A new study is being launched that will examine the uses of popular music collections across museums in the UK, the findings of which will support the development of future policies.

Researchers at the University of Liverpool will kick off the study with a nationwide survey of popular music collections and exhibitions, ranging from fashion and printed material to sound recordings and oral histories.

Curators at National Museums Liverpool and the interactive British Music Experience at The O2 have all signed up to take part in the project. They will also be joined by curators at the V&A Museum, which has recently opened theatre and performance galleries that feature the UK's national collection of live performance material.

Researchers will work with these different curators to record the diverse views, approaches and techniques used to display music collections, as well as showcase how music collections can be used effectively in interpretations of culture and society.

The study will also build on earlier research into Liverpool’s musical heritage for The Beat Goes On exhibition at the city’s World Museum last year, which attracted more than half a million visitors.

While conducting the research, lead curator Dr Marion Leonard from the Institute of Popular Music at the University of Liverpool found that most popular music collections are in private hands and not being preserved in the UK’s museums and archives for the whole world to enjoy. This new study will review how this musical heritage is being collected and used.

Dr Leonard said: "Popular music and its historical significance has been under-represented in museum displays, so this new study will be important in understanding what collections already exist and how they can be interpreted for public viewing.

"Our study will identify the way music collections have been used across the UK and how we can develop exhibitions in the future so that there is a better understanding of the role popular music has in culture."

The study is being funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council's Beyond Text programme.

Related Articles:

First exhibit journeys into Museum of Liverpool
A 20-tonne, 118-year-old carriage has become the first of 6,000 items to move to the new Museum of Liverpool.

Musical Museum to reopen in Brentford
After more than 40 years as an important feature of Brentford life, the world famous Musical Museum is about to re-open in its new purpose-built home at 399 Brentford High Street.