Developing a Crisis Communications Strategy
This one day online session will provide delegates with insight into how to deal confidently and effectively with a range of negative or ‘crisis’ issues, including complaints, poor publicity and negative attacks.
By attending this sessions delegates will:
- Gain insight into tools which can help them develop their own communications strategies
- Understand what a crisis is, when to escalate, and when not to
- Develop skills to manage and engage with stakeholders
- Learn how to train a spokesperson and write copy for a crisis
- Learn how their organisation can emerge from a crisis with its reputation intact
This session will be facilitated by Miki Lentin and Maurice Davies. Miki and Maurice will deliver the session via Zoom using a range of exercises and interactive features, including Breakout Rooms, Polls scenario activities, presentations and self-led exercises. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and actively participate in discussion. Some activities will also involve the use of Padlet. If you have any concerns about accessibility or usability for these features please contact michelle.davies@ironbridge.org.uk
Regular comfort breaks and a lunch break will be scheduled throughout the day.
Miki Lentin is a strategic creative consultant with over twenty years of experience across the public and private sectors. With a background in communications, Miki now works with a variety of cultural and creative clients on marketing, audience development, community engagement, strategic planning, communications and branding.
Maurice Davies brings nearly 40 years of experience in UK museums and galleries as a policymaker, leader and curator, including experience as Head of Policy and Communication for the Museums Association. Maurice is currently delivering the Equity and Inclusion in Museums programme for MDUK.
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.
The presentations for this event will be captioned. If you would benefit from live captioning in break out room activities 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.
If you can’t see the booking button this event is fully booked. Please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk if you would like to go on the waiting list.
Front of House Training: Families with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
As museums welcome back more visitors, ensuring interactions are friendly and welcoming between people working in front facing museum roles and SEND families has never been more important.
A 2019 study from Ecclesiastical surveyed SEND families who had visited museums, castles and heritage sites and found that 42% of parents with special needs children reported that staff or visitors were unfriendly or made them feel uncomfortable.
This session from Kids in Museums will ensure that your museum avoids becoming part of this statistic, offering ideas for fun and accessible interactions with SEND families.
In this virtual training session, aimed at front facing staff and volunteers, we will:
- learn why SEND family visitors are an important part of your visitor profile
- understand the barriers SEND families face when visiting museums
- come up with ways to tackle common scenarios together
- explore playful ways to interact with SEND families that are relevant to your site
Confident Copywriting
Kerry Watkins, Director of Social for Good will lead a practical two-hour workshop exploring how museums can write more confidently to engage audiences and promote their activities. Kerry will share practical exercises for participants to explore writing in a variety copywriting styles for different media.
By attending the workshop attendees will learn about:
- Different types of copywriting (social, web, print, email)
- The principles of good copywriting (structure, focus, engagement, call to action etc)
- The importance of knowing your reader
- Steps to writing great copy
- Writing for social media
Since 2010 the Social for Good team have worked with more than 400 businesses, charities, and non-profits worldwide to reach and engage with audiences to achieve the impact the whole organisation can see.
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.
The presentation for this event will be live captioned through StageText and MyClearText. If you would benefit from live captioning in break out room activities 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.
Confident Copywriting
Tuesday 1 November, 10am-12noon
Online
If you can’t see the booking button this event is fully booked. If you would like to be added to the waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk
Accessible Interpretation and Exhibition Design
A short introductory workshop to support delegates to plan and deliver accessible and inclusive exhibitions, collections displays and interpretation.
The workshop will support the participants to:
- share understanding and agree principles for inclusive design
- identify practical opportunities for change and to integrate inclusive design into project delivery
- respond to findings from an access audit, design appraisal or consultation session*
The session will be delivered by Cassie Herschel-Shorland, BA Hons, AMA, MA, FRSA, NRAC consultant, from Access and Museum Design.
As a freelance consultant Cassie delivers inclusive planning, design, and advice. Her scope of work extends across all stages from policy or strategic approach and concept through to completion.
The process covers access auditing, design appraisals and inclusive design workshops. Cassie’s extensive knowledge is based on experience as an exhibition designer, access consultant and historical illustrator.
