About us

There are almost 70 museums in Cornwall, 28 of these are accredited. These accredited museums attract approximately 1.1 million visitors each year. They are supported by over 2000 volunteers and approximately 280 FTE staff.

Economic and geographical factors are significant barriers to participation in cultural activities for many people, young and old, living in Cornwall. Providing localised access to high quality museum experiences through a dispersed network of museums is fundamental to our approach. Cornwall’s museums provide a ready-made network; our partnership exists to maximise this network ensuring that every community in Cornwall has access to and is inspired by excellent museum experiences.

We work to unlock the potential of our large dispersed network of mainly small and independent organisations.

MUSEUM SECTOR’S VISION STATEMENT

Cornwall’s museums will be a strong network of sustainable organisations, at the heart of Cornwall’s culture, creating memorable and enjoyable experiences for all. They will be valued as having a unique role in connecting our communities to their heritage and culture, in sharing Cornwall’s unique story with its visitors and in bringing ideas and cultural experiences from around the world to Cornwall. The museums’ contribution to Cornwall’s economy will be recognised and other sectors will increasingly develop meaningful partnerships with museums.

MUSEUM SECTOR’S MISSION STATEMENT

Museums in Cornwall will inspire active participation in cultural and artistic activity by collecting, preserving and interpreting historic collections of local, regional, national and international significance. We will make a significant contribution to Cornwall’s cultural tourism offer and help expand Cornwall’s national and international profile, through engaging exhibitions, learning programmes, outreach activities and innovative use of new technologies. Our museums will play a key role in delivering lifelong learning to all sections of the community.

WHAT IS A MUSEUM?

We are often asked what a museum is and which organisations are part of the partnership. We exist to help all museums in Cornwall and work with museums up and down the Duchy. Here is our definition of a museum:

‘A museum is a proactive organisation that acquires, holds and cares for collections and enables access to them for inspiration, enjoyment and learning. Museum collections are made up of objects which have specific, scientific, historical, artistic or cultural significance. Museum collections are held in trust for the benefit of society as a whole.’

Our values

  • Creativity
  • Ambition
  • Collaboration
  • Integrity
  • Support
  • Distinctiveness
  • Diversity
  • Learning