Annual Museum Survey 2022 Open
The Annual Museum Survey 2022 is now open. A big thank you to all the museums who are registered to take part this year, we look forward to receiving even more returns for this survey, both regionally and nationally.
The purpose of the Annual Museum Survey is to gather evidence to help demonstrate the social and economic importance of museums to funders and stakeholders – locally, regionally and nationally – and to provide museums with data to enable them to benchmark their performance.
What’s in it for museums?
- Advocacy – evidence to make the case for your social and economic value in order to sustain investment
- Performance benchmarking – consistent data to compare your museum’s operational context
- Informing strategy – knowing your operational context will support your business planning
- Fundraising – the data can be used as evidence to support funding applications or to express your value with the public
The Process
Registered museums have been invited to participate in the survey by email. The email will include a direct link to an online survey tool called SmartSurvey.
If you have not received your invitation to participate already, please do get in touch at museum.data@bristol.gov.uk. We recommend that you save this email address to your contacts to ensure that any communications are not mislaid.
The survey questions have been provided offline below to assist you in preparing your return. Please note, the offline surveys will differ depending on whether you are a single site or a multi site organisation. The definitions will help to provide added clarity on the terminology used within the survey questions. Please note, the online survey uses logic to apply only relevant questions. Therefore, some of the offline survey questions listed below may not apply and will result in fewer questions and a shorter survey process.
If you require any further support, please contact museum.data@bristol.gov.uk.
Find out more by visiting the South West Museum Development website.
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.
Expressions of Interest Now Open
MDUK Volunteer Development Programme
West Midlands Museum Development and Museum Development UK are thrilled to be working in collaboration with volunteer sector specialists 10GM again to offer an intensive Volunteer Development Programme for up to 20 museums from across participating areas in the UK.
This project has arisen due to the dual challenges of a longer-term shifting volunteering workforce in the heritage sector, and the particular strains of the last two months due to the pandemic. Through the Museum Development Annual Museums Survey results, localised surveying through regional teams, and the results of the Spotlight survey in Wales, a clear need has emerged to support organisations to review their operating models to ensure volunteering is sustainable and responsive to the museums needs and the communities they serve.
Programme Aim: To support participating museums to review their volunteering strategy and explore new ways to embed sustainable volunteer development practice tailored to individual organisational needs.
Programme Outcomes: Participating museums will:
- review their operating model and business/ forward plan through the lens of volunteer resourcing
- understand the volunteer skills needed to deliver their operating model
- plan to develop their volunteer workforce through appropriate recruitment, training and resources to meet defined organisational needs
- develop appropriate volunteer policies and procedures
- identify volunteer management roles and responsibilities within the workforce
- embed inclusive practice into volunteer development
- develop an organisation specific action plan for volunteer development
This intensive programme will allow 20 organisations from across the eight participating areas; East Midlands, East of England, North East, North West, South East, Wales, West Midlands and Yorkshire to benefit from hands on support to develop their volunteering practices, through a combination of group sessions, coaching, network building and training.
The programme will run from September 2022 to March 2023, with an expected time-commitment of 2-3 days per month. Additional work will be required to apply learning between sessions.
Please read the programme information before completing the Expression of Interest and returning to wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk by 5pm, Monday 11 July
Volunteers’ Week 2022
Next week marks the beginning of Volunteers’ Week 2022.
Volunteers’ Week is a chance to say thank you for the fantastic contribution volunteer make. Follow this link for ideas on how to celebrate Volunteers’ Week in 2022 and use the hashtag #VolunteersWeek on social media.
‘Volunteering is for you’ film and resources
Use the ‘Volunteering is for you’ film and toolkit guidance to celebrate and thank your volunteers via social media.
Request a copy of the toolkit and films on the Resources For All page of our website.
Resources
To celebrate Volunteers’ Week WMMD has compiled a list of useful events, resources, reports and networks for anyone who may be responsible for managing volunteers, in either a paid or voluntary capacity.
- AIM Success Guides Successfully Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers
- Fair Museum Jobs Volunteer Checklist
- GEM has collated a suite of useful volunteering resources, including toolkits for recruitment and measuring impact, examples of volunteer handbooks, interesting reads and local networks.
- Heritage Volunteer Organisers Scotland (HVOS) Volunteer Organisers Toolkit
- Museums Worcestershire Volunteer Recruitment Toolkit
- National Lottery Heritage Fund Helpful guidance for managing and developing volunteering at your organisations
- NCVO Resources and research that will help you unlock the power of volunteering. They have compiled a list of resources relating to volunteering and the pandemic.
- South West Museum Development (SWMD), ‘Working with young volunteers – what to think about before you begin
- SWMD’s Rebuilding the Foundations: Gloucestershire’s Museums was a National Lottery Heritage funded project which focused on securing a future for museums that is engaged, relevant and sustainable. The project generated a range of useful resources including:
- Vision for Volunteering launched on 6 May 2022, asking ‘How does volunteering need to adapt by 2032?’
- Volunteers and the law: Volunteering England produced this guide on legal issues for volunteer managers, such as volunteers and employment rights, benefits and tax, safety and security, data protection and specific volunteering situations
- Volunteer Now contains a range of resources relating to volunteer management
- Recognising and Valuing Volunteers : Volunteer Scotland produced this quick guide on how to help show volunteers that you appreciate their input and commitment.
Networks
- Heritage Volunteering Group (HVG)
HVG’s mission is to help you unlock the power of volunteering through collaboration and sharing best practice. The HVG website includes examples of case studies, research, links and resources. HVG is running informal catch ups, ask the expert sessions and masterclasses. Events are open to all members. Recordings of previous sessions are available to view on the HVG Youtube Channel. To sign up for updates please visit the HVG Better Impact page and log your details.
