India projects

British Library in India
Digitisation of records and relationship building

Indian Life and Landscapes
A V&A-led touring exhibition to CSMVS Mumbai and the Mehrangarh Fort, Jodphur

Mewar Ramayana manuscripts
Digitally reuniting the manuscripts

Natural History Museum and the National Natural History Museum, New Delhi
Initial development of a partnership between these two organisations

Numismatic Collections
Strengthening ties between British collections and specialists in India, Pakistan and elsewhere

Partnership with Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai
Two exhibition collaborations between the V&A and the Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai

Partnership with the Salar Jung Museum
A V&A-led staff exchange to develop a partnership focused on joint exhibitions and conservation projects

Touring exhibition, Sri Lanka
Travelling exhibition featuring digital copies of manuscripts, archives, prints, drawings and photographs

Wallich and Indian natural history
Putting the Wallich botanical collections, watercolour drawings and correspondence online

Whose Landscape is it Anyway?
Debate about the issues surrounding conservation and economic development in South Asia

Show all China projects

Chinese Digital Plant Resources Project

International Dunhuang Project Internships
Internships for colleagues from Indian and Chinese institutions to work with the project

Natural History Museum and the Geological Museum of China, Beijing
Initial development of a partnership between these two organisations

Qianlong inscription workshop
Workshop for curators and researchers focused on inscriptions ordered by the Qianlong Emperor

RBG Kew and China Seed Bank
Partnership project between RBG Kew and the Chinese Academy of Sciences 

Multi-country projects

International Training Programme

Annual UK-based British Museum-led 6-week training programme for 24 international curators, artists and museum professionals to work with specialist staff at the World Collections Programme institutions and also develop skills in the basics of museum management. The World Collections Programme has provided funding for the 2008 and forthcoming 2009 training programmes.

This project also involves:

  • Tyne and Wear Museums
  • Lincoln - The Collection
  • Manchester Museum 
  • Whitworth Art Gallery
  • Glasgow Museums
  • Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery
  • National Museum of Wales, Cardiff

The World Collections Programme also funded shorter staff exchange and research visits to the UK.
More about staff visits to the UK

Developing multi-lingual access to the collections

The World Collections Programme provided funding to develop access to the collections in languages other than English.