SHCG Conference 2023
The Social History Curators Group (SHCG) conference has the theme of Activism and Professional Practice in the Changing World
Hear case studies from organisations who are involved in activism projects, take part in workshops designed to improve your confidence and practice, and discuss how social history can be at the heart of a changing world.
Find out more and book the SHCG conference.
SHCG Conference 2023
Friday 9 June, 9am-5pm
Thinktank, Birmingham B4 7XG
Accreditation Advisor
We are thrilled to announce that Jennie Crawford is joining the Museum Development East Midlands and West Midlands Museum Development teams as our Accreditation Advisor for 2023/24.
Jennie will deliver Accreditation events for both regions and answer your Accreditation queries whether you want help with your Accreditation return or you’re just wanting to know more about the Accreditation Scheme.
Born in Canada, Jennie has lived and worked in North West England since 2002. From culture roles in Cheshire and Manchester; to original architect of Pennine Lancashire Museums, where she established a compelling vision for museums and art galleries. In 2016, she settled in the Lake District to reinvigorate the visitor experience at Blackwell the Arts & Crafts House and plan the inaugural schools and families programme for Windermere Jetty Museum. As a freelance consultant, Jennie has worked with organisations to develop strategic plans, write funding applications, carry out research and feasibility studies and evaluate projects.
Jennie has extensive experience facilitating workshops and delivering workforce development programmes for the museum sector. She was one of Arts Council England’s Accreditation Advisers from 2011-15 and Museum Development North West’s Accreditation Technical Adviser from 2019 – 2022 where she delivered a programme of support and training focused on governance, operations, collections management, learning and access for museums. She has also delivered Accreditation workshops for museums here in the West Midlands.
TEG Connects: Exhibitions, partnership and networking
TEG Connects: Exhibitions, partnership and networking
Monday 24 April, 10am-4.30pm
Maritime Museum, Liverpool L3 4AQ
The UK’s principal touring and partnership exhibition event.
Connect with colleagues nationwide to network and see the huge variety of projects, partnership opportunities and tours the sector has to offer, and to meet corporate members and suppliers.
Get Ready for Google Analytics 4
Museum Development England is pleased to present this Google Analytics 4 webinar featuring Data Analytics & Insight specialist and Digital Culture Network Tech Champion James Akers.
Google Analytics 4 is replacing Universal Analytics for tracking and reviewing your website audience data and insights. On 1 July all standard Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new hits. This webinar will provide you with the key information for what you need to do ahead of the switchover, what the key differences are and what do you need to know as museums and how to utilise Google Analytics 4 to inform your digital audience engagement.
James Akers is one of Arts Council England’s Digital Culture Network Tech Champions; specialising in Data Analytics & Insight. Prior to this role at DCN James led digital teams at the University of Cumbria and Manchester Metropolitan University, using digital analytics to identify trends and develop data-driven decision making.
Book a place on the Google Analytics 4 webinar
The Digital Culture Network (DCN) is an Arts Council England initiative which provides practical, on the ground help to the arts and culture sector. The network supports digital skills and leadership development – provided through 1-2-1’s, resources and events. For more information visit the DCN website, email at digitalnetwork@artscouncil.org.uk or connect on Twitter @ace_dcn and LinkedIn.
The session will be facilitated by Rachel Cartwright, Digital Engagement Officer for South West Museum Development.
Get Ready for Google Analytics 4
Wednesday 10 May, 10.30am-12noon
Online
Bursaries available for SHCG and AMA events
West Midlands Museum Development is offering bursaries for West Midlands museum delegates to attend events.
We have five bursaries for each of the following:
- Social History Curator’s Group (SHCG) Conference
- Arts Marketing Association’s (AMA) Inclusivity and Audiences Day
- Arts Marketing Association’s (AMA) Conference
Applicants for each opportunity must work in an Accredited or Working Towards Accreditation West Midlands museum that is not a National museum or National Portfolio Organisation.
About SHCG Conference 2023
The conference, taking place on Friday 9 June at Thinktank, Birmingham B4 7XG has the theme of Activism and Professional Practice in the Changing World
Hear case studies from organisations who are involved in activism projects, take part in workshops designed to improve your confidence and practice, and discuss how social history can be at the heart of a changing world. Find out more about the SHCG conference.
Download the application form for SHCG Conference 2023. Bursary applications close: 5pm, Friday 14 April
About Inclusivity and Audiences Day
Now in its 5th year, Inclusivity and Audiences Day champions Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) best practice from across our sector.
