Natural History Museum secures £20m additional funding for collections and research centre
The Natural History Museum (NHM) Unlocked Programme, which aims to move 28 million specimens to Thames Valley Science Park in partnership with the University of Reading, has benefitted from a £20m funding boost. The announcement is in support of a Government-wide priority to increase investment in UK science, research and development, and facilitates the Museum’s largest collections move for over 140 years. The new capital adds to the £182m announced in the 2020 Spring Budget. Director of the Natural History Museum Doug Gurr said: “I thank the Government for providing this substantial investment which allows the Natural History Museum to safely store its irreplaceable collections for generations to come. Once built, the centre will help find solutions to the planetary emergency using collections and research to answer the big questions of today including maintaining food security, improving biodiversity and addressing climate change.” NHM, Museums Association, M+H
National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) award to the RAF Museum to save rare medal
The NHMF have agreed a £390,000 donation to support the RAF Museum's campaign to buy the Victoria Cross awarded to Squadron Leader Arthur Scarf during the Second World War. The rare medal shares the story of the RAF in the Far East. With the help of the NHMF, donations from the public and other charities, and coverage in the press, the RAF Museum has now matched the £660k winning auction bid in order to keep the medal in the UK. RAF Museum
This month the V&A will open their new Photography Centre, showcasing objects from the beginnings of photography to the present day across seven galleries. The Centre will also champion new artists and seek to represent overlooked stories particularly by women artists. Opening 25 May. V&A, Art Newspaper (£)
National Museums Liverpool reveal plans for Canning Dock
Architect Asif Khan and artist Theaster Gates designed the preliminary proposals that will transform the dry docks in Liverpool originally constructed in the 1760s. The plans are part of a wider Waterfront Transformation Project that includes expansion of the International Slavery Museum and redevelopment of the Maritime Museum. NML (Canning Dock), NML (Waterfront Project), Archinect, Architects’ Journal
Science and Industry Museum and Landmark Trust partner to restore historic building
The Landmark Trust is to lease and restore the Science and Industry Museum’s Grade I listed Station Agent’s House. One of Manchester’s oldest surviving Georgian houses, the investment will result in an accessible holiday let for up to 8 people from 2024. Unsuitable for museum gallery use due to its size and layout as a former residential house, it has been used as offices since the Science and Industry Museum first opened on the site from 1983. Science and Industry Museum, M+H
Fitzwilliam Museum to return painting originally seized by the Nazis in occupied France
The Government’s Spoliation Advisory Panel, which resolves claims for cultural property now held in UK national collections that were lost during the Nazi era, has recommended the return of 19th century painting, La Ronde Enfantine by Gustave Courbet, to the descendants of the original Jewish owner. The Panel report implies no criticism of the museum or the original donor. The Fitzwilliam Museum has accepted the recommendation. M+H, Art Newspaper (£)
British Museum returns Oceanic sculpture to Polynesia for three years
To coincide with the reopening of Te Fare Iamanaha/Musée de Tahiti et des Iles (Museum of Tahiti and the Islands) the British Museum has leant the sculpture A’a for display. The carved sandalwood is thought to date from 1591-1647 making it one of the earliest surviving Polynesian sculptures. The British Museum is also lending five other items to the museum, located outside the capital Papeete in French Polynesia. Art Newspaper (£), Te Fare Iamanaha
Brighton and Hove Museums win two European brand design competitions
The new brand identity of Brighton and Hove Museums has won two bronze awards in the ‘Best Creative Strategy’ and ‘Best Visual Identity in the Public Sector’ categories at the Transform Awards. Designed by Brighton agency Baxter & Bailey it shows six elements to illustrate the five venues in the service as well as its online service. Argus
This month our images come from the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery in Exeter. The photographs are from a Youth Panel exhibition called 'Making Sense' which asks you to slow down, using the 5 senses, to find new feelings from new viewpoints in the museum. The exhibition is on until 11 June 2023. RAMM
Culture Recovery Funding report analyses impact of £1.57 billion of Government support
An independent evaluation report led by Ecorys has shown Culture Recovery Funding (CRF) was efficiently delivered by Arts Council England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England and the British Film Institute. Overall, the programme made 7,689 grant awards and 37 loan awards across 3 rounds of funding. In total, the programme supported 5,067 organisations as some organisations applied for more than one round of funding. The evaluation engaged widely with the cultural sector, through gathering evidence directly from over 1000 organisations that applied to CRF and over 55 stakeholders from across the wider cultural sector. The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “ This report reaffirms that the Recovery Fund was money well spent. It protected our finest cultural institutions from collapse, saved countless jobs across the country and put the entire cultural sector on a stronger footing for the future. As a direct result of this support, many organisations are now attracting new audiences with an improved offering, and their strengthened financial position means they are better placed to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Our world-leading cultural sector is helping to drive economic growth, one of our five priorities, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country. It has a special place in our national life and I am proud that it continues to thrive under this government.” Points of note include:
65% of CRF was awarded outside of London and 84% of successful applicants were small businesses.
