Institutional membership at all-time high

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, there are daunting challenges ahead for museums, galleries and heritage organisations. It is more important than ever for us to speak with a united voice and ensure the needs of our sector are heard by governments and policymakers in all four nations of the UK.

That’s why we are very grateful that, at this challenging and uncertain time, our institutional membership is higher than ever before.

Our members now include more than 1,500 museums, galleries and heritage institutions from all corners of the UK.  

Your continuing support has enabled us to make a strong case for museums at the highest levels. Since lockdown began, the MA – working closely with other sector bodies – has been involved in numerous discussions with politicians and civil servants. We’ve been helping governments understand the impact this crisis is having on museums, galleries and heritage organisations, and the kind of help they will need to weather the storm.

Our advocacy helped to ensure that the museum sector was recognised in the UK government’s £1.57bn rescue package for culture, arts and heritage – and we’ll continue fighting to make sure that museums in every nation get a fair share of this crucial funding.

We’ve worked with the UK government to produce good practice guidelines for the sector on reopening safely. We’ve also joined forces with colleagues in the sector to highlight the urgent need to protect collections in the event of insolvency, and to call for a just and green recovery that prioritises environmental responsibility.

In recognition of the support the sector has shown us, we’ve broadened the benefits of MA institutional membership. While our physical events are suspended, we’ve been running a series of webinars that provide an essential platform to talk about the wide-ranging impacts of Covid-19 on areas like collections, workforce and learning and engagement.

These events – and our digital conference later this year – are free to everyone who works at an institutional member organisation. We’ve also opened up our extensive Museums Journal archives to all staff and volunteers at institutional member organisations.

“Never before have we had so many institutional members,” says the MA’s marketing and membership officer, Emma Randall. “This shows the need for museums and their workforce to stay in touch and be part of a thriving and knowledge-sharing community. By joining the MA, your organisation supports us so that we can support you.”

That support has never been more important – and if your institution isn’t a member already, there’s never been a better time to join. 

Find out more about institutional membership here