The National Museum Directors’ Council has launched a new Instagram account to promote our monthly newsletter and highlight news from our members. With thanks to Brighton & Hove Museums for providing our first images of their new exhibition on Lee Miller. You can find us @nmdc_news Instagram
National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) open new galleries
On the 30 September NGS opened new Scottish galleries to the public at the National, transforming the visitor experience and doubling the physical display space. Costing a total of £38.62 million including major contributions of £15.25 million from the Scottish Government and £6.89 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project first announced in 2016 showcases 150 years of Scotland’s most famous artists including Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, William McTaggart, Phoebe Anna Traquair and Anne Redpath. Sir John Leighton, Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland said: “This project has been driven by an ambition to transform the experience of visiting the National and to show the extraordinary collections of Scottish art with pride in beautiful, new, light-filled spaces. We believe that we have created a National Gallery that is more open, engaging and inviting than ever before.” NGS, Guardian, Guardian, Museums Association, Times (£), Financial Times (£), ScotsmanAlso: Hear from Director-General Sir John Leighton on the project. Break Out Culture (podcast, 26 mins)
V&A and Yemen announce agreement on ancient carved stones
The Republic of Yemen and the V&A have announced a temporary agreement to research and care for four ancient carved funerary stelae, found in London and likely illegally looted from their country of origin. The stones will be shown as part of a new Culture in Crisis display at V&A East Storehouse from 2025. The objects will remain with the V&A until the Republic of Yemen deems it safe to return them. Director of the V&A, Tristram Hunt, said “This is an historic agreement that will give the public the chance to appreciate these exceptional examples of Yemeni culture and creativity, before the objects are repatriated, and shine a light on how the V&A’s Culture in Crisis programme helps curtail the illegal trade of looted objects and the preservation of cultural heritage worldwide.” V&A, Guardian, Museums Association, Culture in Crisis
British Museum to loan 500 objects to Australian exhibition
The National Gallery of Victoria’s 2024 exhibition ‘Pharaoh’ opening in June will feature more than 500 pieces from the British Museum’s permanent collection in the largest international loan the museum has ever undertaken. The Melbourne exhibition will feature monumental sculpture, tomb and temple architecture, coffins and funerary objects, as well as jewellery. Guardian, Art Newspaper (£)
An independent impact report reflecting on the 5 years since V&A Dundee opened in 2018 highlighted that the museum has generated £304 million for the Scottish economy and welcomed a total of £1.7 million visitors. 500,000 people came to Dundee for the first time as part of trips to the museum. The research by BOP Consulting and Tialt also noted the museum had contributed 1,685 jobs to Scotland, including 450 in Dundee. V&A Dundee (press release), Full Report (pdf, 52 pages), M+H Advisor, Herald
Brighton & Hove Museums receive grant to fund decolonising and anti-racism work in schools
Through the Art Fund’s Reimagine grants programme, Brighton & Hove Museums received £44,008 to work to work with young people exploring the UK’s colonial past. In partnership with local secondary schools and teachers, museum staff will create educational resources that explore the history of venues like the Royal Pavilion, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery and Preston Manor. Art Fund
Images this month come from Brighton & Hove Museums, featuring their new exhibition 'Lee Miller: Dressed' which opens on 14 October and runs until 18 February 2024. The exhibition will examine Lee Miller’s life and work through fashion and dress, beginning in Paris in the late 1920s and ending in Sussex in the mid-1950s. Brighton & Hove Museums
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer addresses the Conservative Party Conference
On the 2 October the Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Lucy Frazer addressed the Conservative Party’s Manchester Conference. In her speech she reiterated the Creative Industries Sector Vision to grow the creative industries by an extra £50 billion, create one million extra jobs and deliver a creative careers pipeline by 2030. Conservatives
Government publishes 'Retain and Explain' guidance
The government has published new guidance for custodians of heritage assets including statues, monuments and commemorations on how to handle calls for their removal or relocation. It was developed by the government-appointed Heritage Advisory Board and aims to help 'avoid future occurrences of the hasty, forced, or ill-considered removal of contested assets'. The guidance does not apply to museum collections or exhibitions, including objects subject to restitution claims.