Heritage organisations received the majority of support (£296m), followed by theatres (£288m) and music organisations (£249m). Museums and archives received £107m.
CRF funding supported 110,861 full-time-equivalents during 2020, as well as 107,950 contractors or freelancers. In terms of jobs that can be calculated to have been saved, this rise in economic activity safeguarded around 6,700 jobs within the cultural sector by September 2021.
The findings also indicated that between 17% and 19% of organisations awarded funding remain in a financially precarious situation regardless of the CRF (implying that the funding provided in these instances was not sufficient to fully de-risk the organisation for the future).
The programme has highlighted lessons for future support funds should a similar crisis ever arise, including the need to be more prepared with more up-to-date data on the cultural sector, and focusing on how different government support schemes interact with each other.
The scheme was less effective in directing resources to organisations facing acute risks of failure as a result of the pandemic, and indicative modelling suggests that around 60% to 70% of organisations awarded funding would have survived regardless of CRF support.
An indicative cost-benefit analysis indicates that the scheme might be expected to deliver between £1.98 and £3.66 in benefits for every £1 spent, through the preservation of cultural assets and reducing unemployment levels.
The report highlights that this evaluation only provides evidence on the short-term impact of CRF. It is highly likely the true impact of CRF will not be seen for some time – especially considering it was too early to assess the impact of CRF on survival rates.
In a number of cases CRF helped organisations to widen access to cultural goods and provide enriching cultural experiences for the public. Gov.uk (press release), Gov.uk (website), Gov.uk (report, PDF 138pgs), Gov.uk (data report), ACE, Arts Professional
Energy Bill Discount Scheme application portal open
Full details of how eligible organisations - including museums, libraries, archives and historical sites and buildings - can apply for the higher level of support under the Government's Energy Bill Discount Scheme have now been announced. Organisations should apply through the online portal and will need to provide information on their organisation, energy supplier, relevant energy supply contract references and applicable metre point references.
Eligible organisations have 90 days from the scheme introduction date of 26 April to apply for the higher support. Further details and a link to the application portal are on the EBDS website. EBDS
DCMS published an update on the delivery of the Tourism Recovery Plan originally published in 2021. The Plan remains the Government’s strategic framework for supporting and working with the tourism sector. Whilst marking progress against the original 6 objectives there is recognition of the challenges the sector faces post Covid. The Plan highlights the globally competitive travel market, the inbound visitor economy that focuses on London and labour shortages. It reassess the objective of regaining 2019 levels of inbound visitors by the end of 2024 instead of 2023. Each objective is tracked with progress to date and future next steps. DCMS (Tourism Recovery Plan) DCMS (update, PDF, 66 pgs)
DCMS update guidance on taking goods temporarily out of Great Britain
On the 15 March the guidance for ‘Working and touring in Europe’ for the visual arts, the art market and museums was updated by DCMS. The new section on ‘Taking goods temporarily out of Great Britain, highlights the types of goods that need export licences and the different rules that apply to moving goods temporarily to Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Gov.uk (guidance), Gov.uk (new section)
The Creative Policy & Evidence Centre (PEC) published the State of Creativity Report on the 27 April reflecting on the last 10 years of creative policy. Combining short essays and case studies the report suggests the priority areas for creative industry policymakers over the coming years including – prioritising creative education, tackling inequality within the sector, climate change and the value of arts and culture. PEC (intro), PEC (report, PDF 38 pgs), Arts Professional
Windrush 75th anniversary marks a year of celebrations in 2023
The Windrush 75 network aims to mark the 75th anniversary of the HMT Empire Windrush arriving in Britain on 22nd June 1948. Supporting organisations to share their events and increase public understanding of the history of race and migration to Britain. The network is also aiming to highlight the contribution of the original Windrush Pioneers. Get in touch with Cameron at the Windrush 75 network [email protected] for more information and visit the website to share your events. Windrush 75
Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) new business plan for 2023-2026
