The Museum Development Fund (MDF) is a part of Renaissance funding dedicated to the development needs of small and medium sized museums outside of the Hubs.
MLA South East manages the MDF programme for the South East. Through this, we seek to raise standards among the region’s non hub museums, improving access to quality museum services for users across the whole South East.
The South East MDF programme has the following core objectives:
- To support museums in developing their audiences
- To help museums achieve a more secure and sustainable future, through forward planning and support for funding and income generation activity
- To continue to develop organisations by upskilling the workforce, both paid and voluntary
- To advocate on behalf of small and medium sized museums
- To help museums achieve the Accreditation standard
- To encourage partnerships and networks, sharing skills and achieving economies of scale
- To facilitate communications and the sharing of intelligence between MLA South East, the South East Hub and the wider museums community
- MLA South East has established a network of Museum Development Services for non-Hub museums in each of the South East’s four sub-regions:
- Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
- Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
- Surrey, East and West Sussex
- Kent and Medway
Museum Development Officers (MDOs), based in each of the sub-regions, deliver support and advisory services to all Registered / Accredited museums and those actively working towards Accreditation in the South East.
This includes:
- Free advice and support, including site visits
- Free training
- Small grants
- Funding advice
- Support with Accreditation
- Regular newsletters and email updates
- Network brokerage and support
- Access auditing
The South East Hub supports the Museum Development Services with both significant funding and in-kind contributions, and is committed to continuing this support in the future.
Our Museum Development Service link provides contact details for your local MDO and more information about the work of the sub-regional Museum Development Services.
