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Carbon Literacy Dates Confirmed

We’re delighted to confirm the dates for our 2022/23 programme of Carbon Literacy for Museums training.

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.

Over the next twelve months, we’ll deliver:

The course is made up of four modules:

Each course is the same and you only need to take part in one cohort.

The dates:

We’ll let you know when each cohort is open for booking.

*West Midlands places will be prioritised to Trustees who are part of our West Midlands Trustees Network. To express interest and learn more, please complete our online expression of interest form.

**We’re grateful for support from Mike Nevell, Industrial Heritage Support Officer for England, for kindly offering his knowledge and enthusiasm to the Industrial Heritage cohort.

2023-26 Investment Programme: The timeline

Arts Council England (ACE) has confirmed the application timeline for organisations applying to the National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) and Investment Principles Support Organisation (IPSO) programmes. The application portal will open at noon, Monday 28 February and will close at noon, Wednesday 18 May. See the full timetable.

ACE has also published an Addendum to the Guidance for Applicants for both the NPO and IPSO programmes. It is essential that all applicants read this Addendum before making an application.

The Addendum sets out how the NPO and IPSO programmes will help deliver the Government’s Levelling Up agenda.

It’s important to note that this Addendum does not contain any changes to the eligibility criteria for either NPO or IPSO applicants, as already set out in the originally published Guidance for Applicants. Read the Addendum.

Security Advice Survey

Arts Council England provides a UK-wide security advice service, supporting the loan and borrowing of objects by cultural organisations. Recognising the sector is going through a period of intense change, it has commissioned Trident Manor to survey and provide an up-to-date understanding of the sector’s security needs in the short to medium term.

The research will help us plan future work and support the sector’s needs in the best way possible. Survey closes Monday 21 February.

Complete the survey.

Finance workshops for Accreditation and Trustees

West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD) is hosting two complementary workshops on Wednesday 30 March. The workshops will look at finance for museums; one aimed at Accreditation and the second for trustees. Trustees are welcome to book either or both sessions.

Accreditation and Financial Sustainability

Olivia Basterfield will lead the morning session, focusing on the Accreditation requirement 2.2. Financial sustainability.

This session is designed to support all museums preparing an Accreditation application or return. Whether you’re an independent museum or based within a university or local authority, we’ll explore which documents to submit to Arts Council England and what your assessor will be looking for.

Find out more about the Accreditation and Financial Sustainability workshop.

Financial Responsibility for Trustees

The afternoon session will be led by Jane Tweedie (BSc, FCA, DChA) Senior Manager at WR Partners. This session is specifically for trustees of independent charitable museums and will be useful for both new and existing trustees.

Jane will discuss the six main duties of a trustee and how they relate to finance. This session will support your organisation with Accreditation requirements 1. Have appropriate governance and management and 2.2. Financial sustainability.

Find out more about the Financial Responsibility for Trustees workshop.

Collections Management for Trustees

Three events for Trustees with Collections Trust

Collections Trust, East Midlands Museum Development (MDEM) and West Midlands Museum Development (WMMD) are partnering to bring a series of three workshops for museum trustees, focusing on collections management.

We recommend you attend all three sessions, however each event works as a stand alone session should you be unable to attend all of them.

Places are limited, no more than two trustees per organisation. Priority will be given to Trustees who are part of the new West Midlands Trustee Network. To join please complete the Expression of Interest.

Planning for Success: Collections Development for Trustees

Wednesday 27 April, 2pm-4pm
Online

The first session will focus on Collections Development Policy, exploring its role in the museum, how to develop one, and its value to the museum in a practical sense. We will consider themes relevant to the policy such as organisation responsibilities and evaluating the current state of collections.

Collections Trust will provide a brief overview of Spectrum to provide context. We will examine the Accreditation Collections Development Policy template and discuss scenarios and issues related to the different sections.

There will be an optional half hour trustee networking session at the end of this event.

Find out more about Planning for Success

I’d like to book a place on Planning for Success 

Entering the Museum: Object Entry, Acquisition and Accessioning for Trustees

Wednesday 18 May, 2pm-4pm
Online

The second session will explore the management and documentation involved with the acquisition and accessioning of objects, using the Spectrum 5.0 procedures as a framework.

How do you manage objects coming into your organisation? Do you have problems with unsolicited donations and what can you do with the stuff you don’t want? What is important in acquisition-related decision-making?

Find out more about Entering the Museum

I’d like to book Entering the Museum

Museum Collections for Trustees: An Overview of Loans

Wednesday 8 June, 2pm-4pm
Online

The final session will explore the management and documentation involved when borrowing and lending objects, using the Spectrum 5.0 procedures as a framework:

Find out more about Museum Collections for Trustees

I’d like to book Museum Collections for Trustees

The sessions will be live captioned through StageText and MyClearText.

All participants will receive an email containing a Zoom link prior to each 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.

Let’s Get Real: Building a thriving hybrid working environment

Navigating the challenges of hybrid working to help your organisation become more inclusive and resilient.

The forced experiments of remote working in 2020 and the hybrid reality of 2021 have led us to a place where we are all fundamentally rethinking our working practises. Building on the findings of Culture24’s recent survey, ‘Understanding Hybrid’, the next groundbreaking Let’s Get Real action research programme will focus on navigating the challenges of hybrid working. Run in partnership with Birmingham Museums Trust, the cohort will come together to discuss the challenges and opportunities, collaborating to develop more inclusive and resilient organisations in the hybrid workplace. Want to join a cohort of up to 32 other cultural organisations? Read the full details here and sign up.

Sign up deadline: 7 March
Project Duration: April 2022 to November 2022 (eight months)

 

AIM Covid Impact Survey Report

In January 2022, AIM surveyed its members on the immediate impact of the Omicron variant and related strengthening of restrictions in all nations of the UK over the Christmas and New Year season.

The responses painted a picture of a sector looking ahead to the rest of winter and the rest of the year largely expecting to survive financially, but with significant concerns about visitor figures and income throughout 2022, and a need for support with core funding, capital (including maintenance) projects, one-off projects, and particularly to support staff resilience and wellbeing.

Read the key findings of the survey report ‘Balancing optimism and realism’.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities resources

SEND in Museums provides clear guidance for museum, heritage or other arts and cultural professionals, on supporting the inclusion of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Visit the SEND in Museums website.

Sporting Heritage Awards

Sporting Heritage want to recognise the amazing work that takes place across our sector with the inaugural Sporting Heritage Awards.

It wants to help as many people understand the impact that sporting heritage, and the people who deliver sporting heritage activity, make on a daily basis in local communities across the UK.

You can find out more about the award categories, how to nominate and the judging criteria at the Sporting Heritage website.

Nominations close on Friday 18 March and an awards ceremony will take place in Leeds on 28 April.

Follow Sporting Heritage at #SHAwards2022

DCMS Guidance on Volunteering

Following questions relating to the ability of people previously considered clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) to volunteer, HVG wanted to share the following government advice:

The first piece recommends CEV people discuss with their clinician which additional precautions they may take, depending on their condition. There is more detailed guidance in the second piece for those who are immunocompromised.