Manchester Museum returns 174 items to Indigenous Australians in major restitution move
Manchester Museum worked collaboratively with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) and the Anindilyakwa Land Council over a three-year period to determine where these items should live and could best inspire future generations. For the first time, Manchester Museum staff were present in person for part of the consultation process, visiting Groote Eylandt, in Australia’s Northern Territory at the invitation of the Anindilyakwa People. The items include dolls made from shells, baskets, fishing spears, boomerangs, armbands and a map made from turtle shells. The process has also paved the way for future collaboration between the Anindilyakwa People and Manchester Museum, including a display of contemporary works from Anindilyakwa Arts. Interviewed in the Guardian newspaper, Manchester Museum Director, Esme Ward said; “We’ve worked on repatriation in this museum since the 1990s and since I’ve been director we have framed it as a gain, not a loss. Once you understand that it is about building relationships, it changes everything. I think this project is an incredible gift to the people of Manchester.” Manchester Museum, Art Newspaper, Guardian
The National Museum of Scotland returns 19th century totem pole to Canada
The House of Ni’isjoohl memorial pole will return home to the Nass Valley this September, the rematriation of the pole the result of a year-long discussion. The term “rematriation” reframes the concept of “repatriation” by grounding the process of recovering belongings in Indigenous law — and is more closely in alignment with Nisga’a matrilineal society. The 11-metre (37-foot), hand-carved pole dating from 1860 will be transported to Terrace, British Columbia, and then driven in a family procession to the Nisg̱a’a Village of Lax̱g̱alts’ap in the Nass Valley. NMS, Guardian, NYT (£), Vancouver Sun
Sir Mark Jones announced as Interim Director following Hartwig Fischer’s departure at the British Museum
Following the British Museum announcement on the 16 August that items from the collections were found to be missing, stolen or damaged, Hartwig Fischer, Director, announced on 25 August his intention to step down with immediate effect. British Museum (press release - stolen items, pdf), British Museum (press release – Fischer resignation, pdf) Sir Mark Jones was confirmed on the 5 September as Interim Director. British Museum (press release, pdf), Guardian, Art Newspaper (£)
Will Gompertz appointed Director of Sir John Soane’s Museum
Will Gompertz currently Artistic Director at the Barbican has been named to replace Dr Bruce Boucher who retires at the end of 2023 after 8 years in post. Gompertz was previously BBC Arts Editor for 11 years, his role commences on 1 January 2024, he said on the announcement, "I am delighted to be joining Sir John Soane's Museum at such an exciting time, following a decade of restoration across the renowned architect's extraordinary house and collection, led by its brilliant conservators, curators, and previous directors. I look forward to championing the Museum and Soane's vision, bringing audiences to our newly-restored home and taking Soane's vision out into the world." Soane's Museum, Guardian
Tate appoints two new curators specialising in ecology and First Nations and Indigenous Art
Marleen Boschen has been appointed Adjunct Curator dedicated to art and ecology and Kimberley Moulton will be joining Tate as Adjunct Curator specialising in First Nations and Indigenous Art. Beginning in September 2023 the positions sit within the Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational. Catherine Wood, Director of Programme, Tate Modern said: "Their significant experience and expertise will play an important part in expanding both our knowledge of First Nations and Indigenous Art, and the intersection between art and ecology, as well as advancing our ambition to present a truly international story of art through our programme and collection." Tate
‘Pay What You Wish’ scheme at the National Gallery extended
The ‘Pay What You Wish’ slots which run between 5.30pm and 9pm on Fridays were launched in October 2022 as a response to the cost-of-living crisis and will be extended for the upcoming Frans Hals exhibition opening at the end of September. Statistics released by the National Gallery show over the last two paying exhibitions that the scheme has been running, 23% of ‘Pay What You Wish’ visitors to‘After Impressionism: Inventing Modern Art’ and 22% to ‘Lucian Freud: New Perspectives’ came to a paying exhibition for the first time. 6% ofvisitors to ‘Lucian Freud: New Perspectives’ and 5% of visitors to ‘After Impressionism: Inventing Modern Art’ came to the National Gallery and its collection for the first time. National Gallery, Guardian