Taking place on Wednesday 10 May, this day-long online event offers you the opportunity to roll up your sleeves and dive into concepts and case studies that challenge and provide new perspectives. Find out more about Inclusivity and Audiences Day
Bursary applications are open to both AMA members and non-members. Download the application form for Inclusivity and Audiences Day
Bursary applications close: 12pm, Thursday 6 April
About AMA Conference 2023
This year’s theme is all about making your audiences the centre of your world. When you have so many competing priorities, how can you open up more to your audiences, visitors and local communities? How do you put them at the heart of all you do? And how do they shape the fabric of your organisation?
Taking place on Thursday 13 July and Friday 14 July at Leeds Playhouse LS2 7UP, the AMA Conference is for you. You’ll gain knowledge, make contacts, and be inspired to focus on what matters most — your audiences. Find out more about the AMA Conference
Bursary applications are open to both AMA members and non-members. Download the application form for AMA Conference
Bursary applications close: 12pm, Friday 19 May
Ownership of Collections
This is the second of seven workshops delivered by West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD) in partnership with Museum Development East Midlands and Collections Trust to support you in ensuring that your collections documentation is well managed.
Using the framework of Spectrum 5.1 and its collection documentation procedures, the workshops, known collectively as Getting your House in Order, will focus on the planning and work required for museums to get their collections documentation in order. Good collections documentation enables use of your collections and ensures that your museum is properly accountable for the collections it holds.
The programme has been designed so that you can attend as many of the sessions as you need; overall they complement each other to give an overview of the Spectrum requirements, but each session also works as a stand alone workshop. Find out more about the other workshops.
About the Ownership of Collections workshop
In this session about ownership, we will focus on the procedures and processes involved in assessing and documenting new acquisitions, focusing in particular on the Spectrum procedures Object entry and Acquisition and accessioning. We will examine topics such as due diligence, decision-making and capturing written evidence of transfer of title.
By the end of the session, delegates will:
- Understand which Spectrum procedures are most relevant to ownership and how they might work together
- Understand the role of the Spectrum standard in relation to museum Accreditation
- Know where to find more information and guidance
Before the session:
- Think about how you do things in your museum, referring to your relevant policy and procedures if you have access to them. You might also find it useful to have it with you to refer to during the session
Maximum two delegates per organisation.
This event will be auto-captioned through Zoom. If you would benefit from any other form of access support, including live captioning, please answer ‘yes’ to the access requirements question on the booking form and email the WMMD team as early as possible stating the support you require.
All participants will receive an email containing a Zoom link to the training prior to the event. The email will be sent to the email address used for booking. If you have not received an email the day before the event please contact us.
If you can’t see the booking button the event is fully booked. If you would like to join the waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk
Ownership of collections
Thursday 22 June, 10am-12noon
Online
Getting your House in Order
Good collections documentation enables use of your collections and ensures that your museum is properly accountable for the collections it holds.
West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD) is partnering with Museum Development East Midlands and Collections Trust to deliver a programme of seven workshops across 2023/24 to support you in ensuring that your collections documentation is well managed.
Using the framework of Spectrum 5.1 and its collection documentation procedures, the workshops will focus on the planning and work required for museums to get their collections documentation in order.
The workshops
- Introduction to Spectrum – Thursday 4 May, 2pm-4pm
- Ownership of Collections – Thursday 22 June, 10am-12noon
- Location and movement control – Thursday 14 September, 10am-12noon
- Inventory and documentation planning – Thursday 12 October, 10am-12noon
- Loans in and out – January 2024 tbc
- Documentation histories and manuals – February 2024 tbc
- Audit – March 2024 tbc
The programme has been designed so that you can attend as many of the sessions as you need; overall they complement each other to give an overview of the Spectrum requirements, but each session also works as a stand alone workshop.
Bookings are open for the first four workshops, simply click on the workshop for more information and to book. Further details and dates of the other workshops to follow.
Introduction to Spectrum
This is the first of seven workshops delivered by West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD) in partnership with Museum Development East Midlands and Collections Trust to support you in ensuring that your collections documentation is well managed.
Using the framework of Spectrum 5.1 and its collection documentation procedures, the workshops, known collectively as Getting your House in Order, will focus on the planning and work required for museums to get their collections documentation in order. Good collections documentation enables use of your collections and ensures that your museum is properly accountable for the collections it holds.
The programme has been designed so that you can attend as many of the sessions as you need; overall they complement each other to give an overview of the Spectrum requirements, but each session also works as a stand alone workshop. Find out more about the other workshops.
About the Introduction to Spectrum workshop
This session will offer an introduction to the Spectrum standard, and will put into context the Spectrum procedures covered in the other workshops in the programme. We will discuss the Spectrum guidance and how it might be used by an organisation. The session will give an overview of the Spectrum 5.1 primary procedures and update attendees about the recent general changes to Spectrum, including changes to language.
