What We Do

Museum Development North: Charter 2025-27 

Our Purpose 
Museum Development North (MD North) will enable strong, agile museums to contribute to the distinctive life, cultures and identity of the north of England and be widely valued for their transformational impact

Who We Are 
Museum Development North (MD North) is one of five area teams funded by Arts Council England (ACE).  Our focus is on museums in the North of England.  We are a partnership between York Museums Trust, the Manchester Museums Partnership, Cumbria Museum Consortium and North East Museums.

Our Team 
The team provide services to museums across the North with some team members having a specific geographical remit.  This means every museum has a direct point of contact for advice and support from MD North.

Area Management and Co-ordination
Michael Turnpenny – Head of Museum Development North
Sarah Wilkinson – Events, Communications and Administration

Regional Museum Development Advisers 
Ian Bapty – North East
Kaye Hardyman – Cumbria & Lancashire
Lynsey Jones – Cheshire, Greater Manchester & Merseyside
Liz Denton – East Yorkshire, Northern Lincolnshire, York & North Yorkshire (East)
Alan Bentley –   South & West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire (West)

Thematic Museum Development Advisers 
Sue Hughes – Workforce Development and Skills
Kelly Chapman – Museum Accreditation Adviser
Alison Criddle – Environmental Responsibility

Meet the full team here
 

How We Work with Museums  
We support museums on site and remotely and this includes:

• Responsive museum specific contact and advice – informed answers to questions and guidance
• Targeted consultancy – focused, in-depth support for selected museums
• Workforce development – training, mentoring and skills building
• Grant investment – small-scale funding support
• Partnership brokering – helping museums form strategic and operational relationships and enable peer networking
• Regular communication – updates via our website, e-newsletter, and social media

How We Prioritise Support 

ACE’s funding model considers population, geography, and museum types. Our ‘Priority’ Museums for in-depth support and ACE/DCMS grants are:

Accredited or Working Towards Accreditation museums that are not:

• ACE National Portfolio lead Applicant Organisations (do we now have some clarity about other NPO?)
• National Museums directly sponsored by the Department for Culture Media and Sport
• Operated by English Heritage or the National Trust

What We Ask from Museums 

Communication and Collaboration
Collaborate with us honestly and openly as colleagues
Share expertise, insights, and experiences
Engage constructively for the development of your museum and the wider sector

Space
Share with us how your museum prefers to work with us in different circumstances – online, on the phone, on-site or off-site

Accessibility 
Share your access needs with us.  We understand that there are barriers due to financial, social and political circumstances as well as challenges associated with geography, transport, health, disability and caring responsibilities.  Where possible we will tailor our support to your museum to remove those barriers.

Working Patterns  
Be mindful and conscientious that our team works flexibly and with different working patterns.  We will respond when we are available and let us know if you need a response by a specific date.

Our Guiding Principles 
We help museums:

• Be sustainable, inclusive, and adaptive
• Make a positive impact on communities and collections
• Connect, collaborate, and thrive

We are Trusted

• We are open, honest, and transparent
• We are committed to maintaining professional ethical standards
• We respect confidentiality unless a legal or ethical issue arises
• We commit to agreed timelines and keep you updated
• We own our mistakes and learn from them
• We commit to making environmentally responsible decisions across our work

We are Supportive 

• We support all regional museums and focus on our ‘Priority Museums’
• We offer access to training for all those who work in or for museums (paid or volunteer)
• We provide a safe, confidential space and offer mentoring and coaching

We are Collaborative 

• We work across teams and sectors to share knowledge and experience
• We value input from museums, stakeholders, and partners
• We listen to different viewpoints and seek active consultation

We are Inclusive 

• We treat individuals and organisations equitably
• We communicate clearly and use accessible formats
• We are committed to making our services open and accessible
• We do not tolerate discrimination or abuse

We are Informed 

• We keep our skills and sector knowledge up to date
• We seek continuous improvement through engagement and feedback