WMMD Newsletter August 2017
Contents:- West Midlands Museum Development Update
- West Midlands Museum Development Events
- News
- Other Events
- Opportunities
West Midlands Museum Development Update
Small Grants Scheme, Audience Development
Inside Out: Engaging Audiences with Collections Closing Date: 5pm, Friday 11 August West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD) is offering grants of up to £3000 to support museums to engage and develop their audiences through direct use of their collections outside of their museum venue.
Grants will support museums to raise the profile of key or significant collection items through audience engagement opportunities beyond the museum site. Museums are expected to prioritise collections currently in store, or which have limited public access. Wherever possible the scheme encourages museums to visit sites or events with opportunities to engage with audiences who do not traditionally visit the museum venue. Please read the guidance below before completing the application form. Completed applications forms should be submitted to wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk
Secret MuseumsWant to know what your museum looks like through the eyes of the next generation?
Secret Museums is a mystery shopper programme co-created by young people (16-25 years) who will carry out ‘Secret Visits’ to six museums in the West Midlands. Young people will feedback their feelings and ideas based on their experiences with the aim to improve the heritage experience for other young people. This is a WMMD project in partnership with the Beatfreeks Collective. Successful museums will receive: - One ‘Secret Visit’ from young people (16-25 years) between September and November
- Insights and direct
feedback from the young people at a sharing event on Wednesday 8 November
- Top level report of the programme provided by the Beatfreeks Collective
To apply for a visit please complete an application form and return to wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk no later than 5pm, Monday 11 September.
Exciting Opportunity - Museums Association ConferenceWMMD is offering individuals the opportunity to apply for single day tickets to the Museums Association conference on 16 and 17 November in Manchester.Further details of the Museums Association conference, including the conference guide can be found
here. To apply individuals must complete the application form
outlining which day of the conference they would like to attend and why this will benefit their museum and help support their own individual professional development. This opportunity is open to all individuals from Accredited museums and those officially Working Towards Accreditation in the West Midlands region. Closing date: 5pm, Friday 29 September.
West Midlands Volunteer Awards Thank you for nominating your wonderful volunteers! Our judges have been hard at work and finalists will be announced on our website
www.mdwm.org.uk this Friday (11 August).The lucky finalists and their nominators are invited to a glittering evening on Tuesday 19 September at the Birmingham Hippodrome where the winners will be announced. Details will be sent next week. Hosted by Sarah Bishop from BBC Midlands Today, the evening will include a performance by Talking Birds which was part of the 'We're All Stories' project.
Blogger in Residence, the story so far...West Midlands Museum Development joined forces with Writing West Midlands
to create opportunities for professional writers and museums to team up to explore opportunities to increase audience engagement through better use of social media. Six museums, selected via a competitive application process, were offered a Blogger in Residence for a period of five days during this summer. The following matches were made: Everyone involved has approached the opportunity with extraordinary energy and enthusiasm. Here’s what has happened at three museums so far.
Setting the Standards WorkshopsIs your museum an inclusive workplace?
Are you doing everything you should to embed a positive approach to Equality and Diversity?
Do you understand your legal responsibilities?Roots HR CIC will be leading a series of four workshops
exploring the role of museums to embed Equality and Diversity within their workplace, including their legal responsibilities. These events are suitable for anyone involved in the management or recruitment of paid staff or volunteers. 4 October - Setting the Standards: Equality and Diversity in Volunteering 14 November - Setting the Standards: Equality and Diversity Policy The final two workshops in the series will be 7 December 2017 and
8 February 2018. Full details of these workshops and how to book them can be found along with all our upcoming events in the WMMD events section.
West Midlands Museum Development Events
21 September - Effective Fundraising: Strategy and Case for Support9.30am - 5pm, Lapworth Museum of Geology, University of Birmingham B15 2TTFULLY BOOKEDIf you would like to
be added to the waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk. This event is for Accredited Museums and those officially Working Towards Accreditation in the West Midlands only.