The starting point for the guidance is compliance with the government policy to 'retain and explain' by always keeping assets in situ and to 'complement them as necessary with a comprehensive ‘explanation’ which provides the whole story of the person or event depicted, so that a fuller understanding of the historic context can be known, understood and debated.' The Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, writing in the Daily Telegraph, said the government "is advising public bodies and charitable organisations, like the National Trust, on how to stand firm and deny those who seek to whitewash the parts of our past that they dislike. Our approach is a simple one: if a monument is contested then the approach should be to retain and explain." Gov.uk (press release), Gov.uk (guidance), Telegraph
Also: ‘Fighting for culture, not culture wars’; new Labour culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire addresses the art world, Art Newspaper (£)
Local authority cuts and the impact on culture and museums hit the news
Following the news that Birmingham City Council declared itself bankrupt, the threat to local museums and art galleries prompted a joint letter from Historic England, Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund urging that the city’s culture is ‘preserved and prioritised’. Other concerns were raised at Hampshire Cultural Trust which faces an almost 50% cut to its funding from Hampshire County Council.
Arts groups urge bankrupt Birmingham not to sell its heritage, 28 Sept 2023, Guardian
Museums at risk as local authority funding crisis intensifies, 19 Sept 2023, Museums Association
Council cuts would mean ‘inevitable’ museum closures says Hampshire Cultural Trust, 9 Sept 2023, M+H Advisor
Michael Gove to appoint commissioners to run Birmingham City Council, 17 Sept 2023, Guardian
Birmingham City Council declares itself in financial distress, 5 Sept 2023, Guardian
Creative Scotland agreed on 27 September to use £6.6m of National Lottery reserves in response to the 10% cut in their Grant in Aid Budget by the Scottish Government. Originally announced in December 2022, the decision was reversed in February 2023 but was not included in the Autumn budget revisions. Creative Scotland, BBC, Scotsman, Herald
Arts Council England invest in the 2024-2026 Museum Development Programme
ACE announced their continued investment in the Museum Development Programme. £3m each year will be given to five delivery partners from April 2024 to support museums across the country from 2024-2026. The new area programmes will be known as -
Museum Development London - delivered through the Museum of London
Museum Development Midlands - delivered through Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and Leicestershire County Council
Museum Development North - delivered through York Museums Trust, the Manchester Partnership, Cumbria Museums Consortium and Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums.
Museum Development South East - delivered through Norfolk Museums Service and Brighton & Hove Museums.
Museum Development South West - delivered through Bristol City Council's Creative Industries department.
ACE have also released a research report which evaluated the (2015-2022) Museum Development Programme. ACE (press release), ACE (evaluation report, pdf, 90pgs)
Creative PEC, the RSA and Arts Council England announce new partnership
The Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre (PEC) will work with Arts Council England and the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) to look at the skills, policies and investment needed to achieve and sustain growth in the creative sector across the whole country, through the establishment of ‘Creative Corridors’. The ‘Connecting Creative Corridors’ will report back in March 2024.
The RSA and Creative PEC have also published research on how policy makers can capitalise on the economic potential of the creative industries in the North of England, through the creation of a 'Northern Creative Corridor’, to serve as a model for other regions. Creative PEC (press release) Creative PEC (research, pdf, 23 pgs)
The Museum Development England Annual Museums Survey (AMS 2023) funded by Arts Council England provides a new in-depth picture of the post-pandemic legacy alongside the increasing pressure on museums cross England due to the cost-of-living crisis. 701 museums reported that whilst museum visits have increased 27% on the previous year, they are still down 18% on pre-pandemic levels. AMS 2023 highlights how income growth is stalling at the same time as costs are rising across almost all service areas. Other areas of note include:
Volunteers are returning to pre-pandemic levels with an increase of 11% only 5% fewer than pre-pandemic.
Volunteer hours are still down 16% on pre-pandemic levels.
Website visits continue to accelerate with museums reporting 50% increase on 2019/2020 levels.
Social media followers continue to grow strongly up 48% to the levels reported in 2019/2020.
Some museums are on fixed energy deals and are concerned about the impact of significant rises in cost in the near future.
