The Shared Island GLAM Programme is a five-year all-island initiative led by the Heritage Council and delivered in partnership with the Irish Museums Association.
The GLAM Programme forms part of the Heritage Council’s wider programme of Shared Island initiatives, which also includes the Shared Island Heritage Networks Programme and an annual all-island conference for heritage professionals.
The programme comprises five strands. Further information on each strand is provided below.
GLAM Project Funding
A collaborative project funding strand designed to support eligible GLAM organisations in Ireland and Northern Ireland to develop and test new ideas and approaches to public engagement, co-creation and all-island collaboration.
The funding aims to support innovative partnership projects that strengthen relationships across the GLAM sector and encourage new ways of engaging communities with shared cultural heritage.
Projects supported through the strand may include prototype exhibitions, oral history or community collecting projects, digital storytelling initiatives, collaborative curatorial experiments and other forms of public-facing cultural heritage activity connected to collections.
Applications for the pilot funding round open on 20 July 2026.
Full details of the funding opportunity, including eligibility criteria and the application process, are set out in the applicant information booklet below.
Training and Workshops
A programme of training, workshops and shared learning opportunities designed to support professional development, capacity building and knowledge-sharing across the GLAM sector. The strand will address a range of topics and transferable skills, including inclusive curating, conflict sensitivity, colonial legacies and community engagement, alongside other practical and professional topics relevant to the sector.
Delivered through a mixture of in-person and online events across Ireland and Northern Ireland, the strand will also support the joint development of tools and resources, and provide regular networking opportunities for practitioners in galleries, libraries, archives and museums, helping to support a more connected GLAM sector across the island.
This programme strand is currently in development. Further details will be announced in due course.
Mentorship and exchanges
A programme of mentorship, exchange and peer-learning opportunities designed to strengthen relationships and knowledge-sharing across the GLAM sector. Through thematic study visits, short shadowing placements and annual professional exchange events, participants will be encouraged to step outside their own organisational context and learn directly from the practices and experiences of others.
The strand aims to support stronger all-island and cross-sector connections, encourage greater understanding of common issues and challenges, and help break down organisational, structural and geographical barriers across the GLAM sector in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
This programme strand is currently in development. Further details will be announced in due course.
GLAM Fellowship Programme
A fellowship programme intended to support leadership development and longer-term professional exchange within the GLAM sector. The strand is intended to include fellowship placements and secondment opportunities that support participants to develop and embed transferable approaches that can be adopted by institutions beyond placements. The fellowship strand is currently in an early stage of development, with further details to be agreed as the wider programme evolves.
This programme strand is currently in development. Further details will be announced in due course.
GLAM Awards
An annual awards initiative, beginning in 2027, which will recognise and celebrate excellence, innovation and collaboration across the GLAM sector. The awards will shine a light on strong and innovative practice and create a focal point for the wider Shared Island GLAM Programme. It is intended that the awards will help raise the profile of the sector, encourage professional development and participation, and strengthen visibility of the valuable work taking place across galleries, libraries, archives and museums in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
This programme strand is currently in development. Further details will be announced in due course.