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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:

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.

Everything you need to know about cyber security – webinar

Cyber security means protecting computer systems and networks from theft, damage, and other forms of criminal activity. Strong cyber security protects a charity’s ability to deliver services, keeping its technology working and its data safe, preventing loss of revenue, reputational damage, and much more.

Charity Digital’s webinar aims to empower. It aims to give you the tools to protect yourself from criminals. We explore, among other things, the basic definition of cyber security, how to prevent cyber-attacks, how to react to breaches, how to educate your team, and so much more.

The presenter from Charity Digital will run through the above, building on information gained from the National Cyber Security Centre and other allies across the charity sector. The comprehensive session aims to help charities of all shapes and sizes bolster their defences and protect themselves.

Attendees can expect to learn:

Book onto the cyber security webinar

Roots & Branches: Seeds For Action Sharing Event

Earlier this year, the Carbon Literacy for Museums Toolkit was launched as part of the Roots & Branches Project, a collaboration between The Carbon Literacy Project, Museum Development England, and Manchester Museum supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. As a result, hundreds of museum staff, volunteers, and freelancers have become Carbon Literate.

During this online event, we’ll hear from some of these learners about how their Carbon Literacy actions are progressing and what’s next for their museums’ climate action journeys. We’ll be launching the updated, new-look Carbon Literacy for Museums Toolkit, which contains loads of new content and can now be used to train staff online or in person.

You’ll also hear about Museum Development England’s upcoming Seeds for Action Programme. The Programme will include a series of live online workshops and networking sessions and the creation and dissemination of digital resources – designed to support and inspire museums to build on their carbon reduction strategies and approaches to climate action.

There will be an update on the development of the ‘Roots’ of the Roots & Branches Project – Manchester Museum’s 3rd-floor environmental action hub, including information about how to get involved.

Finally, there will also be an optional opportunity at the end of the session to network with others from across the museum sector who are interested in environmental action.

This event will run from 1.30pm to 3pm, with the optional 30 minute networking opportunity running between 3pm-3.30pm.

Book your place on Roots & Branches: Seeds For Action Sharing Event

 

Introduction to the Accreditation Standard

This practical workshop is an introduction to the Museum Accreditation Standard and is aimed at museums who are considering applying for Accreditation for the first time seeking to refresh their understanding of the scheme.

Participants will gain an overview of:

The workshop also has practical exercises that will help participants plan their application. There will be a break in the middle of the workshop to allow delegates to step away from computer screens.

This workshop is delivered on behalf of West Midlands Museum Development by Jennie Pitceathly. Jennie is a freelance consultant in the museum and heritage sector. She has extensive knowledge of the museum Accreditation Standard having worked as an Accreditation Adviser with Arts Council England and Museum Development North West.

Maximum two delegates per organisation. 

The presentation for this event will be live captioned through 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.

Introduction to the Accreditation Standard
Friday 14 October, 10am-12noon
Online

If the booking button isn’t visible this event is fully booked, to join the waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk

Leading a Digitally Literate Museum

Bookings now open!

Is your museum leadership team confident when it comes to digital? Are they as digitally literate as our fast-changing world requires? The opportunities around digital culture can be huge but it is a multi-layered environment that is a challenge for many museums to exploit, particularly in the current climate.

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, museums more than ever need a digitally literate workforce that understands the ways in which digital technologies, content and culture can best serve their mission. It is down to museum leadership to create the right conditions to meet those challenges. This three part workshop from Culture24 will combine strategy, theory and expert insight with practical advice and peer support.

Who should attend?
This course is specifically designed for museum leaders at executive and board-level with responsibilities across the museum’s strategy and operations (i.e., not the digital team leaders). This includes chief executives, directors, board members and senior leaders.

Two members from each participating museum should attend to ensure that they are able to enact and embed change more effectively within their organisation.

Participants must be working or volunteering in a non-NPO, Accredited museum in the West Midlands region.

Schedule
This online course will encourage active learning and plenty of discussion for a small group of up to 18 delegates from nine museums across the Midlands and South West. You will join three online sessions, each lasting two hours and spread across a period of one month. You will be asked to undertake a small piece of self-led coursework in between sessions.

Learning objectives
By the end of this course, you will have:

Course leads
Anra Kennedy is Culture24’s Partnerships Director. Anra works with museums, galleries and heritage organisations across the UK and internationally. She specialises in digital literacy and skills development, digital publishing and cultural education, all with a view to supporting organisations’ resilience, impact and social purpose. She brings extensive experience of training and mentoring museum leaders and practitioners, to build their confidence and empower change in their working practice.

Jane Finnis is CEO of Culture24. She is a cultural entrepreneur with a highly successful track record of dynamic leadership, cross sector partnership building and creative production work. Jane brings her recent experience as part of #CultureisDigital – a conversation between Government, the cultural sector and tech companies in order to better understand the creative potential of technology and boost the capability of cultural organisations.

This course is provided as part of Culture24’s Arts Council England-funded Sector Support programme.

Support towards Museum Accreditation
Organisational Health:
2.1 An approved forward or business plan which covers the current and subsequent planning year

Book now

Once you have booked on and it is confirmed that your museum is eligible, you will be sent a link for the second delegate to book their place.

Two delegates per organisation. Delegates must be from non-NPO and non-National museums in the West Midlands which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation.