MGS new three year business plan expands on actions set out in their strategy plan. It will inform delivery of core activity and support sector needs. The plan will be updated annually alongside annual reports to share progress. MGS (business plan, PDF), MGS (strategy website) MGS (strategy plan, download)
25 years on since the Good Friday Agreement, new Peace Process Museum receives funding
The Department for Communities, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the National Lottery have committed £2.8m for the new museum in an extension to Derry’s Gasyard Centre in Bogside. The museum will chronicle the evolution of the Troubles and feature testimony and memories from local people. Irish News
Also: Can Northern Ireland’s museums help to keep peace? Art Newspaper (£)
Arts Council Unlocking Collections Grants extended
Arts Council England’s Unlocking Collections a Time Limited Priority within National Lottery Project Grants, aimed at enabling museums to develop their collections-based work and increase public engagement with, and use of, their collections, has been extended by 12 months to 31 March 2024. ACE are keen to see applications that focus on:
Re-interpretation of collections: to be more inclusive, relevant, useful and engaging.
Digital tools and mechanisms within museums (to promote a shared understanding of the content and significance of collections across the sector, linking to Digital Champions Networks).
Collections review: improving the standard of collections storage and display spaces.
Applications can be through either the smaller grants (£30,000 or less) or larger grants (more than £30,000). ACE
Art Fund’s Reimagine Grants reopen for applications
The Reimagine programme designed to inspire creativity and increase stability in the sector has opened to applications. A key aim for 2023 is to help organisations reimagine their support for the workforce, which can include colleagues, volunteers and professional networks. The priority areas for funding are collections, exhibitions and learning. Grants are offered between £10,000-£50,000. The deadline for applications is 26 May 2023. Art Fund
Funding opportunity for India-UK research into creative industries and cultural heritage
The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) has a new funding opportunity to build India-UK research collaborations within the fields of creative industries and cultural heritage. Projects will demonstrate the value of the creative, cultural and heritage sectors to both countries. The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £400,000 (80%FEC for UK-based researchers, 100% FEC for eligible international co-investigators). The maximum duration is three years and projects must start on 1 February 2024. The closing date for applications is 30 June 2023. UKRI
Also: Blog on – Navigating the cost-of-living crises for heritage fundraisers from Rebuilding Heritage
Funded by the Welsh Government Anti-Racist Wales Culture, Heritage and Sport Fund, AIM’s Re:Collections scheme offers grants of up £15,000 to museums in Wales to support projects that deliver the Culture, Heritage and Sport goals and actions from the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan (ARWAP) and Programme for Government. Open to Accredited museums in Wales and museums that are Working Towards Accreditation. Deadline 31 May 2023. AIM
'Making Sense', 'Sound', by Alex S. - RAMM Youth Panel 2023.
Run by London Arts in Health and the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance, Creativity and Wellbeing Week runs from Monday 15th to Sunday 21st May. You can share information about your work, organisation, or upcoming events via their website. Creativity and Wellbeing Week
Creative Health Associates Programme launched by Arts Council England
Arts Council England have partnered with the National Centre for Creative Health (NCCH) on a new programme that will see 7 Creative Health Associates employed in each NHS region across England, who will work with doctors, nurses and other healthcare practitioners to embed creative approaches and activities in health and care systems across England. The £600,000 investment will support the NCCH’s ambition to foster the conditions for creative health to be an integral part of health. It will also demonstrate the link between creativity and culture and its ability to benefit individuals and communities. ACE
New UKRI funding on creativity, culture and the natural environment
Phase three of the UK Research and Innovation funding strand aims to mobilise community assets to tackle health inequalities, the funding on offer is between £625,000 and £2.5m in grants for 36 months. There are two strategic themes: ‘building a secure and resilient world’ and ‘creating opportunities, improving outcomes’. Applications open on 2 May and close on 6 July 2023. UKRI
Centre for Cultural Value publish report into culture, health and wellbeing.
