National Museum Directors' Council

Photograph of the opening of Ashes to Fashion. White wall text on a red background shows the words 'Ashes to Fashion'. Underneath the text heads of visitors can be seen moving to and fro.

Photograph of two women standing in front of a display of clothing in a museum. The woman on the left is smiling and wearing a dark blue dress with gold patterns. The older woman on the right wears black trousers and top with a brown/beige suit jacket.

Photograph of a costume display in a museum. A number of outfits are on display slightly out of focus. In focus is a outfit with black and gold trousers with a cream bodice. The mannequin has pearls around its neck.

The NMDC March Newsletter is out now, catch up with the NMDC Climate Resilience Conference + a new NAO report into museums + galleries financial resilience. Images this month come from 'Ashes to Fashion' @ulstermuseum.org - National Museums NI www.nationalmuseums.org.uk/news/newslet...

The financial resilience of DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries - NAO report This National Audit Office report reviews how well the 15 DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries and DCMS have manages financial challenges.

Published today: The financial resilience of DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries - National Audit Office Report – Value for money www.nao.org.uk/reports/the-...

Climate change is speeding up — the pace nearly doubled in ten years Earth is now warming at a rate of around 0.35 ºC per decade, fresh analysis finds.

Climate change is speeding up — the pace nearly doubled in ten years www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Is the UK’s golden era of free museum entry coming to an end? The National Gallery’s latest financial woes have brought the possibility of charging visitors back into the frame

Is the UK’s golden era of free museum entry coming to an end? via @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/culture/2026...

Which human remains are held in UK museums – and where? Institutions including the Natural History Museum and Cambridge University hold more than 263,000 human remains, Guardian investigation finds

Which human remains are held in UK museums – and where? via @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Knebworth House’s Teddy the Teddy has been named Hertfordshire Museum Object of the Year 2026 Following this year’s public vote a well-loved teddy belonging to Cameron Cobbold, 1st Baron Cobbold, has won this year’s public vote to become the Hertfordshire Museum Object of the Year 2026.

Knebworth House’s Teddy the Teddy has been named Hertfordshire Museum Object of the Year 2026 via Hertfordshire Council www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/about-the-co...

The forgotten women who shaped Leeds’ museums - and the volunteer telling their story When the story of Leeds’ museums is told, the spotlight has often fallen on the men who founded and ran them.

The forgotten women who helped build Leeds’ museums - and meet the volunteer telling their story via @yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/retro/the-fo...

Crufts prompts Wednesbury museum's 'most important week' The Staffordshire Bull Terrier Heritage Centre will welcome visitors from Italy, Germany, and Spain.

Crufts prompts museum's 'most important week' via BBC www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Crewe museum to restore green spaces 'lost to railways' The Heritage Centre aims to recreate some of the area's natural landscape lost during the 19th Century.

Museum to restore green spaces 'lost to railways' via BBC www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Come and work with us in University Library & Collections at @durham.ac.uk in this new & exciting role. You will play a leadership role in our modern, heritage & cultural collections.

Have Your Say: 2026 Supporters’ Consultation Now Open - Historic Buildings & Places Historic Buildings and Places is inviting members, supporters, and anyone interested in our work to take part in our 2026 Supporters’ Consultation.

Have Your Say: 2026 Supporters’ Consultation Now Open - Historic Buildings & Places. Members, supporters and everyone interested in heritage are invited to take part in the 2026 Supporters’ Consultation. hbap.org.uk/have-your-sa...

National Lottery Open Week starts today ✈️

As thank you to National Lottery players, they will receive when visiting our sites :

2 for 1 Pilot Simulator
2 for 1 Flight Simulator
2 for 1 4D Theatre
10% off shop and restaurant

Just show a valid ticket or scratchcard.
Museum entry is free!

ICOM Calls for Protection of Museums and Cultural Heritage Amid Conflict in Iran, the Gulf Region and the Eastern Mediterranean via ICOM icom.museum/en/news/icom...

Southampton City Art Gallery to reopen after £2m refurbishment Arts England chair Sir Nicholas Serota welcomes the reopening of the gallery in Southampton.

Art gallery reopening 'great moment' for city via BBC www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Government ‘will not neglect local museums’, pledges arts minister - Museums Association Cross-party praise for smaller museums in Westminster Hall debate

Government ‘will not neglect local museums’, pledges arts minister via @museumsassociation.org www.museumsassociation.org/museums-jour...