4 October - Setting the Standards: Equality and Diversity in Volunteering10am - 4pm, Museum of Carpet, Kidderminster DY10 1AZDelivered by Roots HR, this workshop will explore Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the workplace, and how this relates to volunteers. Delegates will gain an understanding of how volunteers are protected by equality law, the responsibilities they have for what volunteers do when
representing the museum and how they might promote equality and diversity through volunteer recruitment and management. By the end of this workshop delegates will: - Understand what we mean by 'equality', 'diversity' and 'inclusion' within the workplace and the difference between each
- Understand the protection volunteers have in equality law
- Understand the benefits of equality and diversity in volunteering
- Have an awareness of how to promote equality and diversity in volunteering including
recruiting and managing volunteers
- Understand their responsibility for what their volunteers do
In addition you will receive access to free online resources published after the training including: - Guidance notes
- Template Volunteer Agreement that can be tailored for your museum
Refreshments and lunch will be provided at this free event. Dates for the next three workshops: 14 November, 7 December and 8 February
10 October - Effective Fundraising: Engaging Trusts, Foundations and Companies9.30am - 5pm, Lapworth Museum of Geology, University of Birmingham B15 2TTFULLY BOOKEDIf you
would like to be added to the waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk. This event is for Accredited Museums and those officially Working Towards Accreditation in the West Midlands only.
19 October - Exceeding Visitor Expectations9.30am -
5.15pm, The National Brewery Centre, Burton upon Trent DE14 1NGDue to the popularity of our customer service event in February we are delighted to announce that we will be hosting a full day of the Exceeding Visitor Expectations workshop. This is a one-day customer service course designed specifically for front-line staff combining the expertise of VisitEngland’s Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme and the experience of the renowned Welcome to Excellence training programmes. Participants will discover everything they need to know about being an ambassador for their venue and delivering great service to visitors. The course features a variety of activities and quizzes and is
supported by a participant guide that can be taken away and used as a customer service resource. It is brimming full of practical tips and learning point reminders on how to make your visitors feel really special. Those who successfully complete the training will receive Welcome to Excellence and VisitEngland pin badges, and an attendance certificate. Exceeding Visitor Expectations meets national standards for customer service delivery and there is an option for your staff to gain a City and Guilds Level 2 Award by taking a multiple choice assessment paper at the end of the training day. Places are limited and this will be the only opportunity to attend in this financial year.
14 November - Setting the Standards: Equality and Diversity Policy10am - 4pm, The Pen Museum, Birmingham B1 3HSDelivered by Roots HR, this workshop will explore the moral and legal case for equality and diversity within the workplace, supporting delegates to understand how effective and relevant policies can support them in meeting their responsibilities to create an inclusive workplace. By the end of this workshop delegates will: - Understand what is meant by 'equality', 'diversity' and 'inclusion' within the workplace and the difference between each
- Understand the case for equality and diversity in the workplace
- Have an awareness of the legal requirements within the area of equality, in particular the Equality Act 2010 and the implications this has on policy development
- Understand the key requirements for an effective equality and diversity policy, including scope, responsibilities and reporting
concerns
- Have an awareness of how to implement and embed an equality and diversity policy
In addition you will receive access to free online resources published after the training including: - Guidance notes
- Template outline policy that can be tailored for your museum
Refreshments and lunch will be provided at this free event. Dates for the other three workshops: 4 October, 7 December and 8 February
22 November - Collections Knowledge Café: Caring for Works on Paper10am - 4pm, Wolverhampton City Archives WV1 1SFFULLY BOOKEDIf you would like to be added to the
waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk.