Also: National Gallery Bicentenary commission ‘The Triumph of Art’ with Jeremy Deller has announced four partners in each nation. The Box, Plymouth, Mostyn, Llandudno, The Playhouse, Derry/Londonderry and Duncan Jordanstone College of Art & Design, Dundee will be partnering with the National Gallery and will research, develop and stage a local element, before the collaborative projects join together. It is the National Gallery’s first partnership with an art school and performing arts organisation. ‘The Triumph of Art’ will culminate in a major event on Trafalgar Square in July 2025. National Gallery
Glasgow Life’s GoMA breaks records with Banksy exhibition
The Gallery of Modern Art attracted a record breaking crowd of 180,000 visitors during the 10 week run of their ‘Banksy’s Cut & Run’ exhibition. It was the first of the gallery’s exhibitions to run through the night. Donations via visitors to the exhibition totalled around £10,000. Glasgow Life, Herald, Museums Association
National Museums Liverpool cut ties with architect David Adjaye
National Museums Liverpool (NML) have cut ties with Sir David Adjaye the architect behind the £57m redevelopment of the International Slavery Museum. NML will continue to use Adjaye Associates designs as the basis of the project. The decision follows accusations of misconduct including sexual assault and harassment by Adjaye reported in the Financial Times in July. BBC, FT
The Sackler name has been removed from the museum following the Sackler family’s alleged links to the opioid crisis in America. The museum received a £500,000 donation from the Sackler Trust before opening in September 2018. BBC, Guardian
Also: V&A East first look - Wallpaper* featured the V&A East, due to open in 2025, with an in-depth look alongside Dublin based architects, O’Donnell + Tuomey and V&A East Project Director, Claire McKeown. Wallpaper*
Images this month come from Derby Museums. They include the two rarely seen Joseph Wright paintings unveiled at Derby Museum and Art Gallery on long term loan from a private UK collection. Derby Museums, Guardian Also two images from the recent Derby Museums report into the social impact of the Museum of Making capital development. The full report can be read here - Derby Museums
You don’t need to be a member to fill out the Association of Independent Museum’s Sector Survey. Running till 24 September 2023, AIM are keen to hear from organisations of all types across the sector. The survey will help assess how museums have fared over the summer and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. AIM
Cultural Tax Reliefs Impact Review procurement notice
Arts Council England in partnership with NMDC and a number of other UK cultural sector bodies is seeking to commission an independent evaluation of the impact of the cultural tax reliefs - Theatre Tax Relief (TTR), Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) and Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief (MGETR) - on the UK. This review should identify the impact of these tax reliefs, and their uplifts, against the measures set out in the tender documents. Closing date 29 September 2023. Gov.uk
Arts Council publish their International Activity Report for 2023
The study undertaken by BOP Consulting and market research partners Strategic Research & Insight (SRI) outlines the international activity of the Arts Council England supported cultural ecosystem. The report explored international activity amongst National Portfolio Organisations and grant recipients, the scale and financial value of the activity, where and how it takes place and what impact it has on a range of non-financial impacts. 312 NPOs and 548 grant recipients gave data on pre-pandemic activity in 2018/2019 and more recently 2021/22. The report follows on from a previous study in 2014/15.
Although international activity was unsurprisingly hit by the pandemic there was also evidence of a less pronounced pre-pandemic decline in international activity and revenues of NPOs, when compared to 2014/15. Respondents identified a challenging regulatory / trade and financial environment as barriers to activity. The pandemic had also led to a significant increase in the volume of virtual international activity undertaken. Highlights include:
The proportion of NPOs reporting one or more physical international projects fell from 62% in 2014/15 to 52% in 2018/19.
NPOs generated an estimated £41.5m through international activity in 2018/19 down from £53.8m in 2014/15.
