Does your museum have a collection you want to shine a light on? You might want to delve deeper to allow communities the chance to add their stories to elements of a collection. Or there may be a group of objects which you need technical advice and support to better understand. There might even be problematic items in your collection, which have previously proven too challenging to address. This programme will enable museum teams to explore new narratives, with the support of MDEM and the wider museum sector.

It is a facilitated programme led by Regional Collections Advisor Anita Hollinshead. It will provide a blend of facilitated sessions, including inspirational visits to other sites in the region, as well as online training and access to other expert practitioners.

Museum Outcomes:

• Improved documentation of your chosen collection, with appropriate language and classification.
• Increased knowledge of your chosen collection including new and different perspectives.
• Upskilling your team, to be more confident to undertake exploratory collections work in this area.
• An action plan for the collection, looking at what to do with their newly acquired information.

Recruitment

This opportunity is open to six museums in the East Midlands region who are Accredited or working towards Accreditation. You organisation must have also completed the MDEM Organisational Health Check 2022.

To apply please read the full Programme Information, and submit an Expression of Interest by the 24th March 2023. (Please note this is a one week extension from when originally advertised).

MDEM New Narratives Programme Information 2023

New Narratives 2023 – EOI

The post New Narratives appeared first on MDEM.

Working in partnership with NoBarriers this programme aims to support museums in England and Wales to improve their understanding of Equity and Inclusion. The programme will increase participants’ knowledge and skills around the Equity and Inclusion-related issues being faced by people working and volunteering in museums, their communities and audiences. It will support you in having conversations at your museum and in laying strong foundations for taking action.

The programme will have the following outcomes:

• Participating organisations demonstrate a consistent understanding of Equity and Inclusion and how it relates to their audiences, workforce (paid and voluntary), governance and programmes
• Participants feel confident about current language to use when discussing Equity and Inclusion
• Participants identify internal issues and external opportunities and barriers related to Equity and Inclusion and develop the skills to address them
• Participants demonstrate improved confidence in talking about difficult issues/ topics
• Participants understand ways to improve recruitment, access and participation at their museums and develop plans to address these
• Participants identify the challenges and/ or barriers within their organisation relating to Equity and Inclusion and develop plans to address these
• Participants involve the wider workforce in developing these Equity and Inclusion plans

The programme comprises of 10 online sessions running from November 2021 to March 2022 and will support 20 organisations from across seven participating areas; East of England, East Midlands, North East, North West, South West, West Midlands, Wales.

Although this programme is currently closed to applications you can still read the full Programme Overview document.

Who is this aimed at?

This programme has been designed for managers, trustees and decision makers working in museums, galleries and heritage sites who are:

• Keen to prioritise improving equity and inclusion at their organisation.
• Committed to reviewing their work around Equity and Inclusion.
• Open to new ways of working.
• Wanting to embed inclusive practice into all areas of their work.
• Able to dedicate time and staff resources to ensure they can benefit from the programme fully.

Two members of staff from each participating museum will attend to ensure that they are able to implement decisions and actions more effectively within their organisation.

Programme Resources

The programme has created a suite of Equity and Inclusion resources for all museums, which you can now access here.

For more information, please contact Claire.browne@leics.gov.uk 

The post Equity and Inclusion for Museums appeared first on MDEM.

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 (MD) 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 form and returning to by 5pm, Monday 11 July

Full programme information can be found here: 2022 Programme Information

The post Volunteer Development Programme appeared first on MDEM.

Accessibility Audits

Each venue will receive a site visit from Direct Access resulting in an accessibility audit and report identifying a comprehensive list of tailored, prioritised recommendations based on current standards and legislation, delivered alongside expert training and advice.

About the consultants

Since 2004 Direct Access and its team of NRAC certified Access Consultants have provided access consultancy for thousands of buildings and services across multiple sectors. Millions of people daily use a service or premises audited by Direct Access. Direct Access’ clients range from small community museums such as Nantwich Museum to large sites including Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Scotland, Bodelwyddan Castle in Wales or UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the City of Bath and its Roman Baths.

Programme Information

This programme consists of three elements:

1) Accessibility Audits

• Pre-arranged Accessibility Audit visit to your site conducted by Direct Access between April and July 2023
• Accessibility Audit Report – Each venue will receive an access audit report in PDF format identifying a comprehensive list of tailored, prioritised recommendations based on current standards and legislation. The recommendations will also be provided in Excel format for ease of implementation, so that this can be developed into a ‘working’ accessibility plan.

2) Training

• Creating an Effective Access Plan – Direct Access will deliver a short online training session on Thursday 21 September 2023, via Zoom, to support participating museums to use their accessibility audit reports effectively.

3) Sharing

• Participating museums submit a Case Study to their regional Museum Development provider outlining how they have used the ‘Open to All’ programme to improve accessibility at their venue by 29 February 2024.
• Museums publish updated accessibility information for their venue online no later than 29 February 2024.

Participants in the Open to All programme will also have the opportunity to attend additional accessibility training to further extend skills and understanding. These events will be promoted and booked through regional Museum Development programmes.

How to apply

Please read the full programme information as part of the below application form, and complete and return the form to mdem@leics.gov.uk 9am 3rd April 2023.

Open to All Application Form 2023 Midlands

The post Open to All (Access in museums) appeared first on MDEM.

Programme Aim: This support will allow museums and heritage sites across the East of England and the East Midlands to explore and launch new income streams, with support through training and coaching, enabling them to become more resilient organisations.