Comments suggest the increasing cost of travel is becoming as significant barrier for some education providers. South West Museum Development (press release), SWMD (report)
Published on 12 September the Museums Spotlight Survey monitors and assesses the ongoing health of the museum sector in Wales. In 2022 there were over 3 million visits to the museums in Wales that completed the survey, down from 4.3 million in 2019. Volunteer levels are also yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels with 32% fewer volunteers than 2019. The survey also stated that 44% of museums reported having no training budget, with access to training dependent on free or externally funded training and development opportunities. Gov.wales (press release), Gov.wales (survey), Museums Association
The Museums Association is reviewing the Code of Ethics, last reviewed in 2014-15, to reflect changes in the sector and society such as the Covid pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement and the cost-of-living crisis. As part of the consultation process they have launched a survey, open to everyone including individuals and organisations. You do not have to be an MA member to respond. The deadline for responses is 16 October 2023. Museums Association
Glasgow Life launches survey to shape Glasgow’s Cultural Strategy 2024-30
The cultural sector and people who live, work, study in and visit Glasgow are being invited to share their views to help shape Glasgow's Culture Strategy 2024-30. Glasgow Life is working with partners in the cultural and creative sectors to develop a new cultural strategy for Glasgow and help build the future health, prosperity and sustainability of the city and its people. Responses to the survey will inform the final strategy document, which is expected to be considered by Glasgow City Council's City Administration Committee in early 2024. The survey is open until Sunday 5 November. Glasgow Life
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme opens on 10 October
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme provides grants for public sector bodies to fund decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures, launched by Salix on behalf of the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero. Phase 3c has £230m available in 2024/5. The portal opens for applications on Tuesday 10 October at 2pm. The portal will close after 10 working days OR until a sufficient value of applications has been received for the budget available – it is therefore important to get your application in as soon as possible. Salix
The Act Green Report, from audience agency Indigo, explores audience attitudes towards cultural organisations in tackling the climate emergency. 86 cultural organisations across the UK took part in research in July 2023, generating 17,479 responses. Theatres, art centres, festivals, touring companies, museums and galleries were invited to participate. Results showed 77% think cultural organisations have a responsibility to influence society to make radical change to address the climate emergency and 93% of audience members expect organisations to ensure their buildings are as energy efficient as possible. Other findings include:
Audiences think organisations are not doing enough or feel they are not communicating what they are doing effectively.
Audiences and visitors want to play their part to help organisations fulfil their sustainability goals but need information or infrastructure to help them do that.
Responders to the survey recognised the unique power cultural organisations hold, both individually and collectively, to influence society at all levels. Indigo (press release), Indigo (key findings), Indigo (report, 68 pgs)
Also:
Event: Creative Climate Tools User Webinar from Julie’s Bicycle, 11 October, covers new functionality including forecasting and carbon budget setting tools as well as an overview of how to use the site. Julie’s Bicycle
Event: Waste Age: What can museums do to reduce environmental impact? Discover how the Design Museum is learning to cut the environmental cost of exhibitions. Online talk hosted by South West Federation of Museums, £3.75 for members and £5 for non-members. 23 November, 1-2pm. Eventbrite
Event: Welsh Museums – Decarbonising museums in Wales from the Welsh Government – training and workshop, in person, 17 October 10.30am-1.30pm. Eventbrite. Online, 24 October 10am-1pm. Eventbrite
Article: Creating sustainable exhibits and tackling climate change at the Story Museum, 25 September 2023, Blooloop
Survey: Sustainable Shipping Services Survey 2022, produced by the Gallery Climate Coalition, identifies freight services that are in line with principles of environmental sustainability and helps organisations make informed choices. GCC
AHRC announces new projects to measure value of culture and heritage to society
6 projects will receive £3.1 million research funding through the Arts and Humanities Research Council and DCMS, working in collaboration with stakeholders including Historic England, National Museums Liverpool and the National Trust. Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson said: “Culture and heritage bring a huge range of benefits to people’s lives, not only by creating jobs, offering great days out and inspiring pride in local places, but also by helping our education and wellbeing. It’s important that we can measure these benefits so that we can make the most effective decisions to maximise their potential – especially where taxpayers’ money is being invested.” One project will focus on the National Museums Liverpool Waterfront Transformation project, which will provide a case study for local and regional culture-led initiatives and levelling-up. The projects are:
Cultural heritage, people and place: understanding value via a regional case study - University of Liverpool, £420,657