Digital Access
These events will be auto captioned. If you would benefit from any other form of access support, please 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 events. 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.

Leading a Digitally Literate Museum
Wednesday 22 February, Wednesday 1 and Wednesday 8 March 2023, 10am-12noon

WM Trustees Network Catch-Up: Energy and Cost of Living Crisis

The WM Trustee Network Catch-Up this autumn will focus on the energy and cost of living crisis. It’s an opportunity to share your experiences with other trustees from across the region, and hear how other museums are responding to the challenges we face.

Feedback from the meeting will help shape further WMMD trustee support.

This session is open to all Trustees who have joined our WM Trustee Network. To join the network please complete the expression of interest form. You will then be sent details of how to join the meeting.

WM Trustees Network Catch-Up: Energy and Cost of Living Crisis
Monday 26 September, 1pm-2pm
Online

“Winter is Coming”: Maintaining collections care standards during an energy crisis

As energy costs rise, and the pressure of higher bills grows, how can museums ensure that they safely maintain their collections?

Join Jane Thompson-Webb, Conservation Team Leader at Birmingham Museum Trust for this two hour online session. Jane will look at some of the steps we can take in our collection stores, exhibition spaces and offices to reduce our energy consumption whilst continuing to protect collections.

The session will be live captioned by MyClearText.

Places are limited, no more than 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.

All participants will receive an email containing a Zoom link prior to the event. The email will be sent to the email address used for booking. If you have not received an email by the day before the event please contact us.

If you can’t see the booking button the event is fully booked. To join the waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.co.uk

“Winter is Coming”: Maintaining collections care standards during an energy crisis
Tuesday 4 October, 1.30pm-3.30pm
Online

Museum Energy Management: Preparing for the winter (workshop and surgeries)

This two hour workshop with energy management specialists Pilio will explore low and no cost interventions to help save energy in preparation for winter. We’ll cover energy management; energy monitoring; boiler settings; internal temperatures; fabric and drafts; lighting; night use minimisation and the use of environmental sensors.

A limited number of follow-up surgeries will be available to attendees; details of how to arrange a surgery will be shared during the event.

The session will be live captioned by MyClearText.

Places are limited, no more than two delegates per organisation. Priority will be given to attendees from non-NPO and non-National museums in the West Midlands which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation.

All participants will receive an email containing a Zoom link prior to the event. The email will be sent to the email address used for booking. If you have not received an email by the day before the event please contact us.

If you can’t see the booking button the event is fully booked. To join the waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.co.uk

Museum Energy Management: Preparing for the Winter
Wednesday 28 September, 2pm-4pm
Online

Carbon Literacy training March 2023 – sessions 2 and 3

Our final round of Carbon Literacy training for 2022/23 is now open for bookings from museums across the Midlands.

West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD) and Museum Development East Midlands (MDEM) are partnering to deliver several rounds of training, using the Carbon Literacy for Museums Toolkit developed by Museum Development and the Carbon Literacy Trust as part of the national Roots and Branches project.

What is a Carbon Literacy course? The Carbon Literacy course will give you an understanding of what climate change is, the scale of its effects, and how museums fit into the global, national and local picture to address climate change. You become Carbon Literate by making an individual pledge, and an organisational pledge to take back to your museum, of what you can do, and is in your power to achieve, to make a significant difference to your carbon impact.

Who can attend? Anyone – we welcome all trustees, managers, volunteers and paid staff who want to understand the part they can play in tackling the climate emergency.

What’s involved? The course is made up of four modules – the first module is pre-recorded and there are three Zoom sessions:

Attendees will be certified as Carbon Literate once they’ve successfully completed the course. Therefore, it is essential you are able to attend all three Zoom sessions.

Maximum two attendees per organisation. Priority will be given to delegates from non-NPO and non-National museums in the East Midlands and West Midlands which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation.

Accessibility
This event will be auto captioned through Zoom. If you would benefit from other forms 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.

Book here

If the booking page doesn’t appear these training sessions are fully booked. Please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk to join the waiting list.

Carbon Literacy training March 2023

Our final round of Carbon Literacy training for 2022/23 is now open for bookings from museums across the Midlands.

West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD) and Museum Development East Midlands (MDEM) are partnering to deliver several rounds of training, using the Carbon Literacy for Museums Toolkit developed by Museum Development and the Carbon Literacy Trust as part of the national Roots and Branches project.

What is a Carbon Literacy course? The Carbon Literacy course will give you an understanding of what climate change is, the scale of its effects, and how museums fit into the global, national and local picture to address climate change. You become Carbon Literate by making an individual pledge, and an organisational pledge to take back to your museum, of what you can do, and is in your power to achieve, to make a significant difference to your carbon impact.

Who can attend? Anyone – we welcome all trustees, managers, volunteers and paid staff who want to understand the part they can play in tackling the climate emergency.

What’s involved? The course is made up of four modules – the first module is pre-recorded and there are three Zoom sessions:

Attendees will be certified as Carbon Literate once they’ve successfully completed the course. Therefore, it is essential you are able to attend all three Zoom sessions.

Maximum two attendees per organisation. Priority will be given to delegates from non-NPO and non-National museums in the East Midlands and West Midlands which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation.

Accessibility
This event will be auto captioned through Zoom. If you would benefit from other forms 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 the booking isn’t visible these training sessions are fully booked. Please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk to join the waiting list.