- The WMMD team are here to support the region’s museums as we continue to live with the effects of the pandemic. Please contact us via email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk if you would like advice, or to arrange a conversation.Keep up to date with the impact of Covid-19 by visiting this section of our website where you can find advice and guidance from across the sector grouped under the following headings:
- Museums facing closure
- Wellbeing
- Collections care
- Restructuring and redundancy
On 27 July 2021 museum funders and sector bodies issued an updated statement on their co-ordinated approach in response to situations when heritage, museums and collections are at risk. Read the updated statement on heritage, museums and collections at risk.
We are also providing updates to DCMS through Arts Council England on museums at risk of permanent closure with permission from the museums’ governing bodies to share this information to provide oversight and trends information around risks to museums. If your museum is at risk in the coming months please contact us immediately by emailing wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk stating when you are at risk of closure.
The last regular DCMS Museums and Galleries Sector Coronavirus bulletin was issued on 4 April 2022. Read the 4 April bulletin in full
Museum Reopening Guidance and Checklist
Good Practice Guidelines for Reopening (hereafter Guidelines) were developed by the National Museum Directors’ Council (NMDC) with support from the DCMS, and contributions from across the museum sector. Alongside this, a checklist was produced by AIM and Museum Development (MD) to be used in conjunction with the Guidelines and to help museums take a strategic, well informed approach to making decisions on reopening and implementing a safe and effective plan in conjunction with the national guidance for museums.
The government has published guidance on Reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, in the workplace
The ‘EMBED Reopening Recommendation’ guidance, created in collaboration with the Disability Collaborative Network (DCN) and the School of Health Sciences University of East Anglia, has been created to support organisations in their decision making prior to reopening following Covid-19 lockdown. It considers potential barriers faced by disabled visitors and customers and offers solution based guidance for organisations of all types with the ultimate aim of keeping stakeholders, staff, volunteers visitors, students or customers as safe as possible.
Working Digitally
ACE
If your trying to get to grips with new ways of working get in touch ACE’s Digital Culture Network. Tech Champions are on hand to provide you and your team with one-to-one support. They can offer you assistance in:
- working and collaborating remotely
- keeping up engagement with your audiences
- strategies for generating income through online retail and donations
- maximising your website offer
Find out more and get in touch here
Art UK
Art UK launched Curations, a revolutionary free digital tool allowing anyone anywhere to create an online exhibition. Museums and other public collections can also mount digital exhibitions of physical shows that have closed or imagine exhibitions they would like to stage in the future.
Disability Cooperative Network (DCN)
DCN have advice and guidance on how to be more accessible on social media: Twitter, Snapchat, Vimeo which can be viewed here
Other tips include:
- Ensure any tweets with images of statements also include a direct link to your web pages. Images can not be read via screen readers to your visitors
- Ensure any films produced by you about your organisation are captioned for people who are hard of hearing, D/deaf and have sensory processing difficulties. Advice on this can be found from StageText
Heritage Digital
Heritage Digital offers resources to help heritage organisations make digital work for them.
Business Support
The UK Government’s support for businesses and their employees, the Business Support website helps businesses find the right support, advice and information.
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) has Coronavirus advice for employers and employees which can be viewed here.
Sector Information and Support
Please note many of these pages are no longer updated regularly
Arts Council England (ACE)
Advice, guidance and emergency funding measures the Arts Council, government and several external organisations have put in place to address the Covid-19/coronavirus crisis can be found here
Association of Independent Museums (AiM)
AiM has a web page which covers a range of advice and guidance. AiM members also access to benefits including:
- Aim Hallmarks at Home
- ‘The HR Dept’ HR helpline for members, plus advice for staff
- Online Advice Surgeries
If you are an independent museum and AiM member we strongly encourage you to access the support available.
Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance (CHWA)
CHWA has Coronavirus resources for practitioners and organisations which can be found here
National Archives
The National Archives has issued guidance for archive services which can be found here.
NCVO
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has produced a summary page of advice and guidance.
Key Information Sources
- COVID-19: guidance for employers and businesses
- NHS guidance
- FCO Travel advice
- Government Action Plan
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