Heritage Day 2023 – Next week!

With Heritage Day just around the corner, don’t forget to secure your place!

Places for our in-person event ('Part 2') are now sold out, but there are still places available for our our virtual event ('Part 1'), taking place next Wednesday morning (1 March).

Alongside insightful panel discussions and curated skills sessions, aimed specifically at heritage professional, this virtual morning will also include a series of insight roundtables, (covering EDI, Net Zero & Sustainability, digital skills and copyright) and roundtables with funders (including the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), Philanthrophy Company and Ecclesiastical Insurance).

We are also still welcoming attendees to purchase a ticket to our Celebratory Reception in the evening on 2 March. If you are able to, do join us to celebrate the past 20 years of The Heritage Alliance!

For the full details of what to expect this year, including details on each of our exciting speakers across the virtual and in-person sessions of the event, please:

Part 1 – Wednesday 1 March (Virtual; 10am – 2.30pm)

Part 1 will be a morning for gaining knowledge and skills, sharing and conversation, including:

• A keynote speech from our Chief Executive, Lizzie Glithero-West.
• An insight panel with policy experts on Political Party Manifestos.
• A panel discussion with funders on their upcoming priorities.
• Expert-led Fundraising Roundtables & Insight Roundtables.
• Curated skills sessions, led by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising & Naomi Korn Associates.
• The announcement of our 2022 Heritage Heroes.

Part 2 – Thursday 2 March (The Charterhouse, London; 1.30pm - 6pm)

Part 2 will have a focus on vision, leadership and what the next few years could hold for heritage – including:

• A keynote speech from the Heritage Minister, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay.
• A keynote speech from René Olivieri, Chair of the National Trust.
• A panel discussion with young trustees.
• A leadership discussion with CEOs from across the sector.
• The awarding of our 2022 Heritage Heroes Awards.
• Opportunities to network and hear directly from heritage leaders.

20th Anniversary Reception (2 March, 6.30pm - 8.30pm)

Heritage Day 2023 will be rounded off with a Celebratory Reception at The Charterhouse in London with a finger buffet and drinks to mark The Heritage Alliance’s 20 Year Anniversary.

The evening will feature a special keynote address from Loyd Grossman CBE, former Chair of The Heritage Alliance.

Updates from The Heritage Alliance

Announcing our New Trustees!

At our 2022 AGM this week, we were delighted to welcome Dr Chandan Mahal and Steve Oates to The Heritage Alliance’s Board of Trustees.

Dr Chandan Mahal has over twenty years’ experience of working in museums and archives, leading education and community engagement programmes for diverse audiences. She is currently the National Learning and Partnership Manager at the British Library for the Unlocking our Sound Heritage project. She has worked on many gallery and heritage digital projects (Museum of London, The Women's Library, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) and led on interpretation and engagement strategies. She is a Fellow at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), and has served on the UNESCO Committee for Intangible Heritage. She was also a commissioner for the Greater London Authority’s Mayors Commission on African and Asian Heritage.

Steve Oates is Chief Executive of the Heritage Railway Association (HRA) - the UK-wide professional support body to 170 operational heritage railways and tramways, plus a variety of related museums, rolling stock groups and preservation societies. Steve is also a trustee of the National Rail Heritage Awards and serves on the advisory board of the National Railway Museum. Professionally, Steve is a chartered surveyor, but has wide commercial experience, having founded and managed three successful commercial radio stations, and headed-up an economic development service for a local authority.

Changes to the Team

We are delighted to announce that Lydia Gibson will be joining The Heritage Alliance as Head of Policy on 27 March. Previously, Lydia held advocacy and campaigns roles at Historic Houses and the British Academy, as well as working within a Local Planning Authority conservation team. Her wider background in historic event venues, local museums and a variety of voluntary roles within the National Trust has provided insight to the depth and breadth of issues affecting the heritage sector.

Next week, we will sadly be saying goodbye to Mia Lupoli, who has been with the Heritage Alliance team for the past six months on secondment from the Civil Service Fast Stream. Mia has been a fantastic addition to the team over the past half a year, bringing her policy expertise to our recent work, whilst developing a stronger interest in heritage. Mia has also continued work on our EDI project, supporting the creation of an internal staff EDI action plan as well as starting to collate resources aimed at supporting organisations to develop more inclusive practices and other work in this area.

Policy Updates

• We held our 2022-23 AGM on Wednesday (22 February), celebrating our collective achievements over the past year with our now 190 member organisations, with thanks to our funders, supporters and project partners across 2022.

