This summer, one of Britain’s most unusual museums is arriving not through grand architecture or the doors of a permanent institution, but on wheels.
The Art Explora Mobile Museum has launched its 2026 tour in collaboration with the Government Art Collection, bringing artworks from the national collection directly into communities across the South West and North West of England. Running from Plymouth to Preston, the tour seeks to rethink how art is experienced and who has access to it.
The touring exhibition, Shaped by the Sea, explores the complex relationship between Britain and the sea. Bringing together works from the Government Art Collection, the exhibition spans centuries of artistic practice, from eighteenth- and nineteenth-century paintings by J.M.W. Turner and Thomas Luny to contemporary works by Lubaina Himid, Zineb Sedira, EVEWRIGHT and Anya Gallaccio. Through themes of trade, migration, empire, identity and climate change, the exhibition examines how maritime histories continue to shape contemporary Britain.
Joseph Mallord William Turner, Teignmouth, published 1827. Coloured aquatint, 37 x 47.7 cm. Image: UK Government Art Collection
The project is the result of a partnership between Art Explora, the international arts access charity, and the Government Art Collection, which manages more than 15,000 artworks displayed in government buildings and diplomatic missions around the world. While the collection has long served as a cultural ambassador for Britain internationally, recent years have seen a growing emphasis on public engagement and community outreach.
Speaking at the launch event in Plymouth, Museums Minister Baroness Twycross described the initiative as an example of the government’s vision of “Arts Everywhere” in action.
“For too long, people haven’t experienced great art because of where they live,” she said. “Great art should be for everyone, not just those who live near a gallery.”
Baroness Twycross speaks at the launch event of Art Explora Mobile Museum’s ‘Shaped by the Sea’ exhibition. Photo/ Ben Birchall, PA Media Assignments
The Mobile Museum directly addresses one of the most persistent challenges facing the cultural sector. Research consistently identifies distance, transport costs and limited school resources as significant barriers to museum visits. By bringing artworks into schools, public squares and community spaces, the project seeks to remove those obstacles and create new opportunities for engagement.
What distinguishes the Mobile Museum is that it functions not simply as a travelling exhibition space, but as a mobile learning environment. Speaking at the launch, Jemima Montagu, Director of Art Explora UK, explained that each day the museum welcomes approximately four school classes. Given the scale of the exhibition space, pupils are divided into smaller groups, with around fifteen children visiting the exhibition at a time while others participate in artist-led workshops outside. Guided tours are paired with creative activities, encouraging participants to actively engage with the artworks and themes presented.
Jemima Montagu, Director of Art Explora UK, speaks at the launch event of Art Explora Mobile Museum’s ‘Shaped by the Sea’ exhibition. Photo/ Ben Birchall, PA Media Assignments
The programme extends beyond schools. SEND groups, care home residents, community organisations and local families are also invited to participate. Open public hours allow visitors to explore the exhibition free of charge. Importantly, Art Explora carefully selects locations within walking distance of multiple schools and community hubs, reducing logistical barriers that often prevent participation.
This practical approach has already demonstrated remarkable success. During pilot programmes delivered with Tate between 2023 and 2024, the Mobile Museum visited 23 locations, worked with 68 schools and welcomed nearly 13,000 visitors. Feedback from teachers and families highlighted the value of bringing cultural experiences directly into local communities. For many children, these visits represented their first encounter with an art exhibition.
“We want to create memorable first encounters with art,” Montagu explained. “The goal is not only to bring art to communities, but to spark curiosity and encourage people to continue exploring culture long after the Mobile Museum has moved on.”
The Government Art Collection sees the project as part of a broader commitment to public engagement. Speaking at the launch, Director Eliza Gluckman emphasised the institution’s expanding role in community engagement, skills development and creative exchange across the UK. The Mobile Museum reflects a growing desire among cultural organisations to move beyond traditional models of display and develop new ways of connecting audiences with national collections.
Director Eliza Gluckman speaks at the launch event of Art Explora Mobile Museum’s ‘Shaped by the Sea’ exhibition. Photo/ Ben Birchall, PA Media Assignments
Alongside the current tour, a purpose-built mobile museum is already in development, set to launch in 2027. Supported by £1.6 million in funding — £800,000 from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, matched by £800,000 from Art Explora, the new museum is being designed by renowned British architect Ab Rogers and constructed by Torton Bodies Ltd in Telford. The vehicle will provide an enhanced exhibition environment while retaining the flexibility to travel directly into communities across the country.
Beyond its educational ambitions, the project raises wider questions about the future of cultural participation. At a time when museums are increasingly exploring how to reach audiences beyond their walls, the Mobile Museum offers a compelling model: one that prioritises access, collaboration and local engagement over physical permanence.
As the Mobile Museum travels across England this summer, it carries more than artworks. It carries a simple but powerful proposition: that culture belongs everywhere, and to everyone.
