Heritage Advice Sessions for Walsall
The Heritage Fund and One Walsall are running free 1:1 sessions for groups based in or working in Walsall on Tuesday 6 September. The Heritage Fund describes heritage as “anything from the past that you value and want to pass on to future generations”. Walsall has a rich heritage and the Heritage Fund is currently prioritising applications from the area. Grants of between £3,000 and £5million are available as part of the National Lottery Grants for Heritage programme.
The meetings provide a chance for a friendly discussion about your project ideas and if heritage funding is a suitable option. There’s no pressure to apply and The Heritage Fund and One Walsall may be able to direct you to other funders if heritage funding isn’t suitable.
Book your free 50 minute session by emailing juliet@onewalsall.org, the sessions can be done online or in person.
MA Statement on the Cost of Living Crisis
The Museum Association (MA) has issued a statement on the cost of living crisis. It is deeply concerned about the impact of the cost of living crisis on museums across the UK and calls for action on pay and investment in the sector.
Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science
AHRC has launched a call for expressions of interest in RICHeS – the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science.
If your organisation has equipment, expertise or scientific reference collections that could form part of a funded UK-wide research infrastructure please complete the form https://bit.ly/RICHeS-EOI
Expressions of interest are encouraged from both UKRI-eligible organisations (e.g. Higher Education Institutions and Independent Research Organisations) and those that are not normally eligible, particularly smaller heritage organisations, libraries, archives and museums. AHRC is keen to explore the landscape for partnership working in the heritage sector and wants to understand, through responses to this EOI, where there is potential to build partnerships that can increase access to the equipment, expertise and reference collections that enable research into the long-term management and preservation of heritage assets and collections.
If your organisation holds equipment, expertise or scientific reference collections (analogue or digital) that could form part of a national infrastructure please respond before 1 August.
Further background information on RICHeS is available at https://www.heritagescienceforum.org.uk/what-we-do/riches
Wellbeing Questionnaire
Museums Association (MA) is committed to supporting workforce wellbeing, and believe that good workforce wellbeing is an indicator of a healthy and productive organisation.
Museums have a role to play in improving community wellbeing, and we know that museums are better placed to support their communities if we support the colleagues engaging and working with them.
MA has launched this wellbeing questionnaire as part of its research into workforce wellbeing, which will provide an evidence base to help shape and inform future campaigning and activities in this area.
The research will also provide an evidence base for other organisations to develop their practice, influence commitments or obtain funding.
Everyone is encouraged to complete the anonymous questionnaire, reflecting on your experience within the sector and your current wellbeing.
Please complete the questionnaire by Wednesday 17 August.
The Great Escape
Take part in Art Fund’s next big adventure as The Great Escape is launched – a national participatory project taking place on Earth Day 2023.
The Great Escape is Art Fund’s new major UK-wide participatory project championing museum, gallery and historic house collections. Working with you, schools and families will be invited to explore wildlife in your collections, exhibitions and spaces, leading up to a large-scale participative event on Earth Day 2023 (Saturday 22 April).
Art Fund wants to work with museums, galleries and historic houses, who will engage with schools and families in their local community to contribute to a large-scale participative event. Art Fund is developing exciting, high-profile partnerships and inviting well-known artists and naturalists to help you connect with local communities and young audiences through storytelling and drawing workshops from September 2022.
There is a series of online workshops for you to hear more about The Great Escape and how the project will be shaped by your ideas. Every month, as well a project update, we will discuss a specific topic based on your suggestions. The next workshop is Wednesday 27 July, 1pm-2.30pm .
Find out more about The Great Escape and register your interest.
Rethinking Cataloguing Consultation – second round now open
Collections Trust wants your feedback on their revised Spectrum Cataloguing and Use of Collections procedures.
How can museums ensure that cataloguing is an inclusive and flexible activity?
After reflecting on feedback from the first round of consultation, Collections Trust has recently launched revised versions of their Spectrum Cataloguing and Use of collections procedures.
Help shape the future of cataloguing and share your feedback on the latest draft material. You can read the full details about the revisions to both procedures and leave your feedback on the Collections Trust website.
Deadline for feedback is 5pm, 5 July.
Why not join in the conversation by sharing the campaign on social media, using the hashtag #RethinkingCataloguing.
CHWA Awards 2022 Open
The Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance (CHWA) Awards are open and there are three categories:
- Collective Power in partnership with the LENs and Ideas Alliance
- Practising Well in partnership with Nicola Naismith
- Climate in partnership with The Happy Museum Project and Culture Declares Emergency
Visit the CHWA Awards webpage to find out more about each category and how to apply.
Application deadline: 5pm, Sunday 31 July
Shortlisted projects will be published on the CHWA website in mid October. Winners will be announced at an open online event on Friday 25 November.
TWA Digitisation Grants 2022
TownsWeb Archiving (TWA) is thrilled to announce the return of the TWA Digitisation Grant 2022.
Four grants are available of £3,000 each with up to £1,000 match funding from a match funding pot.
Key dates for the diary
- Deadline for applications: 11.59pm, Friday 29 July
- Winners’ Announcement: Thursday 1 September at the ARA Conference
Applications are welcome from the following UK institutions:
- Public, private and charity Archives
- Business/corporate Archives
- Public and private Libraries
- Museums
- Galleries
What can the grant be used for?
The Grant can be used to fund the digitisation of bound books, manuscripts, oversized maps and plans, 35mm slides, microfilm/fiche, glass plate negatives, and other two-dimensional cultural heritage media.
What Next?
Find out more about the Funding Details and complete a short form to access the Grant Application.
Freelance : Futures
How can we work together to improve the support for, and position of, people working freelance in the creative and cultural sector?
ACE is inviting you to join independent practitioners, cultural organisations, unions, funders and policymakers from 16 May – 15 July to learn what you can do and take action.
Register for Freelance : Futures to access resources and participate in workshops, panel discussions, self-organising spaces and virtual gatherings that will aim to help everyone play their role in building equitable conditions for freelancers.
Attendance is free and the programme is split into three phases:
- 16 May – 10 June Getting informed, resourced and connected
- 13 – 17 June Online gathering, working together and creating change
- 20 June – 5 July Continuing the work, embedding shifts and defining next actions
Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND) Round 2 Guidance
Arts Council England has published guidance for Round 2 of the Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND).
The Guidance can be found here on the Arts Council England website.
This is an open-access capital fund targeted at non-national Accredited museums and local authorities based in England to apply for funding to undertake vital infrastructure and urgent maintenance backlogs which are beyond the scope of day-to-day maintenance budgets.
The criteria for the Museum Estate and Development Fund have been set by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Arts Council England, Historic England (HE) and The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF). The grants are administered, awarded and monitored by Arts Council England. Funding has been provided by DCMS.
There is £16.9 million available for round 2 with eligible organisation able to apply for grants of £50k and £5 million.
Key dates
The online Expression of Interest form will open on Grantium at 9am, Monday 9 May. The deadline for submitting Expressions of Interest is noon, Friday 17 June.
The full online application form will open on Grantium at noon, Monday 18 July. The deadline for submitting a full application is noon, Friday 23 September.
Decisions will be announced in March 2023.
