WMMD Newsletter December 2018Contents:
West Midlands Museum Development UpdateWest Midlands Museum Development Conference28 March 2019We are pleased to announce our conference will be held on Thursday 28 March at Enginuity, Coalbrookdale. Hosted by Sarah Bishop, BBC Midlands Today, you can expect a jam-packed day filled with inspirational speakers, thought provoking workshops and an evening reception. Details to follow shortly. "An excellent day and VERY valuable to those of us working in museums in the West Midlands - a rare opportunity to engage with everyone!" Conference delegate 2018CongratulationsCongratulations to the following museums who have gone through an Accreditation panel during 2018 and retained their Accredited status.
Well done all! West Midlands Museum Development Self-Assessment ToolThe Museum Development Self-Assessment Tool is designed to help highlight and celebrate your current best practice, to prioritise areas of working over the next 12 months and to provide a benchmark for your future work. Through multiple choice and open questions you will build a picture of your organisation. Following completion of the Self-Assessment Tool you will receive a bespoke advisory report with a summary of your results and suggestions of sources of support in your highlighted areas of need. The information generated will be used by West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD) to create targeted support programmes to address need. We ask that you repeat the diagnostic annually, so it will also allow you to see how your museum has evolved, highlighting development and potential areas for growth in the future. We will also share anonymised information nationally to inform wider sector support for museums. Small Grants Scheme to Open in JanuaryThe Small Grant Scheme is part of the WMMD Programme, funded by Arts Council England (ACE) and underpinned by ACE’s 10 year strategic framework ‘Great Arts and Culture for Everyone’.The scheme can support projects to help museums in the West Midlands increase access to and engagement with their collections. Applications for the 2019/20 Small Grants Scheme will open at the end of January 2019. Grants of up to £3,000 will be available for projects commencing from 1 April 2019. Full details will be available when the scheme launches. Grants will support museums who demonstrate how they use their collections and planning to reflect the diversity of their audiences. They need to show evidence of how the ‘Creative Case for Diversity’ is at the heart of everything they do, from consulting with diverse and underrepresented groups to diversifying their programmes, collections and exhibitions. WMMD Resourceswww.mdwm.org.uk/resources has a wide range of presentations, handouts and guides covering Audiences, Collections, Resilience, Workforce and Young People drawn from our programme and workshops. The resources are available to Accredited museums and those officially Working Towards Accreditation. If you would like to access these resources please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk for a password. Remember to check back regularly for new content. West Midlands Museum Development EventsAll WMMD events are freePriority will be given to delegates from non-NPO museums which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation. 10 January 2019 - Developing an Equality Action Plan10am-4pm, CBSO Centre, Birmingham B1 2LFThis one day training session delivered by Inclusive Boards will help you to create actionable, practical and manageable objectives based on local demographics. You will be taught to develop and embed SMART EDI goals into your business plans as well as day to day work. This opportunity is aimed at managers and decision makers who are in a position to implement organisational change in Accredited Museums and those Working Towards Accreditation. Inclusive Boards is a highly experienced training agency who has worked with some of the largest charities in the UK, including Amnesty International and British Red Cross. They are currently working with Sport England to help improve diversity at governance level. West Midlands Museum Development is grateful for the support provided by Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy. Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy transforms the fundraising knowledge, skills and levels of success of arts, cultural and heritage organisations. Tea and coffee will be provided. Please bring your own lunch. 10 January 2019 – Collections Knowledge Café: Marking and Labelling10am-4pm, Coventry Transport Museum, Millennium Place, Hales Street, Coventry CV1 1JDSarah Brown from the Collections Trust will be running this practical workshop which supports museum staff and volunteers to label and mark objects in their collections. This workshop will introduce the different equipment, materials and techniques used for marking objects. The session will also include hands-on activities to put knowledge into practice. FULLY BOOKEDPlease email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk if you wish to join the waiting list for this event. 16 January 2019 – Make the Most of Meeting and Event Hire10am-4.30pm, Hilton Garden Inn, 1 Brunswick Square, Birmingham B1 2HWWhether hiring out a small space or catering for large conferences, income from room hire and events is an important source of income for many museums. Amy Kirkland, Welcome to Excellence, will share the practical steps museums and galleries can take to maximise bookings and income by introducing the principles of good event management which apply to museums small and large. FULLY BOOKEDPlease email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk if you wish to join the waiting list for this event. 22 January 2019 - Trust Fundraising - Getting it Right10.30am-4.30pm, Stoke on Trent (venue tbc)Do you need to raise funds from Trusts for your projects? Do you know how to make your application stand out from the crowd? This interactive session will give you the skills to develop a strong application, offering top tips and application templates. You will develop confidence in your own skills and be able to effectively use your time to fundraise for your work. The session is interactive and designed to support you to shape an idea into a practical proposal, so please come prepared with a project idea that you are hoping to get funding for. The session will include:
Priority will be given to delegates from non-NPO museums which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation. Maximum of one delegate per museum. 30 January 2019 - Customer Service9.30am-4.30pm, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1DE“Deliver gold standard customer service with Welcome to Excellence”Welcome to Excellence is the most successful customer service training initiative in the UK with over 375,000 people having participated since the first training course in 1993. Join us at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre for a one day customer service course. This course is being adapted to meet the needs of museums within the region. Full details and how to book will be available shortly. Priority will be given to delegates from non-NPO museums which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation. Maximum of one delegate per museum. 31 January 2019 - Project Grants - Funding for Museum Projects9.45am-12.40pm, John Lewis Community Hub, Grand Central, Birmingham B2 4AUAccredited museums are now able to apply to Arts Council England National Lottery Project Funds to deliver museum based activities. Museum projects should be focused on museum practice. In other words, a museum’s collections, or other activities linked to its core mission or developing the museum or staff expertise. With grants available from £1k to £100k you can expect a decision in six weeks for applications up to £15k and a decision in 12 weeks for applications up to £100k. Come along (9.45am-10.30am) and hear a short presentation about the scheme. You will then have the opportunity to discuss a potential project in more detail with Wendy Parry, Relationship Manager Museums, Arts Council England by booking a one to one 20 minute appointment. These appointments must be booked in advance, they will be allocated on a first come first served basis by emailing wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk. Afternoon appointments are now available, email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk. 31 January 2019 - Business Planning1pm-5pm, John Lewis Community Hub, Grand Central, Birmingham B2 4AUDawn Langley will lead this practical half day session to introduce effective tools, techniques and frameworks that will help you create a business plan to guide your organisation. A Business Plan (also known as a Forward Plan) is an essential element of an Accreditation return and should be a useful document which sets out goals, actions and what you’ll need to achieve these goals including people, equipment and money. A well-researched and clearly written business plan will be a useful communication tool to staff, volunteers and stakeholders. 4 and 5 February 2019 - Project Management9am-5pm, Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, Market Street, Shrewsbury SY1 1LGThis two day ILM-Accredited training programme is based around a model – the Systems Model – which is especially suitable for ‘messy’ problems and situations. The programme covers all the key skill and knowledge areas for planning and managing projects. Much of the work is based around case studies and real life projects and covers the hard and soft skills you need to make projects successful. Learning outcomes At the end of this course, you will be able to:
Programme profile
We will be working on real projects so please come with a project in mind. This can be a project you are currently managing, a recent project or a project idea that you would like to develop. This training is delivered by Management Centre =mc. Priority will be given to delegates from non-NPO museums which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation Tea and coffee will be provided and the museum has an excellent café where you’ll be able to purchase lunch. 13 February 2019 - Museum Constitution and Governance Workshop1pm-5pm, The Hive, Sawmill Walk, Worcester WR1 3PDACE has refreshed their Accreditation guidance on eligible constitution and governance types to cover new emerging models in an increasingly complex area. This session will help organisations understand the range of different models and implications for Accreditation, help identify risks and identify work to prioritise in support of their next Accreditation return. During the afternoon we will cover:
There will be opportunities to look at different constitutional and governance case studies and share your experiences with others. 26 February 2019 - Preparing for Emergencies: Prevention and ProtectionHandsworth Community Fire Station, 41 Rookery Road, Birmingham B21 9QUWest Midlands Museum Development in partnership with Historic England, English Heritage and West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service is offering two courses to help those caring for historic assets. This course concentrates on prevention and protection aspects of preparing for emergencies. The modules will help you understand:
This course is only open to staff, Trustees and volunteers from Accredited museums and those officially Working Towards Accreditation in the West Midlands. Delegates are encouraged to attend both events (26 and 27 February) but will still benefit from attending either course. The training supports the revised Accreditation Standard Lunch and refreshments will be provided at this free event. FULLY BOOKED Please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk if you wish to join the waiting list for this event. 27 February 2019 - Preparing for Emergencies: Creating an Emergency PlanHandsworth Community Fire Station, 41 Rookery Road, Birmingham B21 9QUWest Midlands Museum Development in partnership with Historic England, English Heritage and West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service is offering two courses to help those caring for historic assets. This course concentrates on creating an emergency plan. The modules will help you understand:
Places are limited and the closing date for bookings is 9am, 4 February 2019. If you have any questions please contact wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk. This course is only open to staff, Trustees and volunteers from Accredited museums and those officially Working Towards Accreditation in the West Midlands. Delegates are encouraged to attend both events (26 and 27 February) but will still benefit from attending either course. The training supports the revised Accreditation Standard Lunch and refreshments will be provided at this free event. 6 March 2019 - Volunteers in the Workplace - Creating a More Diverse Volunteer Base10am-1pm, Newman Brothers at The Coffin Works, 13-15 Fleet Street, Birmingham B3 1JPWinners at the 2017 West Midlands Volunteer Awards, the Coffin Works Front of House Team were praised for their outstanding work as a collective and for the diversity of their volunteers, both young and old. How do they recruit their diverse volunteer team and give them a unique and rewarding experience? How do they offer so many varied opportunities within the museum and why do the volunteers have so much fun? Museum Manager Sarah Hayes and her volunteer team will share the work they do at The Coffins Works. Sarah will highlight how the different volunteer roles are central to the delivery of the programmes and the running of the visitor attraction. Suzanne Carter will talk about engaging local residents and workers as 'active citizens' without the pressure of a regular volunteer commitment or lots of paperwork. She will share her experiences of proactively recruiting volunteers who are deaf, disabled and autistic. She will also showcase how different organisations in the Jewellery Quarter are working together to create a 'pool' of volunteers who can work across different heritage projects and museums benefitting the whole area, rather than just one venue. This event is free and refreshments will be provided. Priority will be given to delegates from non-NPO museums which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation. 28 March 2019 - WMMD ConferenceIronbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Coalbrookdale TF8 7DQJoin the WMMD team for our fourth annual conference. Hosted by Sarah Bishop, BBC Midlands Today, you can expect a jam-packed day filled with inspirational speakers, thought provoking workshops and an evening reception. Details and how to book will be available shortly. Other Events29 January 2019 - Volunteer Management Conference 2019Central London - venue tbcThe Volunteer Management Conference 2019 will provide the latest updates and guidance in supporting outstanding recruitment, retention and management of volunteers across the voluntary sector. Participants will hear from policy experts and leading practitioners in developing a successful volunteer management strategy, attracting volunteers through effective marketing and enhancing the volunteer experience. For more information click here. 29 January 2019 - Digital Basics Boot CampScience and Industry Museum, Manchester M3 4FPThe Museums Association’s Digital Basics Boot Camp is a fast-paced one-day conference covering all the essential digital skills that museums need today, including:
This event is for any museum professional who wants to polish their digital skills, find out what to spend their time and money on, and gain the confidence to pursue their own digital projects back at their museum. For more information and to book click here. 14 February 2019 - Implementing the Museum Action Plan 2018: Curating attractive and diverse museums and galleries11am-3.30pm, Central LondonThe new Museum Action Plan has set out specific criteria for museums and galleries to improve, building on the Mendoza review published last year. In order for museums and galleries to flourish successfully, there is a need to collaborate more effectively with governments and funding bodies, diversify audiences and the workforce and to successfully utilise digital platforms. Attend this Westminster Briefing for an overview of the government's new plan and to assess the most effective way to move forward in response. Explore dynamic forms of good practice when curating attractive and widely-engaging museums and galleries. For more information and to book click here. 27 February 2019 - Moving on Up: Making an Impact with your CareerNottingham Contemporary NG1 2GBDo you want to advance your career and have greater impact in your work, in your community and in achieving your ambitions? At Moving on Up you will:
To find out more and to book click here. 14 March 2019 - Agents of Change: Driving and Dealing with Change as a Freelancer in the Cultural Sector10.30am-4.30pm Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester M2 3JLJoin other museum freelancers for this insightful, valuable and practical day of training and networking, aimed at freelancers working across all disciplines in the museums and heritage sector and those considering embarking on a freelance career. Speakers will share their journeys, practical lessons and tips and will explore many aspects of ‘change’ relevant to freelancers, including:
This year there is also a fringe conference programme which includes a group visit to the People's History Museum and facilitated networking. For the full programme and to book please click here. 1 April 2019 - Creative & Cultural Skills National Conference11am-4pm, Cardiff City Hall, Cardiff CF10 3NDThe conference is a key moment in the calendar for employers, educators and policy-makers in the creative and cultural industries. Early-bird rates are available until 31 December, and special discounts are available for apprentices and interns. Buy tickets here. NewsThe Museums + Heritage Awards 2019 Open For EntriesCould you join the Awards Hall of Fame? There are 14 different categories to choose from, including the NEW category Partnership of the Year supported by Arts Council England, offering an opportunity for everyone, regardless of the scale or size of project and budget. Cost-effectiveness is at the heart of these awards as is creativity and resourcefulness and entries are welcomed from everyone. Have you got some great volunteers? Take a look at the FREE to enter Volunteer(s) of the Year Award in association with AIM, which gives this sector the chance to honour and celebrate the invaluable volunteers! So, if you work in a local authority museum, a national or independent museum, a gallery or a heritage or cultural visitor attraction or perhaps you are a supplier to this sector, this is your chance to have your hard work recognised. Give yourself the very best chance for success by watching the two minute video on 'How to Compile Your Entry' and also get top tips from Chair of the 2019 Judging Panel Diane Lees, Director General of the Imperial War Museum. Find out more about the awards and how to enter here. Deadline for entries is Friday 1 February 2019. Congratulations to Brampton MuseumThe Philip Astley Project won the Judges' Choice Gold Award at the Enjoy Staffordshire Tourism Awards. 2018 was the 250th anniversary of the first performance of what we know as the modern circus. The man who brought all of the circus elements together was one Philip Astley from Newcastle under Lyme, born in 1742. Organisations in Newcastle, including Brampton Museum and Art Gallery, came together to celebrate the local boy made good, in a Heritage Lottery Fund supported project, which has included exhibitions, festivals, performances and lots of fun to make Astley a household name. As part of the project Brampton Museum and Art Gallery had a loan from the V&A museum, made possible through the Ready to Borrow scheme. Collections Based Christmas Tree Decorations at Market Hall Museum, WarwickThe fortnightly Knit and Natter group at the Market Hall Museum in Warwick has recreated some of the objects from the museum's collections in wool to hang on the Heritage and Culture Warwickshire tree at the St Mary's Church Christmas tree festival. The photo shows a plesiosaur and bees from the observation hive. Arty Tots, the grandparents and grandchildren's group also contributed decorations based on the collections. Creative & Cultural Skills National Conference and AwardsCreative & Cultural Skills has launched the ticket sales for its National Conference and Awards, which will take place on 1 April. The conference will take place from 11am-4pm in Cardiff City Hall and the awards dinner and ceremony will take place in the evening from 6.30pm-10pm in the National Museum Cardiff. The conference is a key moment in the calendar for employers, educators and policy-makers in the creative and cultural industries. They have also opened the nominations for their annual Creative & Cultural Skills Awards. The Creative & Cultural Skills Awards shine a light on the individuals and organisations that have shown an outstanding commitment to skill development and learning in the creative industries, ensuring the next generation have the skills they need so that the creative sector continues to thrive. For more information about the conference and the awards click here. AIM Prospering BoardsCould your board benefit from expert support? AIM Prospering Boards works with boards to help them strengthen their leadership, work more strategically or deal more effectively with emerging challenges.It offers one-to-one consultancy advice to boards and trustees from a group of highly skilled specialists. Boards can access up to 8 days support from a specialist governance consultant, to work on the aspects of board development that matter most to them. Each package of support is designed around the needs of an individual museum, so Prospering Boards can help the most experienced boards, as well as those at a more challenging stage of development. AIM is able to work on this programme with museums that aren't yet formally working towards Accreditation, if they can show that working with AIM will help move them closer to being able to start the process. Prospering Boards also offers a short ‘microconsultancy’ option of 1 – 2 days which can be used for a simpler project. For more information and to apply visit the AIM website. Alternatively if you are thinking of applying contact Helen Wilkinson. Data Protection and DocumentationThe Collection Trust's object entry, object exit and transfer of title forms, which help museums follow best practice and meet Spectrum standards, have been revised to take account of the 2018 changes to data protection law. A key change is that those signing the forms now indicate that they have been made aware of the museum's privacy notice. You can read more about the revisions here. You can continue to use previous versions of these forms, but your procedures need to ensure that those signing them have been shown your privacy notice. GEM Intermediate CPD CoursesGEM has developed a series of intermediate courses aimed at supporting the professional development of mid-career heritage professionals. These courses address core competencies identified by GEM, and help to raise professional standards in the sector. Subject Specialist NetworksThe new Subject Specialist Networks website can be found at https://subjectspecialistnetworks.org.uk/. OpportunitiesThe Sandford Award for Heritage EducationThe Sandford Award recognises and celebrates museums, galleries and historic sites that provide high quality heritage learning. Now in its 40th year over 500 sites have received this prestigious quality mark from sites small and large, and run by national institutions and local authorities to volunteers and