• We sent a briefing to the Lords ahead of their Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill Committee Stage this week, which can now be read here on our website.

• We are pulling together a response to the open consultation on the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework)

• We have recently asked Alliance members for their comments regarding a proposed amendment from the Victorian Society to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill (LURB) on Permitted Development Demolition Rights (PDR). We are looking to support both this and the Church of England’s amendment (regarding Local Authority Funding for Places of Worship) as they are discussed during the LURB’s Committee Stage in the House of Lords.

• We also continue to gather evidence and queries about cost-of-living impacts and support – highlighting key asks from Alliance members.

Rebuilding Heritage – Free Upcoming Workshops & Resources

Our Rebuilding Heritage team is delivering further free training and resources to support heritage organisations across the sector gain support to develop new skills and build resilience.

In March we will be running four focus groups discussing the following topics. Each focus group session will be led by an expert in their field. Participants will form small groups of 8, taking part in a 90-minute discussion on 1 of the 4 topics.

1. Fundraising [2 March]
2. Business Strategy [7 March]
3. Comms & Digital [14 March
4. Reaching Audiences [16 March]

To participate, please express your interest by email at: RebuildingHeritage@theHeritageAlliance.org.uk.

Our upcoming webinar – taking place on 10 March (10am – 11.30am, via Zoom) will be ‘Engaging your Audience on Social Media’ with Jade Staiano. Book your place here.

And the Rebuilding Team has also now shared their recent ‘Interviews with Experts’ – exploring Top 10 Tips for Heritage Business Planning in Challenging Times with Louise Emerson, and Top 10 Tips for Heritage Fundraisers in 2023 and Beyond with Gill Jolly.

Find these and all other free resources developed by the project team online, via the Resources page.

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Government News

Our summary of the latest announcements and guidance for the heritage sector.

Headlines

• National Moment of Silence - Tomorrow

• Changes to the DCMS Team

• New Funding for Farmers

• Bus Fare Cap to be Extended

Government Announces National Moment of Silence

The Government announced a national one-minute silence, held this morning, (Friday 24 February), to mark a year since Russia’s barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Machinery of Government Change

You will have seen in the last issue of Heritage Update that the Prime Minister announced a Machinery of Government Change, which has seen the creation of four new Government departments – including a re-focused Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

A reminder that you can find a summary of these changes here on our website.

We continue to keep up to date with the latest information on what these changes will mean for the key departments we work with as an organisation, to most effectively advocate on behalf of the sector.

DCMS & Culture

Changes to DCMS

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has become the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Changes have been made to the management of the Department, with key changes as follows:

• Lucy Frazer KC (King’s Council) has taken over as new Secretary of State from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) where she was Minister of State.
• Michelle Donelan will now be the Secretary of State at the new Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology.
• At present Lord Parkinson remains our Heritage Minister and is scheduled to speak at Heritage Day.

There are other changes afoot which will also affect the functioning of the department in the short term.

• Sarah Healey, DCMS Permanent Secretary, will be moving to a new role as Permanent Secretary at DLUHC. Whilst a recruitment campaign is conducted, Polly Payne and Ruth Hannant, DCMS Directors General (job-share), will act as interim Permanent Secretaries.
• The Directors General position will be filled on an interim basis by Emma Squire and Nicola Hewer (job-share) who are currently Directors for Arts Heritage and Tourism.
• Meanwhile, the Directors' role will be covered in the short term by Laura Jackson and Louise Smith (job-share) who are currently Deputy Directors for Arts and Libraries.

Lucy Frazer Meets with Cultural Leaders in Manchester

Lucy Frazer KC, the new Secretary of State for DCMS, met with heritage and cultural leaders in Manchester including Arts Council England, Historic England and Manchester Museum on 17 February at Manchester City Library.

Youth Investment Fund - Evaluation

DCMS has commissioned an independent provider to conduct a process evaluation for Phase 1 of the Youth Investment Fund. Through this Fund the Government aims to deliver over £300 million to create, expand and improve youth facilities, and services.

An independent feasibility study for an impact evaluation for Phase 2 of the Youth Investment Fund has now also been published on the Government website.

Planning

Business Rates - Information Letters

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has now published Business rates information letters for 1/2023: confirmation of the multipliers for 2023 to 2024.

Levelling Up Funding for Councils in Northern Ireland

Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison announced last week (17 February) that every council in Northern Ireland will receive funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The £1.3 million in funding will go towards reviving 26 green spaces across Northern Ireland.

