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Applications Open for Heritage Compass

To date, Heritage Compass has supported 300 small or medium-sized heritage organisations across England who have received training to develop effective business plans, income strategies and the knowledge and support to move beyond Covid-19.

Thanks to additional funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Cause4, in partnership with Creative United and the Arts Marketing Association, is now recruiting a further 100 organisations to the programme.

The programme will help organisations (including local museums, parks, landscapes, places of worship and heritage buildings) who want to future proof their business model. The training will include:

Details of how to apply

Application deadline: Friday 2 December

Museums Association Conference 2022: Make Change Happen

Thursday 3 – Saturday 5 November
Edinburgh International Conference Centre  EH3 8EE and online

With hope growing that the worst of the global pandemic is over, this year’s conference explores how museums can create better places to live and work in a post-Covid world. To do this, museums need to tackle a number of crucial issues, including the climate crisis, inequalities and racism, the legacy of empire, and wellbeing.

Conference sessions will cover:

In Edinburgh you can expect three days of interactive and topical content, inspirational speakers, networking opportunities, social events, physical tours and practice sessions. If you can’t attend in person, joining online for some or all of the event gives you the opportunity to access great content at your own convenience.

You have the chance to hear from a range of inspirational speakers. Speakers include:

In the discovery zone you will find round table discussions, drop-ins and 1:1s throughout conference in order to take the conversation further and really get into details. These sessions will include MA reps; ethics; speed mentoring; collections fund; careers; exhibition design and the learning and engagement manifesto. You will also find the MA hub in the discovery zone – a great place to meet MA staff and your colleagues.

As well as hearing from our sponsors at sessions throughout the conference, you can meet our sponsors and find out more about the latest technologies, products and services for the sector in the discovery zone.
The social events give you the opportunity to carry on networking with fellow delegates at some of Edinburgh’s cultural venues.

The third day of conference is a chance to visit a range of museums and galleries in Edinburgh. There is a programme of special events, exhibition tours, expert talks and behind-the-scenes visits to museums, galleries and cultural venues in the area, all included in the price.

Click here for more information, to view the full programme and to book your place

 

New Funding Opportunity

Art Fund is making up to £60,000 available for one early to mid-career curator to undertake a focused collecting project: developing their museum or gallery’s collection of contemporary craft in exciting ways whilst supporting their own professional development.

The Sir Nicholas Goodison Award for Contemporary Craft takes the same format as its New Collecting Awards, which you may already be aware of. To support the project, the awardee will also receive funding towards their own professional development – to spend on research, travel and training costs to support their collecting plans, as well as the ongoing support of a mentor, Art Fund staff and trustees.

Full details on the award can be found on the Art Fund website.

Application deadline: Thursday 3 November

Charity Law Change

An upcoming change to charity law in England and Wales will give national institutions leeway to dispose of objects on moral grounds, according to the Institute of Art and Law (IAL).

Under current legislation, charity trustees are able to seek authorisation from the Charity Commission if they feel compelled by a moral obligation to make a transfer of charity property – a voluntary gesture of goodwill known as an ex gratia payment.

The ex gratia principle was recently used by the Horniman Museum and Jesus College, Cambridge, to successfully apply for approval to transfer their Benin bronze holdings to the Nigerian authorities.

However, almost all national institutions are unable to make ex gratia transfers because they are governed by statute that prohibits them from deaccessioning collection objects, with few exceptions. This has long been a legal obstacle in discussions around restitution.

A provision in the Charities Act 2022, which is due to pass this autumn, will allow the trustees of those institutions to seek authorisation from the Charity Commission for ex gratia transfers.

Read more in Museums Association Journal

Grants to Reimagine the Future of Biodiversity in the UK

The Great Escape has been officially re-named The Wild Escape. This evolution of the project’s name from its earlier working title now directly captures Art Fund’s aim to encourage the next generation to picture the future of UK wildlife through museum collections. The name change has no impact on your application if you are in the process of an applying or if you have already applied.

Museum Development England is working in partnership with Art Fund on The Great Escape – a new UK-wide creative project for museums to engage with schools and families, inspired by the nature around us.

