Sainsbury Centre's Day Release Films Send Artworks into the World
During the Museum Digital Summit 2026, Beatrice Prutton from the Sainsbury Centre unveiled Day Release, a film series that relocates artworks from the museum to historically significant sites. The inaugural film showcases Francis Bacon's Study for Portrait of P.L., No. 2, brought to the Colony Room Club in Soho, where it plays a pivotal role in a scripted narrative centered on LGBTQIA+ themes. The second installment features Henry Moore's Mother and Child, set in Castleford, Yorkshire, addressing issues of social mobility and caregiving. Established in 1978 and relaunched in 2023, the Sainsbury Centre views artworks as dynamic entities. The scripted films, produced with Meantime Studio and various collaborators, have garnered over one million views, primarily from newcomers to the museum, and received accolades including a nomination for a Heritage in Motion Award. A third film is currently in the works, with aspirations for global outreach.
Key facts
- Day Release is a film series by the Sainsbury Centre that physically transports artworks to locations tied to their history.
- First film: Francis Bacon's Study for Portrait of P.L., No. 2 taken to the Colony Room Club in Soho.
- Second film: Henry Moore's Mother and Child taken to Castleford, Yorkshire.
- The Sainsbury Centre was founded in 1978 and relaunched in 2023, treating artworks as living presences.
- Films are scripted dramas, not documentaries, designed to reach non-traditional museum audiences.
- Real physical transport of artworks required conservation, security, and insurance preparations.
- Produced with Meantime Studio, Estate of Francis Bacon, Daisy Green Collection, James McDermott, and University of East Anglia.
- Over one million views; 98% of viewers were first-time engagers with the Sainsbury Centre.
- Covered by The Guardian and Museums Journal; nominated for Heritage in Motion Award; selected for London Independent Film Festival.
- A third film is in development with plans for global partnerships.
Entities
Artists
- Francis Bacon
- Peter Lacy
- Henry Moore
- Robert Sainsbury
- Lisa Sainsbury
- Beatrice Prutton
- James McDermott
Institutions
- Sainsbury Centre
- Museum Digital Summit
- Colony Room Club
- Meantime Studio
- Estate of Francis Bacon
- Daisy Green Collection
- University of East Anglia
- The Guardian
- Museums Journal
- European Museum Academy
- London Independent Film Festival
- MuseumNext
Locations
- Soho
- London
- Castleford
- Yorkshire
- Norwich
- United Kingdom