News: 24th September 2020

Taking you through the marketing planning process in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Refocusing on your vision/mission, identifying any ‘mission drift’ and reviewing your plans to ensure they are relevant given the huge disruption we are experiencing. During the session we will cover:

• How to adapt your planning to respond to changing circumstances.
• The key elements of strategic marketing planning including:
• Ensuring your vision and mission inform your planning
• Identifying SMART objectives
• Doing a situational analysis using tools including SWOT and PEST
• Setting strategies using models including TOWS and Ansoff Matrix

To book your place, please click here. 

The title of this session comes from ‘Waking Up’ Collections: A Post-lockdown Guide published by the Institute of Conservation (ICON) in May 2020. This online workshop will be led by Anita Hollinshead, Regional Collections Adviser for MDEM and will explore the potential issues that may have arisen within collections that have been locked down - what to look for and the best actions to take. The session will include opportunities for delegates to ask questions and to share their own experiences.

To book your place on this online training event, please click here.

Take some time to review your audience engagement. Who have you been connecting with during lockdown? Who has slipped through the net? Which new audiences would you like to engage? This workshop will help you think through how you are engaging your audiences, volunteers and community and identify new ways to build relationships with them.

What will you gain?

• An understanding of who your audiences are and who you would like them to be.
• Clarity on the data you hold and what you may need to gather to build your audiences
• Tools to think strategically about how to engage with different audiences
• Ideas and inspiration for how to communicate with your audiences to build relationships

To book your place, please click here. 

This on-line course will provide you with the knowledge of what causes mould, how to prevent future outbreaks and how to identify mould damaged items. It will look at the health hazards associated with mould and the steps you should take to reduce this risk. The session is interactive and questions are encouraged.

This session will be particularly useful for those who have identified new mould problems as a result of the lock-down period OR those with ongoing mould issues at their museum.
To book your place, please click here.

Join Sarah Brown from Collections Trust for this session exploring Documentation Procedural Manuals.

A manual helps a museum to standardise the capture, recording, safekeeping and use of information about museum collections, and should be a set of evolving instructions describing how your museum carries out the Spectrum 5.0 procedures.

We know that a lot of you are taking the opportunity to update or develop your manuals at the moment. This session will explore what makes a good procedural manual. Together we will discuss what they should contain, different formats and how you might create a user friendly document.

This session will support you with Accreditation requirement 5.2, to follow the Spectrum primary documentation procedures.

To book your place, please click here. 

Exploring the right platforms for you and your organisation. With a focus on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

How do you create a compelling story when you’re building is open, never mind when it’s closed? In this session we’ll look at the fundamentals of using social media, tone of voice, and how to develop great content. We’ll also touch on paid advertising and organic advertising. And social media analytics.

What will you gain?

• An overview of the purpose of different social media platforms and how you can best use each one to achieve your goals
• An understanding of the principles of tone and content development on social media.
• An introduction to paid advertising on social media
• Overview of social media analytics and how they can help you measure performance and inform future activity

To book your place, please click register.

Have you every wondered why your photographs fall apart and what you can do to reduce this? This is the on-line course for you. We will look at the ten agents of deterioration as they affect photographic material, going through the simple steps that you can take to reduce their effects and examining handling in detail.

By the end of the session you will understand how the ten agents of deterioration cause photographs to degrade, be able to implement simple steps to slow down how quickly your photographs fall apart and be able to handle your photographic material with confidence. Bring your questions about your photographic collections because your interaction is positively encouraged.

To book your place, please click here.

PR can seem mysterious to some and unattainable to others, as most organisations don’t have a dedicated PR expert on the team. In this session, you’ll gain an understanding of the power of PR and what simple things you can do to raise your profile.

You’ll look at:

• How to work with the media; what makes a story and why your story should be covered.
• The process of getting media attention - the purpose of a good press release and what it should cover.
• And you’ll explore the kind of content press and media want from you, key timings, and how to build relationships with local press.

What will you gain?

• Understanding what PR can do for you
• Skills in writing an excellent press release
• Guidance on how to work with local press

To book your place, please click here. 

