The museums and galleries sector in Manchester is set to receive £574,500 in funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Manchester Art Gallery will invest £150,000 in a new exhibition, scheduled to open in October 2007.

It will feature displays on national pride in art, Victorian attitudes to art, Manchester in 1857 and the history of photography, as well as 150 exhibits on loan from other UK museums and galleries, including works by Michelangelo, Van Dyck and Turner.

The Manchester Museum and the Imperial War Museum North will also invest £424,500 in a new volunteer programme – called In Touch – aimed at overcoming the barriers that prevent people from being involved in museums.

Over the next three years, In Touch will work with people who have not traditionally had much contact with museums, such as young people. Around 180 volunteers will attend cultural heritage skills courses, covering areas such as object handling and acting as guides.

The course will be delivered by North Trafford and Salford FE Colleges and will include literacy and mathematical qualifications delivered in partnership with Skills for Life tutors.

The new scheme proposes to establish a national blueprint for museum volunteer training and community involvement.

Tony Jones, HLF manager for the north west, said: “These grants are all about opening the doors to the treasure trove of our past and giving non-traditional gallery visitors a great chance to explore the city’s history.”

Nick Merriman, director of The Manchester Museum, added: “We are thrilled that the In Touch programme has been funded by the HLF. It’s a chance to do just that, create a means for people from different cultural backgrounds and experiences to get in touch with others through volunteering and telling their stories in a museum setting, while they gain valuable skills for life.” Details: www.manchester.gov.uk

Photograph: The Virgin and Child with Saint John and Angels (The Manchester Madonna) by Michelangelo, 1497, courtesy of The National Gallery, London