Community Ownership Fund – Refreshed Guidance

DLUHC has replaced existing guidance for Round 2 of the Community Ownership Fund with “a streamlined version” of the guidance which assessors will use in order to assess applications to round 2 window 3 of the Fund.

Secondment Opportunity

DLUHC is seeking to seeking to build relationships with academics and other experts across the UK, to raise awareness and improve understanding of its research needs and to build its evidence base to inform its climate change policies (climate change mitigation and adaptation, and net zero policies across multiple policy areas).

Up to 8 opportunities are available across a range of subject areas. Secondments will be for a period of 3 months and subject to relevant security clearances will run between March and December. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Monday (27 February).

Further information, including who to contact can be found here.

Environment

Funding to “Boost Farming Productivity”

Speaking at the National Farmers’ Union conference in Birmingham, Farming Minister Mark Spencer announced this week (21 February) that more than £168 million in grants will be available to farmers this year to drive innovation, support food production, improve animal health and welfare and protect the environment.

Alongside grants delivered through the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) and the Farming Investment Fund (FIF), the Environmental Land Management schemes will be delivered which pay farmers for a diverse range of actions such as managing hedgerows for wildlife, planting nectar-rich wildflowers and managing crop pests without the use of insecticides.

Leaders Gather in Support of UN Nature COP15 Agreement

On 17 February, the UK arranged an event to bring together foreign governments, philanthropy and business leaders to drive forward action to protect and restore nature. The event aimed to help drive delivery of the deal agreed by almost 200 countries at the UN Nature summit in Montreal in December (COP15), which included a framework requiring countries to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, and to protect 30% of the world’s land and ocean, by 2030.

Tourism & Hospitality

£2 Bus Fare Cap Extended

The Transport Secretary confirmed on 17 February that £80 million will be invested from 1 April to 30 June 2023 to protect bus services in England. The government has also announced plans to provide up to £75 million to extend the bus fare cap, enabling bus operators can continue to cap single bus fares outside of London at £2 until the end of June.

Updated guidance can be read on the Government website on claiming the Bus Recovery Grant, along with a list of bus companies and bus routes included in the £2 bus fare cap scheme.

Education

Turing Scheme Fund Study & Work Opportunities Abroad

Applications are now open for the third year of the Turing Scheme. The Scheme will allow young people to obtain funding for work and study placements that begin after September 2023. In the past year, the scheme has helped over 38,000 participants.

Young people attending school, college or university are eligible to apply. There is a particular emphasis on widening access to international opportunities and over half of the funding is reserved for those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds.

14 Local Authorities Receive Funding for Family Support Hubs

The Government is introducing a Family Hubs initiative that aims to bring existing support services together in one place. To expediate this process, 14 local authorities will receive additional funding and it is hoped that this initiative will be rolled out across the UK at a later date.

The hubs will provide support to parents in the form of parenting classes and mental health services and health visits.

Parliamentary & Other Government News

• It has been reported that a private, two-day cross-party summit was held to “address the failings of Brexit and how to remedy them in the national interest”.

• High Speed Two (HS2) Limited are currently working on changes to some of the proposals put forward for the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) hybrid Bill. They are holding a number of events and webinars this and next month to enable people to discuss the changes they have been working on. The Bill is currently at Committee Stage in the House of Commons.

• Works in Progress has released a documentary, exploring the government’s new Advanced Research and Invention Agency.

Sector Digest

Read on for a breakdown of the latest news from across the sector.

Support Research into Admissions Pricing Policy & Its Impact

AIM [Alliance member], Arts Council England, Museums Galleries Scotland, the Welsh Government, the National Museum Directors’ Council, and Art Fund have commissioned ‘Research into admissions pricing policy in museums and its impact’.

The work will explore admissions policies and pricing strategies in the UK museums sector and produce guidance that organisations can use to help decide on ticketing policies. Museums of all types and sizes across the UK are encouraged to participate through completing a short survey on their recent and current approaches to admissions pricing. Deadline 24 March.

Sector Planning Survey Results Published

Historic Houses and the CLA [Alliance members] have released the figures from their joint planning survey, which found that 87% of Historic Houses and CLA owners see the planning system as a major barrier to decarbonisation. Meanwhile, 48% of owners regard their experience of the planning system as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. Figures from the survey were featured in a Financial Times piece on the difficulties faced by owners of heritage buildings in adopting energy efficiency measures.