The Centre for Cultural Value’s (CCV) Vision Paper covers an extensive literature review exploring six topics including social prescribing. Analysis of published research highlighted problem areas including underdeveloped quantitative analysis and limited acknowledgement of failure in the literature. The report also summarises wider implications, including the challenge of sustainable programmes that are based on short-term research grants. It concludes with recommendations for the research community and for funders. CCV (Intro), CCV (PDF report, 22pgs)
Research launched into online arts and culture for young people’s mental health
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has funded a £2.61m research project to create an online museum with the help of young people. The project, known as ORIGIN (Optimising cultural expeRIences for mental health in underrepresented younG people onlINe), is hosted by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, led by researchers from Oxford University and will partner with a number of museums including National Museums Liverpool and the Cornwall Museums Partnership. Running from 2023-2028 the study involves diverse young people aged 16-24 and is aimed at reducing anxiety and depression through a co-designed online arts and culture intervention. ORIGIN, Evening Standard, Independent
Slow return post-pandemic is stalled by cost-of-living concerns
The Audience Agency has published the Spring 2023 wave of their Cultural Participation Monitor giving insights into the pressures facing organisations and audiences. Findings include:
60% say cost-of-living is already putting them off attending events.
1/3 still attending arts and culture less post-pandemic but under 35s returning more than other groups.
An overall trend towards later booking with 40% now tending to book last minute.
More than half consider day-to-day Covid risk minimal.
Half of those who previously donated intend to donate less over the next couple of years.
Most of those who cancelled memberships over Covid intend to restart them.
80% of lapsed volunteers intend to return to activities.
More than 1/3 follow an arts and culture organisation on social media, inclined to do so out of interest in the broader topic or art form rather than specific organisation or events. Audience Agency
Impact of pandemic on working class museum staff explored by Museum As Muck
Museum As Muck surveyed 100 working class museum staff to assess the impact of Covid on their members for a new report. 1/3 of respondents lost work or were made redundant during 2021 with many members lacking a financial safety net. Other conclusions include:
64% did not have access to a separate working space.
45% still had to travel to work during the pandemic.
47% felt they were not provided with the resources and equipment to work from home.
83% said employers did not signpost them to external sources of financial support.
46% said their organisation did not offer them any mental health support or welfare guidance during the pandemic. Museum As Muck (website), Museum As Muck (report, PDF 13 pgs )
Jerwood Arts publish toolkit to drive socio-economic inclusivity
Based on Jerwood Arts experiences of running the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries programme the toolkit is aimed and improving inclusivity and diversity in the workforce for working class and low socio-economic individuals. There are also a number of online and in-person workshops to explore putting ideas into practice. Jerwood Arts (Intro), Jerwood Arts (toolkit), Workshops
The University of Leicester’s Research Centre for Museum and Galleries and the National Trust have published ‘Everywhere & Nowhere: Guidance for ethically researching and interpreting disability histories’. Produced with the support of disabled collaborators and experts in disability history it provides a framework for museum and heritage organisations to address the absence and erasure of disability histories. Guide (PDF download), University of Leicester, MA, BBC (NT film covering disabled histories)
The UK’s largest disabled access survey which reflects the responses of 7,500 people reported that disabled people are excluded from everyday activities because of a lack of disabled access information, with 74% of participants finding a venue’s website information to be misleading, confusing or inaccurate. 91% of respondents try to find disabled access information before visiting. Top accessible features for improving confidence when visiting new places were; accessible parking (80%) and accessible toilets (76%). In rating the accessibility experience of 16 visitor venue categories, museums and art galleries had the second highest excellent rating at 10 % behind hospital and healthcare venues in first place. Euan’s Guide (intro), Euan’s Guide (survey, PDF 13 pgs)
‘Art in Schools’ Report calls for creative subjects to be central in schools
Jointly published by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation(CGF) and A New Direction, ‘The Arts in Schools: Foundations for the Future’ report highlights the need for a rethink of England’s state education system. Assessing the situation 40 years on from the CGF’s first ‘The Arts in Schools’ report it calls on arts organisations to ensure resources can be made easily available and relevant to schools (including online) and responsive to their needs, including opening up opportunities through work experiences, apprenticeships and paid internships. The 4 Key findings from the report are –
Arts subjects and experiences have an evidenced role in improving outcomes for children and young people, providing skills for life and work.
There is a lack of ascribed value to the arts within the state education system in England.
Many problems stem from the wider context in which learning takes places, prioritising learning to count over learning to create and a system that has an objective of creating the employees of the future without embracing what employers want.
The report provides 10 recommendations, including –
Support for arts in schools from the professional arts sector, with more collaboration between education and art policy makers and funders. Art in Schools (website), Art in Schools (executive summary, PDF 15pgs), Art in Schools (full report, PDF 118pgs)
'Making Sense', 'Sight, 2' by Ruby, RAMM Youth Panel 2023.
GCC’s new Decarbonisation Action Plan for Non-profits and Institutions
The Galleries Climate Coalition (GCC) has published a new resource to support public and non-profit visual arts organisations and museums to take action on the climate crisis. Collating the expertise and insights gathered from across the visual arts and environmental sectors, the aim is to support organisations in setting, planning for and reaching decarbonisation and waste targets, as well as aiding fair and equitable operations by embedding principles of social as well as environmental responsibility at every level of an organisation. GCCDownload the resource (PDF)
520 Museums join in ‘The Wild Escape’ and celebrate Earth Day with the Art Fund
Over 500 museums, galleries and historic houses joined in ‘The Wild Escape’ in April across the UK in a celebration of collections, wildlife and creativity. Supported by the Arts Council through their National Lottery Project Grants, the programme is a cross sector collaboration working with partners including the World Wildlife Foundation and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Earth Day on Saturday 22 April was celebrated with the launch of a large scale digital artwork. The Wild Escape events including activity sessions and art workshops, both online and in person will continue till July 2023. The Wild Escape, Twitter (#TheWildEscape)
Julie’s Bicycle and ACE launch Environmental Programme for NPOs and cultural sector
Supporting the cultural sector to meet the challenges of the climate crises, the Environmental Programme delivered by Arts Council England and Julie’s Bicycle will support organisations to take action with high impact programmes focusing on decarbonisation, resilience, justice and governance, to accelerate and scale a collective response. Focus will be on: Transforming Energy- decarbonisation at scale, Board Environmental Champions, Leading Resilience Programme, Creative Climate Leadership Lab and regular training sessions. Sign up to their mailing list to hear when different strands of the programme open. Julie’s Bicycle
Science Museum Group and Royal Botanic Gardens benefit in latest Government decarbonisation awards
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme has allocated £409m in the third round of funding to public sector bodies across England in an effort to reduce the carbon emissions of buildings. The grants are aimed at reducing emissions using heat pumps, solar panels and insulation. Phase 3c of the Scheme is expected to open to applications in autumn 2023. Gov.uk (scheme), Gov.uk (recipients, PDF), M+H
Also: Just Stop Oil activists arrested over Dippy the Diplodocus protest, 10 Apr 2023, BBC
Technology trends and the changes facing the creative industries
Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre (PEC) commissioned the report ‘The Networked Shift: A Creative Industries Foresight study’ by MyWorld and Careful Industries to examine how advances in technology are creating new ways of distributing content and organising labour and production. It highlights problems areas including automation, lack of diverse representation, and platform dependency. Report
The Network of European Museum Organisations (NEMO) has published a report presenting 15 projects from 12 European countries that were developed for remote museum audiences from early 2020 to 2022. ‘Digital learning and education in museums-innovative approaches and insights’ offers an overview of digital projects and offers recommendations. It includes citizen curation of digitised collections, extended reality, chatbots, AI and digital storytelling. Case studies include the Imperial War Museum and the National Gallery. NEMO (report, PDF 106pgs)
Key pieces of advice on protecting your organisation from online security threats are outlined on this web page including free e-learning courses. New additions include a ‘Check your cyber security tool’ (added 19 April 2023). Gov.uk (website), National Cyber Security Centre (new feature)
The Collections Trust have launched the latest version of their toolkit for managing digital collections. Based on Spectrum, the latest guidance aims to help museum staff and volunteers identify, retrieve, store, preserve and access all types of digital material, both now and in the future. Collections Trust (Intro), Collections Trust (toolkit, pdf)