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme will reopen in autumn 2023
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme provides grants for public sector bodies to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures launched by Salix on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Phase 3c has up to £230m available in 2024/5. The application portal is due to open in the autumn and it is likely to be in October.
Scheme guidance notes, application portal questions and the application form are all currently available to download from the website. There are also webinar slides available which give further details. Advice given to applicants is to create a Salix profile before the portal opens and have a completed application form and supporting information ready for when the portal does open. Salix
Future Observatory announces £18.5m in funding to tackle the climate crisis
Four innovative Green Transition Ecosystems have been announced that will benefit from a total of £18.5m in funding to tackle the climate crisis and address the challenges posed by the green transition. Future Observatory in partnership with the Arts & Humanities Research Council have the following multidisciplinary collaborations-
Design HOPES – Improving health systems through net-zero, led by University of Strathclyde and University of Dundee it will partner with several NHS boards across Scotland, the Scottish Government and V&A Dundee.
Transforming Housing and Homes for Future Generations, led by University of Bath and Cardiff University.
Future Island-Island – circular waste management modelling, led by University of Ulster in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast, The Glasgow School of Art and University of the Arts London will improve public awareness and engagement with an intuitive, eco-friendly waste management culture.
The Community Open Map Platform for Future Generations Charting the green transition on the Isle of Anglesey, led by Cambridge University.
The four collaborations will amplify the impact of their research through the Future Observatory at the Design Museum, with each collaboration beginning in October 2023 and lasting for 24 months. Future Observatory
Free Board Environmental Champions programme for National Portfolio Organisations from Julie’s Bicycle
Designed for Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs) and Investment Principle Support Organisations (IPSOs), the Board Environmental Champions Programme will enable Boards (or their equivalent) to embed environmental responsibility within their organisations at governance level. The programme combines light-touch, self-paced training and peer-networking for cultural organisations. It is designed to upskill boards and be focussed on governance not management. The programme is now open for registration with the programme launching in October 2023. Julie’s Bicycle
The Act Green Survey gets ready to share its findings
The Act Green Survey which builds understanding of audience attitudes towards the climate crisis and the role of cultural organisations and their audiences in tackling it will be sharing the latest findings in a free webinar. The survey which took place in July had 17,500 audience member responses and was sent out by 86 cultural organisations. Act Green is designed to help cultural organisations discover how different audience groups view the role of cultural organisations in tackling the climate crisis alongside developing impactful ways to communicate with different audience groups. The webinar will be on Monday 11 September at 1.30pm. Act Green Survey, Webinar registration
Also: Reminder of the single-use plastics ban extension coming into force on 1 October 2023, VisitEngland, Gov.uk
The Scottish Government commits an additional £500,000 to Museums Galleries Scotland
On the 18 August the Scottish Government announced £500,000 additional funding to enable organisations to reduce their running costs and increase resilience. The new Capital Resilience Fund will pay for crucial repair and maintenance work. Scottish Culture Minister, Christina McKelvie said: “In particular the fund will prioritise projects that will directly reduce carbon use or have a positive environmental impact. As well as encouraging the sector to be more sustainable, the aims of the fund align with our national priorities and will contribute to Scotland’s target of net zero emissions by 2045.” Scot.gov (news story) Applications opened on 31 August for grants between £5,000 and £60,000 to accredited museums, expressions of interest must be submitted by 7 November and full applications by 21 November 2023. In exceptional circumstances applications over £60,000 will be considered. MGS (application information and supporting documents)
ACE announces changes to National Lottery Project Grant (NLPG) application process from November
Following feedback into the accessibility of the National Lottery Project Grant application process ACE have simplified the application form. From November 2023 there will be an updated form and resources to support applicants. The main changes are:
The amount you are applying for will determine which application form you complete with 3 categories of £30,000 and under, £30,001 to £100,000 and over £100,001
More space to describe your projects
Less reading for applicants applying for under £30,000
ACE are also refocussing two strands within NLPG – at £100,001 and over Nationally Significant Projects will become Major Projects with expressions of interest from 1 December 2023. Touring Projects will be refocused on the Outcome, Cultural Communities and international aspects of ‘A Creative and Cultural Country’. ACE
Art Fund announces £1m in grants to improve inclusion in the workforce
Offering a total of £800,000 to 21 museums and galleries across the sector the Art Fund Reimagine grants aim to support the workforce and improve inclusion and diversity. A further £200,000 was offered via the Museum Development UK network to support smaller museums to train and retain staff. Successful applicants include Contemporary Visual Arts Network, Dundee Contemporary Arts, Glasgow Women’s Library, GRAIN Projects, National Paralympic Heritage and Oriel Myrddin Gallery. For a full list see the Art Fund website. Art Fund
Four Nations International Fund supporting international projects and partnerships opens
Round 2 of the Four Nations International Fund will support in-person, digital or hybrid activity including exchanges, residencies, partnership development, co-curation and networking between the UK and international partners. With co-investment from Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, Arts Council Wales / Wales Arts International and Creative Scotland applicants can apply for requests between £1,000 and £7,500 from a total budget of £320,000. Deadline for applications is 28 September 2023. Creative Scotland
Cultural Bridge partnership funding dates announced between UK and Germany
Cultural Bridge is celebrating bilateral artistic partnerships between the UK and Germany through the collaboration between Arts Council England, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, British Council, Creative Scotland, Fonds Soziokultur, Goethe-Institut London and Wales Arts International / Arts Council of Wales. The 2024-2025 programme supports intercultural exchange and dialogue in the field of participative arts and culture. Applications open on 11 October and close on 22 November 2023. Open to all arts and cultural organisations with proven expertise in socially engaged/participatory practice. New partnerships can apply for up to £10,000 and established partnerships up to £30,000. Cultural Bridge
Art Fund and Garfield Weston Foundation take partnership into 2027 with Weston Loan Programme
The Weston Loan Programme a collaboration between Art Fund and the Garfield Weston Foundation that enables smaller organisations to borrow significant works from major collections will continue for another 3 years thanks to a £1m grant from the Garfield Weston Foundation. Art Fund is launching a third phase of support for the sector, applications open on Monday 23 October with grants between £5,000 and £35,000. Art Fund
ICON and Tru Vue are offering to support conservation and collection care teams to deliver projects that will address conservation and exhibition challenges. The scheme has two components with materials supplied by Tru Vue (value estimated up to £4,000) and funding to cover the materials, supplies and/or support needed to deliver the project. There are at least 5 grants of up to £3,000 available to small heritage institutions with under 100,000 visitors per year. Application deadline is 1 October 2023. ICON
Welsh Museums Festival 2023 Funding grant applications open
The Welsh Museums Festival will take place between Saturday 28 October and Friday 15 September 2023 during October half-term. Grant application deadline is 15 September. Contact [email protected] for more. Welsh Museums Festival
Repatriation, contested heritage, heritage at risk
Oxford-Benin Partnership to create West African archaeology centre
A collaboration between Oxford University’s School of Archaeology and the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) is set to build a centre of archaeological excellence in West Africa and develop a new generation of archaeologists. The centre will be located in the centre of Benin City and will serve as an archaeological, cultural and historical research institute as part of a joint initiative. Oxford University, Museums Association
EU publishes Cultural Heritage in Conflicts and Crises (2023) report
Covering the EU support for Ukrainian cultural heritage including, provision for protection materials and equipment, help with 3-D documentation, promotion of Ukrainian cultural Heritage in Europe and support for Ukrainian heritage professionals. The report also recognises the role of cultural heritage as a vector for peace, reconciliation, mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue. EU
