What We Do

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.

We do this by:

• Providing one-to-one advice and support through email, phone, online and in-person meetings
• Delivering workforce development and sector networking opportunities
• Brokering and supporting partnerships and networks
• Giving grant funding opportunities for the sector
• Sharing responsive communications on sector opportunities via our website, ebulletin and social media

Our team values:

Trusted

• We will behave in an open, honest and trustworthy way
• Our role is to share best practice and experiences, but we will respect confidentiality unless it is a legal or ethical matter where we have an obligation to act
• We will communicate information on our programmes as well as opportunities and news from the wider sector via a wide range of appropriate channels
• We will ensure that we use plain English, clear language and accessible formats to the best of our abilities
• We will be clear about timescales when working with you, update you on progress and honour our promises
• We will listen to and respond to feedback we receive and the needs and views of museums
• We will strive to reduce the environmental impact of our work
• Acknowledge and put things right when we make mistakes

Supportive

• We will try to act in the shared best interests of regional museums
• We will work with regional museums, sole traders and freelancers
• We will prioritise Accredited museums those formally Working Towards Accreditation that sit outside Arts Council England’s National Portfolio and central government supported museums
• We will continue to support museums that are not Accredited and help them move towards the Accreditation Standard
• We will continue to provide access to training and networking opportunities for all museums and those that work in and with them, paid and unpaid (MD North forum meetings and Elevenses meetings are available to all)
• We will be honest and clear about what we can do to help
• We offer a safe and confidential space, nurturing people with coaching and mentoring
• We will uphold the reputation of museums as organisations

Collaborative

• We collaborate with each other, making best use of our shared knowledge, skills and experience
• We work with others, seeking to be active partners who listen and communicate
• We listen and value other viewpoints
• We actively consult with museums, external partners and stakeholders

Inclusive

• We recognise individuals and individual museums
• We foster equity through our work
• We will strive to make our services open and accessible
• We will not tolerate discrimination, abusive language or behaviour

Informed

• We will continually develop and maintain our professional knowledge and competence
• We constantly work to improve our practice, talking and engaging with the outside world