News | Ripon Workhouse Museum opens following £2.8m redevelopment Immersive visitor experience tells working class histories

Opinion | Restitution is not a remedy for the past alone – it’s about the future we can create together The return of the Jain manuscripts has made the Wellcome Collection rethink standard practice, says Adrian Plau

News | Tower of London (Historic Royal Palaces) announces £70m plan for new learning and engagement facilities Tomorrow’s Tower project will increase learning capacity by 250%

News | ‘Breaking point’: Report highlights collections storage crisis 🗃️ National Lottery Heritage Fund research finds majority of museum stores are full

Introducing Adé Bákàrè, your new policy officer 👋 We’re delighted to welcome Adé Bákàrè to the MA team. Adé (she/they) has spent the past five years in the charity sector, most recently as public affairs officer at the National Housing Federation, the trade body for social housing providers.

News | Man dies after being trampled by cattle on National Trust estate Tragic incident took place this week at Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk

Update: we're now back online – thanks everyone for your patience.

News | Outcry over plan to sell building that housed Glasgow’s Centre for Contemporary Arts Protest takes place as MSPs call for site to be preserved as a public cultural asset

Important ⚠️ MA staff are currently unable to receive your emails. Please bear with us while we resolve the issue – we’re working on it now and we’ll update you as soon as we can.

Museums certainly do change lives. My life was changed by museums and I am blessed to see this effect with our communities. I'm very proud that my lovely workplace @devilsporridge.bsky.social is one of the brilliant museums celebrated in this report.

This is such an important campaign and a great celebration of the social impact of museums. Bringing joy and enjoyment is a wonderful thing in itself, but it's so much more, these studies really demonstrate how people's lives can be changed for the better when engaging with museums.

Museums are changing lives in Scotland 📍 Museums have a powerful impact on their communities. They increase our sense of wellbeing, help us feel proud of where we come from, and inspire, challenge and stimulate us. These new case studies share how museums across Scotland are creating change.

News | Ukraine decolonisation guide for museums presented in Kyiv Document has been translated into Ukrainian following UK launch last year

News | Natural History Museum, London wins landmark business rates challenge Institution becomes the first national museum to see its rateable value reduced to £1

News | Row continues over removal of term ‘Palestine’ from British Museum displays Campaigners claim internal emails show decision was driven by ‘undue political influence’

News | New industrial heritage attraction opens to the public in Wrexham 🏭 Stori Brymbo comprises a restored steelworks and a 300-million-year-old fossil forest

News | Legal ruling over ivory sale could have consequences for museums Experts warn of 'unsolicited donations' as collectors and dealers struggle to sell artworks

Q&A | ‘We have to bear our memory. Even if it is a nightmare, it should belong to us’ 💭 Museums Journal sits down with China's most famous dissident, Ai Weiwei, to talk history, rebellion – and his hopes of being forgotten

Feature | A thousand years in the making: The Bayeux Tapestry loan Museums Journal unpicks the logistics of moving the fragile embroidery from France to England for this year's historic exhibition at The British Museum

News | Museums count cost of heatwaves as income and collections suffer Footfall drops 3% in first two quarters of the year with extreme weather cited as a leading cause

News | Museums count cost of heatwaves as income and collections suffer Footfall drops 3% in first two quarters of the year with extreme weather cited as a leading cause

News | Bayeux Tapestry arrives in UK overnight accompanied by police escort Tapestry undergoing checks after ‘monumental effort’ to ensure safe passage

News | The Light: New Durham museum announces August opening date Former Durham Light Infantry Museum and Art Gallery transformed after decade-long closure

News | Nicholas Serota sets out investment priorities as he leaves arts council @artscouncilengland.bsky.social chair, who finishes his 10-year term at the end of July, was speaking at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the arms-length body

News | Birmingham museums extend opening hours after council budget boost New hours come into effect this month thanks to £300,000 investment

Undertaking the #AMA has been a hugely valuable development journey. It has helped me build confidence, reflect more deeply on my practice, and recognise the value of my contribution to the #museum sector. If you’re an MA Member, I’d encourage you to explore this inclusive and rewarding opportunity.