Also: National Gallery of Australia hands back ninth-century Cambodian sculptures it believes were stolen, 2 August 2023, GuardianAlso: How 4 countries are preparing to bring stolen treasures home, 9 August 2023, NYT (£)
Museum and gallery visits remain 25% down on pre-pandemic
Arts Professional reported on the 14th of August that fewer international tourists were behind the slower recovery to visitor numbers. Citing attendance figures in the annual reports of the Science Museum Group, Tate Gallery, the National Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Arts Professional
Variable pricing case study at Roman Baths in Bath reviews the impact four years on
Bath and North East Somerset Council introduced variable pricing at the Roman Baths in 2019 to maintain visitor enjoyment scores in the face of ever increasing visitor numbers. Hearing via ALVA (Association of Leading Visitor Attractions) that variable pricing can influence demand they produced a strategy for pricing variation by time of week and time of year. In this article from the Local Government Association they look at the impact of that decision and offer top tips for other organisations contemplating the move to variable pricing. LGA
Also: London tourism ‘roaring back’ amid visitor surge, 1 August 2023, Evening Standard
DCMS Committee report on copyright exemption and the risks to the UK creative industries from AI
In the second report on connected technology, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee warns that the Government’s original plan to exempt text and data mining by AI companies from copyright protection risks reducing arts and cultural production to mere ‘inputs’ in AI development and shows a clear lack of understanding of the needs of the UK’s creative industries. In addition there must be urgent action to improve protections for creatives to prevent misuse of their likeness and performances by emerging technologies. The report also cites digital art at the V&A to encourage organisations to embrace innovation to develop immersive creative and cultural experiences. The Committee concludes that skills shortages in the creative and tech sectors are limiting growth and potential of creative technology in the UK. UK Parliament (news story), full report, summary
Nesta launches Civic AI Observatory with Edward Saperia at the helm
Nesta and Newspeak House, the London College of Political Technology, have announced the Civic AI Observatory, an initiative to support civic organisations plan and adapt to the rapidly evolving field of Generative AI. The Observatory will focus on immediate practical insights on AI for digital leads, including case studies, examples of digital strategies and organisational policies, and the impact on the job market. The Observatory will be led by Edward Saperia, Dean of Newspeak House. Sign up for the newsletter for updates. Civic AI
Concise guide to measuring content with Google Analytics 4
Google Analytics recently moved from version 3 (Universal Analytics) to GA4, which allows you to track and report website traffic and mobile app traffic. In this guest blog post from Cultural Content, Chris Unitt gives a no-experience needed overview of how cultural organisations can get the most out of GA4 when measuring content. Cultural Content
Also: Grow your digital content skills with the Digital Culture Network and Google Arts & Culture with free in-person digital skills training days for individuals and organisations in the creative and cultural sector. Learn how to produce engaging and relevant social media content and increase your audience. Current dates are 17 October in Brighton, 22 November in Manchester and 7 December in Exeter. More dates for 2024 will be announced soon. Register your interest here. DCN (events)
Accountability for collections training from the Collections Trust
The Collections Trust is offering briefings for trustees and senior managers who want to review policies and procedures following recent press interest and wider scrutiny of the collections in their care. The one-hour briefing will cover the core principles of three Spectrum (the standard for collections management) procedures – Inventory, Audit and Damage and Loss. Currently there are two dates but more may be added depending on demand: Monday 11 September 2-3pm, Friday 22 September 10-11am and Tuesday 26 September 12.30-1.30pm. Collections Trust
UK philanthropist gives almost £29m to heritage skills training
The Guardian reported that Hamish Ogston, a former business man, has made a £29m donation via his charitable foundation. It will enable up to 2,700 new heritage conservation apprentices and trainees to learn centuries old techniques. The funding will go to English Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland, the Commonwealth Heritage Forum and the Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship. Guardian
Also: The heritage heroes trying to save traditional crafts, Financial TimesAnd: Historical buildings in Wales: Threatened by skills shortage, BBC