Re-Live, a theatre company based in Cardiff has won a £100,000 award for their work putting wellbeing and health at the centre of storytelling. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation also awarded £25,000 to Belfast contemporary art space the Golden Thread Gallery and People United, an arts and social care charity based in Canterbury. The winners were selected from 336 applications from across the country, the short list of 10 included the Migration Museum. CGF
Nominations are open until 12pm on 16 May for the 2023 awards. Nominations must be funded by The National Lottery or be associated with a project which has received National Lottery funding. Categories include – Community & Charity, Arts, Culture & Film, and Heritage. NLAwards
South West and South East Tourism Awards open for nominations
The 2023/24 Tourism Awards are now open, categories include Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award and previous winners include Dorset Museum. Deadline for nominations is 18 June 2023. South West Tourism Awards, Beautiful South Awards
Based at the Royal College of Surgeon’s headquarters in Lincoln’s Inn Field, London, the Hunterian Museum will open on Tuesday 16 May after nearly 6 years of redevelopment at a cost of £4.6m. Featuring over 2,000 anatomical preparations from the collection of 18th century surgeon and anatomist John Hunter across 10 rooms, the opening celebrates 210 years since the museum first opened. Free to visit the museum will open from Tuesday to Saturday. Hunterian Museum, Museum Association, M+H
Shoreditch, East London, will host the Museum of Shakespeare on the site of the Curtain Playhouse using archaeological remains to set the context of the story of London’s early theatre history. Designed by creative studio Bompas & Parr in consultation with Historic England and Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA). Guardian, BBC, M+H
The Side Gallery, a photography gallery opened in 1977, has closed citing funding cuts and cost-of-living pressures. The gallery has launched a fundraising campaign to raise £60,000 via crowdfunding, they have currently raised £65,310 (1st May). Six members of staff have been made redundant as the gallery works on a survival plan. They have been awarded £70,880 by Arts Council England in transition funding after losing their National Portfolio Organisation status in 2022. Guardian, BBC, Chronicle, Apollo Magazine
The Museums and Heritage Show returns at London’s Olympia from 10-11 May. Free to attend the event offers more than 60 talks, 90 speakers and 150 exhibitors, with masterclasses, demos, recruitment advice, digital clinics and lots of opportunity for networking. M+H, M+H (programme)
Culture24 will be sharing the results of their latest Let’s Get Real research programme on the 12 May - 10am-1pm. 10 organisations have focussed on building a thriving hybrid working environment and will share insights in an online seminar. Culture24
The 2023 conference has a focus on ‘Seeing the Bigger Picture - how museums impact the world and people around us.’ Including sessions on the ethics of displaying Egyptian remains and using science and are art to engage Muslim communities. 18 May, 9am-5pm. In-person and online, Scottish Football Museum. Eventbrite
The theme for International Museum Day 2023 is Museums, Sustainability and Wellbeing. Last year, more than 37,000 museums participated in the event in about 158 countries and territories. Museums can register their events on an online interactive map. Hashtags include #InternationalMuseumDay and #IMD2023 ICOM, Map
On 18 May 9-9.45am there will be a seminar on making buildings more sustainable for museum and gallery operators by using the Arts Green Book. The Green Book is an initiative by the cultural sectors – supported by Arts Council England and the Greater London Authority, to work more sustainably. Arts Green Book
The 2023 VSG Conference will share and reflect on experiences of developing inclusive visitor studies practice. Held on Friday 19 May with an optional visit to the Wellcome Collection on Thursday 18 May. This in-person event held in London and will offer practical insights into audience research and evaluation including, navigating the difference between equity and equality and evaluation adaptions for SEND schools. A digital ticket offer consists of pre-recorded talks. Eventbrite
CFG’s Cultural Conference on 23 May has a focus on recruitment processes, Gift Aid and tax reliefs as well as a practical session on claiming Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief. Free to members this online conference runs from 9.30am-12.30pm. CFG
