The MIAH Foundation promotes awareness and understanding of the history, arts, culture and heritage of the Islamic world, as well as the history of Muslims in Britain and Europe. Our long-term objective is to raise funds to establish the UK’s first independent museum dedicated to the arts and heritage of Muslims and the Islamic world.
Our Work So Far
In 2023, the MIAH Foundation project found its first home in our gallery Balsall Heath, Birmingham, building on several years of successful pop-up events. Since then, we have presented exhibitions on Arabic Calligraphy and its relationship to the Qur'an, Muslim Contributions to Science along the medieval Silk Roads, the history, arts and textiles of the Hajj, Kashmiri arts, the lives of people in Gaza, Palestinian art and an open call exhibiting the work of contemporary artists inspired by traditional Islamic arts. We are currently planning an exhibition on Ottoman history and are in the early stages of planning a major exhibition on the history of Britain and the Muslim world. Our in-house exhibitions are accompanied by children and families learning programmes, creative workshops and public talks.
Samarkand to Salerno Exhibition
Kids Club at the MIAH Gallery
Devotional Art Exhibition at MIAH Gallery
Workshop at MIAH Gallery
Qur'an Exhibition held externally
Our Major Successes
Our visitor numbers have continued to grow. We have gone from an average of 30-40 visitors a month in 2023, to a record year 2025, which saw 3611 visitors to our new gallery. Over the last two years, we have had 6161 visitors, including 38 schools, education and youth groups - with an additional 667 participants off-site. We have hosted nine exhibitions and 134 workshops, talks and events. We have worked with or supported 34 artists and have collaborated or worked with 31 organisations, from large establishments such as the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City Council, Amnesty International, the IKON Gallery and Birmingham Botanical Gardens, to grassroots arts and community organisations such as Soul City Arts, Ort Gallery, the Old Printworks, Muslim LitFest, ad-Dhuha Institute and the Abrahamic Foundation.
Why We Need Your Support
Feedback from our audiences consistently tells us that the gallery is a valued community space. We also know from surveys that we are managing to reach the groups that most major art and cultural spaces neglect. According to national statistics, whether we use measures of identity by religion (Muslim) or ethnicity and cultural heritage, Muslims and the diaspora of Muslim-majority countries living in the UK form the least likely faith and ethnic groups to engage with the arts and heritage sector. Yet our audiences demonstrate a different picture: when you develop responsive programming that resonates with community interests and feedback, otherwise under-represented groups will enter cultural spaces: 73% of participants surveyed at our events identified as Muslims and 77% as People of Colour.
Despite our growing success, record visitor numbers in 2025 and reach amongst neglected communities, the MIAH Foundation currently operates without any long-term funding. We have received several small grants which have helped cover our running costs, but we rely mainly on the generous support of donors to keep the gallery open, but the current demand for our work far exceeds what we are able to provide.
We Are Not Asking For A Quick Fix: We Are Asking for Your Support to Secure a Long-Term Plan
All charitable organisations rely on fundraising and donations to keep working. Although we have faced a huge demand for our work, it is difficult for our small part-time team to raise funds and keep public programming going. Our staff take on additional external project to fund our regular programming. This is not a sustainable way forward as it leaves us with no time for applying for grants we need for long-term survival. Therefore, we are asking for your support to help us stay open, enable us to grow and and work towards our long-term goal of establishing a dedicated Islamic Art & Heritage Museum.
Donation Options:
1- Direct donation - Donating through the DONATE tab on our website is the most effective way to support our work, as it ensures we receive the full amount of your contribution. This option is not time-limited and can be used to support us at any time.
2- Launchgood Fundraising Campaign (time-limited) - If you would like to benefit from the donor perks we are offering (see below), you can donate via our Launchgood page. This campaign ends on 31st March 2026.
If you would like to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
Thank you!
Launchgood Campaign Perks:
£5 - Our Heartfelt Thank You
£10 - A Digital Print From The Gallery's Collection
£15 - A Print From The Gallery's Shop (Tughra of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent)
£25 - A Print From The Gallery's Shop (Decorative tile on the wall of the Friday Mosque in Yazd, Iran)
£50 - A Ticket For An Online Geometry OR Islamic Illumination Workshop
£75 - Calligraphy Gift Set
£100 - A Giclée Print From A Contemporary Artist Specialised in Traditional Islamic Art
£150 - A Ticket For An Online Islamic Architecture Course
£250 - Sponsor 30 Children (Learning Workshop)
£250 - Sponsor 30 Children (Learning Workshop)
£500 - Sponsor 60 Children (Learning Workshop)
£1000 - Sponsor A Kids Club