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MDEM Update
Hello and welcome to this month’s newsletter. Reports from museums regarding visitor recovery levels were mixed at the end of the summer season. Those with a significant outside offer seemed to have fared best and on average there was around an 80% visitor rate compared to visitor figures of 2 years ago. Solely indoor venues seem to have suffered the worst with some level of visitor caution demonstrated but there were many exceptions. Of course some small museums totally reliant on volunteers to open their doors, have reduced opening hours or not re-opened at all this year, due to having less available volunteers. More widely, museums reliant on international tourists have taken a big hit not unexpectedly with levels at the V&A, British Museum and National Gallery at 40% of those recorded two years ago. On a different note, many thanks to those museums in the East Midlands that completed the recent Skills Needs Survey coordinated by Museum Development England. The national report identified skills development priorities that reflect current issues affecting the sector including diversifying volunteers, digital leadership and change, community engagement and co-curation, audience development (research/ planning) and fundraising streams. MDEM will respond in conjunction with other Museum Development regions and delivery partners over the coming months so watch this space!
Claire Browne, Programme Manager MDEM
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MDEM Updates
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Most insect pests like dark, undisturbed spaces so one of the consequences of lockdown has been an increase in insect pest activity. In response to this, MDEM have launched a Pest Network for the region.
The Pest Network programme includes:
- A series of bite-sized workshops on pest specific topics.
- 12 grants of up to £500 for equipment, publications and materials to help museums with pest monitoring, identification, treatment and effective housekeeping.
- Two network meetings a year – an opportunity to share experiences and hear about case studies from within and outside the region.
The network is free to join and you can sign up or opt out at any time. To join the network please click here.
Alongside the network we're running some introductory sessions which you can book onto now:
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Share Museums East & MDEM are delighted to be working with Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy to run a Diversify Your Income programme which started in September 2021.
This support allows museums and heritage sites across the East of England and the East Midlands to explore and launch new income streams, with support through training and coaching, enabling them to become more resilient organisations.
Recruitment to the intensive programme is now closed, however booking is now open for the training days focusing on all areas of income generation. These are open to all museums in the region and can be booked below:
You can attend as many or as few as you like. We know these will be popular so register now! |
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Upcoming MDEM Events
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20th Oct, 2-4pm
The first half of this session will highlight the variety of ways you can implement a box office to drive either attendance or additional revenue streams. We will also consider the insights you can gather about your customers and how you can use these strategically. We will then examine the key considerations in choosing the right ticketing platform for your organisation, and how to successfully integrate a new system into your day-to-day activity.
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16th Nov, 10-11am
The second of our three bite-sized MDEM Pest Network workshops will cover measures you can take to prevent and control mice and rats in your museum and what to do if you find evidence of rodent activity.
The risks to people and collections will also be discussed.
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18th Nov, 10am - 12noon
The changes and challenges for museum retail because of Covid-19 have been hard, especially for the smaller museums. However, with more people wanting to support, stay and buy local, museums are in a unique position to maximise on this and create a resilient income stream through their shops.
This course will highlight best practice in using on-site facilities for earned income from retail, with practical tips for launching these offers.
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18th Nov, 9.30-1pm
This national online Museum Development series of webinars will help to develop knowledge and skills in volunteer management, volunteer recruitment and volunteer strategy development.
This is part 1 of 3 sessions and will focus specifically on volunteer recruitment.
Please note: This is the first of 3 sessions and we ask that at the point of booking you sign up to all 3 events.
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1st Dec, 2-4pm
How can you use your spaces and buildings to bring in income, while supporting your charitable purpose? Whether you are looking to utilise your space better for community or commercial use, a clear approach to space hire is essential.
This course is aimed at organisations who already hire space and are looking to refresh their approach; as well as those looking to start letting space for the first time.
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Other Events and Resources
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20th & 21st October 2021
#SportingHeritage21
Book your free place now!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sporting-heritage-conference-2021-tickets-167945861593
Join us online as we bring together key members from the heritage and sport sectors, share best practice case studies, provide hands on advice and guidance, and increase the confidence and knowledge of those wishing to develop sporting heritage activity.
Supported by a diverse programme of speakers, this year’s conference focuses on representation and engagement. We will explore these themes and how they impact on sporting heritage and the stories it tells. The event will also outline how to build greater support for the sector going forward, and how to support grassroots projects and collections.
Sporting Heritage would like to thank National Lottery Heritage Fund for their generous support of this event.
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8th-10th November (in person or online)
The Museums Association are holding their annual conference for 2021, examining themes such as the role we can play in tackling the urgent issues of our day - including the climate crisis, racism & discrimination.
The programme is packed with inspirational speakers from across the globe, practical advice for museums of all types and sizes, tours & networking events to give you contacts & the context of colleagues’ work.
You can expect three days of interactive & topical content, networking opportunities, social events, physical tours & practice sessions. If you can’t attend in person, joining online for some or all of the event gives you the opportunity to access the same great content at your own convenience.
