Collections Skills Training Films NOW ONLINE

As part of the HLF funded Collections Skills training programme which ran in 2017/18, the British Museum have created a series of films to help museums become ‘loan-ready’. The videos offer guidance on many aspects of the loans process; from researching collections before an initial request, through to how objects will be moved and stored after being on loan. It is hoped that these films will support museums in gaining some of the skills and confidence needed to request loans of objects for exhibition from the British Museum and other nationals.

A link to the films on YouTube can be found here. The films are also available via the Collections Trust website here.

‘Connecting Classical Collections’: Bringing museums together to explore the potential for a new Subject Specialist Network for collections from the ancient Mediterranean.

University of Reading, Friday 14 September, 10:30 – 16:00, FREE – booking essential

This one-day event aims to explore the potential for a new Subject Specialist Network for classical collections, and to shape its development. ‘Classical’ collections are defined broadly as collections from the ancient Mediterranean, including Greek, Etruscan, Roman and Cypriot material.  There are at least 70 such collections across the UK, which have varying levels of curatorial support, and there is scope to do more by pooling expertise and sharing experiences. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the potential role of a new SSN, including the extent of its remit, and to give their views on the way forward. Focusing on the theme of ‘Activism’, the workshop will also present case studies of museum projects which connect classical collections with contemporary social issues.

For the latest version of the programme, please see https://connectingclassicalcollections.wordpress.com/programme/

If you have a perspective on classical collections and activism which you would like to share, drawing on your own experiences, please email vicky.donnellan.09@alumni.ucl.ac.uk.

How to register:

Attendance at this workshop is free, but places are limited. To register for a place, please follow the link to our Eventbrite page- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/connecting-classical-collections-registration-48234718341 . A limited number of travel bursaries are available for those who would otherwise be unable to attend. If you would like to be considered for a travel bursary, please indicate this during the registration process.

This event has been made possible thanks to the Vivmar Foundation, and their generous support of the British Museum’s national Knowledge Share programme. It has been organised with additional support from the SSN The Society for Museum Archaeology.

This free Collections Care and Management Programme is now open to applications. It has been designed to support Accredited museums and those officially working towards Accreditation to achieve, maintain and improve on Collections Care and Management requirements detailed in Section 2 of the ACE Museum Accreditation Standard.

If you are committed to tackling your areas for improvement and are planning to implement improvements set out in your plans, this programme of four workshops can help through the provision of training and equipment. You can send one member of your team to each session but it may be a different individual attending as appropriate. The two Collections Care sessions should be attended by the same individual as they are linked.

Participating museums will be asked to:

• Complete XLS Benchmarks in Collections Care and the MDNW Collections Health Check to assess current levels of practice and use the information to complete the Expression of Interest Form. Send your completed Benchmarks, Collections Health Check and EOI forms to kaye.hardyman@manchester.ac.uk by 21^stSeptember 2018.
• Attend Workshop 1: Policies, Plans and Procedures on 18^th October 2018 at Lancashire Conservation Studios, Preston.This session will give you: an overview of policies, plans and procedures necessary for Accreditation; chance to review your existing Policies, Plans and Procedures (which you should bring to the session); and time to think about your own organisational strengths, weaknesses and priorities.
• Attend Workshop 2: Collection Care Part 1 on 7^thNovember 2018 at Lancashire Conservation Studios, Preston. This session will cover: an introduction to the museum environment; pest monitoring and control measures; a practical housekeeping session working on a variety of objects provided. A collections care kit will be given to each museum.
• Attend Workshop 3: Collection Care Part 2 on 12^thDecember 2018 at Lancashire Conservation Studios, Preston. This session will cover: environmental monitoring (interpreting data); environmental control methods; creating microclimates (storage and display); a practical session including using packing materials to create cost effective microclimates.
• Attend Workshop 4: Labelling and marking on 24^thJanuary 2019 at Entomology Library, World Museum, National Museums Liverpool. This session will give: an overview of Spectrum 5.0 primary procedure of labelling and marking; a chance to review your own procedures; a practical session of labelling and marking objects.

At the end of the programme, participants will have: a clear understanding of organisational Collections Care and Management Priorities; be able to articulate these priorities into Collections Care and Management Plans; staff and volunteers that are more confident in caring for and managing collections.

To apply, please complete the Expression of Interest Form and submit this, along with your completed Benchmarks in Collections Care and Collections Health Check, to Kaye Hardyman, Museum Development North West at kaye.hardyman@manchester.ac.uk by 21st September 2018.