Book review: The Asian gaze | A Brief History of British South Asian Art, by Alina Khakoo Postwar British visual art is given a new context in this slim but rewarding book

Start your AMA journey for free 💸 Don't forget that there's still time to apply for one of 12 free Associateship of the Museums Association places for individual MA members who face barriers to inclusion. Find out more about our inclusive places and submit your application by Monday 13 July 👇

News | Government tightens DBS requirements for volunteers working with children Unpaid workers will need to undergo enhanced checks under new guidance

News | Record ticket sales for Bayeux Tapestry exhibition The exhibition generated more than £2.5m in revenue after opening for bookings on 1 July

News | Smithsonian accused of ‘extreme political activism’ as America celebrates 4th of July Report exposes ideological battle between museum body and Trump administration

Feature | ‘Power has shifted’: Northern Ireland’s community-led museums A growing number of heritage projects are allowing local people to explore and share their own stories rather than having others speak for them. By @simonastephens.bsky.social

News | Science Gallery London to close at the end of July Site's closure follows announcement that international network of science galleries is also shutting down

Opinion | ‘Just don’t let it turn into Disney’: Why brand partnerships need a better test 🪄 Commercial associations are becoming more accepted in the culture sector – but authenticity is vital, says MHM's Guy Turton.

Our Conference 2026 programme is out now 🙌 Provocations, conversations... perhaps some libations? This year's conference in Birmingham and online is set to be unmissable. Browse the programme now for tours, workshops, keynotes, parties and much, much more.

Q&A | ‘We have to bear our memory. Even if it is a nightmare, it should belong to us’ Museums Journal sits down with China's most famous dissident, Ai Weiwei, to talk history, rebellion – and his hopes of being forgotten

News | War photographer Lee Miller’s house gains charitable status Newly formed charity aims to safeguard collections and grow site as a centre for UK surrealism

News | Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) collections get almost 13 million Wikipedia hits due to new copyright strategy Report explores impact of museum's decision to allow open access to out-of-copyright material

News | ‘Showing its age’: National Lottery consults on future funding model Museum sector urged to respond to nationwide call for evidence

News | Trans inclusion: Museum sector guidance updated in response to EHRC’s draft code of practice Team behind ethical framework says sector remains 'confused and concerned'

Guide | How to deal with hazards in your collections ⚠️ Helena Jaeschke shares practical advice to help museums tackle the problems of hazardous objects

Opportunities | Ethics Committee and AI and Ethics Expert Working Group 🧠 We’re now recruiting new members for our Ethics Committee and members to form an AI and Ethics Expert Working Group. Find out more and apply by 5 July 👇

News | Arts Council England announces big changes to National Portfolio investment programme Arts council has been working on simplifying the application process

News | Cooling off period: How did museums fare in their response to the heatwave? 🌡️ Drop in temperature brings relief – and reflection on what the sector should be doing to better plan for extreme heat

Feature | ‘It puts the humanity back into the objects’: How craft is remaking collections 🧵 Many museums are harnessing the power of contemporary craft by inviting artists to take inspiration from their collections, says Corinne Julius

News | International Council for Museums (Icom) adopts revised Code of Ethics for Museums International framework sets out five core principles

Q&A | ‘Frederick Horniman’s legacy lives on today – but in a world that is very different’ Director of content Peronel Craddock tells us about the Horniman Museum & Gardens’ plans for the future as it celebrates its 125th birthday this weekend

Opinion 💭 | Ten years after the Brexit vote, museums still need space to talk about its impacts The legacy of leaving the EU is more complex than either critics or supporters of Brexit assume, says Kirsty Warner

Huge congratulations to The Box Plymouth, which has been named Museum of the Year 2026 🎉🏆 And congratulations to the other wonderful finalists: Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, National Gallery, Fitzwilliam Museum and V&A East Storehouse. Read our coverage in Museums Journal Online 🔗

Q&A | ‘Sometimes you have to dare to dream’ Ahead of the Horniman Museum & Gardens' 125th birthday this weekend, head of horticulture Errol Fernandes tells us about the transformation of the museum’s outdoor spaces – and how the role of gardeners is shifting