Cambridge Future Museum Voices is an innovative outreach initiative from Clare College, Cambridge, and the University Museum of Zoology 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 Museum of Zoology and Kettle's Yard 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, 19 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 here.

The programme grew in 2024 to include 29 participants. Their exhibition, Trodden Earth, opened on 28 September 2024 at the Museum of Zoology and Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. It runs until the end of 2024. Read more about Trodden Earth here.

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 Isaac Newton Trust Widening Participation and Induction Fund. We express our thanks to the Isaac Newton Trust for their support of this initiative.

Essential criteria

Cambridge Future Museum Voices is open to young people who meet all of 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, such as AAA in Scottish Highers/Advanced Highers, or 42 points with 776 at HL in the IB)

If you have not taken any of the qualifications listed above, for instance because you completed some of your schooling overseas or because you have been home-schooled, please contact Libby (Outreach & Admissions Officer) at schoolsliaison@clare.cam.ac.uk, who will provide you with a modified application form.

A Level/equivalent subject criteria

The programme will appeal to students interested in the climate crisis, environmental change, biodiversity, and the natural world. There are no subject criteria; we welcome students taking any subject combination at A Level/Advanced Highers/IB. The 2025 programme introduces the broad theme of 'Art and Nature' and we encourage students interested in this theme to apply.

Past participants have gone onto university study in Biology, Geography, History, Medicine, Natural Sciences, and Politics, among various other courses.

Selection for the Programme

If the programme is oversubscribed, we will prioritise students according:

• The Widening Participation criteria listed here
• The strength of students' statements of interest, submitted in the application form

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 (Clare College), Roz Wade (Museum of Zoology), and Ed Turner (Clare College), working closely with colleagues at Clare and at the museums and collections of Cambridge. 

If you have checked you are eligible using the criteria above, and would like to take part in this programme, please apply using the link below.

Applications close at 5pm on Friday 7 February 2025. We will communicate the outcome of your application by Monday 16th February.