£5m contract signed to transform Stoke-on-Trent Potteries Museum Preparatory works have been completed and main construction works will begin this month, the city council said.

£5m contract signed to transform pottery museum via BBC www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

MPs write to Government over cultural venue restoration funding deficit - Committees - UK Parliament The Culture, Media and Sport Committee has written to the Government after DCMS-commissioned research into the repair, maintenance and renewal of cultural venues in England highlighted a reported fund...

MPs write to Government over cultural venue restoration funding deficit committees.parliament.uk/committee/37...

Museum Tech: A Digital Festival for Museums - Museums Association Our popular one-day conference exploring the latest digital developments in the sector and beyond returns to the Barbican in 2026 …

Museum Tech: A Digital Festival for Museums @museumsassociation.org 22 April 10.30-4.30pm www.museumsassociation.org/events/museu...

Historic site awarded £400,000 to 'secure long-term future' Historic site awarded £400,000 to 'secure long-term future'

Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens has been awarded £250,000 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and granted £150,000 by Historic England

2026 OMPA Nominations - CIMAM opens the Call for Nominations for the sixth edition of the Outstanding Museum Practice Award (OMPA) 2026, an international recognition of the incredible work being done in modern and contemporary art museums worldwide. Deadline 15 Apr www.cimam.org/cimam-outsta...

Photo of a total station survey in progress with the text "Historic England. The Professional Edit. Expert updates for heritage professionals. Sign up today"

Historic England has launched a newsletter for the heritage sector. Despite the image there's no landscape survey in the first issue, alas, but lots of climate stuff plus a Roman villa...

You can sign up here (today, or indeed any day): webmail.historicenglandservices.org.uk/k/Historic-E...

Suttons floral display at the Chelsea Flower Show, 1958 – a grass bath runs through beds containing a vast variation of flower types.

We are thrilled to announce, with our partners The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Pilgrim Trust & the Wolfson Foundation that #ArchivesRevealed has awarded 14 cataloguing grants, and a consortium grant!

See thread 👇(1/5)

📷 Royal Horticultural Society

Climate Resilience in the Cultural Sector: Next Steps (Online Workshop) Join us for a unique opportunity to collaborate with other organisations on the challenges of climate change in the cultural sector.

You can continue the conversation in this ‘Next Steps’ event - Climate Resilience in the Cultural Sector. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-re... #UKMuseums

Find out more about the ‘Cool Off In Culture’ 2026 Campaign - mapping cultural venues for visitors to ‘chill’ with this summer. Sign up to find out more forms.office.com/Pages/Respon... @artscouncilengland.bsky.social #ClimateResilience

The Creative Freelancer's Climate Almanac | Julie's Bicycle A companion for artists, independent creatives, community practitioners and producers, supporting them to make sustainable change. Filled with resources, templates, wellbeing practices, artist case st...

Feimatta from @artscouncilengland.bsky.social shared @juliesbicycle.bsky.social Creative Freelancers Climate Almanac which has toolkit, case studies, templates and reading list which can be useful for smaller organisations. #ClimateResilienceConference juliesbicycle.org/resource/cre...

Stuart Hobley from Linbury Trust shared their guidance on energy audits. linburytrust.org.uk/climate/ #ClimateResilience #UKCulturalSector

New £400,000 pilot fund launched to help Scotland’s cultural and creative buildings adapt to climate change A new £400,000 pilot fund has been launched to support pioneering projects that help organisations owning Scotland’s cultural and creative buildings respond to climate change.

Feimatta Conteh from @artscouncilengland.bsky.social highlighted @creativescots.bsky.social £400k funding for climate adaption closing on 25 March 2026 www.creativescotland.com/news-stories...

Our funders panel @ashden-org.bsky.social Linbury Trust and @artscouncilengland.bsky.social have been talking about investing in the sector and how important it is to connect climate adaption to your core work and governance

Jon Ray and Elizabeth Otter from Oxford GLAM and University of Oxford looking at low cost do-it-yourself kit which looks at the hazards, defines the risks and opportunities and builds a plan to tackle problems. #ClimateResilience

Errol Reuben Fernandes from Horniman Museum and Gardens is sharing their move to a more sustainable way of planting a beautiful way of engaging the public in the immersive reality of biodiversity. The case study is the Sunken Garden. #ClimateResilience #CulturalSector