The Great Escape will bring museums, schools, and families together to engage young people with the UK’s natural environment, drawing inspiration from the art and objects in museums and the creative and learning opportunities they can offer.

It will bring schools and families into museum spaces, inviting primary school children aged 7-11 to explore the animals in their collections and create stories and pictures that imagine a creature’s journey to a future habitat rich in biodiversity. The things they make in the classroom, online and in museums will be brought together in a collective work of art, unveiled during a weekend of activities for all ages on Earth Day 2023.

Together with Art Fund we are encouraging as many museums, galleries and historic houses to participate as possible by running your own activities, workshops and events – big or small – to support the project.

If you want to get involved, the best way to start is by registering your interest so you’ll be the first to get exclusive updates about the project. Funding is not a prerequisite for getting involved, but where organisations do require financial support, we have a limited number of small grants from £500 to £3,000 (and for consortia up to £24,000) available. The Great Escape is made possible with support from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants.

Key information

Scheme dates and deadlines

What type of projects are we looking to fund?

Our funding can support The Great Escape projects in one or more of the following ways:

Who should apply?

We will consider applications from museums, galleries, and historic houses, that:

Individual National Trust, English Heritage and National Museums may form part of a consortia to work in partnership in their local area but cannot be the lead applicant.

If you are unsure about your organisation(s) eligibility to apply, please contact Art Fund direct at thegreatescapeproject@artfund.org.

Where can I find out more and where can I get help?

Please read our grant scheme guidance for full details: The Great Escape Grants Guidance

The Great Escape grant application questions:

To help you draft a strong application we will be hosting workshops to help organisations with this application process. Please select the workshop at the time and date most convenient to you and register via the Museum Development England host Eventbrite link.

Please contact us here at West Midlands Museum Development wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk for further information and application advice.

Art Fund will also be holding a series of online workshops every month where, as well a project update, they discuss a specific topic to support you in delivering activity related to The Great Escape. Simply register your interest on their website for all the booking details, plus get exclusive updates, including news about partnerships, funding and free resources throughout the project.

How do I apply?

Applicants must apply online via the following form: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/The_Great_Escape_Grant_App/

Please contact us if you have access requirements and require an alternative format for applying.

Applications received after the grant scheme deadline of 9am, Wednesday 2 November 2022 will not be considered.

Applications submitted via any other method without prior approval will not be considered.

Energy Bill Relief Scheme

The government has published the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) for businesses and non-domestic customers.

Through the EBRS, the government will provide a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all non-domestic customers (including all UK businesses, the voluntary sector like charities and the public sector such as schools and hospitals) whose current gas and electricity prices have been significantly inflated in light of global energy prices. This support will be equivalent to the Energy Price Guarantee put in place for households.

It will apply to fixed contracts agreed on or after 1 April 2022, as well as to deemed, variable and flexible tariffs and contracts. It will apply to energy usage from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023, running for an initial 6 month period for all non-domestic energy users. The savings will be first seen in October bills, which are typically received in November.

As with the Energy Price Guarantee for households, customers do not need to take action or apply to the scheme to access the support. Support (in the form of a p/kWh discount) will automatically be applied to bills.

Read the guidance about the scheme and how you can get support this winter.

Read the government press release

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Trustees, staff & volunteers at The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust are saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

In a joint statement, Mark Pemberton OBE, Chairman of The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, and Rupert Kenyon-Slaney DL, Deputy Chairman of The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “It was with immense sorrow that we learned of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s passing

“It is with our deepest gratitude that we honour Her Majesty’s devoted and long-standing contribution to the country. As the longest-reigning British monarch, she leaves behind a remarkable legacy.

Nick Ralls, Chief Executive of The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “Her Majesty visited our museums in 2003, accompanied by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, and was charming and showed great interest in the work we do.

“We offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to all members of the Royal Family at this time. Our thoughts are particularly with her son, our new King, who has been our Patron for many years.”

Tender Opportunity with WMMD

The West Midlands Museum Development programme (WMMD) is seeking a freelance individual, agency, or team to develop, launch and project manage the Revealing Hidden Histories programme for 2022/23.

Revealing Hidden Histories launched in 2019 and has run for three consecutive years.