Valuing digital cultural and heritage assets - University of Portsmouth, £359,015
Understanding the value of outdoor culture and heritage capital for decision makers - University of Exeter, £372,904
Integrating lifetimes in heritage capital - University College London, £359,780
CAVEAT: triangulation of values using different valuation methods - University of Glasgow, £528,825
Developing a taxonomy for culture and heritage capital - Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, £469,041. UKRI
The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports Museums Galleries Scotland’s Delivering Change Programme
Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) have received £770,000 from NLHF for a 3-year programme for museums and galleries across Scotland to help all people access culture. Delivering Change recognises and seeks to address systemic exclusion within the sector on grounds of economic, social, political and cultural barriers. MGS
UKRI awards £828,000 to 12 museums and science centres
Mindsets + Missions funding will support community engagement with research and innovation, developing new ways to engage underrepresented groups. The Fitzwilliam Museum and Manchester Museum are among the recipients, Fitzwilliam Museum’s grant focusses on their exhibition ‘Black Atlantic: Power, People, Resistance’ and Manchester Museum will be investigating and prioritising their understanding of the natural world working with people who have a lived experience of disability. The grants are being delivered by the Museums Association in partnership with the Association For Science and Discovery Centres and The Liminal Space. UKRI
Arts Council England publish new guidance for National Lottery Project Grants
The updated guidance has been published alongside offline application forms before they come into effect on 1 November 2023. Changes include different application forms for different funding amounts, more space for project descriptions, less reading for smaller requests and more accessible formats including Easy Read, BSL, Audio and Large Print formats. Arts Council
Weston Loan Programme supports borrowing from the national collection
Applications to the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund open 23 October. The funding enables small and regional museums to borrow significant art works from national collections and can assist with accompanying costs, from transport to marketing. Grants of up to £35,000 are available. There is a launch event on 30 October at Derby Museum and Art Gallery to find out more. Applications close on 15 December. Art Fund, Book launch event
Connections through Culture grants from the British Council
Supporting new cultural collaborations between East Asia and the UK. The British Council will support artists and cultural organisations to create new connections and collaborative projects across different art forms including digital. Proposals on the themes of diversity and inclusion and climate change are encouraged. Grants are between £5,000 and £10,000. Deadline is Monday 23 October 2023. British Council
English Heritage launch grants to celebrate working class histories
‘Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class Histories’ are for creative projects that focus on heritage connecting people to historic places, particularly those people and places that are overlooked or underrepresented. Proposals can be up to £25,000 but English Heritage are keen to fund smaller projects up to £10,000. All organisations and individuals are able to apply, and in particular community-led projects are encouraged. The deadline for proposals is Tuesday 7 November 2023. English Heritage
Royal Society invites applications from museums to celebrate science
Small museums with fewer than 65,000 visitors or with a turnover of less than £200,000 a year are invited to apply for the Royal Society Places of Science grants. The scheme offers grants of up to £3,500 to fund projects that present local stories of science and scientists in ‘new and imaginative ways’. Applications from organisations that don’t normally feature scientific content are welcome. Deadline for applications is Friday 17 November 2023. Royal Society
Also: Heritage Science Case Studies – 5 case studies on the Heritage Science Forum explain what heritage science is and how it benefits society. Heritage Science Forum
Also: AHRC cuts funded PhDs by 30% after loss of income. UKRI, Arts Professional (£)
The Association of Independent Museums are introducing a series of free Heritage Trustee 101 events scheduled across England to help prepare potential trustees to consider a role in the independent museum sector. Sessions will also offer museums specific guidance on strengthening their trustee recruitment process. Potential trustees are welcome from any career stage, background or age. Also ideal for those outside the sector interested in understanding the role of a museum trustee. The pilot event is free and on Tuesday 28 November at the Museum of Cambridge from 5.30pm-8.30pm. AIM
The fourth Spark! programme is aimed at trustees of volunteer-run museums supporting improvements in governance and operational activities. It will run from January to March 2024 through a series of online workshops, action learning sets and individual coaching sessions. Among the topics covered include legal responsibilities and risk management, succession planning and achieving a balanced and effective board. Deadline for applications is 8 January 2024. Sessions run on Tuesday afternoons from Jan to March 2024. AIM
Also: The Charity Commission publishes guidance for charity trustees on social media use. There is also a checklist for developing a social media policy. Gov.uk (press release), Gov.uk (guidance)
