Northampton Museum and Arts Gallery regains Arts Council accreditation

Northampton Museum and Arts Gallery has received full accreditation from the Arts Council England for the first time in nearly a decade.

The museum service in Northampton lost Arts Council England accreditation in 2014 following the sale of the Egyptian statue of Sekhemka, which was part of its collection and proceeds of which were used to renovate the museum.

The prestigious accreditation from the Arts Council recognises the museum and arts gallery’s ongoing commitment to providing an outstanding facility for Northampton, to help people to engage with collections and protect them for the future.

The nationally agreed standards set out to ensure all museums are sustainable, focused and trusted, inspiring the confidence of the public and funding and governing bodies.

WNC's Cabinet Member for Housing, Culture and Leisure Adam Brown says that the news comes at "an exciting time" for the region, with news of the museum receiving National Portfolio Organisation status just last month from Arts Council England, alongside a £150k-a-year grant for the next three years.

He also added that the council "looks forward to working with our partners, artists and historians to provide a wide variety of displays and galleries for our communities, within the museum and art gallery and across West Northamptonshire."

Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director for Arts Council England, believes the museum "is an important part of the cultural landscape for the region", and explained that ""The Museum Accreditation scheme ensures museums manage their collections properly, engage with visitors, and are governed appropriately and we are pleased to be welcoming Northampton Museum and Arts Gallery into the scheme."

As part of the funding awarded to Northampton Museum and Arts Gallery by the Arts Council, the project will engage with groups and communities across Northamptonshire to develop a series of exhibitions, events, books and digital resources looking at different aspects of Northamptonshire’s history through objects, architecture, landscape and personal experiences.