WMMD Newsletter October 2017Contents:
West Midlands Museum Development UpdateBloggers in Residence, chapter two…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 from June to September 2017.
Click here to find out what's happened for two more of the partnerships. Diversity ChampionsA new cohort of Diversity Champions were selected in July and met for the second time last week. Each of the Champions is working on an organisation specific Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) action plan and they have been paired with a mentor from Year One of the programme. West Midlands Museum Development EventsAll WMMD events are free19 October - Exceeding Visitor Expectations9.30am - 5.15pm, The National Brewery Centre, Burton upon Trent DE14 1NGFULLY 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. 7 November - Get the Most from Accreditation10am-4.30pm, Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum CV32 4AAThis informative day will be an opportunity to hear from specialists and have your own questions about Accreditation answered. Join colleagues from across the West Midlands to get tips on how to:
There will also be an opportunity to apply for on-site support from Sarah Brown to develop an effective plan to tackle your organisation’s documentation backlog. This event is suitable for Accredited Museums, those Working Towards Accreditation and those who are simply curious about Accreditation and want to know more. Refreshments and lunch are provided at this free event. What our delegates said last year: 'Really helpful, definitely would recommend, especially for institutions right at the beginning of Accreditation.' 14 November - Setting the Standard: 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:
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. Dates for the last two workshops: 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 7DQFULLY BOOKEDIf you would like to be added to the waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk. 7 December - Setting the Standard: Recruitment and Selection10am - 4pm, Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery SY1 1LHThe third of a series of four workshops, Roots 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 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. Dates for the remaining two workshops: 14 November and 8 February Other Events20 October - Behaviour Management and Youth Arts10am - 4.15pm mac, Birmingham B12 9QHUnderstanding challenging behaviour and the best ways to cope with it is essential to any youth arts project. This one-day course looks at how you can create a positive environment from the outset and get the most out of your young people! Ideal if you work directly with children and young people in the arts and cultural sectors.
£130 per person, including lunch, refreshments and a certificate of attendance for each delegate. Limited bursary places are
available. English National Youth Arts Network members receive 10% discount on spaces. Membership is FREE – sign up here. 2 November - Inspiration from Within10am - 4pm, Museum of Carpet, Kidderminster DY10 1AZThe next meeting of the West Midlands Industrial Heritage Network will take place at the Museum of Carpet. The theme of the meeting is ‘Inspiration from Within’, which will provide members of the region’s industrial heritage community an opportunity to share knowledge about a great project that they have completed; training/best practice guides that they have developed or produced; or issues and problems that they have encountered, overcome and lived to tell the tale! There will be time for networking and also to go behind the scenes of the Museum of Carpet. 6 November - This is What We Do! Advocacy in Social History Museums and Beyond10am - 4pm, Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery Lenton Road, Nottingham, NG1 6ELIn this practical seminar from the Social History Curators' Group (SHCG) you will hear from museum professionals about what actions they have taken to advocate for their museum, particular collection or role. In the afternoon there will be two practical problem solving sessions, one using Barnsley Museum’s education service advocacy document and the other will help you create your own advocacy plan. £25 for SHCG members, £40 non-members For more information and to book click here. 16 - 18 November - Museums Association Conference and ExhibitionManchester Central Convention ComplexThere are three themes for this year’s conference: 17 November - Pioneering Volunteer Makers – A New Era for Engaging Audiences1.30pm - 4.20pm, Manchester Central Convention ComplexVolunteer Makers is a national programme of volunteer engagement training and a digital application for museums. A third of people in the UK are volunteering and the value of volunteering is worth billions. With shifts in demographics, digital and funding models a new way of thinking is necessary if museums are to engage volunteers in a way to sustain and diversify their audiences. Volunteer Makers is a different model for engaging and inspiring volunteers which grows a museum’s community of active supporters, providing a measurable value exchange. This is a chance for museums to further participate in Volunteer Makers and understand the benefits of Blended and Micro-Volunteering and how this affects the workforce now and into the future. Volunteer Makers National Conference is a FREE fringe event for visitors and delegates at the Museums Association Conference and includes lunch and refreshments. Please register here for the Volunteer Makers event as places are limited. 5 December - Age Confident Museums12.45pm - 4.30pm, New Place, 22 Chapel Street, Stratford upon Avon CV37 6EPAge Confident Museums - creating great cultural places for older people. Join Kingswood Consulting as they discuss how to make venues more age-friendly. 