28 November - Open to Interpretation10am - 4pm, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Coalbrookdale TF8 7DQWMMD will present an exciting day of creative and practical workshops exploring affordable opportunities to refresh exhibition interpretation and engage with a wider range of audiences. Fab Lab in Ironbridge is an open resource which allows users to design
and create using a variety of equipment including laser cutters, 3D printers and vinyl cutters. The Fab Lab team will demonstrate how the equipment can be used to create simple museum interactives and interpretation. Participants will complete a practical activity and leave with a finished item. Take a tour of the newly reopened Museum of Iron with Curator Gillian Crumpton, exploring the exhibition's use of layered interpretation. Becki Morris, Collections Assistant for Heritage and Culture Warwickshire and representative for Disability Cooperative Network (DCN) will lead a practical workshop supporting delegates to understand neurodiversity and identify the potential social barriers individuals may encounter when visiting museums. The session will explore
opportunities for low cost inclusive practice. Mandy Ross, author of ‘The Children’s History of Birmingham’ has a wealth of experience in writing for children and young people. Mandy will guide participants through the process of drawing out captivating stories from collections and spaces to create engaging interpretation for younger visitors. Lunch and refreshments will be provided at this free event.
31 August - Get what you give? The value and benefits of proactively lending collections9.30am - 5pm, The British Museum WC1B 3DGThe British Museum’s National Programmes team, with the generous support of the Vivmar Foundation, is hosting a free one day conference exploring the subject of lending museum collections.
5 -7 September- GEM Conference 2017 Guildhall, Hull HU1 2AA
GEM’s 2017 annual conference will be: - exploring innovative and inspiring ways of becoming more resilient
- asking how museum, heritage and cultural educators can take the lead in ensuring their organisation’s long-term future
21 September- Pulling Together: Collections Trust Conference 2017 9.30am - 5pm,
The Hospitium, Museum Gardens, York YO1 7FRBeing responsible for collections management can feel like ploughing a lone furrow. But it’s actually a museum-wide task that needs everyone to pull together – from the governing body to the people on the front desk. This year’s Collections Trust conference considers the human side of documentation systems, the people who capture and share information that gives museum objects meaning.
26 -27 September- What the War Did: Social Change During World War I Symposium National Memorial Aboreteum, Alrewas, Staffordshire DE13 7ARThe diverse programme of seminars, interactive workshops and site tours, aimed at academics, students and historians, will examine the social changes wrought by the conflict helping to create a greater understanding of how these changes came about.
As well as examining the changing role of women during the conflict - focussing on the care of the wounded on both the Western and Home fronts, other themes will consider the Home Front at a more local level. Topics to be explored by a wealth of speakers include the female vote, food crises, attitudes towards conscientious objectors, the changing role of the country estate house as convalesce homes, and the development of female labour in traditionally male roles. The programme will also offer opportunities to explore the galleries and to participate in workshops and guided tours of the 150-acre site.
16 -18 November - Museums Association Conference and ExhibitionManchester Central Convention ComplexThe conference guide has been
published. Book by 16 August for Early Bird rates. See WMMD Update section on how to apply for free tickets through WMMD.
Opportunity to work with the BBCThe BBC wish to work with museums and galleries large and small as part of a Civilisations Festival which will run alongside their major landmark series Civilisations
in 2018. To be a part of the Festival museums and galleries can develop new exhibitions, displays, events or link existing activities to the Festival themes. A conference will be held at Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester on 5 September so you can learn how your museum can get involved. To find out more about the conference and how the BBC can help support you with branding and more email civilisations@bbc.co.uk or visit their
website.
Call for Partners: New partnership exhibitionRodin: rethinking the fragment is being developed in conjunction with the forthcoming major British Museum exhibition on Rodin in 2018. This Spotlight loan will draw on one of the main themes of the major exhibition, exploring how Rodin was influenced by the art of ancient Greece and Rome. The British Museum is seeking three partners to host the exhibition between August 2018 and April 2019. Further details can be found
here. If you are interested in hosting the exhibition, please complete the Expression of Interest form and return to Eleanor Chant by Wednesday 16 August.
