WMMD Newsletter January 2018Contents:
West Midlands Museum Development Update15 March - Solve to Evolve Conference9.30am – 7.30pm, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Coalbrookdale TF8 7DQWest Midlands Museum Development's third annual conference, funded by Arts Council England, will be a jam packed day focusing on overcoming challenges to make organisations more resilient and appealing to audiences. We are delighted to welcome Gordon Seabright, CEO, Eden Project, who will deliver the Opening Address. For more details about the conference see the WMMD Events section.The conference is FREE and includes, refreshments, lunch and dinner. The conference is FREE and includes refreshments, lunch and dinner. Places will be prioritised for staff, volunteers and trustees of museums and art galleries based in the West Midlands. Ready to Borrow Capital Grant SchemeIf you have already expressed an interest in the Ready to Borrow Capital Grant Scheme, don't forget to complete the application form and submit by 5pm, Wednesday 24 January to wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk. Please contact us if you require a copy of the guidance notes or the application form. Your museum could join the 11 museums from the region which have already benefitted from this scheme. £56.3k is available and typically museums bid for between £12k and £50k. Successful applicants will be notified by 14 February. WMMD EventsSee the WMMD events section below for information about all our events. West Midlands Museum Development EventsAll WMMD events are free25 January - Need to Know: GDPR and Finance10am – 4.30pm, Birmingham Hippodrome B5 4TBA day of essential learning suitable for all museum staff, trustees and volunteers of Accredited Museums and those officially Working Towards Accreditation in the West Midlands. GDPR The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into effect this year on 25 May to replace the current Data Protection Act. It’s the biggest overhaul of data protection legislation for over 25 years, and will introduce new requirements for how organisations process personal data. Every organisation, no matter their scale, handles data and employees and volunteers alike must be equipped to protect data. Alan Owen, ICARIS Ltd will give an introduction to GDPR, its impact and implications and how to prepare your organisation to comply with the new legislation. Essential information for staff, trustees and volunteers alike. Magic Numbers Richard Hemmings, Insight Training will help delegates gain a better understanding of financial statements, budgets, how to prepare for audit or independent examination and how to spot and prevent discrepancies. An essential afternoon for everyone, from those handling admission fees, managing a budget or even reporting back to the Charity Commission. Lunch and refreshments are included at this free event. Partnership project with the Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy Programme. 30 January - Influencing for Results9.30am – 4.30pm, Birmingham Voluntary Service Council, 138 Digbeth, Birmingham B5 6DRLast year’s Snapshot Skills Survey identified 'influencing' as an area where many respondents wanted to feel more confident. The workshop will be presented by Jules Bellingham, Senior Partner Consultant at the Management Centre (=mc) and Deputy Director of the National Arts Fundraising School. She’s highly experienced in communication and influencing skills. Jules is also a Trustee of Moor Pool Heritage Trust, Birmingham. This workshop is for individuals who want to boost their ability to persuade and convince others, including team members, stakeholders and trustees. The techniques explored will help you influence in a formal or informal situation and help you think about how you can adapt your own communication style to be more effective. Overall, it will help you be a more confident and convincing influencer and communicator. At the end of the workshop you will be able to:
Lunch and refreshments are included at this FREE event. 8 February - Setting the Standard: Managing Equality and Diversity in the Workplace10am - 4pm, The Hive, Worcester WR1 3PDRoots HR CIC will explore the role of museums to embed Equality and Diversity within their workplace, including their legal responsibilities. Roots HR specialise in working with social sector organisations such as charities and voluntary organisations. This event is suitable for anyone involved in the management of staff. Through this workshop delegates will gain greater understanding of how they can effectively support all members of their team, throughout their employment in relation to Equality and Diversity. The workshop will explore many aspects of employment including professional development, pay and benefits, performance management, disputes, bullying, harassment and retirement. By the end of this workshop delegates will:
In addition you will receive access to free online resources published after the training including:
Refreshments and lunch will be provided. 28 February - Setting the Standard: Recruitment and Selection10am - 4pm, Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery SY1 1LHRoots HR CIC will be exploring the role of museums to embed Equality and Diversity within their workplace, including their legal responsibilities. Roots HR specialise in working with social sector organisations such as charities and voluntary organisations. These events are suitable for anyone involved in the management or recruitment of paid staff or volunteers. This workshop from 10am - 4pm at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery will explore best practice in recruitment and selection processes to ensure that your organisation appoints the best applicants. By the end of this workshop delegates will:
In addition you will receive access to free online resources published after the training including:
Refreshments and lunch will be provided at this free event. 15 March - Solve to Evolve ConferenceIronbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Coalbrookdale TF8 7DQJoin the West Midlands Museum Development team for our third conference. Funded by Arts Council England (ACE), we've a jam-packed day focusing on overcoming challenges to make organisations more resilient and appealing to audiences.We are delighted to welcome Gordon Seabright, CEO, Eden Project, who will deliver the Opening Address. The day will be hosted by broadcaster Adam Kirtley. Plenaries:
New for 2018 - The afternoon will feature bite-sized seminars linking to a broad range of topics including collections, audiences, resilience, equality and diversity, workforce development and children and young people. These will focus on overcoming challenges, finding solutions and sharing experiences in small groups. Details will be available soon. Late afternoon will see a change of venue as we head over to Blists Hill Victorian Town for a choice of exclusive after-hours tours of the site followed by dinner and a performance. The day will conclude at 7.30pm. With plenty of opportunities to network, surgeries available with sector partners including ACE, HLF, Collections Trust, Accreditation, Audience Agency and Kids in Museums this is a key date for your 2018 diary.A limited number of travel bursaries will be available, further information to follow later this month. The conference is FREE and includes refreshments, lunch and dinner. Places will be prioritised for staff, volunteers and trustees of museums and art galleries based in the West Midlands. Other Events17 January - AIM Preparing to Prosper11.30am - 4pm, Fazeley Studios, 191 Fazeley Street, Birmingham B5 5SEWhat makes a prospering museum and how can you use the AIM Hallmarks to inspire new ideas and to help you to face the future with confidence? This winter, AIM is launching ‘Preparing to Prosper’: a new publication that will show museums how to use the AIM Hallmarks to benefit their organisation at a series of seminars taking place in including Birmingham. Tickets cost £25 and you can apply for an AIM travel bursary to help you attend. The seminars will feature guest speakers and case studies from AIM member museums. Attendees will be the first to receive this new hard copy publication which includes case studies, new insights and questions to help museum staff, trustees and volunteers think about the way they work. Distilling the very best ideas from museums that have used the AIM Hallmarks, the new publication can be used by museums immediately to see fast and positive results. 21 and 22 February - Why Exhibitions? Strategies, audiences, and future directionsTate Britain, the National Portrait Gallery, and National GalleryThree Subject Specialist Network are collaborating to offer a two-day conference, free to museum colleagues and researchers. The conference examines aspects of temporary exhibitions – audience engagement, partnership models, online exhibitions and digital tools, and other issues related to the future of exhibitions. Click here for the full programme and booking details. 26 February - Moving on Up: Building a Dynamic Museum CareerAmgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd (National Museum Cardiff)The Museums Association’s popular early careers conference returns for a fifth year, with the writer Nikesh Shukla confirmed as the keynote speaker. This one-day event is an opportunity to hear from inspirational speakers, network with peers and senior museum professionals, and participate in practical workshops and discussions. Delegates attending the event will discover how to navigate the challenges of the current jobs market, how to raise their profile and how to ensure they are developing the necessary skills to benefit their future career progression. To find out more and to book click here. 13 March - Museums for Health and Wellbeing ConferenceThinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, BirminghamThe line-up includes speakers Emma Hanson, Head of Strategic Commissioning Adult Community Support from Kent County Council and Jane Povey, GP and Founding Director of Creative Inspiration Shropshire. Workshop sessions will explore green wellbeing, evaluation, embedding wellbeing as an organisation, working with learning disabled artists to design and deliver arts activities for children and families and much more! For more information about the conference and to book tickets click here. The new Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance will be officially launched at the conference. To find out more about the new Alliance please see here. 20 March - Future of Museums: Collections10.30am - 5pm, Wellcome Collection, LondonCollections lie at the heart of museums, and provide a unique opportunity to engage, inform and inspire audiences in a way that can have a positive impact on society as a whole. The potential to use collections in exciting and socially-impactful ways is huge, but museums continue to be held back by several long-standing challenges including a lack of space to store material and a lack of skills, funds and resources to manage, care and interpret artefacts. This conference, part of the Museums Association’s Future of Museum’s series, will offer an opportunity to debate these issues and discuss what the future holds for our collections and how they can be used to engage audiences and change people’s lives. For more information and to book click here. 23 March - Money and Medals Network ConferenceBritish MuseumTo mark three years of funding from Arts Council England and to celebrate the work conducted so far, the Money and Medals Network (MMN) will be holding a conference. The content of the day will cover the work of MMN over the past three years, outlining its key achievements and demonstrating to a wider audience how the Network has been active all over the UK with the collections mapping project and the provision of training. It