private owners. The award is non-competitive and is managed by the Heritage Education Trust in partnership with Bishop Grosseteste University. It is independently judged by a panel of heritage sector experts and applicants receive a detailed consultancy report as part of the judging process. Hear what Dr Tracy Borman, Chief Executive of the Heritage Education Trust and joint Chief Curator for Historic Royal Palaces has to say about the award. To find out more and to download the application form, criteria and judging information click here or email sandford@bishopg.ac.uk. Deadline for entries is 15 February 2019. Want to Make your Collection more Accessible?Arts Council National Lottery Projects Grants scheme is open and waiting for your applications!Arts Council England (ACE) want to support exciting and diverse work that brings great art and culture to people across the country through their new funding programme. Accredited museums can apply for grants that help people engage with their collections or their work. The grants typically range from £1,000 to £100,000. If you have a project in mind which will help to make your collections more accessible download their handy guide or look at the Project Grants page on the ACE website. If you have questions before, during or after making an application contact ACE by email enquiries@artscouncil.org.uk or telephone 0161 934 4317. Association for Industrial Archaeology Restoration GrantsGrants up to £20,000 are available for the restoration of important industrial buildings, structures, machinery, vehicles and vessels within the UK. Grants can be made to not for profit organisations such as trusts, charities and CICs and are for capital funding only. More information about the grants can be found here. The closing date for applications: 31 March 2019 Developing Your Creative PracticeDeveloping your Creative Practice (DYCP) is ACE's fund for individuals who want to develop their work. It is aimed at artists, writers, producers, museum curators, choreographers or other creative people. If you’re a small group who regularly work together, you can apply too. To learn more and to apply click here. Application closing dates: 21 February 2019 The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour 2020 – Invitation to applyIn 2020 the National Gallery will tour Degas’s Hélène Rouart in her Father's Study, and is currently inviting proposals from UK venues to display this masterpiece. Three successful venues will receive the masterpiece for a period of up to three months (during 2020) alongside a contribution (£5,000) towards marketing and outreach. Full details, including application guidance, can be found here. Application is open to all non-London UK museums and galleries who meet the required standards of loan, security and environmental conditions. The National Gallery is particularly interested in working with venues who have not previously or recently borrowed from their collection, or who are located in areas of cultural or socioeconomic deprivation. Three successful venues will receive the masterpiece for a period of up to three months (during 2020) alongside a contribution (£5,000) towards marketing and outreach. Full details, including application guidance, can be found here. Application is open to all non-London UK museums and galleries who meet the required standards of loan, security and environmental conditions. The National Gallery is particularly interested in working with venues who have not previously or recently borrowed from their collection, or who are located in areas of cultural or socioeconomic deprivation. The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour is made possible through the generous support of Christie’s. Beecroft BequestThe Beecroft Bequest is a fund administered by the Museums Association, for the purchase of pre-19th century works of art. Under the terms of the will of the late Walter G Beecroft, the residue of his estate was bequeathed to the Museums Association as a foundation for the fund. Grants of up to £10,000 are available to Museums Association institutional members for the acquisition of pre-19th century works of art. Applications are considered on a case by case basis. The application process is very simple, and they are always happy to answer any questions you may have prior to submission. For more information, please click here. Evaluation TenderCompton Verney Art Gallery and Park is a cultural destination in rural Warwickshire. Opened to the public in 2004 with the mission to make art and nature accessible to all. They are looking for an experienced and capable evaluation specialist/organisation, who will work with them strategically and efficiently to develop a comprehensive and thorough analysis of their HLF-funded activity. The evaluation will cover four areas:
The full tender brief can be found here. Tenders should be submitted to Jess Wolinski, Director of Marketing and Sales by no later than Friday 4 January 2019. Interviews will take place at Compton Verney w/e 11 January 2019. Volunteer PortalThe regional Volunteer Portal offers Accredited museums and those officially Working Towards Accreditation the opportunity to advertise for volunteers. Please click below if you would like to register your museum. You don't need to have any current opportunities to register. Images © Lee Allen Photography except Winter View © Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust Winter View, Breaking Boundaries Conference, Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, The Pen Museum, Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery What we need from you…..There are still many museum staff, volunteers and trustees within the West Midlands who do not receive our newsletter. PLEASE make sure your colleagues don’t miss out and forward this newsletter today! To sign up for our newsletter visit our website and submit your email address at the bottom of our home page or at the bottom of all our web pages. |