NMDC membership expansion 3 Aug 2012

NMDC is delighted to formally confirm that all 16 Renaissance Major Partner Museums are now members of the NMDC.  Our new members are:

• Janita Bagshawe, Director of the Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove    
• Maria Balshaw, Director of Manchester City Galleries – representing the Manchester Partnership consortium
• Janet Barnes, Chief Executive of York Museums Trust
• Christopher Brown, Director of the Ashmolean Museum of Art & Archaeology – representing the Oxford University and County Museums consortium (Christopher has been an NMDC member since 2007)
• Kate Carreno, Deputy Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum – representing the University of Cambridge Museums
• Richard Evans, Director of Beamish Museum – representing the Beamish and Bowes Museum consortium
• Julie Finch, Director of Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery
• Camilla Hampshire, Museum Manager of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery – representing the Exeter and Plymouth consortium
• Steve Miller, Director of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
• John Roles, Director of Leeds Museums and Galleries
• David Spence, Acting Director of the Museum of London (the Museum of London is already an NMDC member)
• Ann Sumner, Director of Birmingham Museums Trust (Birmingham Art Gallery & Museums was an NMDC member from 2007)
• Vanessa Trevelyan, Head of Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service   
• Janet Vitmayer, Director & Chief Executive  of the Horniman Museum and Gardens
• Hilary Wade, Director of Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery – representing the Cumbria Museums Consortium
• Iain Watson, Director of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (Iain has been an NMDC member since 2007).  

They join the 19 national museum members and Glasgow Museums as full NMDC members, alongside three associate archive and library members (the British Library, National Library of Scotland and the National Archives). 

Following a consultation last year with members and stakeholders across the sector on NMDC’s purpose, priorities and membership, members agreed to expand membership criteria to include the Renaissance-funded regional museums.  Four of the Major Partners were already NMDC members – the Museum of London, Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums, the Ashmolean Museum and Birmingham Art Gallery and Museums – and the further expansion of membership aims to build on this very positive experience. Glasgow Museums also remains a member, as NMDC Directors agreed that Glasgow’s unique status as the only major non-national museum service outside England meant it would be an obvious omission from a membership group representing the UK’s major museums.

A successful first meeting of existing and new member Directors took place at the end of June, when members discussed NMDC priorities for the coming year in light of the expanded membership.  It is hoped that widening NMDC’s membership will offer an opportunity to develop the already strong relationships between the UK’s national and regional museums, and enable NMDC to be a clear voice advocating for the nationally-funded network of museums across the UK.