Museums Journal - Museums Association

Latest ideas, advice and analysis for our members

News Wales

Welsh Government outlines new Priorities for Culture

Welsh museum and heritage sectors will share £7m towards delivering government's ambitions

News LGBTQ+

Museums join forces in trans inclusion partnership

Organisations to work with experts to develop guidance for the culture sector in 2026

News Funding

Public investment is pivotal in encouraging further funding, says ACE

New report uses case studies to make the case for 'crowding in' approach

In practice Careers guide

Careers Guide | Taking a strategic approach to career planning

Tamsin Russell explains how to adopt an intentional approach to professional development

In practice Careers guide

Careers Guide | Exploring different ways to start your museum career

From academic study to training schemes, there are many different entry routes into the sector

Opinion Inclusion

In the Trump era, the UK sector’s commitments to equity and inclusion risk being quietly eroded

Museums must not allow the wider political context to undo progress, say Suzanne MacLeod and Richard Sandell

Visitor numbers below pre-pandemic levels, shows new report

Figures comes from five year trends in Arts Council England’s Annual Museum Survey

News Awards

Manchester Museum named European Museum of the Year

Ceremony held in the Polish city of Białystok where five other awards were announced

News Acquisitions

Museums in Chelmsford and Norwich acquire gold coin hoards

Significant discoveries of Roman and Anglo-Saxon gold coins to go on permanent display

News Jewish Museums

Capital Jewish Museum says fatal shooting was ‘act of horrific antisemitic violence’

Two Israeli embassy staff were killed while leaving an event at the museum

News Art

Sainsbury Centre takes artworks outside the gallery on ‘day release’

Film series follows well-known paintings as they explore places linked to their past

News Gardens

Sneak peek at Tate Britain’s new Clore Garden designs

Gallery releases preliminary plans for landscaped gardens and education space

News News in Brief

In brief | Latest moves, funding and capital projects

New director for Pitzhanger Manor | Latest Heritage Fund grants | Barber Institute revamp

News Exhibitions

Museum of Liverpool commemorates final men’s season at Goodison Park

Institution is to update its Goodbye to Goodison exhibition with a photo from Everton FC team's last match at the grounds

News Restitution

BM director rules out restitution as he outlines plans to foster collaboration

Institution is 'not going to be embarrassed' about being a global museum, says Cullinan

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Analysis

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Analysis Freedom of speech

Culture professionals ‘afraid to speak freely’

A new survey on censorship has raised questions about the limits on free speech in the arts

Analysis Education and learning

A blueprint for cultural education

The government’s upcoming Curriculum and Assessment Review is positive news. By Simon Stephens

Analysis Tourist tax

Is a tourist tax the answer to the sector’s funding woes?

The idea is gaining momentum as a possible new funding source - but what difference would it make for museums?

Analysis Treasure

How can the sector cope with the boom in metal detecting?

Better processes and investment are needed to ensure important discoveries are not lost

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US museums are facing unprecedented pressures – but remain resilient

Alexa Magladry reports on how US organisations are ramping up their audience engagement efforts

Opinion Egyptology

We must offer open spaces for discussion

People’s culture needs to be the focus of what we do, says Christian Greco

Opinion Subject Specialist Network

Specialism | Natural Sciences Collections Association

Jennifer Gallichan on supporting natural sciences

Opinion Ethics

Policy | Code of ethics

New code is on its way, says India Divers

Opinion Workforce

The resilience of colleagues is motivational

Ethical issues and small budgets take their toll, says Madylene Beardmore

Opinion Civic museums

Humber museums is a partnership that’s a federation

The four museum services act separately but are bound by their goals, says Nial Adams

Opinion Funding

Editorial | March/April

We need to support all our museums, writes Simon Stephens

Opinion Human remains

Genetic descent: a new challenge for the management of human remains in museums

The rise in commercial DNA tests is having unforeseen consequences for museums

Opinion Wales

How are Welsh museums doing after 25 years of devolution?