The SHCG will be holding their conference on 9 June at Thinktank in Birmingham. The conference will be focussing on activism and professional practice in a changing world, considering topics including colonial legacy, institutional racism, environmentalism and the cost of living. Ticket sales close 21 May. SHCG
DCDC 2023 Conference – Radical reimagining: interplays of physical and virtual
For the first time in 2 years the DCDC – Discovering Collections, Discovering Communities Conference returns in-person and online from 11-13 July at Durham University. The programme will explore the virtual immersive reality market, the materiality of physical collections and digital preservation. Early Bird rate ends 29 May. DCDC
22 June 2023 sees the return of the third national Leadership Symposium from the Family Arts Campaign focussing on ‘Collaboration, Connection and Communities’. Hosted in Birmingham at the Midlands Arts Centre the day will include discussions on collaborating with non-arts and community partners to reach under-served families and an opportunity to connect with leaders at a regional and national level. Family Arts Campaign
This year’s Arts Marketing Association Conference will be held in Leeds from 12-14 July. The focus of the conference is ‘Audiences at the Heart’ and will include sessions on growing audience loyalty post-pandemic, decolonising arts brands and AI in arts marketing. There are 33 bursaries available to cover the full cost of the conference. Bursary application deadline is 19 May at 12.00pm. AMA
Christina McKelvie has been named as the Scottish Culture Minister by new First Minister Humza Yousaf. Replacing Neil Gray who has been in post since 2002. McKelvie whose full title is Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2007. Gov.scot, Museums Association
Sir John Whittingdale will provide cover for the Department for Culture Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) whilst DCMS and DSIT Minister of State Julia Lopez, and DSIT Secretary of State Michelle Donelan are on maternity leave. Whittingdale previously served as secretary of DCMS from May 2015 to 14 July 2016. Arts Professional
Karin Hindsbo, currently Director of The National Museum of Oslo, has been named to replace Frances Morris as Director of Tate Modern from September. Hindsbo has been at The National Museum since 2017 and has worked as director of several art institutions and museums in Norway and Denmark, including Kode in Bergen, Sørlandets Kunstmuseum in Kristiansand, Kunsthal Aarhus, and Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art in Copenhagen. Tate, Guardian, NYT (£)
Sir John Leighton, Director-General of National Galleries Scotland (NGS) announced his decision to step down in 2024 after 18 years in the role. Leighton joined NGS in 2006 and has overseen the redevelopment of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in 2011 and the final phase of the Scottish National Gallery’s £22 million refurbishment due to open in 2023. Arts Professional
Arts Council have appointed Tonya Nelson to their Executive Board as Executive Director, Enterprise and Innovation. Nelson joined the Arts Council in 2019 and took up her current position of London Area Director in 2020. Her role begins on the 1 July 2023, Nelson also currently sits on the board of Trustees of the National Gallery and the Royal Collection Trust. ACE
Tony Butler, Executive Director, Derby Museums has joined the National Lottery Heritage Fund Committee for England, Midlands & East, making decisions on grants between £250,000 and £5 million. Heritage Fund
Podcast – A basic income for the arts: How Ireland is changing the game – Reasons to be Cheerful Podcast with Ed Miliband and Geoff Lloyd. Includes speakers – Eliza Easton (PEC) on historical background of arts funding, Noel Kelly (Visual Artists Ireland) on universal basic income for artists in Ireland and Love SSega, artist in residence at Royal Festival Hall. Reasons to be Cheerful (46 mins)
Webinar - Culture in Crises recordings are available on their website including the ‘Heritage at War:Plan and Prepare’ Conference held in February 2023. Culture in Crises is a programme facilitated by the V&A that brings together those with a shared interest in protecting cultural heritage, providing a forum for sharing information, inspiring and supporting action and raising public awareness. There are 5 webinars to view. Culture in Crises (website), Culture in Crises (Webinars)
Nigeria has transferred ownership of the Benin Bronzes to its royal leader, creating a ‘better environment’ for future restitution, 27 Apr 2023, Artnet, Art Newspaper (£)
Museums look locally for growth and, sometimes, survival, 25 Apr 2023, NY Times (£)
National Gallery of Australia among institutions to receive $535m to avert funding crises, 4 Apr 2023, Guardian
MoMA apologises to artist Heather Agyepong, who was ejected from exhibit intended as safe space for Black visitors, 28 Mar 2023, Art Newspaper (£), ARTnews
