Venues, deadlines and costs

We can help you turn an initial idea into a collaboration with University Collections and Museums. We encourage you to submit a note of interest even if you think your idea is not ready. 

There is a range of options for collaborations looking to engage the public with research:

  • Exhibition at the Wardlaw Museum with a full programme of events
  • Research Studio display, experiment or interaction
  • Event or events programme at the Wardlaw Museum, Bell Pettigrew Museum or Martyrs Kirk
  • Digital project

Albany Gallery

The Albany Gallery in the Wardlaw Museum is where major exhibitions take place. These are an excellent opportunity to investigate and share research ideas with a public audience.

Recent collaborative exhibitions have tackled a range of different topics, from what makes us human, to Iranian culture, peatlands, and exoplanets.

If your project is suitable for an exhibition, you’ll be asked to submit a second stage exhibition proposal, which we can help you develop. Proposal approval is not guaranteed. If we decline your proposal, we’ll tell you why and suggest alternative approaches and partners.

  • Deadline: 2 years in advance. Work starts 18 months before the opening date, including marketing planning.
  • Typical cost: £40,000 to £60,000 to deliver an exhibition in the Albany Gallery. We will cover the costs for standard exhibition development, design and build, working with partners to leverage external funds to supplement this.

Research Studio

The Research Studio is a flexible space in the Wardlaw Museum, for curiosity and conversation, inspired by the spirit of enquiry that is at the heart of University research and teaching. We encourage experimentation, prototyping, creativity and the development of new ideas. Some exhibitions will begin their development in this space.

This option is a lighter commitment that involves creating a small display or conceiving an experimental approach.

  • Deadline: Bookings are not accepted more than a year in advance, so there is usually good availability.
  • Typical cost: £500 to £1000 for an installation in the Research Studio. For example, for printed materials or room graphics. You will usually be expected to cover all costs.