Eleven national museums are to share grants totalling £2.5m for children’s education programmes and community projects to be delivered in partnership with museums throughout the UK.

The grants are being funded jointly by the Culture and Education Departments and vary from £50,000 to the British Library for its Texts in Context project, to £350,000 to both the National Maritime Museum for Slavery, Society and Port Cities and the Victoria & Albert Museum for Image & Identity.

Other institutions to benefit are the British Museum, The Story of Money; the Imperial War Museum, Moving Minds and Partners in Time; The National Gallery/Tyne & Wear Museums, Take one Picture; the National Portrait Gallery, People, Places & Portraits; the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, Engaging Refugees and Asylum Seekers; the National Museum of Science & Industry, Animation! and The Creative Canal Partnership; and the Tate Gallery for an existing scheme to produce educational resources centred on displays from the gallery’s collection.

Arts minister, Estelle Morris, said: "It is so important that everyone, no matter where they live or what their background, can enjoy and experience their cultural heritage. This will also enable our national and regional museums to work together and share their expertise." Details: www.culture.gov.uk