In this session you’ll gain an understanding of the basics of Google Analytics. You’ll work through the dashboard; understanding how to personalise it so that you can report on what you need.

You’ll look at what the data tells you and how to respond to it, paying particular attention to how you can measure your website activity since the lockdown period began in March.

What will you gain?

• An understanding of what Google Analytics can tell you – how it translates audience behaviour on your website
• Insight into how to respond to the data
• Practical guidance on setting up a dashboard

To book your place, please click here.

This year our conference explores an under-appreciated aspect of dynamic collections: dynamic information. Without information to oil the wheels, doing just about anything with collections becomes more difficult than it should be. How can we get this precious resource flowing more freely and realise the full potential of the collections we hold?

The conference will be held online over two afternoons. The event is free, but registration will be required and donations will be gratefully received. To book your place and for full programme information, please click here. 

The heritage sector is becoming more and more digital, so having a digital strategy should be a top priority for all heritage organisations. #HeritageDigitalNow has been designed specifically to help heritage organisations build and implement a digital strategy that works for them.

Join us on 1st October, 2020 from 09:30-13:30 (BST) for a day of virtual learning, sharing and connecting.

What topics can you expect to be covered?

• The what, why and how of digital strategy
• Key examples of innovative uses of digital in the heritage sector
• Using audience insights
• Creating a strategy for your digital content
• Much more to come!

This year’s Museums Association (MA) Conference is open for booking.

The event, which is for MA members only, features a range of fantastic speakers, engaging sessions and lots of practical advice and support. Join us on 2-6 November 2020 for five days of debate, reflection, networking and much, much more.

Our theme is World Turned Upside Down: Exploring the Future of Museums. The past year has redefined how we connect to our communities, care for collections and support our staff, freelancers and volunteers. We explore these changes and discuss how the sector can rise to the challenges we face.

The pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement and the Climate Crisis have had a massive impact on society and created a critical moment for us to reflect on the future and purpose of museums.

This year’s conference:

• Responds to new realities of the coronavirus pandemic and investigate how we can emerge from the crisis with the tools to meet the needs of our communities.

• Examines the decolonisation of museums and the role the sector has in helping to address the racism, injustice and discrimination that blight our societies.

• Investigates what we need to do to create inclusive, participatory and sustainable museums.

• Helps delegates to develop the skills to advocate and effectively make the case for investment in museums.

• Draws inspiration from the global museum community as we share ideas and best practice from across the globe.

• Provides a platform for networks and alliances of peers to discuss and deal with the challenges ahead.

• Equips attendees with the practical skills and confidence to navigate this world turned upside down.

Since 2012, we’ve been bringing together the people who are at the forefront of digital transformation in museums, galleries, theatres, festivals, publishing and film.

Our events are packed with real actionable advice, giving you the knowledge you need to make more impact with your work.

This year we’ll be bringing the conference direct to your computer. Watch the talks live and then return to them with online access for 12 months.

Join us as we bring together key members from the heritage and sport sectors, along with sharing best practice case studies, providing hands on advice and guidance, and increasing the confidence and knowledge of those wishing to develop sporting heritage activity. This year’s online conference will focus on two main themes: 

DAY 1: Resilience & Sustainability of Sporting Heritage 
DAY 2: Diversity of Sporting Heritage

We will explore these themes and share the impact of sporting heritage and the stories it tells, discuss how to engage greater support for the sector going forward, and how to support grassroots projects and collections.

Book your place now!

In Partnership with Art Fund, Museum Development East Midlands (MDEM) is offering Recovery Grants to help museums in the East Midlands to re- build their offer to audiences and strengthen organisationally in response to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis.  
 
Purpose of Grant: To support effective reopening (particularly where museums are implementing new approaches and ideas in response to the crisis), audience needs, and development of a sustainable offer for museums looking forward.  Should you have immediate and basic costs associated with reopening e.g. purchasing PPE, screens, office equipment etc. please refer to our Small Grants Fund for grants up to £1,500.

For more information, including an application form, please click here. 