The University of Leicester’s Research Centre for Museums and Galleries has published guidance on advancing trans inclusion for museums, galleries, archives and heritage organisations. The comprehensive guidance was produced with a team of legal scholars and experts in inclusion, equality and ethics. It sets out an ethical framework to support cultural organisations and explains key components of UK law, as well as some of the limitations and complexities of the law. University of Leicester, Museums Association, M+H Advisor
Inclusive Histories research gives advice on navigating polarised debates
British Future, an independent thinktank on issues including race and identity, has published new research into how arts and heritage organisations can explore histories of migration, race, and Empire whilst navigating polarised debates. The research includes a commentary from Corinne Fowler on responding to the ‘Culture War’ and reflections on the Windrush anniversary. British Future (press release), Report (pdf, 47pgs)
Global Majority Affinity Group Salons from the Arts Marketing Association
Arts Marketing Association (AMA) have launched Affinity Groups to provide safe spaces to activate and raise the voices of AMA members who have not been 'seen' within their membership. To establish the group, they have hosted free Salon events the last online event is on 6 October. You can register your interest in the group via their website. AMA
AHRC funds research into innovative exhibitions for blind people and young children
The AHRC has announced that grants from its new Exhibition Fund will go to two projects: ‘Beyond the Visual: Blindness and Expanded Sculpture’ with the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds and Shape Arts, a disability-led organisation; and a project led by Manchester Metropolitan University and Manchester Art Gallery looking at material encounters of under-threes in exhibitions. Each project will receive £250,000, and look to engage with different and overlooked audiences. AHRC, Shape Arts, M+H Advisor, UAL, Manchester Metropolitan University
Also: The Sensational Museum launches a new survey for people working in the UK heritage sector and for Collections Management System providers about their thoughts and experience on ‘multisensory’ and ‘accessibility’ in professional practice, the data models and the user interfaces related. For more information contact : [email protected]Survey, Sensational Museum
Art Fund research finds pupils are missing out on museum visits
Socio-economic status and geographical location impact pupil access to museums, with over a third of teachers saying visits to museums are down post pandemic. The YouGov research for Art Fund of over 1,000 children found only 52% of lower socio-economic status pupils have visited a museum in the past year, compared to 70% of those growing up with higher socio-economic status. Nearly half of children whose parents are unemployed or not working have not visited a museum in the past year. Art Fund
Kids in Museums publish online resource to support unaccompanied child visits to museums and galleries
Kids in Museums have published information to support museums to create clear, visible policy about the age at which their venue permits independent visits. With useful comparisons of age limits at different types of venues, the guide also looks at minimum age limits from different travel companies. Kids in Museums benchmarked NMDC members taking data from their websites and found age ranges varied from 11+ to 16+ for an unaccompanied visit. KIM
Sandford Award for learning programmes announces 2023 winners
Museums, castles, historic houses, archaeological sites and cathedrals have been named in this year’s Sandford Award which recognises excellence in curriculum aligned heritage learning programmes. NMDC members including the Great North Museum: Hancock, Coalbrookdale Museums in Ironbridge Gorge, Royal Armouries and the Maritime Museum and World Museum in Liverpool were all recognised alongside a wide range of heritage sites welcoming school children and expanding their learning. Sandford Award
Creative Education Manifesto calls on all political parties to protect the artist pipeline
A coalition of creative and higher education organisations have launched a Creative Education Manifesto with eight key asks including ensuring equality of access to creative arts, driving the recruitment and training of specialist teachers and a commitment to lifelong learning. It illustrates why creative skills and activities are important to the success of industries across the board as well as the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities. Creative Education Manifesto
Also: Young people want creative careers but don’t know how to get there – a new study by Ravensbourne University reveals high demand among 18-25 year olds to enter the creative industries but a perception it is not attainable. Design Week,
Also: The National Portrait Gallery have launched an online ‘Schools hub’ with more than 150 newly commissioned learning resources and videos, all linked to the Art & Design and History National Curriculum. NPG
Also: V&A interactive website called ‘Mused’ for 10-14 year olds goes live with games, quizzes and articles based on the museum’s collections. ‘Mused’, M+H Advisor, Design Week
The latest sentiment tracker from VisitBritian covers views collected in the first week of September 2023. Findings include:
Perception that the cost of living crisis will get worse is down 5% since August to 45%.
Most of UK adults (64%) are either ‘cautious or being very careful’ (46%) or have been ‘hit very hard and are cutting back’ (16%) due to the cost of living crisis.
Overnight domestic trip intentions are up on this time last year, with 76% planning a trip in the next 12 months compared with 67% in 2022.
