Borrowing for an exhibitionTe taurewa taonga mō tētahi whakaaturanga
Do you wish to borrow a collection item from Te Papa to use in an exhibition? Read about our loans process and the help we offer borrowers.
You’ll need to submit your request at least six months before your exhibition opens. More notice may be required if your request is complex or is for a large number of items.
Loan request form
You can fill in the loan request form online or download it and send it to us via email or post.
Download loan request form (175.10 KB)
To complete the form you will need:
a registration number for each collection item you wish to borrow (Browse our collections to find your desired item and note its registration number, or contact a Te Papa curator or collection manager.)
details of your exhibition
a facilities report (and, for touring exhibitions, an itinerary of the tour and a facilities report for each venue)
a letter of support from the appropriate iwi should you wish to borrow taonga Māori (Māori cultural treasures) with clear iwi or regional provenance (in some cases, Te Papa can complete this process).
Need help? See what assistance we can provide
Processing your request
Your loan request will be assessed by Te Papa’s curators, collection managers, conservators, and object support staff. They will comment on any potential risks, make recommendations, and identify associated costs.
Assessment criteria:
Nature of the proposed venue(s) and audience
Size and complexity of the proposed loan in relation to any conflicting requests and priorities
Nature and condition of the collection item
Timeliness of the request and length of loan
Associated costs
As a borrower, you’ll be responsible for the associated costs of the loan. These are material costs only and do not include staff time unless the work is contracted out.
Associated costs are likely to include:
packing materials, including crate construction
matting and framing of art works
appropriate display mounts.
Borrower’s responsibilities
Your organisation will arrange and pay (in consultation with Te Papa) for:
insurance (transit and in situ)
freight (including customs clearance)
costs of accompanying courier (fares, accommodation, and daily allowance).
Loan agreement signature
We recognise there may need to be a period of negotiation. Once the negotiation has concluded, both parties will sign a formal loan agreement and adhere to the conditions contained in that document.
About facilities reports
The information provided in a facilities report helps borrowers and lenders identify potential problems requiring attention.
We already have a current facilities report for your organisation if:
you have borrowed from us in the past five years, and
your building has not been modified since your last loan with us.
Send us a new facilities report if:
it’s your first time borrowing from us
your building was modified between your last loan and now, or
your last loan was more than five years ago.
Accepted facilities reports:
A facilities report compiled by your organisation
Help from Te Papa
We can:
identify or suggest suitable collection items
evaluate your exhibition venue
evaluate your security systems
provide suitable mounting or hanging systems
provide specifications for passive climate control display cases
provide iwi contacts for taonga Māori.
Contact us
If you have questions about borrowing for an exhibition, please contact the Loans Team. Email: loansteam@tepapa.govt.nz