Find out more here
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Funding Update
MDEM's Grants are now open to applications.
See below for a summary of what is available:
Grant funds are available to Accredited museums and those working towards Accreditation
- Small Grants of £250 - £1,500 Applications can be submitted between now and 31 December 2021 – applications assessed monthly
- Collections Access Grants of £100 - £1,000 Applications can be submitted between now and 31 December 2021 – applications assessed monthly
Should you need further guidance, please contact Claire Browne, Programme Manager.
Arts Council England
The National Lottery project grants of £1,000-£100,000 are still open for applications until 30 November 2021. The fund is currently focused on the needs of smaller independent organisations and individual practitioners.
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News Updates
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Learning through the pandemic - Arts Council England
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Tell us about your experiences reaching, supporting, and engaging communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
About the project: Arts Council England are supporting the creation of a set of practical resources to capture the lessons from cultural organisations work supporting and engaging communities over the past 18 months.
This set of resources will pull together and leverage the existing tools, methodologies, and knowledge developed by practitioners. It is intended to enable cultural organisations to continue supporting their communities over the months ahead, reach new audiences, and consider how lessons from pandemic might be applied in the 'new normal'. The research is being conducted by think tank Common Vision and creative business support agency Creative United and funded by Arts Council England.
About this survey: This survey gathers evidence on the approaches cultural organisations have taken to reach audiences during the pandemic, what worked, what didn't, and what you need to extend this work in the future. By contributing you will build an evidence base for the development resources. The survey will be followed up with optional interviews and workshops in October and November.
Link to the survey: https://covi.typeform.com/to/gAz5xVNp
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Job and Volunteering Opportunities
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Hours: Full Time
Salary: Commensurate with experience
Closing Date: 10th November 2021
The Silverstone Interactive Museum was officially opened by the Duke of Sussex and Sir Lewis Hamilton on 6th March 2020. Since then, despite being closed for extended periods of time due to the pandemic, the Museum has attracted over 100,000 visitors and received excellent reviews.
The Trustees of Silverstone Heritage Ltd (SHL), the independent charity behind the Silverstone Interactive Museum, are seeking a new CEO to lead the organisation through its next exciting period of growth, ensuring that it reaches its full potential as a leading UK museum and visitor attraction.
Applications are to be submitted to chair@silverstonemuseum.co.uk no later than midnight on Wednesday 10th November 2021.
More information and details of how to apply can be found here. |
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Job type: Part time - fixed term until 31 March 2022
Salary: £10,960.86 - £11,179.94 p/a
Closing Date: 24th October
Chesterfield Museum are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Collections Assistant to help with the assessment, rationalisation and packing of the collection.
This post is currently funded to the end of March 2022, but in November it will be known whether the post can be extended for a further 18 months.
The job description & person specification can be found here.
If you would like more information about the post, please contact Alyson Barnes (Tourism, museums and events manager) at: alyson.barnes@chesterfield.gov.uk |
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Wirksworth Heritage Centre: Trustee
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Job Type: Trustee - voluntary
Closes: 15th November 2021
Wirksworth Heritage Centre are looking for additional Trustees to join their friendly, dedicated team to help shape a sustainable future.
We have three areas where we would particularly welcome applicants with the skills or a background in: Commercial, Marketing or Fundraising
The most important attribute is a willingness to be actively involved in the Heritage Centre’s development.
The roles are not remunerated and we prefer Trustees to serve a minimum of 3 years. We hold meetings in the daytime or evenings to suit availability.
Contact Jacqueline Ferguson-Lee to find out more: Jacqueline.Ferguson-lee@wirksworthheritagecentre.org
Website: www.wirksworthheritage.co.uk
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Chain Bridge Forge: Museum Mentor Role
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Job Type: Voluntary
Closes: N/A
Chain Bridge Forge is seeking help and support from a Museum Mentor so that the Forge Museum can maintain accreditations and to support the museum in accessing networks and engaging with the wider museum community.
The museum opened in 2012 and celebrates Blacksmithing. The Forge preserves this rural craft by employing a Blacksmith and conducting restoration, commissions, repairs and training. The Forge also maintains the late 1700’s building, workshop and the associated collection which situated on the bank of the River Welland in Spalding.
If the role is of interest, please send a CV to Chain Bridge Forge: chainbridgeforge@gmail.com
Website www.chainbridgeforge.co.uk
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Rugby Borough Council, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
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Job Type: Part time (2 Days - 15 Hours per week)
Salary: £7,527 - £7,985 (£18,562 - £19,698 pro rata)
Closes: 7 November 2021
Rugby Art Gallery and Museum are looking for an enthusiastic individual with experience in collection management processes to assist the Senior Collections Officer in the management of all collections under the care of Rugby Art Gallery and Museum.
For an informal discussion about this role, please call Catherine Shanahan, our Senior Collections Officer on 01788 533200.
Click here for more information
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Do you have a job, commission or volunteering opportunity that you would like to advertise? Email Laura with full details and your vacancy could appear on our website and in our next e-newsletter. |
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