About the NI Museums Council

The NI Museums Council is the lead body supporting local museums across Northern Ireland. Formed in 1993 as a registered charity and non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Communities, it has served the local museum sector for three decades.

As the lead development body for local museums across Northern Ireland, we share a vision for a dynamic, inclusive, and sustainable museum sector that delivers benefits for the whole of society. Museums have the potential to make a powerful impact on our lives. They educate, stimulate, and entertain us, but they also have a capacity to contribute to our well-being, create better places to live and work, and provide safe spaces to exchange ideas and facilitate debate.

NI Museums Council works with local museums and its members throughout Northern Ireland, empowering museums through: accreditation; professional training and skills development; networking events; research; advice and advocacy; developing strategic partnerships; and, enabling museums to connect with communities to increase participation in cultural and heritage activities.

Our Corporate Plan outlines our goals and vision for the sector between 2022-25, and is titled Museums at the Heart