Latest from Arts Council England

All Accredited museums are periodically invited to demonstrate that they continue to meet the Standard; typically this is every five years.

Updates on Accreditation application arrangements whilst the Grantium portal is unavailable are here

Accreditation Return invitations are emailed to museums by Arts Council England at least six months before the submission deadline. The current Accreditation award remains in place until an updated assessment is reviewed by an Accreditation Panel.

Due to the pause of the scheme during the pandemic some museums will have had their Accreditation award extended for longer than five years. These museums remain fully Accredited until they are invited to submit an Accreditation return – information on when this might be is on the Arts Council England website here.

31 March 2026

• Congleton Museum
• Blackpool Borough Council (The Grundy Art Gallery)
• Blackburn with Darwen Council (Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery, Turton Tower)
• Darlington Borough Council (Hopetown)
• Ruskin Library

3rd August 2026

• Science and Industry Museum
• National Railway Museum
• National Science and Media Museum
• Locomotion
• Yorkshire Sculpture Park
• Bowes Railway Museum

1st September 2026

• Heatherslaw Corn Mill
• Harewood House

1st October 2026

• Gawthorpe Textiles Collection
• The Ropewalk
• Art Collection, University of Hull

You can find the full returns schedule, along with more information on the Accreditation Scheme here.

Accreditation Standard Redesign – Find out more about the Accreditation review here