The programme recognises that every collection includes objects with complex or sometimes contentious stories. These stories are often the areas that museums find difficult to talk about with their audiences. The programme aims to support museums to increase their knowledge, understanding and confidence in making these objects more accessible to their audiences.

Revealing Hidden Histories works closely with small numbers of museums recruited through a competitive application process. Subject specialists support the museums to explore an object or group of objects which have an interesting untold story, something that may not have been interpreted before and which might have links to a challenging, emotive or potentially contentious narrative. The programme culminates in a sharing event for the participating museums to share their experiences with museums in the region.

The sector’s approach to contentious histories is constantly evolving. There is the opportunity to refresh how Revealing Hidden Histories can support museums to explore contentious histories. WMMD is interested in hearing from a freelance individual, agency or team who can develop and lead the next iteration of Revealing Hidden Histories for 2022/23.

Download the Hidden Histories brief 

Timescales and key dates

Project budget and payment terms

Up to £10,000 for the duration of the programme, including VAT and any expenses.

Please email Olivia Basterfield to arrange a informal phone call if you have any questions about the project.

New Home Sought for Worth Costumes

The Pennington Mellor Munthe Charity Trust (PMMCT) has a collection of Worth dresses that they are looking to rehome. Commissioned by Anna Catherine Pennington Mellor to Worth of London, the PMMCT’s Collection boasts over two dozen luxury dresses tailored to measure for Anna Catherine herself and her daughter Hilda in the last quarter of the 19th century. It also includes accompanying garments and accessories, several pairs of shoes, umbrellas and a rich range of hats, which bring to life the development of high fashion during the period. The collection is unique in that all garments were made by the same costumier. Most of it remained packed and untouched for almost 80 years until it was found in 2011 in one of the basements at Southside House, Wimbledon. It is in a very good state of conservation.

Please contact justinepeberdy@hellensmanor.com for further information.

Concerned about Closure?

Do you think your museum is facing closure in the next 12 months?

Unsure of your financial standing or cash flow?

Looking for advice, clarity and next steps?

WMMD’s Concerned About Closure programme is a way for museums to flag they’re at risk of closure and to access professional advise on next steps..

If you believe your museum is facing closure in the next 12 months, please complete our brief online form to notify us. It will take less than ten minutes to complete and is best completed by the museum’s Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer or a Senior Member of Staff (either paid or voluntary depending on your organisation’s structure).

How will this help my museum?

The Concerned About Closure form will enable us to identify and support museums facing closure, will provide insight into the health of the region’s sector, and will help us report concerns to Arts Council England (with your permission*).

For Accredited museums and those Working Towards Accreditation, completion of the form offers you the opportunity for an optional, free confidential surgery** to help you review your museum’s position, talk through the options available to you and help identify the actions you need to take.

The surgeries are structured conversations to help you understand your museum’s financial standing and clarify its position on potential closure. Surgeries will be led by Ari Volanakis with support from Olivia Basterfield (WMMD). Notes will be formalised into a written report to help you and your colleagues with planning and next steps.

About Ari Volanakis

Ari is a heritage management professional with hands-on experience in museum environments, business planning, strategy and commercial operations, with an MA in heritage management from Ironbridge Institute.

If you have any queries about the programme or would like to discuss Concerned About Closure further, please email wmmd@ironbridge.org.uk and a member of the team will be in touch.

*The form will ask your permission for WMMD to share your information with Arts Council England (ACE) as part of the coordinated partnership work to protect museums and collections at risk. ACE is working with the Museum Development Network (MDUK) and fifteen other sector partners to provide a coordinated approach to supporting sector colleagues who have concerns about the future of their museums or collections. More information can be found in the July 2021 joint statement on protecting museums and collections at risk.

Your information will only be shared with your consent.

Sharing your information will help the partnership provide timely and appropriate advice, identify trends, and lobby for support on behalf of the UK museum sector.

**Confidential surgeries are available on a first come first served basis to museums who are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation. If you are a non-Accredited museum, when you complete the survey a member of the WMMD team will contact you to discuss your situation and signpost to other support where possible.

WMMD is grateful to South East Museum Development for developing and piloting the Concerned About Closure programme in their region during 2020 and producing the conversation template for the surgeries.