Rhian Hall reflects on the discussions that took place at this year's Welsh Museums Federation conference

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Guide | Getting to grips with common museum pests

The British Pest Control Association’s Niall Gallagher shares practical advice on identification and knowing when to act

In practice Branding

Spotlight | Museum rebrands

Juliana Gilling explores how museums are rebranding and reassessing how they connect with audiences

In practice Branding

Guide | Creating a strong logo

Matt White shares tips on getting started

In practice Branding

Case study | Renaming your museum

Sheryl McGregor on Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums’ recent rebrand to North East Museums

In practice Branding

Case study | Big brands for small museums

Bronwen Simpson shares Hat Works journey to a stronger visual identity

In practice Careers guide

Careers Guide | CV dos and don’ts

Top tips on standing out when applying for your next role

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Working life | ‘After a few days, I knew the museum would be a wonderful place to work’

Matt Moore, director of the Science Museum Group’s Science and Innovation Park, on problem solving, sustainability and being a communicator

People LGBTQ+

Q&A | ‘Having the opportunity to protect your voice and save your story is precious’

E-J Scott, founder of the Museum of Transology, on community, culture and collecting cardboard signs

People Profile

Profile | ‘This story gives people a reason to come to the region and see its beauty’

As a festival launches in Tees Valley to celebrate the bicentenary of the first public rail journey, the event's director Niccy Hallifax tells us about the railway's role in regeneration, revolution – and even the advent of universal time

People Obituary

Obituary | Kirsty Archer-Thompson, 1987-2024

As curator at Abbotsford, home of Sir Walter Scott, Kirsty's creative approach transformed how visitors experience the site

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Features

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Features International

Making waves | Musée National de la Marine, Paris

This recent redevelopment employs flowing forms to reflect the subject of its displays

Features Decolonising Museums

Engaging with communities of origin

David Gaimster, who is returning to the UK museum sector after eight years working in Australasia, reflects on repatriation, restitution and his experiences working with Indigenous communities

Features Best In Show

Best in Show | Et in Arcadia Ego, 1976, by Ian Hamilton Finlay (with John Andrew)

Kirstie Meehan chooses her highlight from a new show at the National Galleries Scotland: Modern Two

Features Best In Show

Best in show | Advertisement for Bovril, 1930s, Museum of Brands, London

An exhibit that captures the era when depictions of women in advertising were starting to change

Features Museums Change Lives

Meet the winners of the Museums Change Lives Awards

From a celebration of unicorns in Perth to a groundbreaking refugee project in Hastings, the awards showcase the breadth and inventiveness of the sector's socially engaged practice

Features World wars

War in mind | Exploring the psychological impact of conflict

An exhibition on how humans start, experience and make sense of war feels very relevant at a time when there are major conflicts in Africa, Europe and the Middle East

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Reviews

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Reviews Art

The IT crowd | Electric Dreams: Art and Technology Before the Internet, Tate Modern, London

It’s time to scroll back to before the birth of the world wide web to experience what was at the forefront of art technology at the time

Reviews Books

Book review | What Are Museums for?, by Jon Sleigh

This book might just give you renewed optimism about the importance of museums, says Helen Beckett

Reviews Books

Bookworm

From the social world of galleries to a cookbook for conservators, your bitesize sample of the latest museum sector books

Reviews Historic houses

One day in April | Preston Manor, Brighton

Rebecca Atkinson travels back to 1912 in a visit to the reopened Preston Manor in Brighton

Reviews Art

Force of nature | Giuseppe Penone: Thoughts in the Roots, Serpentine Gallery, London

An enchanting realm where the body and nature intertwine

Reviews Digital

Digital reviews | Art and AI, 1980s queer history in Liverpool and the National Coal Mining Museum’s new guide

We take a scroll through the latest digital content from museums and heritage

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Watch and listen

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Watch and listen Ethics

Radical Museums | S2E4: Agrippa Njanina

Sharon Heal travels to Belfast to meet Agrippa Njanina, a community engagement officer at National Museums Northern Ireland

Watch and listen Climate crisis

Radical Museums | S2E3: Ken Paranada

Simon Stephens meets Ken Paranada, the curator of art and climate change at the Sainsbury Centre

Watch and listen Conservation

Radical Museums | S2E2: Jane Henderson

Sharon Heal meets Jane Henderson, a professor of conservation at Cardiff University

Watch and listen Communities

Radical Museums | S2E1: Leonie Bell

Simon Stephens meets Leonie Bell, the director of V&A Dundee

Watch and listen Digital

Towards a National Collection: Funders Forum

MA director Sharon Heal joins a panel discussion about future infrastructure for digital heritage collections

Watch and listen Podcasts

Radical Museums | S1E4: Reimagine, Remake, Replay

Simon Stephens meets the team at Reimagine, Remake, Replay, a youth engagement project in Northern Ireland

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Nothing About Us Without Us: The Anti-Ableism Issue

News Anti-ableism

We are committed to publishing accurate, engaging, challenging and constructive content on the issues, ideas, debates and practices that help museums serve the public better.

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