Birmingham Heritage Week Birmingham is a vibrant city bursting with history and buzzing with culture. During Birmingham Heritage Week (7-17 September) discover the history, the secrets and the places that make this city so great.
Heritage Open DaysHeritage Open Days 2017 is 7-10 September. Click here to register to your Heritage Open Day (HOD) event.
Touring Exhibitions Group (TEG) Preparing to Borrow programme Mentoring OpportunityWould you like to receive 1-2-1 mentoring support and a small bursary to help your organisation make a loan application, or secure the hire of a touring exhibition?As part of TEG's Preparing to Borrow programme each successful mentee will be paired with a mentor and receive up to 17.5 hours of tailored, expert support (which can be
used in face-to-face, Skype or telephone meetings, or correspondence via email), between September 2017 and March 2018, to enable their organisation to successfully complete a loan application. The mentee is also entitled to a £200 bursary to support them during the mentoring period. The year-long Preparing to Borrow programme is supported by Arts Council England (ACE), the National Museum Directors’ Council, Art Fund and TESS Demountable; there are two mentoring places available in each ACE region. Please note venues who have received ‘Ready to Borrow’ (previously Small Scale Capital Grants) monies, through their regional Museum Development provider, to make improvements to their display space(s), will be prioritised for mentoring support through the scheme, to
enable them to make best use of this investment. If you would be interested in this mentoring opportunity please complete the application form and return it to wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk Closing Date: Thursday 17 August
Curatorial Development OpportunityArt Fund is pleased to be partnering once again with Whitechapel Gallery, London to offer a series of professional development courses for curators and museum professionals this autumn. This series is targeted at both early-career and more experienced curators, whether new to the topic or wishing to refresh and expand their existing knowledge. These hands-on courses will draw on the expertise of staff from across Whitechapel Gallery, as well as other industry leaders. Each course will focus on practical training and use current projects as case
studies, allowing attendees to gain valuable guidance and insight from behind the scenes. Taking place in October and November 2017, the courses will cover the following topics: - How to curate talks and events
- How to write about art
- How to curate the moving image
- How to fundraise: individual giving
- How to handle and install art
- How to fundraise: writing grant
applications
Places normally cost £195, but curators and museum professionals are invited to apply for one of 34 funded places offered by the Art Fund. More details and information on how to apply can be found on the Art Fund website.
Collections Care Skills Sharing ProgrammeDo you have a collections management skill that you could share with colleagues from other museums? Are you looking for an opportunity to develop a skill in a particular area of collections care?
WMMD is offering a ‘dating service’ to bring museums together to support skills development and in the process provide an extra pair of hands (or two) to help on the ground with discreet collections care projects or tasks. If you have any questions please email
Helen Johnson. Skills sharers:Staffordshire Archives and Heritage Service have a skills sharing opportunity
available covering conservation cleaning, object handling and object packing. If you are interested please contact
Melanie Williamson. Skill seekers:Tracey from Tenbury Museum wants to learn how to display objects. Ashleigh from The Almonry is looking for advice on choosing a CMS system, dealing with a backlog of donations and returning items where no loan agreement is in place, as well as disposal and collection
rationalisation. If you can help either Tracey or Ashleigh please email Helen Johnson for further details. If you want to learn new skills please complete the skill seekers form.
Celebrating Age Fund Round Two OpenCelebrating Age focuses on supporting cultural spaces and other organisations to be open, positive and welcoming places for older people; and taking high quality arts and culture into places where older people will find it easier to engage. The programme will support cultural spaces and other organisations working collaboratively, in a partnership or as a consortium. Key Information: - The total fund is £1.5 million with a grant range of £50,000 - £100,000
- Applicants must be working in partnership or in a consortium with one lead organisation
- Expressions of Interest must be submitted by 12pm (midday) on 31 August 2017
- All applicants will be informed by 19 September 2017 whether or not they have been invited to make an application
- The online
application form will open on 21 September 2017
- Applications must be submitted by 16 November 2017
- Applicants will be notified of the decision no later than 21 March 2018.