will represent an opportunity to learn more about MMN and the approaches that are being taken to different aspects of numismatics by a number of key participating institutions. It will also be a chance to meet colleagues from other UK public institutions to share knowledge and ideas about museum numismatic collections. In addition, there will be a chance for delegates to see the British Museum’s exhibition about the Money and Medals Network which will be on display in Room 69a from 22 March until 30 September 2018. This conference is open to anyone working or volunteering with numismatic collections in UK museums. Attendance is free, but booking is essential. Lunch will be provided and a limited number of travel bursaries are available. Further details, including how to book, will be available soon. NewsSuccess Guide on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)Museums and other cultural organisations that want to understand how they should be responding to current and forthcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) can benefit from a free Success Guide from AIM. Dementia Friendly Heritage GuideThe Heritage Lottery Fund and Alzheimer’s UK have joined forces with a number of leading heritage organisations to launch a guide to creating dementia friendly heritage experiences. It includes practical advice from sites across the country who have been experimenting with innovative ways to engage visitors with dementia. It acknowledges that heritage sites can be intimidating places for the 850,000 people in the UK currently living with dementia. They can be unpredictable spaces, which are disorientating and complicated to navigate. The complex history and timelines they explore can prove challenging for people with memory problems. The guide highlights a number of creative ways heritage organisations have been responding to this challenge. It notes that heritage sites often rely on older audiences, who generate 20% of the sector’s income. People living with dementia want to be able to continue to do things they enjoy doing. Failing to adapt to their needs could prove costly: the more accessible the experience for people living with dementia, the more likely heritage sites are to retain existing visitors, and reach new ones. Find out more and download the guide at: www.alzheimers.org.uk. Call for PapersThe call for papers for the 2018 Social History Curators’ Group conference is now open. This year’s theme is Displays, Interpretation and Exhibitions in Social History Museums and you are invited to share your innovative ideas, experiences of trying to do things in new ways, successes, opportunities and failures. Further details can be found here. To submit a proposal, ask a question or run an idea past the committee, please email Becca and Nick at conferenceshcg@gmail.com. The deadline for proposals is 31 January. Call for Partners: New Partnership Spotlight LoanThe golden age of satire? Late-Georgian satirical prints has been developed to complement the themes explored in the major British Museum exhibition, I, Object (title tbc), which will be on show in London from the 6 September 2018 – 20 January 2019. Through a selection of 8-10 satirical prints, this partnership Spotlight loan will explore the complex relationship between those in power and those who sought – through ridicule – to puncture their authority. The British Museum is seeking three partners to host the exhibition between February – November 2019. Further details are attached. If you are interested in hosting the exhibition, please complete the Expression of Interest form and return to Eleanor Chant by Friday 12 January. Save the Date: British Museum National Programmes ConferenceBritish Museum National Programmes Conference, will be held on 3 September thanks to the generous support of the Vivmar Foundation. Developed in partnership with the Digital Preservation Coalition, this free one-day conference will explore best practice in how we as a sector create, curate and preserve digital content – looking at both the exciting, outward-facing opportunities it can bring for our audiences and professional communities, and the back-of-house work that makes it possible. Central to the day will be the question: if we are memory institutions, how are we ensuring that we retain all the digital memory that we’re creating? Research Project: Interpreting Sensitive and Challenging Subjects in Museums for Children and Young PeopleA Merrie Noyse Music and Heritage is undertaking a research project on behalf of the Heritage Education Leaders Group West Midlands (UK) to gather people’s experience about working with and presenting sensitive information about difficult or challenging subjects to their audience. Their aim is to collect as much information as they can about how people feel and work with sensitive information, particularly the delivery to young people up to age 19 and their parents or guardians. They are looking to make recommendations at the end of this research that will lead to greater understanding of how we all deal with sensitive information and its presentation to the public. Most organisations are already working with sensitive information; some individuals feel confident in the delivery of challenging material, others would rather avoid the issues because they do not feel confident in delivery. Therefore, they want to develop recommendations that will help people feel more skilled and confident in their roles. Complete the questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QX68MBL If you would like to find out more please contact Sue Pope directly by emailing: merrienoyse@btinternet.com Coin Identification Training SessionsThe Portable Antiquities Scheme’s Dr Sam Moorhead has very kindly offered to once again open up his 2018 coin identification training sessions to the Money and Medals Network (MMN). These events will all be held in the British Museum’s Department of Coins and Medals.
