Meet the new members of our Ethics Committee

We’re delighted to announce four new members of the MA’s Ethics Committee.

The commitee upholds the Code of Ethics for Museums, aiming to create a culture in UK museums that embraces ethical practice so that people working in museums:

• Recognise responsibility for practising and promoting ethical behaviour
• See ethics as a positive force, responsive to developing professional and public views, and underpinning change and improvement
• Regard an awareness and discussion of ethics as the norm, connecting all museums and playing a role in planning and decision making

Dominique Bouchard and Jenny Durrant will join us in June 2023, with Agrippa Njanina and Niels de Vos following in September.

Dominique is museum professional with twenty years’ experience, particularly around inclusion, decolonisation, and complex and contested histories. She holds a doctorate in archaeology from the University of Oxford and degrees in mathematics and physics from Columbia University.

Prior to her current role as head of learning and interpretation at English Heritage, Dominique has worked in museums and heritage organisations in Northern Ireland, Ireland and Hong Kong. She is a co-founder of the Queer Heritage and Collections Network, a fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries, an honorary fellow of the University of Leicester, and a 2021 Clore Fellow.

She has worked as an expert consultant on Northern Ireland for the European Commission, Council of Europe and UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the area of museums, heritage and divided societies. Dominique sits on the Unesco Working Group on Heritage Interpretation, and is co-editor of the GEM Journal of Education in Museums. 

Dominique will join the committee from June 2023.

Jenny is an independent researcher, writer and consultant. She is a specialist in disposal, transparency of practice and collections management issues, and is currently exploring museum history and connections with the GLAM sector. She has over 20 years’ experience in museums and archaeology, and was formerly assistant curator at Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter. Described as a ‘pragmatic idealist’, she gently disrupts norms and is keen to support workforce wellbeing.

Jenny will join the committee from June 2023.

Agrippa is a dedicated professional with over 15 years of experience in the non-profit, education and community sectors, specialising in ethics and community engagement. Currently serving as the community engagement officer on the Global Voices Local Choices project at National Museums NI, Agrippa plays a vital role in coordinating and facilitating the programme across six museums in Northern Ireland.

Their work focuses on promoting inclusivity and diversity by empowering marginalised communities to explore the world cultures collection, ensuring their voices are heard through how these objects are interpreted. Agrippa is a committed advocate for inclusive practices in museums, ethical decision making processes and decolonisation, with extensive experience in project management and intercultural learning.

Agrippa will join the committee from September 2023.

Niels was born and raised in Birmingham and educated at King Edward’s School Birmingham and Oxford University. He was recruited as chair of Birmingham Museums in 2020, and has recently been re-elected by the trustees to a second term.

Niels began his career in the advertising and sponsorship industry, before moving into major events when he joined the UK Government’s planning team for the Millennium Celebrations. While in this role he conceived and delivered the ‘Final Hour Children’s Promise’ charity appeal that raised over £50 million for UK children’s charities.

Niels has over 20 years of director-level experience in the development and delivery of major international sporting and cultural events, dating back to the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. He was heavily involved in the 2012 London Olympics, serving as both CEO of UK Athletics and as an elected board member of the British Olympic Association, and was recently an adviser to the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

In 2018 Niels set up Fabric Group Ltd to advise businesses, cities and governments on investments into sports, arts, cultural and community programmes, building the ‘fabric of society’.

Niels will join the committee from September 2023.