Applications are now being received for the AIM Pilgrim collections care and conservation grants, which support small to medium sized museums to care for their collections more effectively and efficiently and to meet the standards required for Accreditation. This includes Collections Care Audits – grants of £1,100 to allow an ACR accredited conservator to undertake a professional collections care audit and identify key collection care issues and priorities. Collections Care Scheme – grants of up to £10,000 for museums with fewer than 50,000 visitors to develop a more sustainable approach to conservation and management of collections. Remedial Conservation Scheme – grants of up to £10,000 for museums with fewer than 50,000 visitors to conserve objects that are part of the permanent collection. Find out more here. 

The second round of applications is now open for grants to help museums, galleries and cultural organisations respond to immediate challenges connected to the Covid-19 crisis, and offer support to adapt and reimagine ways of working for the future. Grants from £10,000-£50,000, Art Fund will consider offering 100% funding. The next round of funding has a deadline of 12^th October.

Read Art Fund’s tips here on what made a strong application to their first round of funding.

We're reopened the fund with a budget of £59.8 million available until April 2021. Grants range from £1,000 - £100,000

We have prioritised reopening this programme to help fund independent organisations, creative practitioners and freelancers as quickly as possible. 

What’s changed?

Our supplementary guidance outlines what has changed to make the fund more responsive to the needs of smaller independent organisations and individual practitioners during Covid-19. 

For more information, please click here.

Marketing and Communications Manager, Nottingham Castle Trust
Salary: £35,000
Closing date: 28th September

Nottingham Castle Trust are looking to recruit a Marketing and Communications Manager. The person appointed will be responsible for the development, implementation and management of all aspects of the Marketing and Communications strategy, including the planning and management of targeted marketing and communications activity. This will be achieved using digital marketing, media plans, press and corporate communications, copywriting and content management, marketing research, production of collateral, CRM data and its usage, performance analysis and evaluation, brand guidelines, and working with external agencies, tourism bodies and travel trade.

For full details about the post please click here

Covering letter and CV to be submitted to recruitment@nottinghamcastletrust.org by12noon on 28th September 2020

Freelance Outreach and Participation Practitioner
Fee: £15,600
Closing date: 10am, Monday 5th October 2020
Location: Archives and Charlton House, Charlton, SE London

To undertake community engagement and deliver an on-line archive exhibition

Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust is seeking to employ an Outreach and Participation Practitioner to deliver its project, Celebrating Our Heritage.
 
This project is to capture the local history of the pandemic. It encourages individuals, families and community groups to download a range of digital participation resources which celebrate various aspects of built heritage in our care and to create their own responses to them in words, pictures and videos.
 
These responses will form the basis of an online exhibition in Spring 2021.
 
The digital archive of responses to our heritage and the pandemic will add to our Collection.

Find out more here

Development Director - English Heritage
Closing date: 25th September
Salary: Competitive
Location:  Ideally London or one of the following offices: Swindon, Bristol or York, or at one of our principal sites in central England

Reporting to the Chief Executive, you will be responsible for all our high value fundraising. As well as steering a skilled and committed team of over 20 people and developing a strategy for future development, you will play an active role on the Senior Management Team, supporting the Chief Executive and her other direct reports to strategically lead the organisation.

You will bring a proven track record of success in securing seven figure gifts ideally gained in an organisation of comparative scale and complexity. You will be an influential and pro-active fundraising leader used to building and developing a diverse fundraising team. A strategic thinker with strong financial acumen and the ability to spot opportunities, you will be an engaging and persuasive communicator with the ability to build relationships across a wide range of stakeholders. This role is about winning hearts and minds and, whatever your fundraising background, you will need to be highly motivated by our cause.

Find out more about this role by clicking here

Trustee - Nottingham Contemporary
Closing date: 5th October
Job type: Voluntary

Nottingham Contemporary are recruiting two new trustees to their Board. They are seeking people who can contribute to their ongoing work towards racial justice and in tackling inequalities, as well as the delivery of their mission to be a world-leading place for shaping and imagining the future of art, education and ideas.

Applications are especially encouraged from people of colour and younger people (under the age of 35), as well as those whose experiences and perspectives are currently under-represented on the Board and in the sector. Applications are welcomed  from people with no prior board experience.

Click here to find out more