'Try out’ visiting the New Place as an older adult to experience the physical, sensory, and intellectual changes that happen with age. This is a free event. To book please phone 0121 348 1803 or email Rosie Barker. 24 January 2018 - All Inclusive: Championing Diversity in MuseumsThinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, BirminghamAn interactive day addressing the essential issue of how museums can diversify their audiences and workforce. 13 March 2018 - Museums for Health and Wellbeing ConferenceThinkTank, Birmingham Science Museum, BirminghamTaking place during Museums and Wellbeing Week, 12 - 18 March 2018. Details to follow later in the autumn. NewsMuseums Association publishes information for museums facing closureThe Museums Association (MA), with funding from Arts Council England, has published Museums Facing Closure: Legal and Ethical Issues, a document outlining the Topics covered include how museums have dealt with a crisis that may lead to closure, how museums have planned for closure, and considerations around staff and volunteers, managing collections, museum buildings and sites, partnerships and contracts, IT and data, and the legacy of the museum. Celebrate 250 years of art and artistsTo help mark its 250th anniversary, the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is encouraging museums, galleries and art institutions from across the UK to programme exhibitions, displays, talks and seminars on the theme of the RA and the Royal Academicians. Now, with the generous support of Art Fund, the RA is able to offer funding in what has become a national celebration of art and artists. To participate in RA UK, please let them know of your planned activity by completing the form on their website. What activities will be considered? Activities that will be included in RA UK should explore historical and contemporary links to the RA and the Royal Academicians. These include but are not limited to: temporary exhibitions, “spotlight” displays, new interpretation, conferences and symposia, talks and lectures, education and outreach, and digital projects. To be eligible for participation, the minimum requirement is the relabelling of works by Royal Academicians adding RA after their name. What are the funding opportunities? Full and part funding opportunities from £2,000 – £20,000 will be made available in two rounds of distribution: October 2017 and January 2018. In total, £150,000 of funding will be available to support new activity, or to expand existing projects, which explore historical and contemporary links to the RA and Royal Academicians. For more information about RA UK, how to participate and how to apply for funding, please visit the RA website. BBC Civilisation FestivalThe festival runs from Friday 2 March to Sunday 11 March. You can now 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. Sign-up as a Civilisations Partner and to receive newsletters here. Flexible branding which museums, galleries and libraries could use for their events was at the top of the wish-list when setting up the Festival. Make sure you check out the guidelines as to where and how the logo can be used. Being a Civilisations Festival Partner will also unlock exciting opportunities using digital tools and the BBC’s archive: BBC Archive - Making the past a thing of the future This rich resource will be made available to Civilisations Festival Partners to augment and support your events during the Festival, within the confines of rights and availability. The BBC's Research and Development team has been beavering away putting together a collection of exciting digital tools which Civilisations Festival Partners can use next year. The exciting digital innovation opens up a new world of storytelling to engage and delight audiences and visitors - and that’s at the forefront of our thinking with each offer. An augmented reality app has been created to help audiences connect, comment and share items from your collections on mobiles and tablets wherever you are. It’s the first time the BBC has experimented with this technology and they’re excited to be working on it with museums, galleries and libraries. You can explore more storytelling projects developed by the expert Research and Development team here at http://www.bbc.co.uk/taster/ though it doesn’t feature the amazing App which will feature 3D artefacts from collections, as that’s now for Civilisations Festival Partners. Don’t forget to sign up as a Festival Partner at https://bbccivilisations.monterosa.co.uk/ Takeover Day - 17 NovemberDon't forget to register your Kids in Museums Takeover Day events on the website. Registrations received before Tuesday 17 October will be in with a chance to win two free tickets to a local exhibition of your choice. Kids in Museums would love to know your plans so they can try to direct press or VIP opportunities your way. Also you can receive their free packs for the young people taking part. To register, simply fill in the online form here. Even if your plans aren’t fully formed do register so Kids in Museums can tailor the support to you and if things change between registering and the event you can update your information at any time. Cooking with ClayEducation staff at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery and The British Ceramics Biennial have been working with partners across Europe, to create a recipe book style toolkit. The toolkit shares their experiences and practical ideas for engaging different audiences with clay and ceramics. To find out more about the project and get your own ideas for clay and ceramic activities you can download a free copy of the toolkit here: The toolkit is part of the EU funded project Ceramics and its Dimensions. If you need any further information please contact Amanda McDonagh. Crowded Places AdviceThe latest government advice can be found here. New Resources to support Family AudiencesThe Family Arts Campaign have launched a range of really useful resources to support cultural organisations to attract and support family audiences including;
