 |
 Logo for the Association, used since 2020 [1] | |
| Abbreviation | MA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1889 |
| Legal status | Non-profit company |
| Purpose | Museum, Gallery and Heritage |
Region served | UK |
| Website | www |
The Museums Association (MA) is a professional membership organisation based in London for museum, gallery and heritage professionals and organisations of the United Kingdom. [2] [3] It also offers international membership. [4]
The association was started in 1889 by a small group of museums to protect the interests of museums and galleries. Its inaugural meeting was held at the invitation of the Council of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society in York on 20 June 1889. The MA is the oldest museum association in the world. [3]
The MA's mission is inspiring museums to change lives. It advocates for museums, sets ethical standards and runs training and professional development for members wishing to further their careers. [5]
The association organises an annual conference. [6] This is Europe's largest event for museum and heritage professionals. [5]
Members receive the monthly Museums Journal . [7] The MA also produces Museum Practice online. [8] The latest case studies and best practice by museum professionals around the UK, with an interactive platform for users to share their ideas.
Through its work with the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, the MA has created the Esmee Fairbairn Collections Fund, [9] building on its 2005 report, Collections for the Future. [10]
The MA charts the health of UK museums through its annual survey, Museums in the UK. [4]
In 2012 the MA began its "Museums 2020" project to create a vision for the future of the museum sector. [11] It hopes to focus on the impacts that museums will have in the future on individuals, communities, society, and the environment.
In 2013 the MA produced "Museums Change Lives", its campaigning vision for the future of museums. "Museums Change Lives" explores the impact of museums under three main headings: wellbeing, better places, ideas and people. [12]
The MA's Transformers scheme was piloted in 2014, then rolled out nationally. Transformers is for people in mid-career, supported by any accredited museum (or museum working towards accreditation), looking to change the way they work. Participants are challenged to develop new ways of thinking and supported throughout to engage with experimental ideas, fresh thinking and learning from the experience of experts and innovators. [13]
In 2018, the MA launched Collections 2030, a research project looking at the long-term purpose, use and management of museum collections. [14]
The MA has over 8,000 individual members, 580 institutional members, and 250 corporate members. [5]
It runs a professional development scheme, with mentoring and regular training events. "AMA" denotes an Associate of the Museums Association. [15] "FMA" denotes a Fellow of the Museums Association. [16]
The association is independently funded by its membership, [5] and it is governed by a board of trustees, [17] from all parts of the UK museum community, elected by members. In April 2018, Maggie Appleton replaced David Fleming as president; she is also the CEO of the RAF Museum. [18] Previous presidents include David Anderson, Stuart Davies, David Fleming, William Henry Flower, Jane Glaister, Max Hebditch, Charles Saumarez Smith,Virginia Tandy, and Barbara Woroncow.
The Science Museum is a major museum on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London. It was founded in 1857 and is one of the city's major tourist attractions, attracting 3.3 million visitors annually in 2019.
The National Railway Museum (NRM) is a museum in York, England, forming part of the Science Museum Group. The museum tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It is the home of the national collection of historically significant railway vehicles such as Mallard, Stirling Single, Duchess of Hamilton and a Japanese bullet train. In addition, the National Railway Museum holds a diverse collection of other objects, from a household recipe book used in George Stephenson's house to film showing a "never-stop railway" developed for the British Empire Exhibition. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001.
The National Science and Media Museum, located in Bradford, West Yorkshire, is part of the national Science Museum Group in the UK. The museum has seven floors of galleries with permanent exhibitions focusing on photography, television, animation, videogaming, the Internet and the scientific principles behind light and colour. It also hosts temporary exhibitions and maintains a collection of 3.5 million pieces in its research facility.
The Royal College of Physicians of London, commonly referred to simply as the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1518, as the College of Physicians, the RCP is the oldest medical college in England.
The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences, the society has 16,000 members, with its work reaching the public through publications, research groups and lectures.
The Royal Air Force Museum London is located on the former Hendon Aerodrome, in North London's Borough of Barnet. It includes five buildings and hangars showing the history of aviation and the Royal Air Force. It is part of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Climate Group is a nonprofit organisation with a mission to drive climate action, fast, and achieve a world of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with greater prosperity for all. The organisation builds influential networks of business and governments to unlock the power of collective action and scale. With its partners, Climate Group drives demand for net zero solutions, moving whole systems such as energy, transport, the built environment, industry and food towards a cleaner future. The organisation and its members are helping to shift global markets and policies towards faster reductions in carbon emissions.
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The Big Draw, formerly the Campaign for Drawing, is a British registered charity that promotes drawing and visual literacy. It was founded in 2000 by the Guild of St George, and is now an independent charity.
The British Association of Friends of Museums (BAFM) is an independent organisation for Friends, supporters, and volunteers in museums, galleries, and heritage sites within the United Kingdom. It was established in 1973. It is a registered charity no 1159670. BAFM represents around 200,000 Friends and volunteers in the UK. It provides a network of support from people with practical experience of running Friends organisations and is a central source of information. It has links with UK Area Museum Councils and other national UK organisations such as:
Stephen Ian Fairbairn was a British financier and rower who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics, and later rose to the position of chairman of the M&G fund management company.
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The Touring Exhibitions Group (TEG) is a professional membership association in the United Kingdom. Its members are mainly staff in museums, galleries and other public sector organisations who are involved in the exchange of exhibitions, whether as organisers or venues, or both. It was set up in 1985, following the closure of the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Circulation Department. TEG itself does not organise exhibitions or administer tours, but helps its members to do so.
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Margaret Mary Appleton is an English museum director. She has been the Chief Executive Officer of the RAF Museum since 2015.