The top potential barriers to taking an overnight UK trip in the next 6 months is ‘rising cost of living’ (36%), personal finances (26%) and ‘UK weather’ (25%). VisitBritain
Latest statistics show an increase in average spend of 12% on domestic overnight trips compared to the first three months of 2023, even though trip numbers were down 8% on the same period in 2022, with 20.3 million overnight trips in 2023 and 21.9 million overnight trips in 2022. The survey jointly sponsored by VisitEngland, VisitScotland and VisitWales also showed 19% of total trip expenditure was spent in London (£1.0bn) vs 80% in the Rest of England in the first quarter of 2023 (£4.3bn). Outside London, the regions with largest share are the South West (17%, equating to £0.9bn in trip spend) and the South East (15%, equating to £0.8bn in trip spend). VisitBritain
The Heritage Alliance Heritage Debate focuses on heritage sector careers
The theme of this year’s debate will be ‘Careers at a crossroads: How can we future-proof the heritage sector?’ It will explore the challenges facing people working in the sector at every stage of their careers from apprenticeships to trustees. Held online on Wednesday 15 November from 11am-1pm. Tickets are free for Heritage Alliance members, £7 for non-members and concessions £5. Heritage Alliance
British Art Network bursaries for emerging curators
The British Art Network (BAN) are looking for 15 people to join their Emerging Curators Group, an opportunity for those producing exhibitions or involved in research on British art. Coming together over nine months from January to September 2024, in particular BAN are looking for art workers currently under-represented in the curatorial landscape. Involvement in the group includes a £700 bursary and an additional £500 research support honorarium. Deadline for applications is 16 October 2023. BAN
The Museums Association Conference 2023 will be held at The Glasshouse (formerly the Sage Gateshead) on 7-9 November 2023, and is also available online for remote attendees. Anti-ableism will be a major theme at the conference with sessions on access, equity and inclusion. The MA has also worked with the English Civic Museums Network to develop four sessions that address issues such as workforce, governance, collections, social policy and lots more. Other themes that will be explored include economic regeneration and tackling the cost-of-living crisis, helping communities flourish, health and wellbeing and the impact of discrimination. There will be tours and in practice events alongside talks. The three day conference can be attended in person for £260 - £525 or virtually for £45 - £600 (for all staff at institutional members). There is also a list of grants from organisations who may be able to support your attendance. Museums Association, financial support
The Contemporary Collecting Network (CCN), guest museum practitioners and researchers will be offering a day of online presentations, case studies and lightning talks on Wednesday 1 November 10am-4.30pm. The day will provide an introduction to a variety of recent contemporary collecting projects including speakers from the National Football Museum, St Fagans National Museum of History and the Jewish Museum London. The conference is free. CCN
Museums+Tech Conference 2023 – Future-proofing the digital museum
The 2023 Museums Computer Group (MCG) conference will be held on 24 November at the Royal Academy in London. It will look at all areas of future-proofing digital work including creating sustainable solutions. The in-person and online conference will feature a mixture of lightning talks and full presentations. The Early Bird cost for MCG members is £99 and non-members £175. There are a range of ticket prices for students and freelancers. MCG
Steps to Sustainability skills sessions funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund
Social Enterprise Academy is hosting a series of online events for heritage organisations. The free events cover topics including – digital engagement, alternative sources of finance, fundraising and audience engagement. The sessions are free and run online from 4 October through to 30 November. Eventbrite
The Welsh Government is offering 5 training sessions for professionals and volunteers in archives, libraries and accredited museums across Wales. The LGBTQ+ Language and History Training provides insights and resources to help participants create more inclusive narratives. Session topics are:
Introduction – Wed 18 Oct, 10am-12.30pm
Artefacts – Wed 25 Oct, 10am-12.30pm
Printed material – Wed 8 Nov, 10am-12.30pm
Archives – Wed 15 Nov, 10am-12.30pm
Putting it all together – Wed 13 Dec, 10am-12.30pm
Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy 2023-24 Autumn Training Programme launched
Appropriate for arts fundraisers at all levels, the training programme features two free ‘‘Essentials’ and ‘Leadership’ in arts fundraising’ online courses along-side paid for courses costing £50-£75 +VAT. The programme includes options for trustees, crowdfunding and writing applications. Concessions are available for Freelancers, Sector Partner Members, Charities and Arts Organisations with an annual turnover of £500,000 or less.Course dates
The Rural Museums Network has launched their 2023 Autumn Seminar Series offering monthly online opportunities to listen to expert speakers and museum professionals share how rural collections and sites can tell diverse contemporary stories. Seminars include –
5 October at 3pm – Guy Baxter from Museum of English Rural Life on the opportunities and challenges of collections commercialisation.
