The UK Registrars Group is a non-profit association set up in 1979. It provides a forum for exchanging ideas and expertise between registrars, collection managers and other museum professionals in the United Kingdom, Europe and worldwide.
The group strives to establish and promote standards of good professional practice through publications and seminars and to support national and international standards in relevant fields of work.
Particular emphasis is given to documentation and records, physical care, loans & exhibition logistics and cultural sector legislation. The Group also seeks to provide advocacy and representations in relevant consultations and sectoral developments, where required by its membership. The Group is run by an elected committee; details of their roles are available here. We rely on our membership to ensure the dynamism of our organisation and we encourage ideas from all our members.
Individual membership is open to all those involved in the care, management, interpretation and display of collections in museums, art galleries, heritage centres or any other similar organisations. In addition, corporate membership is available to those companies which supply services to the museum and gallery sector in general.
The website is our main form of communication with members, non-members, other museum professionals and non-museum workers alike. News, events and job adverts are also sent via our news bulletin, which goes out monthly by email to all members.
We aim to share our work with others and are happy for you to download and use our information.
UKRG Committee
Interested in joining the committee? Read about what the roles entail here or contact an existing post-holder here.
Aisha Burtenshaw
Chair
I have been working in museums for over fifteen years since leaving University. My first role was in the Exhibitions Department at National Museums Liverpool, before moving to Oxford in 2005 and joining the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology. I have been there ever since and I now head up the Registrars Department. The collections at the Ashmolean are hugely diverse and I am lucky enough to be in a department that works across the whole range, so one day I might be arranging for an Egyptian mummy to be x-rayed and the next I could be packing drawings by Michelangelo or installing Japanese textiles. I am thrilled to be leading the UKRG until 2019, the group has been such a great resource to me over the years as a source of professional advice and to provide support and information from across the sector.
Joyce Lau
Secretary
I am currently part of the Loans team at White Cube. Although the experience of being a registrar by title is relatively recent to me, I thoroughly enjoy my varied collaborations with artist studios, art spaces, and museums. Having started my career in small but ambitious contemporary art galleries in Hong Kong, the UKRG has been a valuable resource to my transition. I am always in awe of the diverse skills, abundance of knowledge and passion within the industry, and no doubt I will continue to be inspired through my education as part of the Committee.
Jenny Foot
Treasurer
I am currently an Exhibitions Officer at the National Portrait Gallery, working on the planning and delivery of temporary exhibitions at the Gallery in London and on our touring exhibitions both nationally and internationally. Prior to this, I was an Exhibitions Assistant at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where I worked on everything exhibitions-related for 2 years. I have worked in the museum and heritage industry for several years now and worked in a variety of roles, from front of house, to documentation and curatorial positions, at various organisations including English Heritage and the National Maritime Museum. I’m really looking forward to being a part of the UKRG committee and taking on the role of Treasurer!
Jenni Fewery
Corporate and Development Officer
I am currently Assistant Registrar at the Science Museum Group where I work on acquisitions, new loans in and out and long-term loan renewals. Prior to this, I was Assistant Registrar (Historic Loans & Disposals) at the Science Museum. In this role, I worked on object disposals for the Science Museum Group and researched and resolved historic loans into the Museum. Before joining the Museum I worked with University College London on a collections review and also had a work placement with the Hunterian Museum for their War, Art and Surgery exhibition.
Jacqui Austin
Events Officer (1 year)
For the last two years I have been Lead Registrar for Loans, Touring and Partnerships at the National Galleries of Scotland. I am part of a small team of 4 who look after all loans and acquisitions. Prior to joining NGS I worked on a historic long loans project at the National Trust for Scotland and touring exhibitions at the National Museums of Scotland. Over the years this means I have done a wide range of work covering everything from building a Dr Livingstone exhibition in Malawi to touring the Lewis Chessmen to the Shetland Islands. My post as events officer for UKRG is for one year and I’m looking forward to putting on some interesting events and getting to meet more colleagues throughout the UK.