Towards a National Collection Programme publishes interim impact evaluation report
Towards a National Collection (TaNC), funded by UKRI’s Arts and Humanities Research Council to break down the barriers that exist between the UK’s outstanding cultural heritage collections, has published an interim impact evaluation report. As well as a sector survey on the current performance of TaNC the report highlighted ongoing areas of improvement including the wider challenges with digital capacity and capability within the cultural heritage sector. The sector survey asked respondents to rank four priorities for future investment, the most important priority was ‘training and support for digital skills development’. Rating the importance of four desires for future digital infrastructure in their sector, ‘connect and cross-search data from different institutions’ was the highest rated. A more open ended question at ‘Unlocking the Potential of Digital Collections’ on other support needed for future investment in digital collections infrastructure resulted in ‘ethics’ and ‘sustainability’ as the most used words. TaNC (website), TaNC (report, 82 pgs)
Industrial heritage collections and conservation workforce survey
Early in 2023 Icon, the Institute of Conservation, received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Innovation Fund to investigate industrial heritage conservation skills shortages. They are running a survey to develop understanding of the nature of collections that are held, who is caring for those collections and specific workforce skills needs. Icon, Survey
Reminder: GEM Conference 2023 - 13-15 September 2023
The GEM hybrid conference ‘Ambitious for Learning: Inclusive, Quality Programmes for All’ will be at the Historic Dockyard in Chatham. The full conference programme including a session on ‘Trans-inclusive Practice for UK Museums, Galleries and Heritage Organisations’ will be available live online. Online-only bookings start at £60 for GEM members and £90 for non-members. GEM
Correction: AIM 2024 Conference will be held 13–14 June 2024 NOT 13–14 September 2024 as reported in the August Newsletter
Save the date: The 2024 AIM Conference will be held at the Black Country Living Museum in the West Midlands on the 13-14 June 2024. You have till 29 September 2023 to propose a breakout session on the following broad themes:
Community-centred governance (boards making strategic decisions in response to community needs).
The power of communities telling their own stories.
Building the business case for community (the economic, social and cultural impact of using museum assets for and with the community).
Safe communities: staff and visitor wellbeing in museums. AIM
The annual conference for the UK Maritime Heritage Network will run from 21-22 September and includes opportunities to see Liverpool’s maritime highlights. Presenters include Royal Museums Greenwich, SS Great Britain Trust and HMS Belfast. Tickets cost £150 and booking closes on Friday 8 September. National Historic Ships
National Sporting Heritage Day 2023 takes place on 30 September, co-ordinated by Sporting Heritage, a not-for-profit community interest company. Plan what you might share online from your collections using #NSHD2023. All the resources you need including an Event Registration Form are now available, register your event on the website. Sporting Heritage
Engage, the charity which develops the gallery education sector, has opened applications for its Extend Leadership Programme for 2023-24. The course supports mid-career engagement and participation professionals within the arts and culture sectors. Running online between October 2023 and January 2024 across 6 days or 12 half days it includes sessions on finance and governance. The total fee is £350. Apply online by Friday 15 September. Engage
Fundraising Training Programme for Welsh Museums, Libraries and Archives
The Welsh Government in collaboration with The Funding Centre is offering a fundraising skills programme for accredited museums, libraries and archives across Wales. The 4-session, online- Zoom programme is tailored to the unique challenges faced by smaller heritage institutions in Wales:
Introduction to fundraising, Thursday 14 September 1-4pm
Building an effective case for support, Thursday 28 September 1-4pm
Fundraising and individual giving, Thursday 12 October 1-4pm
Relationship fundraising, Thursday 26 October 1-4pm
There are also 7 one-on-one coaching sessions on offer on a first come, first served basis. For queries contact [email protected]Application form
Reminder: Collections Trust Conference 5 October 2023
The 2023 Collections Trust Conference ‘It’s good to share’ is an online event running from 10.30am-4.00pm. This year’s conference explores the transformative benefits of sharing collections data for your museum, different users, and the wider sector. The conference programme offers a mix of presentations, case studies and discussions. An individual ticket costs £30. There’s also a £75 team ticket option which allows 3+ staff, trustees, and volunteers from the same institution to access the conference. This year, there are 100 free inclusive places, available on a strictly first-come-first-served basis. Collections Trust
