Families at the Centre: Art Fund’s Commitment to Welcoming and Inspiring Experiences for Families
In this article, Art Fund share why creating welcoming spaces for families is so important, and how they help museums and galleries support meaningful family experiences.
From their Mini Wonders research and development programme, to the National Art Pass membership scheme, to Kids Aloud, a UK-wide initiative that champions child-friendly museum experiences, Art Fund is committed to putting families at the centre of their work to connect museums, people and art.
Museums and galleries are vibrant spaces that help shape the way people learn, think, and connect.
For Art Fund, supporting these spaces goes beyond the funding we provide to help them enrich their collections. We also work to connect museums and people with great art and culture, and this means we’re committed to helping them engage families.
By helping museums and galleries better understand, welcome, and inspire families, we hope to help shape an inclusive, accessible, and sustainable museum sector.
Families are a vital audience for the long-term success of museums and galleries. We’d like for children to connect with museums to become lifelong participants, supporters, and advocates for them. However, some families still perceive museums as formal, quiet spaces meant for adults, places where children may feel out of place, or where parents are anxious about causing disruption. Art Fund is working actively to break down these barriers.
Mini Wonders
Mini Wonders, our research and development programme, is designed to support the emotional and social development of young children through weekly sessions held in museum spaces. Over the course of two years, participating museums explore new ways to engage young children and their caregivers. These sessions help families build confidence and develop communication skills. Yet their impact goes beyond childhood development. By welcoming young families through consistent, meaningful programming, museums strengthen their roles as central to communities.
National Art Pass
We also play a strategic role in making museums more accessible for families through our membership scheme, the National Art Pass.
With over 142,000 members, the National Art Pass offers families reduced-price entry and encourages them to explore a wide range of museums and galleries together. This incentive helps remove financial barriers, which can often deter families from visiting. Art Fund works directly with museums to promote their programming and events to family audiences.
In response to the needs of parents and children, we introduced Plus Kids, an add-on to the National Art Pass that extends membership benefits to children under 16.
Kids Aloud
Beyond membership benefits and programmes, we advocate for the societal importance of museums across the UK, highlighting how cultural spaces help families connect.
To further challenge misconceptions about who museums are “for,” Art Fund created Kids Aloud: a UK-wide initiative that champions child-friendly museum experiences. For two years, Kids Aloud has encouraged museums to host ‘loud’ hours or sessions where children are free to express themselves. These sessions are designed to reassure parents that they do not need to worry about their children being disruptive; instead, they are encouraged to participate fully and joyfully.
Kids Aloud demonstrates that museums and galleries can be places of creativity, movement, and interaction, not just quiet observation. It helps families feel not simply allowed but welcomed. By empowering museums to publicly show that children are valued visitors, Kids Aloud helps change public perceptions of these cultural institutions. It demonstrates that museums are not just for certain age groups, interests, or social backgrounds: they are for everyone.
This work with family audiences is integral to Art Fund’s strategy because family engagement is not a niche audience, it is central to building sustainable, resilient, and relevant museums. Engaged families are repeat visitors. They support museums financially through memberships, donations, and participation. They advocate for culture in schools, communities, and online spaces. They help shape the next generation.
About Art Fund
Art Fund is the national charity for UK museums, galleries and historic houses. For over 120 years, Art Fund has helped museums and galleries across the UK to develop and share collections, invest in people and expertise, and grow audiences.
We are delighted to welcome Art Fund as a sponsor of Family Arts Conference 2026: Changemakers and Storytellers. Through initiatives like Mini Wonders, the National Art Pass, and Kids Aloud, Art Fund demonstrates its commitment to putting families at the heart of culture, creating welcoming, inclusive experiences that inspire children and caregivers alike.
Join us at the 2026 Family Arts Conference to explore how creative experiences can inspire, welcome, and connect families- book your ticket today and be part of the conversation.
Image credits:
Banner – National Museums Liverpool/ Gareth Jones
Image 1 – The Bluecoat/ Brian Roberts
Image 2 – Firstsite/ Jane Lloyd
Image 3 – Estorick Collection
Image 4 – National Museums Liverpool/ Gareth Jones
13 January 2026
