New advice on climate adaptation clarifies what steps historic properties can take to decarbonise The post Historic England aims to ‘dispel myths’ about greening listed buildings appeared first on Museums Association ..read more

The Museum of London has officially been renamed London Museum as it nears the half-way point of its £463m project to relocate to Smithfield Market. The institution launched its new name and website this week along with a quirky new icon featuring a white clay pigeon and gold poo splat. The pigeon was chosen to symbolise the brand as “an impartial and humble observer of London life”, the museum said in a blog post on the redesign. It hopes that, over time, people will come to recognise the pigeon and splat as signifiers of London Museum. “A good logo gets people talking,” said London Museum di ..read more

Arts Council England is launching the new digital portal for those applying for export licences to permanently or temporarily export cultural objects from the UK. The arts council has developed the portal with support from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and has been working closely with other government agencies to allow a smooth transition to digital export licences at the UK border. The new system has been developed and tested with the help of those in the art, antiques and antiquities trade and the museum sector.  The new portal is intended to be user-friendly and simple ..read more

Duncan Dornan has announced his retirement as the head of museums and collections at Glasgow Life Museums after nine years in the role. Glasgow Life is the charitable trust responsible for running the city’s cultural offer on behalf of the council. Duncan has been at the organisation for more than a decade, initially as senior museums manager, before becoming the head of Glasgow Life Museums in 2015. He will step down on 23 August 2024. Duncan has been responsible for the planning and delivery of many of the city’s major museum projects and initiatives. Highlights of his tenure include the £68 ..read more

Upheaval in the Labour-led Welsh Government this week, including the resignations of first minister Vaughan Gething and culture secretary Lesley Griffiths, has brought fresh uncertainty to the culture sector in Wales. Griffiths, who was appointed to the role in March, joined three other ministers in quitting the cabinet in a vote of no confidence in Gething. He has faced a string of rows over campaign donations and the sacking of a government minister for allegedly leaking text messages. In her resignation letter to Gething, Griffiths said she had “reached the conclusion that we simply will no ..read more

British Museum director Nicholas Cullinan, has said he wants to work in partnership with the Greek government over the future of the Parthenon marbles. Cullinan discussed this on Radio 4’s Today programme on 18 July, his first interview since becoming director of the London institution six weeks ago. Cullinan, the former director of London’s National Portrait Gallery, was asked whether lending would work as a model for the Parthenon sculptures. “I would hope a partnership of some form is possible and that is something I think we will definitely want to take forward,” Cullinan said. “It’s a bit ..read more

Arts Council England has reopened the Designation Scheme to new applications for museums, libraries and archives.  The scheme, which launched in 1997 to recognise and celebrate collections of national and international importance, now has a refreshed application process developed to address feedback on the scheme, identified by a review undertaken to better understand its value.  The reworked Designation Scheme has a streamlined Stage 1 process that asks applicants to demonstrate how their collection meets the Designation criteria, such as the scope ..read more

London’s Natural History Museum opened the gates to its transformed garden spaces this week, where a new bronze diplodocus cast, christened “Fern” by local schoolchildren, stands ready to greet the crowds. Two years in the making, the reimagined gardens comprise five acres of green space around the entire building complex, uniting the east and west sides for the first time. The transformed space features two new outdoor galleries, the Nature Discovery Garden and the Evolution Garden. How the Urban Nature Project is transforming the Natural History Museum These sit alongside the museum’s exis ..read more

Glasgow City Council has launched its Culture Strategy 2024-2030 that outlines four intersecting priorities for the Scottish city – its cultural profile, cultural participation, creative skills and sustainability. The strategy, which was co-created by Glasgow Life in partnership with Glasgow’s Culture Forum through engagement and consultation with the city’s cultural sector, also includes an action plan for years one and two to achieve these goals. Activities planned for year one include cross-sector working in the development of a programme to mark Glasgow’s 850th anniversary; identifying a c ..read more

Changes in leadership are taking place at a number of cultural institutions this year. The director of the People’s History Museum in Manchester, Katy Ashton, has left the institution after 14 years. Ashton has started a new position as head of culture and place marketing at Sheffield Council. Writing on LinkedIn, she said: “Fourteen years ago I joined the amazing team at the People’s History Museum and now it’s time for me to say goodbye to the most amazing museum and the most amazing team! “It’s been quite a ride over the years with so many highlights, successes and achievements… and some ch ..read more