Visitor Attraction Conference 2023 with session from Laura Pye, Director, National Museums Liverpool
The 2023 Visitor Attraction Conference will be held in London on Thursday 5 October 2023. Speakers include Mayor of London, Sadiq Kahn, Commercial Director of English Heritage, Lycia Lobo, ALVA Chief Executive, Bernard Donoghue and a session on ‘Succeeding in a cost-of-living crisis’ with Laura Pye, Director of NML. Registration costs £249.00 + VAT at 20%. VAC
Strategic Interpretation for Engaging Exhibitions with TEG
This online workshop from the Touring Exhibitions Group (TEG) provides attendees with the tools and resources to develop an effective and layered interpretation strategy. Taking place over two online sessions 9-12.30pm on Friday 20 October and Friday 27 October. The interactive workshop will consider
The range of interpretation approaches available
Storytelling
Audience focussed interpretation
Structures for interpretation planning
How to develop an interpretation strategy
Case studies
If you have a question about this workshop please email: [email protected] Members £59 and Non-members £89. TEG
Creative Health Quality Framework launches with online events
The Creative, Health & Wellbeing Alliance (CHWA) has been funded by the Arts Council to develop a Quality Framework with the Creative Health sector. The Quality Framework will create greater clarity and consensus around what ‘good’ work looks like in related sectors including socially engaged and participatory arts, the museums sector and social prescribing. The Framework will be launching in September through a number of online events.
Call for papers: Society of Museum Archaeology Conference 2023 will be tackling ‘Equity, Inclusivity and Sustainability in Museum Archaeology’
The SMA 2023 Conference running on 16-17 November will be held at National Museum Cardiff – Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd and the Museum of Cardiff. Titled ‘Representation Matters’, the SMA are looking for conference papers on topics including legacies of colonialism and decolonisation, neurodiversity and environmental sustainability. Deadline for proposals is 15 September. SMA
Cultural Heritage Data School – create, visualise and analyse digital archives and collections
Cambridge Digital Humanities is holding a Cultural Heritage Data School, an online intensive application-only teaching programme bringing together participants from the wider Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) sector and academia.
The curriculum will be structured around the digital collections and archives pipeline, covering the general principles and applied practices involved in the generation, exploration, visualisation, analysis and preservation of digital collections and archives. The school runs daily online sessions from 6-14 November 2023 from 1-4pm. The deadline for applications is 9 October 2023. Fees for successful applicants are £245 standard rate and £75 concessions. Cambridge Digital Humanities
Save the date: Heritage Volunteering Group Conference 2023
‘Is Volunteering For Everyone?’ The 2023 Heritage Volunteering Group Conference is a paid for online event running from 21-22 November. Early Bird tickets are available till 23 October 2023 at £20. HVG
AMA Digital Marketing Day 2023 – ‘The Future is Here’
Explore the future of digital marketing with the Arts Marketing Association on Thursday 16 November at Convene (Bishopsgate) London. Topics include: How AI can help, ethics and values of emerging technologies, and equity and inclusion in the digital space. 20 bursaries are available with a deadline of 22 September. Early Bird Members rate £185 +VAT till 6 October. Standard Members rate £289 + VAT and Non-member rate £415 +VAT. AMA
Thangam Debbonaire appointed Shadow Culture Secretary in Labour reshuffle
Labour MP for Bristol West since 2015, Thangam Debbonaire was appointed on the 4 September in a Labour reshuffle. Debbonaire was previously Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport from January – October 2016. She moves from Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. On Twitter Debbonaire said; “Thrilled to take on this exciting role. As a musician I know the value of these incredibly important sectors to people’s lives, jobs and our economy. Labour govts always back Britain’s world-leading culture, media and sport. Looking forward to working with everyone involved”. Debbonaire (personal website) UK Parliament (profile), Art Newspaper, Politics.co.uk, Twitter - @ThangamMP, BBC (reshuffle)
Gemma Brough becomes Deputy Director, Museums and Cultural Property at DCMS
Gemma Brough currently Deputy Director for Public Bodies, Public Appointments, Honours and Awards replaces Helen Whitehouse and begins her role on 11th September 2023.
