In this issue:

End of year message from MDUK

Arts Council England update

Sector Support Organisations updates

SHARE Environmentally Responsible Museums

MDY recruitment opportunities

Season’s Greetings from MDUK

There is no doubt that 2022 has been a busy year for everyone across the network. MDUK has continue to work in close partnership with the Art Fund on Reset Grants and The Wild Escape Programme. Both of these initiatives have generated significant grant funding for the musuems across Enlgand, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in a year that has seen many economic challenges.

Other collaborative initiatives that have punctuated the year include the Volunteer Development, Roots and Branches and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Programmes. These innovative programmes are supporting museums to become more environmentally and socially sustainable, find new ways of working to welcome more people to engage, work, visit, and enjoy their museums, and develop members of their workforce after the pandemic.

The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Programme is gearing up to develop the next phase and there is a brief out to tender to delivering EDI metnoring to museums here.

After two years in hiatus, the MDUK conference took place in June in the North West of England. It was a wonderful opportunity for colleagues from across the four nations to congregate, network, be inspired by presentations and socialise. MDUK is looking ahead to 2023 to identify opportunties to come together again.

MDUK wishes every member of the network and happy and healthy festive period and all the best in 2023.

Arts Council England update

by Isabel Wilson, Senior Manager, Museums (Development), Arts Council England

National Portfolio Organisations – for the recently announced National Portfolio for 2023-26, we see an increase of £6.4m going to museums with an overall investment for the three year period of £37.6m in 223 Accredited regional museums across England, with 28 great regional museums as new joiners. Thank you very much for supporting many of these museums with their ambitions to join the National Portfolio.

Investment Principle Support Organisations within the National Portfolio for 2023-26 with a specific museum-focus and able to act as key partners for Museum Development are:

  • Association of Independent Museums
  • Collections Trust
  • Group for Education in Museums
  • Kids in Museums
  • Touring Exhibitions Group

I’ll produce a summary of our investment levels and what we are funding these organisations to do, once we have their final plans.

MEND (Museums Estates & Development, part of the Cultural Improvement Fund)

The Museum Estate and Development Fund is part of the Cultural Investment Fund. In round one we funded 31 applications, with a total investment of £18.8 million. Round two is in progress, with decisions expected in March 2023. The budget for round two is £17 million. We hope to deliver two further rounds of MEND, though the details are subject to confirmation by DCMS.

Unlocking Collections

As you know, this is a time-limited priority with our National Lottery Project Grants focussed on support for collections – launched earlier this year, open until end of March 2023.

Museum Development 2024+

In early 2023 we will publish a very positive evaluation of the MD programme 2015-22, alongside a blog from Emmie Kell, Director of Museums & Cultural Property, responding to it and looking forward to the new model which builds on the many strengths of the previous regional programmes, with closer alignment to our strategy, Let’s Create.

Advice about winter blackouts

In response to possible concerns for winter blackouts, these are few key aspects I would advise museums and other cultural venues to be aware of:

  • Review risk assessments to capture possible consequences power blackouts may have on their buildings, collections, and staff’s operations, and plan accordingly
  • Consider possible ways in which resilience can be increased, for example installing multiple power feeds to the venue – this can minimise the likelihood of a power disruption affecting a venue. Electricity Network Operator will be able to advise if installing an additional power feed is feasible and cost effective.
  • Ensure that fire and alarm systems have been serviced and where applicable battery backups are stored and available if needed
  • If you have a back-up generator, test it and make sure you are aware of how long it will last in case of a power cut.
  • Contact the service providers for your telephone service, security system and fire protection system for information on how these systems will operate during and after an electrical outage.
  • Know what equipment can and cannot be turned off during an outage. Develop a plan for controlled shut-down if needed.
  • Based on the risk assessment conducted, considerations may be given to surrender some parts of a building or site, saving energy for the most key/important areas.
  • Think about how communications will be managed, both internally and externally, in case of a power blackouts.
  • Ensure you have a list of emergency phone contacts at hand if needed.
  • If any changes are made to any of your operational procedures, ensure these are reflected in the risk management plan and staff is aware of these.

Being proactive and taking actions now it will help be better prepared should the sector experience power blackouts later on.

Kids in Museums

Family Friendly Museum Audits: Bookings open for Winter 2022/23

Do you want an external perspective on how your museum, gallery or heritage site can be better for families? A Family Friendly Museum Audit from Kids in Museums is a comprehensive review of your provision with tailored suggestions on how your site can become more inclusive of and appealing to families.

A member of the Kids in Museums Team will meet you to talk through what you want to get out of an audit and carry out a site visit. You will receive a detailed report with images assessing areas that work well and those that might need improving. The audit draws on the Kids in Museums Manifesto, the industry standard for family friendliness in the heritage sector, and brings together extensive examples of best practice. There is limited availability for winter 2022/23, so please get in touch to enquire and book your audit by contacting Kids in Museums here:

More information on the website.

SHARE Environmentally Responsible Museums

SHARE Museums East has been awarded a £185,248 grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund for SHARE Environmentally Responsible Museums, a new project to help museums in the East of England develop their responses to environmental issues.

Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project will support museums and heritage organisations across the East of England to take positive environmental action for their communities, visitors, workforce, collections and buildings. Existing ACE/SHARE funding already planned for Environmental Responsibility work will be used as match funding, bringing the total project budget to over £200,000.

This project will support museums to make changes that help their buildings and operations become more environmentally-friendly and move towards net zero carbon. It will also encourage them to use their sites and collections to engage the public with important and urgent environmental issues, encouraging a new generation of people to adopt good practice in their own lives too. A dedicated new member will join the SHARE team to deliver the project – the Project Officer post is open for recruitment now (deadline 23 December).

Cllr. John Ward, Chair of the Norfolk Joint Museums Committee, says: “This award is fantastic news for our rich and diverse museum sector in the East of England. It recognises the important role our heritage institutions can play in the fight against climate change, through using collections to raise public awareness, while supporting museums to become more sustainable as organisations. We are very grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for this important grant, made possible by National Lottery players.”

Museum Development Yorkshire is Recruiting

We’ve got 2 great jobs that we are currently advertising.  Both roles are home based – therefore, although the successful candidates will be expected to travel in Yorkshire and the Humber, they could be based outside the region.  We would be really grateful if you promoted via your contacts and communication channels.

Museum Development Officer, North Yorkshire
Salary: £22,125  (£36,875 FTE); fixed-term contract until 31 March 2024, 22.2 hrs pw worked flexibly
You will be responsible for maintaining and building existing relationships across the museums of North Yorkshire, as well as managing projects and delivering focused consultancy with museums across the region. This role involves visiting museums in the Yorkshire area, so flexibility and the ability to travel independently widely within the region is essential to be successful in the role.

Museum Development Officer, Workforce Development
Salary: £18,437 (£36,875 FTE); fixed-term contract until 31 July 2023, 18.5 hrs pw worked flexibly
You will lead on regional initiatives focusing on workforce and professional development, leading to organisational resilience and development. The role includes responsibility for running our training and networking events programme during the secondment of the postholder to Head of Museum Development Yorkshire. This role also includes occasional travel to museums in the Yorkshire area, so flexibility and the ability to travel independently widely within the region is required.

If you would like to know more about either role, please contact Joanne Bartholomew on 07730 642919 or at [email protected] for an informal discussion.

For full job descriptions and to apply, click here.

Closing date: 9.00am on 19 December.
Interviews will take place in York on Wednesday 4 January or Thursday 5 January 2023.