Subject Specialist NetworksThe new Subject Specialist Networks website can be found at https://subjectspecialistnetworks.org.uk/. OpportunitiesEngagement FellowshipsThe British Society for the History of Science (BSHS) is delighted to announce the second iteration of a scheme to support small and local museums, archives, galleries and libraries whose collections connect to themes in the history of science, technology, engineering and medicine. This scheme will fund the placement of Masters or PhD students with heritage organisations and museums for the equivalent of a month's work (timescales can be arranged between the partner museum and student) as an Engagement Fellow and contribute £1,000 towards the costs of public engagement outputs related to the research undertaken. Examples could include:
The BSHS are in a position to fund two placements a year to support the ambitions of museum and archives to deliver engaging histories and stories to their visitors. This scheme requires the heritage partner to provide training and mentorship for the appointed student during the placement. The student will develop valuable skills and experiences while producing outputs of high research quality. If you are interested please visit the website for more information and to fill out an expression of interest form. Moving Image FundA scheme from Art Fund and Thomas Dane Gallery that helps galleries and museums build their collections of artists’ films to share with the nation. The second round of the Moving Image Fund is now open for applications and involves: Acquisitions and Commissions Two new partner museums are sought for this round of funding. For more information and how to apply click here. Anyone with queries is encouraged to contact the Contemporary Projects Manager, Robert Dingle. The application deadline is midday on Monday 30 October. The Bill Pettit Memorial AwardThe Natural Sciences Collections Association (NatSCA) is pleased to invite applications to this year’s Bill Pettit Memorial Award. Up to £2,000 of grant money, is available to NatSCA members this year to support projects including the conservation, access and use of natural science collections. Please contact David Gelsthorpe by email or phone 0161 3061601 for further information or to submit a grant application. The application deadline is: Friday 17 November. Would you like your museum featured on the TV?Does your museum have a story that is visually appealing for TV? A special event or exhibition?If the answer is yes, BBC Midlands Today Presenter/Reporter, Nicola Beckford would love to know about it! This is a great opportunity to draw the attention of a large audience to your projects. Nicola is happy to be contacted on an ongoing basis. When contacting Nicola please include the following information:
Email Nicola at nicola.beckford@bbc.co.uk 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. ICOM UK – BC Global Travel Grant SchemeICOM UK, with support from the British Council (BC), is offering a number of travel grants to support staff from regional and local UK museums (non-national museums) to travel internationally (beyond greater Europe) to develop mutually beneficial projects and partnerships. The ICOM UK – BC Global Travel Grant Scheme will enable recipients to undertake an international visit to museums to meet with international colleagues and mutually share skills, expertise and experience. The Global Travel Grant Scheme aims to support museums who are starting to develop mutually beneficial international projects and partnerships. Priority will be given to museums whose staff have not previously undertaken international work. The total budget available for the Global Travel Grant Scheme in 2017-18 is £7,200. Applications will be considered for grants of up to £1,500 per organisation or consortium. Deadline for applications: 5pm on Friday 13 October 2017 West Midlands Coordinator and North Midlands Coordinator - Art UK Sculpture ProjectHome based, 2 days a week temporary posts for 2 years£24,000 per annum (pro rata)Art UK is a dynamic arts charity with a national and global reach. The charity’s mission is to open up art in public collections for enjoyment, learning and research. They do this through digitising artworks, telling the stories behind the art and creating exciting opportunities for public interaction with art both online and offline. Art UK Sculpture is a national project using digital and physical engagement to transform the way people access and learn about sculpture. Supported by a National Lottery grant, this highly ambitious initiative will digitise 170,000 sculptures from inside public collections and outdoors in the nation’s parks, streets and squares and display them on the Art UK website. Art UK Sculpture is a three-year project running from June 2017 to May 2020. The Art UK Sculpture - Coordinator will report to the
Regional Digitisation Manager. For more information and how to apply click below on the role you are interested in. West Midlands Coordinator North Midlands Coordinator A CV and a covering application letter should be sent via email to Alison Mitchelson, Regional Digitisation Manager, Art UK by 9am, Friday 13 October 2017. 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 Hereford Cider Museum, 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. |