New appointments announced at Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales
Dawn Bowden, Deputy Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, announced the appointment of Kate Eden as the new Chair of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales. Wales.gov
Jane Richardson has also been appointed to the new post of Chief Executive replacing the old post of Director-General held by David Anderson until his retirement in April after ten years. Richardson will take up her position initially on a part-time basis from 11 September, assuming a full time role from November 2023. Amgueddfa Cymru
Rhys Evans was also appointed as Vice-Chair of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, Evans is the BBC Cymru Wales Head of Corporate Affairs and Public Policy. Wales.gov
Lord Neil Mendoza appointed new Chair of Historic England
Lord Mendoza has been appointed for a four year term commencing on 1 September until 31 August 2027. Previously he was the government’s Commissioner for Culture and chaired the Culture and Heritage Capital Board at DCMS. Lord Mendoza also led the year-long Mendoza Review of Museums in England on behalf of DCMS (2016-7). Gov.uk, Historic England, TelegraphAlso: DCSM ditches Cultural Commissioner role, Arts Professional
Michelle Walker to head Arts Council England’s London operations
Michelle Walker, currently cultural and events manager at the London Borough of Southwark, will begin her role in November. She takes over from Tonya Nelson who became Executive Director, Enterprise and Innovation in July. ACE
Also:
ICON announce Emma Jhita as new Chief Executive Officer. Currently Head of Partnerships and Development at Historic England, Jhita will join ICON in November. ICON
Paul Sweeney named Interim Chair of the National Lottery Community Fund after current Chair Blondel Cluff resigns early. Sweeney has been Chair of the National Lottery Community Fund’s Northern Ireland Funding Committee since 2021. Gov.uk, Civil Society
Matthew Tanner, Chief Executive of SS Great Britain Trust announced his intention to step down after 23 years in post. M+H Advisor
Tamsin Ace appointed as East Bank’s first director as new cultural quarter gets ready to launch at the site of the Olympic Park. She joins from the London College of Fashion where she has been Head of Programming since 2021. Arts Professional, Evening Standard
Dr Steven Parissien is the new Director at Gainsborough House in Suffolk following the departure of Mark Bills after a decade in post. Gainsborough House
New book – Delivering the Visitor Experience by Rachel Mackay, July 2023, Facet Publishing. The guide explores delivering an unforgettable visitor experience from the basics of leading front-facing teams to advocating for the development of a visitor-focussed museum. Facet
Anna Wintour, Vogue Editor raising money for the UK arts scene, 29 August 2023, BBC
MAC: Belfast arts centre’s future in doubt amid funding concerns, 18 August 2023, BBC
UK experts fear losing access to ice age mammoths Cotswolds site to UAE, 5 August 2023, Observer
Wellcome Collection sheds digital roles in restructure, 3 August 2023, Museums Association
London Roman wall on display after 40 years hidden in basement, 2 August 2023, BBC
Smithsonian’s secretary addresses report on collection of human remains. National Museum of Natural History currently holds at least 30,000 human body parts, 24 August 2023, Blooloop
Who gets to curate ‘David’? In Italy, the culture wars get a nationalist edge, 21 August 2023, Washington Post
Ukraine has launched an online database that lists artworks owned by sanctioned Russians, 9 August 2023, Artnet
Germany’s KulturPass: Books lead in unit sales. Expenditures made by young Germans on the new KulturPass have generated more than €3.2m in revenue in two months, 9 August 2023, Publishing Perspectives
Top museum curators are joining art galleries. What’s behind this shift?, 9 August 2023, ARTNews
Swiss court sentences former museum cashier for embezzling more than $1m, 7 August 2023, Art Newspaper (£) Artforum
New York’s Guggenheim Museum raises price of admission to $30, keeping pace with Whitney and Met, 1 August 2023, Art Newspaper (£) New York Times (£) Time Out