The intensive programme will allow 6 organisations from each region to benefit from hands on support as they diversify their income, incorporating:

• Group sessions: three two-hour workshops focussing on (1) setting goals for the programme, (2) developing pitching and communication skills, and (3) a concluding presentation on progress to key stakeholders.
• Coaching: each participant will access two one-hour coaching sessions with an expert in their new area of income, benefitting from guidance, knowledge sharing and a sounding board for new ideas.
• Network building: support and advice between group sessions through a moderated Slack group, allowing participants to share successes and challenges and build a supportive network in the region.
• Training: a programme of eight two-hour workshops on specific topics around income generation, presenting key theory and case studies and allowing for discussion on practical application. You can view the full information of the training here: Diversify Your Income – Training Programme

The programme will run from September 2021 to January 2022, with an expected time-commitment of 1 day per month. Additional work will be required to apply learning to active income diversification between sessions.

How to apply:

If you are interested in the programme once reading the full Diversify Your Income Programme Information and eligibility criteria, please submit an Expression of Interest form by the 16th July 2021.

The post Diversify Your Income appeared first on MDEM.

This programme aims to:

• Support museums who do not have a dedicated learning member of staff to become more family friendly organisations.
• Understand the motivations and barriers for family audiences visiting museums.
• Learn how to develop family friendly interpretation which can help staff to create labels, trails and other resources for families.
• Promote your family provision to a wider family audience.
• Enable museums to embed family friendliness as an organisation.
• Provide museums with online training sessions, peer group meetings, one to one support, resources and signposting.

Museum Outcomes:

• Museums will have become more family friendly organisations.
• Museums will have developed an understanding of the motivations and barriers (including the impact of COVID-19) for family audiences visiting museums.
• Museums will have developed family friendly interpretation which can help staff to create labels, trails and other resources for families.
• Museums will be able to promote their family provision to a wider range of families.
• Museums will embed family friendliness as an organisation.
• Museums will have worked together across the cohort to provide shared learning and peer support.

For more information please take a look at the Family Friendly Museums Programme Information

The post Family Friendly Museums appeared first on MDEM.

This MDEM short programme supports museums to consider all elements of good practice in succession planning and enables them to develop a focused and realistic plan for the future. Facilitated by Heather Lomas, MDEM will provide a blend of intensive support to a cohort of 6 museums. This programme has run previously in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 and supported the following organisations:

• Bakewell and District Historical Society (Bakewell Old House Museum)
• Wirksworth Heritage Centre
• Ashby Museum
• Diseworth Heritage Centre
• Hinckley Museum
• The Foxton Incline Plane Trust (Boilerhouse museum)
• Castle Donington Museum
• Rocks by Rail
• Eyam Museum

Programme Information 

The programme will start with an introductory session, followed by Introduction to Diversity and Inclusion workshop led by Inclusive Boards. 

This will be followed by two online meetings of the cohort, focussing on key elements of succession planning.  There will be additional one to one support available, access to a peer support network, provision of resources, links to additional information, plus a final peer support meeting in November 2023 to share learning from the programme.

This programme aims to:

• Support museums in developing plans for succession of trustees and boards
• Champion diversity and encourage museums to have a range of people represented on their boards
• Facilitate museums to develop effective plans and procedures for trustee recruitment.
• Enable museums to develop equality action plans
• Provide museums with peer group meetings, one to one support, resources and signposting

Recruitment

This opportunity is open to six museums in the East and West Midlands regions who are accredited and from non-national portfolio or national organisations. Each applying organisation should nominate up to three people to be involved, this should include your Chair if possible and other trustees where applicable. Please note we can only accept applications from those who can commit to attending all the proposed support available.

Museum Outcomes:

• Museums will have increased awareness of the importance of board diversity and inclusivity.
• Museums will have developed plans for board succession planning.
• Museum boards will have new trustees and more diverse trustees than previously.
• Museums will have worked together across the cohort to provide shared learning and peer support.
• Your museum will have developed equality action plans

How to apply:

To apply for this opportunity, please read the full Programme Information and complete the Expression of Interest form by the 24th March 2023 and email to mdem@leics.gov.uk Depending on interest this may be a competitive process and all applicants will be notified if they are successful by 31st March 2023.

Midlands Succession Planning Programme Information 2023

Succession Planning Midlands 2023 – EOI

Please note that MDEM will be managing the application process for both East and West Midlands. You can view our data processing policy here.

For more information, please contact Heather Lomas.

The post Succession Planning appeared first on MDEM.

During the programme, museums will gain a better understanding of who their audiences are, where they come from and using data sources and segmentation models to identify and understand potential audiences as part of a network of other cultural organisations.  One to one support and mentoring is also available from the Audience Agency in between workshops, to support volunteers and staff who may need help setting up new systems of collecting data, using Audience Finder in the workplace or introducing new ways of working to colleagues.

For more information, please contact Claire Browne.

The post Audience Champions appeared first on MDEM.

This programme is a mixture of facilitated training, consultancy support and practical advice with the opportunity to visit peer organisations and see learning activities in action. It is facilitated by Creative Learning Services (CLS), a learning consultancy team with over 70 years in-house experience.

This programme also launched the Engaging With Schools Network which is open to new members.

For more information, please contact Claire Browne.

The post Engaging with Schools appeared first on MDEM.

The programme started in 2018 and two cohorts of museums have been recruited. Both cohorts have benefited from bespoke on-site support from Collections Trust, as well as access to a joint peer network which has evolved over the period of the programme.

Due to Covid restrictions the programme moved online in Spring 2020 and is currently running virtual networking meetings, whilst maintaining one to one support with participants where needed.

This is a closed programme, however if you would like to discuss your backlog needs then please contact Regional Collections Advisor, Anita Hollinshead.

The post Banish the Backlog appeared first on MDEM.