Emma Denness
Events Officer
As the Exhibitions and Collections Registrar for ARTISTS ROOMS, a collection jointly held by National Galleries Scotland and Tate, I am collaborating with museums and galleries across the UK to showcase the work of 40 major international artists through a programme of solo exhibitions. Prior to this role I have delivered international touring exhibitions at Royal Museums Greenwich, and the loans programme at the British Library which included international and domestic loans out as well as securing loans in for exhibition. My previous experience also includes various collections management roles both at the British Museum and Ashmolean Museum. I have worked on some fantastic exhibitions and been privileged to work with amazing collections from all over the world. I have gained invaluable professional networks amongst peers across the cultural sector and I look forward to putting this to use in my 2 year tenure as Events Officer to deliver a diverse and exciting programme of events (hopefully). I also look forward to meeting and working with new people and contributing to the wonderful work of the UKRG.
Kirsty Millward
Membership Secretary
I am currently Assistant Registrar at The Auckland Project, formerly Auckland Castle Trust – an ambitious vision to launch the town of Bishop Auckland in County Durham as a world-class art, faith and heritage destination. I am the first point of contact for all lender enquiries and process incoming loans for the Mining Art Gallery, Auckland Castle, Spanish Gallery and Faith Museum. Prior to this, I was the Collections Officer at the Design Museum, where I was responsible for the management and administration of the permanent collection, Sackler Library and archives. I have worked in the museum and heritage sector for over ten years now, in a variety of roles at various institutions including National Museums Scotland, Museum of Domestic Design & Architecture and London Metropolitan Archives. As Membership Secretary, I look forward to meeting many of you over the next two years and contributing to the work of the UKRG.
Lyn Stevens
Professional Development Officer
I am a Registrar at National Museums Scotland and I am currently leading on a long-term loans plans which aims to centralise 150 years’ worth of historical loans, which involves working with a lot of archival paperwork. I also deliver courier training for internal and external colleagues as part of our knowledge exchange programme.
I have worked in the Scottish museums sector for 22 years, in both curatorial and loans management roles, so I bring perspectives of both roles to the Committee. I work part-time at the National Museums Scotland and also work part time for the rest of the week as a Curator at the Museum of Childhood, Edinburgh, which is part of the City of Edinburgh Council Museums. In my new role as Personal Development Officer on the UKRG Committee I am looking forward to initiating some new events and resources for Registrars, to widening my contacts across the UK Registrars network and to deliver some analysis of Registrars Development needs for the future.
Fran Coles
Supporting Officer
Last year I became Conservation & Documentation Manager for Bristol Museums. My background is as a collections care conservator having worked in the sector for the last 14 years, 11 of these with the Science Museum, based at Blythe House. A key part of my new role is to advocate for and support our small team of documentation specialists. It is important to me that I am able to do this to the best of my ability so saw joining the committee as major way in which I could do this. As well as helping me to better understand the current issues facing the profession I also hope that my background in conservation can help bring a new view point to discussions. I am looking forward to learning a lot, meeting new colleagues and helping support the rest of the committee in their activities.
Nicola Farrington
Web Editor
I am currently Project Coordinator for International Touring Exhibitions at the British Museum, responsible for collection objects throughout their global travels. Previously I worked with the Arts Council Collection at the Southbank Centre, as coordinator for their National Partnership Programme of exhibitions, and prior to that was Touring and Loans Manager at Crafts Council, where I transitioned from unsuccessful ceramicist to semi-successful collections professional. When not coordinating, I’m still often found making things, whether that be baskets or blankets. I’m looking forward to meeting more members, and keeping up to date more widely through generating UKRG e-bulletins and social media content.
Liz Mylod
Web Officer (1 year)
I am currently a Project Registrar at National Museums Scotland, where I have been for the past year. I have previously worked with the McKie Collection of Robert Burns material at the Dick Institute, East Ayrshire Leisure, and started in the museums and heritage sector by undertaking the registrar traineeship run by Leeds Museums and Galleries, the Royal Armouries and the University of Leeds. Prior to this I was an events manager in Leeds, where I also studied for a doctorate in medieval history. Consequently, I especially enjoy it when I get the chance to work on loans of medieval objects! I look forward to hearing members’ views on the website, and hope to make the website as user-friendly as possible.