*This session may be particularly useful to organisations that have been through an accessibility audit or consultation process, although this is not a requirement of attending the session.
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.
The presentation for this event will be live captioned through StageText and MyClearText. If you would benefit from 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.
Accessible Interpretation and Exhibition Design
Wednesday 28 September, 10am-12noon
Online
If you can’t see the booking button this event is fully booked. If you would like to be added to the waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk
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.
The presentation for this event will be live captioned through StageText and MyClearText. If you would benefit from live captioning in break out room activities 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
Tuesday 11 October, 10am-12.30pm
Online
If the booking button isn’t visible this training session is fully booked. Please email wmmd@ironbridge.og.uk to join the waiting list.
Welcoming Everyone
A Welcome to Excellence session on how to offer exceptional and inclusive customer service.
The session is aimed at staff and volunteers and will look at:
- The benefits of an accessible service
- Visible and hidden disabilities
- A positive, welcoming approach
- Tailoring service to be accessible to all
Pre-course activity will be sent to delegates in advance.
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. Places are limited, no more than two delegates per museum.
The webinar will be live captioned through StageText and MyClearText.
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 one hour before the event please contact us.
If you can’t see the booking button this event is fully booked. Please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk to go on the waiting list.
Welcoming Everyone
Thursday 9 June, 10am-12noon
Online
Getting to Know You: Understanding Museum Audiences
Visitor data and insight is a vital tool for museums that want to remain relevant and solvent – but ensuring it is collected and applied in a meaningful way is crucial.
This one-day conference from Museums Association will look at the latest approaches to visitor insight and share the methods that museums across the sector are using to connect with new and existing audiences. It will examine the role such data has in helping museums contribute to bigger agendas, from the climate crisis to decolonisation and anti-racism work. And it will share insights from funders about how impactful visitor research can make or break applications.
Find out more and book for Getting to Know You: Understanding Museum Audiences.
Getting to Know You: Understanding Museum Audiences
Thursday 28 April, 11am-4pm
Online
Coffee and Chatter
Hear about the THREADS project which engaged with new and underserved communities.
Your networking opportunity
Join the WMMD team at 10.30am for a half hour of Coffee and Chatter.
It’s your chance to share what’s happening at your museum, learn what your colleagues across the sector are doing in their heritage organisations, ask the WMMD team for advice and hear about the latest sector guidance and news.
Grab your morning cuppa, exchange ideas and catch up with some friendly faces.
We will be joined by Tara Johnston-Comerford and Emma Gibbons from Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) talking about the THREADS project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
THREADS’ primary objective was to engage new and underserved communities in the RSC’s costume-making heritage. They targeted new audiences; children, young people and families; people with mental and physical disabilities; people from the global majority, and people from working class and non-working backgrounds. Tara and Emma will share their successes and learnings, reflecting on how what they have learnt through delivering such a programme during a pandemic can inform the work they continue to do.
Zoom details:
https://zoom.us/j/99254865285?pwd=R2xiUlUzOFdWMGJFQXpyL0E4cHpNQT09
Meeting ID: 992 5486 5285
Password: 579046
Coffee and Chatter will be auto-captioned.
Playscapes – Lunch and Learn
In this session, Sarah Shaw (Director of Museum Tales Ltd and museum family champion), will provide top tips on producing playscapes for your museum, gallery, heritage site or cultural venue.
From outdoor playgrounds to loose parts play, she’ll be covering it all in just 30 minutes.
Book Playscapes Lunch and Learn
Playscapes – Lunch and Learn
Thursday 3 March, 12noon-12.30pm
Online
Using Audience Finder Data Tools in Funding Strategies
A practical guide on applying your audience insights from the Audience Finder Data Tools to business planning and funding strategies.
It is essential that cultural organisations are able to effectively use audience insights to position business plans and build a case for support. With data backing you up, you can better share the impact, build your organisational narrative and create targets for the future.
This session will look at how to collect and analyse audience data in the Audience Finder Data Tools and then apply it to business planning and funding strategies. There will be tips on using different types of data sources from within Audience Finder Data Tools and practical guidance for you to apply within your own organisation.
