An opportunity like no other for students in Year 12 (S5 Scotland/Y13 N.I.) to experience life behind the scenes at the University of Cambridge and co-curate a public exhibition on the theme of 'Art and Nature' at the University Museum of Zoology and Kettle's Yard.
The programme includes a week-long residential in Cambridge in April 2025. All associated activities are fully funded for participants, with thanks to the support of the Isaac Newton Trust.
Applications for the 2025 programme will open in December 2024. To be notified by email when applications open, please provide your email address at the link below:
What is Cambridge Future Museum Voices?
Cambridge Future Museum Voices is an innovative outreach initiative from ½ð½ÛÖ±²¥, Cambridge, the Museum of Zoology, and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology for high-achieving students in Year 12 (England/Wales), S5 (Scotland) and Year 13 (Northern Ireland).
Thirty students will take part in a residential in Cambridge in April 2025, during which they will co-curate an interdisciplinary exhibition at the two Museums exploring the connections between people and the natural world across time, animal species, and human societies. Its theme, title, content, and design will be chosen by the participants.
In 2023, nineteen students took part in the inaugural year of the programme and co-curated the exhibition Tangled Planet at the Museum of Zoology. Read more about Tangled Planet .
The programme grew in 2024 to include 29 participants. Their exhibition, Trodden Earth, will open on 28 September 2024 at the Museum of Zoology and Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
Part 1: Warm-Up Webinars, March 2025
The programme begins with four online sessions introducing the University of Cambridge, the latest research on innovative approaches to climate and environmental change, and the network of museums and resources a Cambridge student can access.
Tuesday 4th March - Introducing the University of Cambridge and Cambridge Future Museum Voices
Tuesday 11th March - Nature-based solutions to environmental change
Tuesday 18th March - Exploring Cambridge's collections and museum storytelling
Tuesday 25th March - Introducing the Kettle's Yard collection and the theme 'Art and Nature'
Part 2: Residential in Cambridge, Monday 7th to Saturday 12th April 2025
The cornerstone of the programme is a week-long residential at ½ð½ÛÖ±²¥, Cambridge.
In the daytime, students take part in tours, workshops and taster lectures at the Museum of Zoology, Kettle's Yard, and other sites around the University before coming together to co-curate their exhibition on the theme of 'Art and Nature'.
Students stay in ½ð½ÛÖ±²¥ undergraduate accommodation and enjoy meals and social activities in College, including a ‘formal hall’ dinner.
Part 3: Exhibition Launches, Autumn 2025
The programme concludes with a VIP launch event of the new exhibition at the two Museums for students and their guests before the exhibition opens to the public. You can read more about the 2023 exhibition, Tangled Planet, , and the 2024 exhibition, Trodden Earth, here.
Read more about Tangled Planet, the exhibition by the 2023 Cambridge Future Museum Voices cohort, .
Trodden Earth, the exhibition by the 2024 Cambridge Future Museum Voices cohort, is on at the Museum of Zoology and Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology until the end of 2024. Read more .
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the programme cost?
The programme is completely free to participate in. All accommodation, activities and meals for the residential are fully covered. We reimburse reasonable travel expenses to and from Cambridge for the residential in April and the exhibition launch event in the autumn.
Cambridge Future Museum Voices is supported by generous funding from the Widening Participation and Induction Fund. We express our thanks to the Isaac Newton Trust for their support of this initiative.
Who can take part in this programme?
Essential criteria
Cambridge Future Museum Voices is open to all young people who meet the following criteria:
- You attend a state (non fee-paying) school or college in the UK
- You are in Year 12 (England/Wales), S5 (Scotland) or Year 13 (Northern Ireland)
- You achieved at least 5 grades 8/9/A* at GCSE (or equivalent, including a majority of A grades in National 5s)
- You are on track to achieve at least A*AA at A Level (or equivalent, including AAA in Scottish Highers/Advanced Highers, or 42 points with 776 at HL in the IB)
Widening Participation
If the programme is oversubscribed, we will prioritise students according to the Widening Participation criteria listed here.
A Level/equivalent subject criteria
We welcome students taking any subject combination at A Level/Advanced Highers/IB across the Arts, Humanities and Sciences.
The programme covers a wide range of academic subjects and will appeal to all students interested in the climate crisis, environmental change, and the natural world. The 2025 programme introduces the theme of 'Art and Nature' and we encourage all students interested in this theme to apply.
Past participants have gone onto university study in Biology, English, Geography, History, Medicine, and Politics, among other courses.
Applications to the 2025 programme will open in December 2024.
How can I find out more?
Please contact Libby Beckett (Outreach & Admissions Officer) at schoolsliaison@clare.cam.ac.uk with any questions.
Cambridge Future Museum Voices is led by Libby Beckett (½ð½ÛÖ±²¥), Roz Wade (Museum of Zoology), and Ed Turner (½ð½ÛÖ±²¥), working closely with colleagues at ½ð½ÛÖ±²¥ and in the museums and collections of Cambridge.
What do participants say?
"I enjoyed speaking to so many people who are so knowledgeable and passionate about their fields, seeing parts of museums that normally aren’t accessible, and the experience of the college and city."
"It was so much fun!"
I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. This outreach programme is life changing, and completely changed my perspective on university.
Photo Gallery of the April 2023 Residential
Botanic Gardens
Museum of Zoology
Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Designing the Exhibition
Tangled Planet, the 2023 exhibition