It will also focus on policy development, and the difference and relationship between plans, policies and procedures.
There will be opportunities to ask questions during the session, as well as share ideas with other attendees.
By the end of the session, delegates will:
- Understand what the Spectrum standard is, and how it might be applied within their museum
- Understand the role of the Spectrum standard in relation to museum Accreditation
- Understand recent changes to Spectrum
- Understand the role of policy and where to find information to develop policies
- Know where to find more information and guidance
Before the session:
- Read the introduction to Spectrum https://collectionstrust.org.uk/spectrum/spectrum-5/
- Think about how you do things in your museum, referring to your in-house procedural manual if you have access to it. You might also find it useful to have it with you to refer to during the session
Maximum two delegates per organisation.
This event will be auto-captioned through Zoom. If you would benefit from any other form of access support, including live captioning, please answer ‘yes’ to the access requirements question on the booking form and email the WMMD team as early as possible stating the support you require.
All participants will receive an email containing a Zoom link to the training prior to the event. The email will be sent to the email address used for booking. If you have not received an email the day before the event please contact us.
If you can’t see the booking button the event is fully booked. If you would like to join the waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk
Introduction to Spectrum
Thursday 4 May, 2pm-4pm
Online
Creating Family Friendly Interactions
This training session from Kids in Museums is designed to support Front of House (FOH) staff and volunteers to create family friendly interactions with visitors.
During the training, delegates will:
- learn why family visitors are an important part of your visitor profile
- gain an understanding of the key concerns families have about visiting museums
- come up with solutions to resolve common scenarios together
- explore playful ways to interact with families that are relevant to your site
Maximum two delegates per organisation. Priority will be given to delegates from non-NPO and non-National museums in the West Midlands which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation. This event is being delivered in partnership with Museum Development East Midlands. Museums based in East Midlands can book their place here
This online event will be auto-captioned by Zoom. If you would benefit from live captioning or any other form of access support, please answer ‘yes’ to the access requirements question on the booking form and email the WMMD team as early as possible stating the support you require.
All participants will receive an email containing a Zoom link to the training prior to the event. The email will be sent to the email address used for booking. If you have not received an email the day before the event please contact us.
Creating Family Friendly Interactions
Wednesday 3 May, 10am-12.30pm
Online
If you can’t see the booking button, the event is fully booked. Please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk to join the waiting list.
Regenerating Education Offers to Schools
BOOKINGS ARE NOW CLOSED
With a focus on growth after the pandemic, four museums actively engaged in West Midlands Museum Development funded action research to explore how each setting could enhance their education offers and reinvigorate how schools engage with museum services. After shaping a bespoke question of enquiry each setting began their learning journey, supported by Rebecca Bell, Creative Teaching and Learning Consultant and Director of Integrate Education.
This event is all about sharing that learning. The victory narratives and the pitfalls will inspire a sharing of ‘top tips’, approaches, tools, and activities with a particular focus on developing a Teacher/ Educator network group and innovating in the planning, delivery and promotion of ‘extra-ordinary’ school workshops.
What’s in it for you?
This day will involve practical workshops and experiences with a focus on ‘learning by doing’ as each museum shares its wisdoms. The four workshops of the day will be diverse in their content and offer a range of insights that will appeal to any delegate aiming to:
- Position themselves as a rich resource for curriculum development and innovation in primary schools
- Consult effectively with key stakeholders and shape programmes that are leading the way for schools, and robustly meeting their needs
- Innovate in their practice and offer creative and brain friendly learning workshop experiences that go above and beyond what any school could offer their learners
What’s on the agenda?
The day will include workshops exploring stakeholder engagement, teacher networks and implementing a drama and Narrative Immersion approach.
- Engaging teachers in a quality professional development network (Warwickshire Heritage Learning)
- Teacher networks; marketing, recruitment and engagement (Rugby Art Gallery and Museum)
- Drama as a powerful pedagogic approach in schools and museums (Brampton Museum, Gallery and Park)
- Inspiring quality engagement and outcomes for young people using the Narrative Immersion approach (Soldiers of Shropshire Museum)
Refreshments and lunch will be provided.
Maximum two delegates per organisation. Priority will be given to delegates from non-NPO and non-National museums in the West Midlands which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation.
Accessibility
Accessibility information for the venue can be found here. If you would benefit from access support, please answer ‘yes’ to the access requirements question on the booking form and email the WMMD team as early as possible stating the support you require.
Regenerating Education Offers to Schools
Thursday 11 May, 10am-3.45pm
RAF Museum Cosford, TF11 8UP
If you can’t see the booking button this event is fully booked. To join the waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk
