Coffee and Chatter
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.
Zoom details:
https://zoom.us/j/99254865285?pwd=R2xiUlUzOFdWMGJFQXpyL0E4cHpNQT09
Meeting ID: 992 5486 5285
Password: 579046
Coffee and Chatter will be auto-captioned.
Working with Freelancers
If you need an extra pair of hands, an unbiased and independent perspective, a critical friend, or expertise you lack in-house, then appointing freelance support can help!
Freelancers and consultants bring a wealth of experience, skills and flexibility to your museum, offering additional resource and expertise for specific projects and activities. Freelance and consultancy fees can be included applications to many funders, such as Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants and the Heritage Fund’s National Lottery Grants for Heritage.
But would you know how to commission a freelancer? What makes a really good brief? Do you understand freelancer employment rights? And what would you do if something went wrong?
This two hour session with Christina Lister, Museum Freelance, will help you understand best practice for appointing and working with freelancers, to ensure your work together is mutually respectful, beneficial and fair.
By the end of the session, you will:
- Be able to write a good freelance brief
- Know how to commission freelancers in an inclusive, fair and transparent way
- Understand the legalities, rights and responsibilities for both freelancers and clients
- Understand contracts, work and plans and effective working relationships
- Understand what could go wrong and how to prevent this
- Have gained insight into budgets, pricing and day rates
- Know where to find freelancers
- Understand the findings from the Museum Freelance 2020 survey, including who freelances in the sector, their motivations, experiences and common challenges they face
The session will have plenty of interactive elements and opportunities for questions and discussion.
You said, we listened! This session has been programmed following feedback from participants at our grant focused Coffee and Chatter on 7 January. A huge thank you to everyone who attended the session for your insight and honesty.
About Christina
Christina Lister is an award-winning marketing and audience development consultant, empowering cultural organisations to connect with their audiences. She undertakes strategy, training, facilitation and research work for her clients, which have included the Science Museum Group, the Museum of London, Jane Austen’s House, the Museum of Cambridge and the Association for Independent Museums.
She co-founded Museum Freelance in 2015. Christina is a former National Freelancer of the Year Runner-Up, a member of the Arts Marketing Association and Visitor Studies Group, and a school governor. www.christinalister.co.uk @christinalister
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.
The sessions will be live captioned by MyClearText and StageText.
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 the booking button isn’t visible, this event is fully booked. Please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk to join the waiting list.
Working with Freelancers
Wednesday 20 October, 10am-12noon
Online
Getting (re)Started with Accreditation: Business Planning
Join West Midlands Museums Development (WMMD) and Dr Dawn Langley for a programme of Accreditation and business planning support. A mix of webinars and one to one surgeries will help you embed the Accreditation requirements and ensure your plans are fit for purpose.
As we navigate this new period of the pandemic, and with the Accreditation Scheme reopening to new and returning applicants, it’s important to ensure your business plans are robust, adaptable and Accreditation-compliant.
Getting (re)Started with Accreditation (10am-12noon)
The morning session with Olivia Basterfield will provide an overview of the 2018 Accreditation Standard, discuss the Scheme’s phased reopening, and provide advice and support to help you get on top of your Accreditation work.
There’ll be a focused look at the Accreditation requirements for business plans, including Olivia’s top tips from her experience as an Accreditation Assessor.
Business planning in challenging times (2pm-4pm)
Dawn Langley will lead this afternoon session looking at how to write an effective business plan during periods of uncertainty. The session will take you through the business planning process, including:
- an overview of the development of an appropriate and relevant business plan
- exploring the difference between a business plan and a business case, and which is most appropriate for you
- how you balance the knowns with the unknowns and what that means for how your work may need to change
One to one surgeries
Dawn is offering eight, half hour one to one surgeries to provide more tailored business planning advice. These will be held on Thursday 23 September, a week after the webinars, to give you some time to reflect on the sessions and revisit your existing plans.
Once you have booked a place on the webinars, a member of the team will be in touch to arrange a one-to-one surgery.
About Dawn
Dr Dawn Langley is co-author of Business Planning Guidance for Arts and Cultural Organisations and regular blogger on organisational development for arts and cultural organisations at Alchemy Research & Consultancy.
About Olivia
Olivia is the Museum Development Officer (MDO) for Birmingham and the Black County, leading on the Accreditation and Resilience strands of the programme. She joined WMMD in May 2020 after eight years at ACE, including over three years as an Assessor with the Accreditation Team. In this role she completed 250+ Accreditation assessments for museums of all shapes and sizes across England.
No more than two delegates per organisation.
The sessions will be captioned.
If the booking button isn’t visible the webinars are fully booked. To join the waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk.
Getting (re)Started with Accreditation: Business Planning
Thursday 16 September, 10am-12noon and 2pm-4pm
Collections Management for Trustees
This session run in partnership with Collections Trust will give both experienced and new trustees an overview of the responsibilities museums have towards the collections they care for and manage.
We will look at what role trustees have in the management of collections, including Accreditation, from donation through to disposal.
The session will be facilitated by Hilary McGowan, Resilience and Governance Consultant, and Collections Trust Outreach Manager, Sarah Brown. Delegates will be guided through the tools and resources available to navigate this work, and introduced to the Spectrum standard – a framework for collections management in museums.
By the end of the session, delegates will:
- Understand what role/responsibility they have towards the museum collections
- Understand how Spectrum can be used by museums
- Will know where to go for help
- Will feel confident when making collections decisions
Who should attend?