Free Webinar: Museums & Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief

The Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief (MGETR) is the eighth in a series of creative reliefs introduced by government, designed to support organisations to create, and tour public facing exhibitions by helping them to recover some of their production costs.

Arts Council England and RSM are hosting a free webinar on the MGETR – available to book for either 24 February or 1 March, to provide guidance on developing a claim and covering FAQs.

UK State of the Sector Survey

The Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance and partners are running a UK State of the Sector Survey for everyone who is involved in doing, commissioning or supporting creative health work in the UK. They are asking for as many responses as possible to help them understand how you work and what your priorities are, and will use responses to advocate for respondents’ work, and provide more helpful resources. Results will also feed into the Creative Health Review being undertaken by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Arts, Health & Wellbeing.

The deadline for responses is 5pm on Thursday 6 April.

European Heritage Hub

Europa Nostra [Alliance member] and partners, including the Europeana Foundation, Eurocities, ICLEI and KU Leuven have been selected for EU funding for the implementation of a pilot project establishing a European Heritage Hub.

This pilot project funded by the European Union, will run for two years (Spring 2023 - Spring 2025), and will gather diverse expertise and pool resources to mobilise and strengthen the cultural heritage-driven movement in Europe.

Sensational Museum Project Promotes Inclusive Collection Management

The Museums Association and partners have announced the launch of the Sensational Museum, a project aiming to improve the museum experience for visitors with sensory impairments. The project sees curators focus on the collection management process of individual items, then rework the current records so that information is equally accessible to all.

VocalEyes [Alliance Member], who work to ensure that blind and visually impaired have the best possible opportunities to experience and enjoy art and heritage, are one of the partners in this project and their CEO, Matthew Cock, is the impact lead. Other partners include Alliance members Barker Langham and GEM (Group for Education in Museums).

Platinum Accessibility Status Awarded to The Southbank Centre

The Southbank Centre, the UK’s largest multi-arts centre, has become the first UK venue to gain Platinum level accreditation from Attitude is Everything, an NGO that encourages venues to improve their accessibility for disabled audience members and artists.

Attitude is Everything offer four levels of award in a system outlined in their Live Events Access Charter, which provides an industry standard to assist organisations in creating accessible venues and events. Venues can commit to the Charter and gain accreditation through working with Attitude is Everything to implement an accessibility action plan.

Tate Britain to Open Complete Rehang of Collections in May

Tate Britain’s first complete rehang in a decade will see female artists represented better than ever before, with female artists, including Tracey Emin, Kudzanai-Violet-Hwami and Bridget Riley, making up half of the contemporary collection on display. Female artists of the 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th century will also be showcased at the Tate Britain in line with the gallery’s commitment to diversifying British art history.

Latest Insights from Ecclesiastical Insurance

Ecclesiastical Insurance [Alliance Corporate Partner] recently released their Heritage Risk Barometer for 2022 - Hard times: heritage braces for the cost-of-living crisis. From further analysis of the research, they have identified that 4 in 5 (78%) heritage leaders believe their organisation is unprepared for the climate emergency. Read their press release on this here.

The Cost of Living: Help and Hope

From increased demands on services to reduced donations, the charitable sector continues to bear the brunt of the current cost of living crisis. The latest webinar from Benefact Group will explore the key implications of the current climate for organisations and the charitable sector.

Alliance Member News

A snapshot of the current work of our members.

Consultations

Open Consultations (with closing dates):

• DLUHC - Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill: reforms to national planning policy – 2 March 2023
• Charity Commission - consultation on draft guidance for charities about their use of social media – 14 March 2023
• Marine Management Organisation - MMO management of fishing activity impacts in marine protected areas - Stage 2 – 28 March 2023
• Ofqual - Proposed regulatory approach for level 2 qualifications supporting progression to T Levels – 6 April 2023
• BEIS - Draft Code of Practice on dismissal and re-engagement – 18 April 2023
• HM Treasury - The digital pound: A new form of money for households and businesses? – 7 June 2023

Events

Upcoming Heritage Events - Quick Look

• 24 Jan - 8 March: Winter Talks Series 2023 ‘The Pevsner Architectural Guides in the 21st Century’, Victorian Society - online
• 27 Feb: Symposium: Architecture & Health, The Georgian Group - St Bart's Hospital, London
• 1 - 2 March: Heritage Day 2023 - The Heritage Alliance (virtual + in person)

• 6 March: ‘Civic Societies playing a crucial role in saving important buildings’, Civic Voice – online