To book a place on one or more of these free training events, and for further details, please email Sam Moorhead directly, copying in MMN. Museums + Heritage Awards 2018The annual Museums + Heritage Awards, now in its sixteenth year, recognises projects of excellence - innovative and ground-breaking exhibitions from galleries and visitor attractions across the UK and Europe. These range from remarkable achievements of national institutions to projects crafted with limited resources and those championing their staff and volunteers who work hard to deliver inspiring visitor experiences. The Awards are judged by a panel of the sector’s leading lights. There are 11 categories to choose from, including the new Best Shop Award. The highly anticipated Temporary or Touring Exhibition, sponsored by Displayways, will once again be championing the incredible achievements in design and interpretation of teams across the UK. Also returning for 2018 is the ever popular and free to enter Volunteer(s) of the Year Award, in partnership with AIM. With these Awards open to all museums, galleries, cultural and heritage visitor attractions and their suppliers, no matter what size or budget, this is an unrivalled opportunity for everyone! To find out more visit the Awards page on their website. Collections Skills Sharing SessionsOrganised by the British Museum the sessions are designed for people working or volunteering within the museum and heritage sector, there are travel bursaries available thanks to the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. Tickets are free, but booking is essential via Eventbrite using the link below: BBC Civilisations FestivalThe festival runs from Friday 2 March to Sunday 11 March. Sign up your organisation as a Civilisations Festival Partner. It’ll give you access to the Civilisations branding so that you can tell your visitors and audiences about events that will be part of the Festival. Being a Civilisations Festival Partner will also unlock exciting opportunities using digital tools and the BBC’s archive. Sign-up here to become a Civilisations Festival Partner and to receive newsletters. Subject Specialist NetworksThe new Subject Specialist Networks website can be found at https://subjectspecialistnetworks.org.uk/. OpportunitiesArt Fund has launched the fourth round of New Collecting AwardsThrough the New Collecting Awards programme Art Fund aim to support curators across the UK to build critical professional skills by pursuing new avenues of collecting for their museums. Offering 100% funding for focused collecting projects of the highest quality, the scheme enables curators to expand museum collections of fine art, design or visual culture into exciting new areas, or to deepen existing holdings in imaginative ways. Each awardee also receives a generous funding allocation towards research, travel and training costs to facilitate their proposed collecting plans and professional development. Over the last two years 17 awards totalling £1million has been given for acquisition projects ranging from Modernist jewellery to cartographic material. Typical grant awards fall between £50,000 and £80,000 and applications from curators who are in the early stages of their career or have had limited opportunities to collect are welcomed. Please see here for further information on aims, eligibility and how to apply. The deadline for applications is 13 February 2018. Museums Resilient Leadership 2018-2019Applications are now open for the Museums and Resilient Leadership Programme (MRL) - a unique year-long development course fully funded by Arts Council England. Described as 'life changing', it is designed to help you become a cultural leader for the 21st Century, resilient and entrepreneurial. Participants receive £7,500 worth of leadership training, comprising:
The Programme draws on a wealth of knowledge and insight about leadership in the cultural and commercial sectors. It puts this learning at your disposal in inspirational settings. Go to the MRL website to find out more and follow the link to apply for the Programme. Applications are open until 5pm, 31 January 2018. British Association of Friends of Museums Travel Award Bursary 2018British Association of Friends of Museums (BAFM) is an independent organisation established in 1973 for friends, volunteers and supporters in museums, galleries and heritage sites representing more than 200,000 friends and volunteers across the UK. BAFM is again offering its bi-annual Travel Award. The winner may be either totally committed volunteers of any age (who devote many hours supporting their museum or gallery) or a young professional who is starting their career in the museum world. For more details, including how to apply please visit their website. Deadline for submissions: 30 April Apply for a greater Europe travel grantThe ICOM UK – HWB Travel Grant scheme enables staff from non-national museums to undertake an international visit to meet with international museum colleagues and mutually share skills, expertise and experience. Mutually beneficial projects and partnerships can include all aspects of museum work. For inspiration, read the case studies from previous grant recipients on the ICOM UK website. Applications will be considered for grants of up to £700 per organisation. The full list of EU and greater Europe countries that applicants are eligible to visit can be found on the Travel Grant Scheme Application Form. For further information and to download the application form click here. Deadline for applications: Monday 5 February 2018 Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund - Round 15The Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund, run by the Museums Association, funds projects which develop collections to achieve social impact. Museums, galleries and heritage organisations from across the UK can apply for a grant of between £20,000 and £120,000 for a project lasting up to three years. Jonathan Ruffer Curatorial Grants 2018 deadlinesThis funding scheme through