More information and how to apply can be found here.
Did you know the Heritage Lottery Fund gives out small grants of £3,000-£10,000?Look into the Heritage Lottery Fund’s (HLF) Sharing Heritage
grants, made possible by money raised by National Lottery players.The application form is short and simple, with a quick decision and no deadlines. - A project only needs to deliver one benefit (outcome) for people
- HLF can pay 100% of the cost- although cash or in kind contributions are welcomed
- Projects last up to a year and you can apply straight away online
- To find out more read the
Sharing Heritage webpage and chat to other museums in the HLF online community
Be inspired. Several museums have received Sharing Heritage funding including: Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings: Mud, Sticks & Bricks
A series of hands on sessions during the summer school holidays introduced families to heritage building techniques through the ages. Brampton Museum: Newcastle - A Plotted History
The project will professionally digitise 55 historical maps and share them through a series of talks, exhibitions and classes organised by the Friends of the Museum. Coventry Music Museum: Melody Makers
The museum will recruit young people and local residents to listen to and discuss items from the museum’s collection and then record their own interpretation of iconic Coventry tracks.
Esmée Fairbairn Collections FundInitial applications to the 14th round of the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund, which helps museums develop collections to achieve social impact, will be accepted by the Museums Association (MA) until the deadline of 6 September. This round will see £600,000 of grants available for applications for funding from £20,000 to £120,000, for projects that will last up to three years. More information about how to apply can be found
here.
LIBOR Fund Opens for 2017Projects supporting the Armed Forces and Emergency Services communities can now apply for the next round of LIBOR funding. There is neither a minimum nor a maximum amount of funding, and the Treasury has not given a total amount for this round. In the past, grants have ranged from £100,000 to £5 million. Projects can take place for up to three years and must take place after April 2018 and by the end of March 2021. Find out more
here. The deadline for applications is Friday 25 August (noon).
AIM Biffa Award Announce New Round of ‘History Makers’ FundingFunded by Biffa Award with support from the Landfill Communities Fund, the programme will provide AIM member museums and heritage sites with grants of up to £75,000. Expressions of interest must be submitted as soon as possible and no later than 2 October for panel review. The deadline for full applications is
31 October. Successful applicants will be required to complete their projects by April 2019. Full information on how to apply is available at: AIM Biffa Award History Makers Programme.
The Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund is now openAre you looking to enhance your collection by borrowing a work of art? Do you have a project in the pipeline that would benefit from a particular loan? The Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund is designed to support the wider sharing of national collections with museums across the UK, and is made possible with the support of the Garfield Weston Foundation. Alongside initiatives such as Arts Council England's Ready to Borrow and the Touring Exhibition Group's Preparing to Borrow, the
programme provides funding for museums around the country to secure important strategic loans, and maximises loan opportunities in the context of your own collections and communities. You can apply for funding to support a range of needs, from securing the loan itself to maximising its impact for your organisation. Applications close 12 noon Thursday 14 September Find out more and apply.
Jonathan Ruffer Curatorial Grants ProgrammeThe scheme is open to curators and other professionals working with public collections. Full details on the programme can be found on their website.
Masonic Charitable Foundation's Community Support SchemeThe Community Support Scheme offers large and small grants to charities registered in England and Wales that are working in the areas of financial hardship, health and disability, education and employability, and social exclusion and disadvantage.
Do You Want To Be a Museum Trustee?The British Glass Foundation is currently looking to recruit four new Trustees to strengthen their Board and they are particularly looking for people with experience of running a visitor attraction, someone with curatorial experience, someone with financial/fundraising experience and someone with legal experience. If you are interested in finding out more or applying to become a Trustee please read the
application pack.
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 Compton Verney, Breaking Boundaries Conference, Leamington Spa Museum and Art Gallery, Oak House Museum, Lapworth Museum of Geology
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