A new charitable company

On 20 June 2024, the Museum Data Service was incorporated in England and Wales as a company limited by guarantee (without share capital). The company number is 15790086. The founding members of the company are: the Public Catalogue Foundation (Art UK), Collections Trust and the University of Leicester. The directors are:

  • Dr Katie Eagleton, University Librarian and Director of Collections and Museums, University of St Andrews (independent chair)
  • Dr Aruna Bhaugeerutty, Head of Digital Collections, Ashmolean Museum and Strategic Lead for Museum Digital Collections, University of Oxford
  • Dr Tilly Blyth, Exec Director, Collections and Curatorial, Imperial War Museum
  • Dr George Entwistle, Vice Chair Art UK
  • John Stack, Director of Digital Innovation and Technology, National Gallery
  • Paul Stevenson, Deputy General Counsel, Church Commissioners
  • Steve Williams, Director Library and Learning Services, University of Leicester

The registered office is: Museum Data Service, C/O Institute for Digital Culture, University Of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, United Kingdom, LE1 7RH.

With pro bono legal input from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and specific advice on points of charity law from Womble Bond Dickinson, the articles of association have been drafted with the intention of registering the company as a charity, and this process will begin as soon as possible.

Strategic advisory group

A further group, drawn from the relevant stakeholders, will help locate MDS squarely within relevant strategic priorities of key policy-making and funding bodies across the UK’s cultural and research sectors. The group will also help the MDS engage with comparable initiatives outside the UK and with relevant initiatives in other UK sectors. The group members are:

  • Lucy Bird, Policy and Research Lead, Art Fund
  • Dr Tim Boon, Head of Research and Public History, Science Museum Group
  • Sarah Briggs, Collections Development Lead, Museums Association
  • Rheinallt Ffoster-Jones, Programme Manager, People’s Collection Wales
  • Kelly Forbes, Digital Manager, Museums Galleries Scotland
  • Emmie Kell, Director of Museums and Cultural Property, Arts Council England
  • Professor Elena Simperl, Professor of Computer Science, King’s College London / Director of Research, Open Data Institute
  • Barney Sloane, National Specialist Services Director, Historic England
  • Suzie Tucker, Head of Strategy and Communications, National Museum Directors’ Council

User advisory groups

Our early adopters provided feedback as well as data during the start-up project.

The group will be formalised and around ten to fifteen additional members for the museums and researchers/developers user groups recruited through an open recruitment process. The aim will be to get diverse groups that represents a range of users and can act as critical friends on matters such as the user experience, comms messaging, training and other support needs, data ethics and future priorities.

Museums User Group – recruitment in progress

  • MDS Trustee: Dr Aruna Bhaugeerutty
  • Jamie Unwin, Science Museum Group
  • Richard Palmer, V&A
  • Richard Light, Museum metadata specialist
  • Helen Burbage, Royal Albert Memorial Museum
  • Graham Randall, Duxford Aviation Society Museum
  • Helena Jaeschke, Museum Development South West
  • Thanasis Velios, English Heritage
  • Elizabeth Llabres, Bradford Museums and Galleries
  • Rory McDaid, Fitzwilliam Museum
  • Jeni Woolcock, Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery
  • Paz Tejada Urbina, Monmouthshire Council Museums
  • Alison Iddon, Haworth Art Gallery
  • Stephen Thomas, Dorking Museum
  • Catherine Shanahan, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
  • Adam Robinson, Peter Scott Gallery (Lancaster Arts)

Researchers User Group

  • MDS Trustee: Steve Williams
  • Emilia Sharples, Art Fund
  • Jin Gao, UCL
  • Emily Middleton, University of Leeds
  • Marco Humbel, The National Archives
  • Liam Thorne, University of Sheffield
  • Maribel Hidalgo-Urbaneja, Kings College London
  • Richard Nevell, Wikimedia UK
  • John Moore, The National Archives
  • Florian Siemund, University of Cologne

Contractual arrangements during the start-up phase

While the new MDS company gets up and running, data processing and data deposit agreements entered into by organisations sharing data with MDS will initially be with the Public Catalogue Foundation (the registered name of Art UK) and later assigned to MDS. The Public Catalogue Foundation, is registered as a limited company in England and Wales (no 04573564), as a charity in England and Wales (no 1096185) and as a charity in Scotland (no SC048601).