The Museum Council of Iceland is an advisory board for the Icelandic Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. The Council deals with various tasks regarding museums, whether cultural, artistic or natural history. The Museum Council assesses applications from museums that seek accreditation and prepares a proposal for the Minister of Education, Science and Culture that issues the accreditation. In 2020, 46 accredited museums exist in Iceland.
Among the Museum Council's duties is overall supervision of museum activities in Iceland, drafting policies in collaboration with the central museums and designating standards in relation to matters such as accessibility and safety. The Council also establishes the rules for allocation from the Museum Fund and evaluates applications to the Fund. Allocations from the Fund are granted to accredited museums for particular projects. Accredited museums which are not publicly owned are able to apply for operating grants and non-accredited museums are able to apply for support in particular projects that they engage in in collaboration with accredited museums. International projects are also supported by the Fund.
Three principal, or central, museums in Iceland form strategies for other museums in their respective fields: The National Gallery; The Museum of Natural History; and the National Museum of Iceland. These museums are state funded.
All accredited museums work in accordance with the Museum Act and the ICOM Code of Ethics. These museums have the duty to acquire; to preserve and promote; communicate their collections; and safeguard the natural, cultural and scientific heritage that they protect. The museums promote the well-being of people, social development, tolerance and respect, by advocating for multicultural and multilingual expressions in the promotion of collections of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The museums create a favourable environment for connections between the community and museums to create a harmonious relationship between the two parts.
Since the Museum Fund's establishment in 2001 it has allocated over 13,473,931 USD (1,840,000,000 ISK) to roughly 1,800 different projects.
In 2019, the Museum Fund made allocations in the amount of 922,671 USD (126 million ISK).
| Name of partner | Type of entity |
|---|---|
Icelandic Ministry of Education, Science and Culture
| Public Sector
|
The Museum Council of Iceland
| Public Sector
|