Art Fund is open to curators and other professionals working with public collections. It aims to help individuals realise their curatorial ambitions, through offering grants for collections-based research and curatorial development opportunities. £75,000 is available annually. Over 320 museum professionals have been helped with 294 projects since the programme launched in 2012. Full details of the grants, how to apply and previous awards can be found here. Small grant applications can be made at any point throughout the year, while applications over £1,500 are considered at committee meetings three times a year. The deadlines for 2018 are as follows: Application deadline Date of meeting Archives Revealed'Archives Revealed' is a partnership programme between The National Archives and The Pilgrim Trust. It is the only funding stream available in the UK dedicated to cataloguing and unlocking archives. The fund is comprised of two funding strands: Cataloguing grants (up to £40,000) and Scoping Grants (up to £3,000). Please visit their website for closing dates and further information. The Idlewild Trust – Conservation GrantsThe Idlewild Trust supports the conservation of important works of art and objects that are being lost through the lack of funds to look after these works. Works must be in museums, galleries, places of worship, and historic buildings or their grounds, and be accessible to the public. Their average grant is £3,147 and the next closing date is 8 February 2018. See their website for more information. Acting Museum Manager, Event, Marketing & Fundraising OfficerErasmus Darwin House, an independent Museum and registered charity, is looking for an Acting Manager for six months to cover staff absence. This is an exciting opportunity to take a central role in both managing and promoting this busy heritage site. The position requires someone with exceptional interpersonal skills to deal with their volunteers and the general public; someone interested and enthusiastic to work with the small and dedicated team in the day to day running of operations and events and someone focused in planning for their future. For more information click here. 4 days per week (30 hours) - must be available to work weekends and evenings (taken as time in lieu) Applications must be in writing by 19 January 2018. Interviews will be held on 26 January 2018 or as soon as practicable thereafter with a view to an immediate start. Please send applications by post only (no email) to Mrs J Arthur, Erasmus Darwin House, Beacon Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 7AD. Applicants should include a full CV and a detailed covering letter (responding to the job description) outlining how and why they are suitable for the position. Tender Opportunity: Evaluation of British Museum’s Knowledge Exchange ProgrammeThe British Museum National Programmes team is seeking an experienced consultant to undertake an evaluation of the Knowledge Exchange programme, mapping its reach over the 10 years of delivery so far and assessing its impact for participants, their work and their organisations. Further information is available in Knowledge Exchange Evaluation Brief. Deadline for proposals is 29 January. For further details regarding this project please contact: Georgia Mallin, UK Partnerships Co-ordinator, The British Museum by email or call 020 7323 8266. Storyteller OpportunityStaffordshire County Museum are looking for a storyteller to prepare and deliver participatory and interactive storytelling sessions inspired by the theme of childhood and Staffordshire County Museum collections, which successfully engage with both people living with dementia and children under five. This would involve delivering two sessions for people living with dementia and two sessions for young children and, if possible one final session bringing together the two different age groups. This would be the equivalent of three full days, incorporating half a day preparation time with museum staff and the museum collections. Fee: £300 per day (3 days total) Closing date: 29 January Please contact Natalie Heidaripour, Museum Resilience Project Officer for a copy of the brief or phone 01889 869139. Alternatively by post: Archives & Heritage, Staffordshire County Council, Shugborough, Milford, Stafford, ST17 0XB. Collections Care Skills Sharing ProgrammeDo you have a collections management skill that you could share with colleagues from other museums or are you looking for an opportunity to develop a skill in a particular area of collections care? Perhaps you would like to gain experience in collections care work or just find out more about it?The WMMD Skills Sharing Programme aims to connect staff and volunteers from across the region’s museums with opportunities to develop collections care skills through hands on practical experience. Museums are invited to get in touch with offers of potential activities that could be offered to skills seekers. Alternatively if you are looking for an opportunity to work with collections please let us know and we will try to match you up. If you have a potential skills sharing opportunity to offer, or if you are looking to develop a new collections care skill please click on the links or contact Helen Johnson for more details. Opportunities will be advertised through the WMMD updates and newsletters. 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. Resourceswww.mdwm.org.uk/resources has a wide range of resources drawn from our programme and workshops which can be accessed by Accredited museums and those officially Working Towards. If you would like to access these resources please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk for a password. Keep up to date with the Leicester University Museum Studies jobs desk site here. Images © Lee Allen Photography Lapworth Museum of Geology, Breaking Boundaries Conference, Leamington Spa Museum and Art Gallery, Oak House Museum, Lapworth Museum of Geology 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. |