• 7 March: SAVE Annual Lecture: Architecture & Climate Crisis, How the past can save the future – RA, London

• 8 March: HODs 101, Heritage Open Days - online

• 9 March: 2023 #BeMoreDigital Conference, Charity Digital - London

• 14 March: March Second Tuesday Talk - York Consortium for Craft & Conservation ‘Holidays with Tools’ – online

• 17 March: Restore, re-use, regenerate! Reviving town centres in Wales, Heritage Trust Network - Haverhub, Haverfordwest, Wales

• 23 March: Tourism Insights Conference & Parliamentary Reception – London

• 30 March: British Academy - Heritage Loss & Climate Change Damage – University of East Anglia

• 19-21 April: CIfA2023 Sustainable Futures Conference - Crowne Plaza Nottingham Hotel and online

• 27 April: Archaeology at the Old House Project, SPAB - online

• 27 April: Introducing a Costumed Interpretation Programme at your Heritage Site or Museum, AHI - online

Courses

Upcoming Heritage Courses:

• Jan - Feb: Inclusive Communications – Historic England Training, online
• 5 Jan - 23 Mar: Stage 1 Family History Skills Evening Course, Society of Genealogists - online
• 1 March: Designing & Delivering Community Engagement Activities, TDR Heritage - online
• 14 March: 'Story Building' Workshop - writing interpretation text for heritage projects, TDR Heritage - online
• 18 March: Old House Eco Course, SPAB - Coopers' Hall, Bristol Old Vic
• Jan - Sept: New Wave - a funded training programme from Heritage Open Days, London & Virtual
• 21-22 April: An Introduction to Plain Lime Plastering, SPAB - Heritage Skills Centre

• 22 – 26 May: The Repair of Old Buildings Course, SPAB - London

• 9 - 10 June: An Introduction to Ornamental Lime Plastering, SPAB - Heritage Skills Centre
• April - June: Photographing Old Buildings Online Workshop, SPAB - online

Jobs

Salaried

Unsalaried

Notes & Subscriptions

Heritage Update is a free e-bulletin produced on a fortnightly basis by The Heritage Alliance, the voice of the independent heritage movement.

You can also visit our website to access an archive of previous issues.

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Simply submit our online advertiser's form with the details and payment (if needed) ahead of the content deadline for an upcoming issue. The full instructions are on our website.

We also welcome image-based advertising for academic courses, projects and services of interest to the sector. This costs £75 for members (to feature an 'enhanced' member news item) and £185 for non-members.

Schedule of forthcoming issues:

• Issue 488 – Thurs 9 March (content deadline: Fri 3 March)
• Issue 489 - Thurs 23 March (content deadline: Fri 17 March)
• Issue 490 - Thurs 6 April (content deadline: Fri 31 March)
• Issue 491 - Thurs 20 April (content deadline: Fri 14 April)

If you wish to use or quote from items in Heritage Update, you should always check the accuracy and current position with the source. The Heritage Alliance cannot guarantee the accuracy of (or accept any responsibility for) the contents of Heritage Update.

Seeking Funding/Guidance for Your Heritage Project?

The Heritage Alliance is not a funding body, but we co-manage the Heritage Funding Directory with the Architectural Heritage Fund. This free resource for the sector includes a directory we have jointly collated, listing funding sources for heritage projects across the UK (and internationally), and includes some helpful guidance on fundraising.

We are currently updating existing records in the directory. If you are a funder and would like to list your fund in the Heritage Funding Directory, please follow this link to submit the details through our online form. We also welcome updates to existing entries through this form.

Support The Heritage Alliance

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Contact Us

Chief Executive
Lizzie Glithero-West
lizzie.glithero-west@theheritagealliance.org.uk

Communications Manager (Heritage Update Contact)
Daniella Briscoe-Peaple 0207 233 0800
comms@theheritagealliance.org.uk

Head of Policy & Communications
Please note that no one will be in this post until 27 March. In the interim, for any urgent enquiries please contact our Chief Executive.

Head of Development & Membership
Delphine Jasmin-Belisle 0207 233 0600
development@theheritagealliance.org.uk

A full list of our staff contact information can be found here on our website.

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Heritage Update is produced by The Heritage Alliance, with thanks to our generous sponsors the Historic Houses Foundation.

Image credits (in order of appearance): The Landmark Trust; Waterloo Uncovered; English Heritage; Heritage Open Days; Wessex Archaeology; The SPAB; National Historic Ships UK. Details of the header image are listed at the top of each issue.