2 November at 3pm – The Food Museum, Wellcome Collection and Science Museum curators discuss development of food based temporary exhibitions.
7 December at 3pm – Contemporary collecting and collections development with evolving farm technologies. These online events are free for members and £5 for non-members. Rural Museums Network
Lilian Greenwood appointed Shadow Minister for Arts, Heritage and Civil Society
Labour MP for Nottingham South since 2010, Lilian Greenwood, has been named as Shadow Minister for Arts, Heritage and Civil Society. She replaces Barbara Keeley who was in post since March 2022. Greenwood was Opposition Deputy Chief Whip since May 2021. Lilian Greenwood (personal website), UK Parliament (profile), X (social media), Civil Society
Sir Nicholas Coleridge appointed the new Chair of Historic Royal Palaces
From the 1 November, Sir Nicholas Coleridge will take up the role of Chair for Historic Royal Palaces for a three year term. Coleridge joins from the Victoria and Albert Museum where he has been a trustee from 2012 and Chair since 2015. He replaces Carole Souter who has been acting as Interim Chair since August 2022. HRP, Arts ProfessionalAlso: Catch up with Sir Nicholas Coleridge’s thoughts on 10 years at the V&A with mentions of the new Chanel exhibition, V&A East, and the time Bowie visited to see his own exhibition. Break Out Culture (podcast, 36mins)
Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the National Portrait Gallery in London, has won the Critics’ Circle Visual Arts Award for 2023, for services to the visual arts. The prize was given in recognition of the £41.3m renovation of the gallery, which re-opened in June. Art Newspaper (£)
Also:
Dr Helen Jacobsen and Dr Caroline Shenton have been appointed to four year terms on the Government’s Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest. Jacobsen is Executive Director of the Attingham Trust and Shenton is the former Director of the Parliamentary Archives. Gov.uk
Dr Helen Stephenson, the Charity Commission’s longest serving Chief Executive, is to step down and finish her term in 2024 after seven years in the role. Gov.uk
The British Council has appointed Dr Paul Thompson as their new Chair, with effect from January 2024. Thompson is also a trustee of the V&A and Chair of Chelsea Physic Garden. British Council
Victoria Borwick has been named Chair of VisitEngland for a term of five years commencing from the 4 September 2023. Gov.uk
Bath Preservation Trust (BPT) has announced Patrizia Ribul as Director of Museums. Ribul was Executive Director of the Burton at Bideford Art Gallery and Museum and previously working for Tate as Acquisitions Programme Manager. BPT
Lynn Dunning joins the National Coal Mining Museum for England as Chief Executive Officer, she moves from her current role as Head of Barnsley Museums. NCMME
Stonehenge tunnel plan ‘should not proceed’ says UNESCO, 19 September 2023, BBC
UNESCO adds 13 news sites to World Heritage List as Riyadh committee session enters second week, 19 September 2023, Art Newspaper (£) UNESCO
National Trust reports record £179m annual spend on conservation, 18 September 2023, Guardian, National Trust (Annual report, pdf)
“The buildings were a sign of civic pride’: anger as art colleges round the UK close their doors, 17 September 2023, Observer
York Castle Museum partly closed over concrete fears, 27 September 2023, BBCAlso: RAAC: Gloucester councillor raises concerns over museum and market, 14 September 2023, BBC
Battle of the AIs: rival tech teams clash over who painted ‘Raphael’ in UK gallery, 9 September 2023, Observer
A German museum is under police guard after receiving right-wing threats over its ‘Safe Space’ for BIPOC visitors, 18 September 2023, Artnet
France suspends cultural cooperation with three West African countries, 15 September 2023, Art Newspaper (£), French minister denies boycotting African artists amid visa confusion, 15 September 2023, rfi
Morocco earthquake leaves key heritage sites severely damaged, 11 September 2023, Art Newspaper (£), Dezeen
Marrakech artisans – who have helped rebuild the Moroccan city before – are among those hit hard in the earthquake’s devastation, 10 September 2023, Conversation
International outcry at dismissal of prominent Polish museum director, 8 September 2023, Art Newspaper (£), Artnet
UNESCO beefs up protection for 20 cultural heritage sites in Ukraine, 8 September 2023, Art Newspaper (£) UNESCO