Contact or follow HVG on Twitter @HeritageVols, join Heritage Volunteering Group on Facebook, or contact heritagevolunteeringgroup@gmail.com. - Heritage Volunteering Group West Midlands
The regional networking group covering Shropshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Black Country, Birmingham and Telford and Wrekin. The group is for anyone who works with volunteers in the heritage sector in the West Midlands. It meets quarterly to problem solve together, share best practice and learn from each other. To keep in the loop with all future meetings please email Becky Benson.
Volunteering and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- HVG has compiled a list of online equality, diversity and inclusion resources for volunteering and volunteer management. If you have any resources that you would like to add to the list please contact Michelle Davies.
HVG’s Youtube Channel, Diversity and Inclusion playlist includes recordings of HVG’s recent EDI Masterclass events. - Mark Your Mark in Volunteering campaign aims to increase the number and diversity of heritage volunteers in Scotland. They’ve compiled a range of resources to help you create inclusive volunteering programmes. Make Your Mark – Heritage Volunteering for All
- Seven Principles to Ensure an Inclusive Recovery The principles have been developed by We Shall Not Be Removed in partnership with Ramps on the Moon, Attitude is Everything, Paraorchestra, and What Next? to create a new guide for the arts and entertainment sectors to support disability inclusion. Their Seven Inclusive Principles for Arts & Cultural Organisations working safely through Covid-19 is designed to complement the suite of guidance documents already issued by UK Governments and sector support organisations. Find out more.
- Volunteer Scotland Top tips for Inclusive Volunteering
- Volunteering for Everyone A guide for organisations who want to include and recruit volunteers who have a learning disabilities, developed by Volunteering England and Mencap.
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.
Volunteers Recruitment Campaign Launched
WMMD is excited to announce the launch of a new Volunteers Recruitment Campaign. Watch the campaign film ‘Volunteering is for you‘
We’d like to say a huge thank you to all of the volunteers and staff who have contributed their time, experience, photos, videos and interviews to the campaign development.
About the campaign
The Volunteers Recruitment Campaign will support you to showcase and promote the wide range of volunteering opportunities in your museum and the wider region and aims to encourage more people to volunteer in West Midlands museums. The campaign film signposts viewers to opportunities on the WMMD Volunteers Portal.
How can your museum get involved?
- Request a copy of the Volunteer Recruitment Toolkit from the WMMD website
- Download the films and graphics using the links in the toolkit and share the films across your social media channels
- Use the toolkit guidance to generate social media content and reach new audiences
- Encourage your colleagues, stakeholders, supporters and visitors to share your volunteer recruitment posts on social media
- Download the posters and display at your venue to promote volunteering to your visitors
- Keep adding your Opportunities to the WMMD Volunteers Portal throughout the year – contact michelle.davies@ironbridge.org.uk for more information
The toolkit includes:
- Links to download ‘Volunteering is for you’ film – available in various formats suited to different social media networks
- Best practice tips and guidance to develop your use of social media – for beginners through to experts
- Ready-made graphics to download
- Content suggestions for social media posts
- Posters to promote volunteering opportunities on site in your museum
Additional Support
If you’re not feeling confident on social media and would like some expert help, or want to try something new online using the Volunteers Recruitment Social Media Toolkit, WMMD is also offering a small number of 1:1 sessions with toolkit creators Social For Good. Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis to Accredited or Working Towards Accreditation museums in the West Midlands. Contact michelle.davies@ironbridge.org.uk for more information.
Applications for WMMD Inclusive Museums programme open
Improve equity and inclusion in your museum
West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD) are working with NoBarriers to provide a small cohort of museums with the opportunity to receive professional training, mentoring and peer support to actively improve equity and inclusion across their organisations.
The programme will run between May 2022 and February 2023.
As a result of taking part in the programme, participants will:
- Demonstrate a consistent understanding of Equity and Inclusion and how it relates to their audiences, workforce (paid and voluntary), governance and programmes
- Feel confident about current language to use when discussing Equity and Inclusion
- Identify internal issues and external opportunities and barriers related to Equity and Inclusion and develop the skills to address them
- Demonstrate improved confidence in talking about difficult issues/ topics
- Identify the challenges and/ or barriers within their organisation relating to Equity and Inclusion and develop plans to address these
- Prepare an Equality Action Plan
- Gain a supportive network of colleagues developing their equity and inclusion policy and practice
- Involve their wider organisation in developing their Equality Action Plan
About NoBarriers
NoBarriers deliver tailored approaches to increasing inclusive and equitable practice in the cultural sector, including training, advice, strategic planning, service review and community engagement.
Isilda Almeida, founder of NoBarriers, works as an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant in the culture sector and brings with her over 20 years’ experience of the UK heritage sector. Isilda will be supported by Maurice Davies, who brings nearly 40 years of experience in UK museums and galleries as a policymaker, leader and curator. He has championed equity and inclusion since the 1990s when he was editor of Museums Journal. He has advised organisations such as the Greater London Authority, the National Museum Directors Council and the National Trust on aspects of heritage and race. Most recently he has helped Museum Detox with an organisational review and, with Isilda, delivered training on museums, equity and inclusion.
Between them, Isilda and Maurice bring knowledge, professional and lived-experience, current approaches to Equity and Inclusion, contextualised by historical and political events that have shaped how museums got to where they are.
Priority will be given to non-NPO and non-National museums who are Accredited or Working Towards Accreditation and based in the West Midlands.
To discuss your application or find out more about the programme please contact michelle.davies@ironbridge.org.uk
Submit your application by 1pm, Thursday 5 May 2022
