July

5 July - Diversity Toolkit
10am - 4pm, Library of Birmingham 

A practical workshop for senior managers & HR, led by Alyson Malach from Equality and Diversity UK who have produced an equality and diversity inclusion toolkit for use with museum staff, volunteers and trustees. Learn how to use the toolkit for the benefit of your museum.

Book your place here

6 July - Media Interview Skills
10am - 5pm, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Coalbrookdale

Aimed at more experienced museum staff and key spokespeople, this course will build skills, confidence and interview techniques through interactive sessions. Find out about what to expect in press, radio and TV interviews and get the tools to help ‘control the interview’.

Book your place here

11 July - Kids in Museum Takeover Day 2016 Planning & Sharing Event
11am - 4pm, Birmingham Hippodrome

Want to put young people at the heart of your work? Then come along to a Planning and Sharing event for Takeover Day – the annual day when young people and children nationwide are given powerful, meaningful, decision-making roles within museums, galleries, libraries, archives and heritage sites.

Book your place here

12 July - Get the Most from Accreditation
10.30am - 4.30pm, Museum of Cannock Chase, Hednesford

A second opportunity to attend this Accreditation support event.

Book your place here

14 July - Access Audit: Launch Event
10am - 4pm Coffin Works, Birmingham

How accessible is your museum? Join Ann Johnson from Wave-length for the launch of our Access Audit Programme. Ann will follow up with a visit to your museum and a full detailed report will be produced detailing your current situation and suggestions to improve physical and social access.

Interested..? Please complete the Expression of Interest form (Word or PDF) and send to linda.stone@ironbridge.org.uk by Thurs 30 June 2016.

14 July - MOD Peer to Peer - The Sky is the Limit

MOD museums will meet for their second session as part of this peer to peer network.

This programme is only available to MOD museums

18 July - Diversity Toolkit
10am - 4pm, The Hive, Worcester

A practical workshop led by Alyson Malach from Equality and Diversity UK who have produced an equality and diversity inclusion toolkit for use with museum staff, volunteers and trustees. Learn how to use the toolkit for the benefit of your museum.

Book your place here

19 July - Commercialising Collections
2pm - 5pm, Walsall Leather Museum

Join Kevin Gosling, CEO of the Collections Trust for this half day workshop on copyright and licensing. This event will be helpful to any museums wanting to find out more about using objects or images in their collections to support commercial activity. 

Book your place here

27 July - Diversity - Start with the Arts
10am - 4pm, Museum of Carpet, Kidderminster

Want to use the arts to promote diversity in your museum? Find out about Grants for the Arts (G4A) and be inspired by examples of G4A projects. 

Book your place here

28 July - MOD Peer to Peer - Options Appraisal

MOD museums will meet for their third session as part of this peer to peer network.

This programme is only available to MOD museums

Application Forms for WMMD Small Grants Scheme Available

Application forms are now available for the West Midlands Museum Development Small Grant Scheme 2016-17. Museums may apply for grants of £500-£3,000 for audience development projects which help museums:

• Better understand who their visitors and non-users are
• Evaluate and analyse information to assess visitors’ needs
• Inspire engagement with harder to reach groups
• Improve the culture of customer care through staff and volunteer training
• Improve access to buildings, services and facilities
• Respond to tourism and local priorities where appropriate 
• Implement projects to increase fundraising opportunities
• Develop cross cultural activities
• Create accessible marketing and promotional activities aimed at visitors and potential visitors

We especially welcome applications for audience development projects that will help museums to engage with new groups and encourage more equality and diversity.

WMMD Small Grant Application Form 2016 can be downloaded here
A PDF version is also available here.

If you are considering applying to the fund you must download and read the ‘WMMD Small Grants Guidance 2016’ in full.
A PDF Version is also available here.

Completed application forms must be received by
5pm Monday 11 July, 2016

Please note applicant organisations must be Accredited, provisionally Accredited or formally working towards Accreditation.  Major Partner Museums are not eligible for this funding.

West Midlands Volunteer Awards

NEW for West Midlands 2016!

We are delighted to announce the launch of a volunteer award scheme for museums in the West Midlands region funded through Arts Council England. The Awards are part of Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust’s Major Partner Museum and West Midlands Museum Development programme.   

Do you know of an individual or group of committed volunteers whose hard work, loyalty and dedication contributes to making your museum a success?

This is your opportunity to nominate a volunteer or group of volunteers to share their story; it is a chance to give back to those who give so generously caring for the region’s cultural heritage.   

Key dates:

Nominations open:        Thursday 9 June
Nominations close:        Monday 25 July
Shortlist announced:    Friday 12 August 
Award Ceremony:          Thursday 15 September

How to make a nomination:

Visit www.mdwm.org.uk to download a nomination form and return to: wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk by 5pm Monday 25 July

To make the most of your nominations please make sure that you read and follow the document ‘How to make a nomination’.

We are all stories in the end –
so make it a good one…