Bridget Riley, Two Blues, 2003. Screenprint edition 124 of 250, 53 x 54.5 cm. © Bridget Riley, 2026. All rights reserved. Image: UK Government Art Collection
這個夏天，一座美術館沒有固定的地址。它不在城市中心，也不在宏偉的建築之中，而是行駛在英格蘭的公路之上。
由 Art Explora 與英國政府藝術收藏（Government Art Collection）合作推出的流動美術館（Mobile Museum），正式啓動 2026 年巡展項目。從普利茅斯（Plymouth）到普雷斯頓（Preston），這座移動中的展覽空間將國家收藏帶進校園、社區與公共場所，重新思考藝術如何與更廣泛的公眾建立連結。
本次巡展以《海之所塑》（Shaped by the Sea）為題，透過橫跨數個世紀的藝術作品，探討英國與海洋之間深刻而複雜的關係。展覽匯集英國政府藝術收藏的重要館藏，從 J. M. W. Turner 與 Thomas Luny 描繪海岸與港口的經典畫作，到 Lubaina Himid、Zineb Sedira、EVEWRIGHT、Anya Gallaccio及Emma Stibbon等當代藝術家的創作，共同回應貿易航線、人口遷移、帝國歷史、身份認同與氣候變遷等議題，呈現海洋如何持續塑造英國的文化記憶與社會面貌。
這個項目由國際藝術公益組織 Art Explora 與英國政府藝術收藏共同推動。英國政府藝術收藏目前管理超過 15,000 件藝術作品，長期陳列於政府建築及世界各地的外交機構之中，作為英國文化對外交流的重要窗口。近年來，該機構亦積極拓展公共參與項目，希望讓國家收藏不僅服務於外交與公共機構，也能真正走進社區，與更多民眾相遇。
在普利茅斯舉行的發布活動上，英國博物館事務大臣 Baroness Twycross 表示，這個項目正是政府「Arts Everywhere（藝術無所不在）」願景的具體實踐。
她指出，許多人至今仍因居住地而難以接觸優質文化資源，「優秀的藝術不應只屬於住在美術館附近的人，而應屬於每一個人。」
流動美術館的誕生，正是為瞭解決文化參與長期面臨的現實障礙。研究顯示，交通成本、距離以及學校有限的人力與時間，都是阻礙民眾走進美術館的重要因素。透過將藝術作品直接帶進社區、校園與公共空間，流動美術館試圖打破這些限制，讓藝術更貼近日常生活。
值得注意的是，流動美術館並非單純的「移動展覽車」，而是一個結合展示、教育與創作體驗的流動學習空間。
Art Explora 英國區總監 Jemima Montagu 在活動中介紹，每天約有四個班級參與項目。由於車內展覽空間有限，每次僅能容納約十五名學生參觀，因此學童會被分成不同小組，一部分在車內參加導覽，另一部分則於戶外參與創意工作坊。透過展覽參觀與藝術創作並行的方式，鼓勵孩子主動參與，而非只是被動觀看作品。
除了學校團體之外，該項目亦與特殊教育需求（SEND）團體、養老院、社區組織及家庭合作，並設有開放參觀時段，讓公眾自由入場。Art Explora 更特別選擇鄰近學校及社區中心的停靠地點，確保參與門檻降至最低。
事實上，這項模式已在過往試點項目中展現顯著成效。2023 至 2024 年期間，Art Explora 與泰特美術館合作展開英國巡展，走訪 23 個地點，與 68 所學校合作，共接待近 13,000 名參觀者。對許多孩子而言，這也是他們人生中第一次走進藝術展覽，第一次近距離與真實的藝術作品相遇。
「我們希望創造令人難忘的第一次藝術體驗。」Montagu 表示。「我們的目標不只是把藝術帶進社區，更希望透過這些相遇，激發人們持續探索文化的好奇心。」
英國政府藝術收藏則將此項目視為其推動公共參與策略的重要一環。
在發布活動上，館長 Eliza Gluckman 表示，近年來機構的角色正逐漸擴展，不僅肩負對外文化交流的使命，也積極投入社區合作、青年技能發展與創意交流計劃。她認為，流動美術館反映了當代文化機構日益重視公共參與的趨勢，並嘗試突破傳統展示模式，尋找國家收藏與公眾建立連結的新方式。
對英國政府藝術收藏而言，這不僅是一項巡迴展覽項目，更是一場關於國家收藏未來角色的實驗。當藝術作品離開政府建築與外交機構，進入校園、廣場與社區中心時，收藏本身也獲得了新的公共意義。
與此同時，Art Explora 已著手規劃新一代專屬流動美術館，預計於 2027 年正式啟用。該項目獲英國文化媒體與體育部（DCMS）及 Art Explora 共同投入160萬英鎊資金支持，其中80萬英鎊來自英國文化媒體與體育部（DCMS），Art Explora 等額配捐另外80萬英鎊，由英國知名建築師 Ab Rogers 設計，並由位於 Telford 的 Torton Bodies Ltd 負責建造。
新車體將提供更完善的展覽環境與教育設施，同時保留流動性與靈活性，持續將藝術帶進全英國各地社區。
除了教育層面的意義之外，該項目也為當代美術館提出新的思考方向。當愈來愈多文化機構開始探討如何突破實體場館的限制、觸及更廣泛的觀眾時，流動美術館提供了一種值得關注的可能性：以合作、參與及可及性為核心，讓藝術真正走向公眾，而非等待公眾走進藝術殿堂。
隨著《海之所塑》巡迴展於英格蘭各地展開旅程，這座流動中的美術館所承載的不僅是藝術作品，更是一個理念：文化不應受到地理位置的限制，而應屬於每一個人。
而隨著 2027 年全新流動美術館的啟用，這个项目或許也預示著未來文化機構的一種可能：藝術不再被固定於特定場所，而是主動走向公眾，在移動之中創造新的相遇與對話，也重新定義文化與日常生活之間的距離。
MOBILE MUSEUM. © Photo by Rinka Fan. © ART.ZIP
Text by 撰文 x Rinka Fan