This training is aimed at museum trustees from Accredited museums or those working towards Accreditation in the West Midlands. It is suitable for new and established trustees.
Ahead of the session please read the Introduction to Spectrum 5.0
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 webinar will be live captioned through StageText and MyClearText.
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 this event is fully booked. To join the waiting list please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk.
Collections Management for Trustees
Tuesday 28 September, 10.30am-12.30pm
Online
Accreditation Lunchtime Sessions: Assessment Top Tips
The second of three Accreditation Lunchtime sessions chosen by you.
These half-hour webinars will explore a specific area of Accreditation and will be led by Olivia Basterfield, Accreditation lead for West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD).
Join Emma Griffiths, Arts Council England’s (ACE) Relationship Manager for Accreditation in the Midlands, as she shares her top tips from an assessment perspective.
The sessions will be captioned.
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.
The other two sessions are:
What to Expect from an Accreditation Site Visit, Tuesday 27 July, 12noon-12.30pm
An Introduction to Grantium, Tuesday 21 September, 12noon-12.30pm
Accreditation Lunchtime Sessions: An Introduction to Grantium
The final one of three Accreditation Lunchtime sessions chosen by you.
These half-hour webinars will explore a specific area of Accreditation and will be led by Olivia Basterfield, Accreditation lead for West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD).
Grantium is Arts Council England’s (ACE) grant management system, and the platform you’ll use to submit your Accreditation applications, returns and any follow-up information. This session will introduce you to the platform, giving a general overview of how to use it, and signpost to where to go for advice and support.
The sessions will be captioned.
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.
About Olivia
Olivia is the Museum Development Officer (MDO) for Birmingham and the Black County, leading on the Accreditation and Resilience strands of the programme. She joined WMMD in May 2020 after eight years at ACE, including over three years as an Assessor with the Accreditation Team and two years as Relationship Manager for Visual Arts. In her Assessor role she completed over 250 Accreditation assessments for museums of all shapes and sizes across England.
The other two sessions are:
What to Expect from an Accreditation Site Visit, Tuesday 27 July, 12noon-12.30pm
Assessment Top Tips with Emma Griffiths, August, 12noon-12.30pm
Accreditation Lunchtime Session: What to Expect from an Accreditation Site Visit
The first of three Accreditation Lunchtime sessions chosen by you.
These half-hour webinars will explore a specific area of Accreditation and will be led by Olivia Basterfield, Accreditation lead for West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD).
Olivia will give an overview of an Accreditation Site Visit to de-mystify the process and help you prepare.
The sessions will be captioned.
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.
About Olivia
Olivia is the Museum Development Officer (MDO) for Birmingham and the Black County, leading on the Accreditation and Resilience strands of the programme. She joined WMMD in May 2020 after eight years at ACE, including over three years as an Assessor with the Accreditation Team and two years as Relationship Manager for Visual Arts. In her Assessor role she completed over 250 Accreditation assessments for museums of all shapes and sizes across England.
The other two sessions are:
Assessment Top Tips with Emma Griffiths, August, 12noon-12.30pm
An Introduction to Grantium, Tuesday 21 September, 12noon-12.30pm
Confident Bid Writing (workshop 1)
WMMD and Jenni Waugh have teamed up to provide bid writing support.
What makes a good funding application? This half day workshop explore the principles of good bid writing, helping you build your confidence and develop your skills in writing small funding bids.
This is your opportunity to hone your application for the WMMD Recovery Grant!
Jenni will introduce you to planning techniques based on the Theory of Change to help you break down the elements of your application and tie your planned outcomes to both the funding criteria and your own strategic plan.
We will use the Recovery Grant framework as an example, but many of the planning and writing techniques we will cover can be scaled up for applying to larger funding programmes.
It will help if you come with an idea of what you might plan to bid for. During the session, we will all work together to test and share ideas that will help each of you to strengthen your application.
Sessions are limited to a small number of delegates with breaks, breakout rooms and plenty of opportunities for questions and discussion.
Places are limited to one delegate per organisation. Priority will be given to delegates from museums eligible to apply for the WMMD Recovery Grants.
The workshop is repeated on Thursday 22 July – please only book for one workshop per organisation.
The webinars will be live captioned through StageText and MyClearText.
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.
Confident Bid Writing Workshops
Wednesday 21 July, 1pm-4pm
If the booking button isn’t visible, this event is fully booked. Please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk to go on the waiting list.
Coffee and Chatter Special: Confident Bid Writing Presentation
Join the WMMD team and Jenni Waugh at 10.30am for a special focused half hour Coffee and Chatter.
Are you unable to attend either of the Confident Bid Writing workshops (21 and 22 July), or are you looking for a shorter introduction to bid writing skills?
Jenni’s presentation on confident bid writing skills will be followed by a brief Q&A; perfect as a refresher or for those seeking some top tips!
Zoom details:
https://zoom.us/j/99254865285?pwd=R2xiUlUzOFdWMGJFQXpyL0E4cHpNQT09
Meeting ID: 992 5486 5285
Password: 579046
This session will be live captioned through StageText and MyClearText.
Coffee and Chatter
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 and hear about the latest sector guidance and news.
Grab your morning cuppa, exchange ideas and catch up with some friendly faces.
Zoom details:
https://zoom.us/j/99254865285?pwd=R2xiUlUzOFdWMGJFQXpyL0E4cHpNQT09
Meeting ID: 992 5486 5285
Password: 579046
