Job Opportunity: Museum Development North West

Programme Assistant
Salary – £20,836 to £22,659 (pro rata) depending on experience
Part-time – 17.5 hours per week
Fixed-term ASAP until 31st March 2020
Based at Manchester Museum (location negotiable)
Closing Date – Midnight on Wednesday 27th March 

Museum Development North West (MDNW) exists to support museums across the North West. The programme is managed by the Manchester Partnership and Cumbria Museums Consortium. Our work is funded by Arts Council England and responds to its ten-year strategy Great art and culture for everyone.Overall Purpose of the Job:

To provide administrative support to ensure the successful delivery of the Museum Development Programme funded by Arts Council England.

Key Responsibilities, Accountabilities or Duties:

Financial duties:
a) To undertake day to day financial administration in line with departmental procedures and the University of Manchester’s financial instructions.

b) To raise and process requisitions, invoices, claims from suppliers.

c) To maintain associated financial records as required in line with internal and external requirements against the programme budget using electronic or manual systems as required.

d) To ensure financial systems and records are accurate and kept up to date.

e) To undertake training as required in response to changes in procedures.

Administrative duties:
a) To book meeting venues and events, manage bookings, joining instructions and related travel arrangements when required.

b) Maintain computer databases and spreadsheets relating to work of the team.

c) Word processing and copy typing correspondence, reports and other documents.

d) To devise and maintain efficient procedures / systems for filing, work processing, office administration etc.

e) To support the team to report to Arts Council England through analysis of workshop and programme evaluation, data capture and collation in line with GDPR.

f) Support the administration of the MDNW blog and helping to keep it up to date.

Other duties:
a) Maintain MDNWs impact database.

b) Support museum development projects and events administratively.

c) Support the team directly with local administration procedures and systems.

d) Collect, collate and present programme data for the team in line with GDPR.

e) Undertake training as required.

The essential knowledge, skills and experience needed for this role are:

• GCSE or equivalent in maths and English
• Competent in IT
• Experience of Microsoft Office programmes, in particular Excel
• Experience in financial administration
• Must have a flexible approach to working
• Organised and methodical

As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status.  All appointments are made on merit.

Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.

For the full job description and details on how to apply, click here.

Enquiries about vacancy shortlisting and interviews:
Name: Alexander Bird
Email: alexander.bird@manchester.ac.uk

General enquiries:
Email: hrservices@manchester.ac.uk
Tel:  0161 275 4499

Technical support:
Email: universityofmanchester@helpmeapply.co.uk
Tel:  0161 850 2004

This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date
Further Particulars

North West Volunteer Managers Network Meeting

Tuesday 14th May
Bolton Museum, Lecture room 2
11am – 3pm

The Network will be discussing the following topics:

  • How volunteers impact your museum
  • What roles your volunteers do within the museum
  • What recruitment methods you use for volunteers – social media, adverts, word of mouth etc

If you would like to discuss anything not on the agenda please contact Darren Collingwood – Darren.Collingwood@nationalfootballmuseum.com

The Network will also be shown around the newly reopened Bolton museum by a volunteer.

If you’re intending on attending the meeting, please email Darren Collingwood.

Preparing to Borrow Workshop Programme 2019 – Open for Booking

From Touring Exhibitions Group:

TEG is very pleased to be partnering with Art Fund and Arts Council England (ACE) again in 2019, to deliver a programme of Preparing to Borrow Workshops:

16th May, Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution
21st May, Peterborough Museum
5th June, Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool
24th June, V&A Dundee
10th July, House of Illustration, London

The Preparing to Borrow workshop supports participants to acquire the knowledge and confidence to make an application to borrow an object or exhibition. For more information or to book, click on the links above or visit TEG’s Eventbrite page

Workshops are delivered by a TEG trainer, William Brown, National Security Advisor, Carol Warner, Government Indemnity Manager*, a member of Art Fund’s team, who will introduce their funding initiative the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund, and a representative from Arts Council England, who will introduce Project Grants for Museums.

It is recommended that anyone planning to apply to the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund attends a workshop.

The session is interactive and based on problem solving and discussion, covering:

  • The benefits of borrowing
  • Researching suitable objects and exhibitions for loan and hire
  • Making a case to borrow
  • Communicating with lenders
  • Loan applications
  • Fees and contracts
  • Sources of funding
  • Scheduling
  • Transportation
  • Facilities reports
  • Government Indemnity and commercial insurance
  • Security
  • Emergency planning

For details of TEG’s Preparing to Borrow and professional development programme for 2019, visit TEG’s Eventbrite page

If you have any questions about the TEG Preparing to Borrow Programme, professional development workshops and opportunities or bespoke training, email Charlotte Dew

*HM Government provide Government Indemnity and the GIS team Arts Council England arrange the indemnity

National Volunteering Survey

From UCL:

We’re conducting a Volunteering Survey as part of our National Lottery Heritage Funded project, ‘Give: Volunteering for Wellbeing’, and your input would be very much appreciated. The project is led by UCL on behalf of the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance in collaboration with the Horniman Museum and Gardens, Natural History Museum, and Valence House Museum.

If you are a Volunteer Coordinator or involved in recruiting, managing or scheduling volunteers, and work for a museum, gallery, heritage, arts or other cultural organisation, then we would be grateful if you could take part in our Volunteering Survey. All responses to the survey will be stored securely and made anonymous for the purposes of evaluation. Everyone who has contributed will be invited to have their name and organisation acknowledged in the ‘Volunteering for Wellbeing’ report plus a free copy of the report (due end 2019).

We are interested in understanding from this survey, how volunteering programmes contribute to the wellbeing of their volunteers. For further information, please see: https://culturehealthresearch.wordpress.com/give/ or contact Dr Linda Thomson, Senior Research Project Manager: linda.thomson@ucl.ac.uk

Please click here if you would like to read further information before starting the survey. There are only 10 questions and it has taken an average of 13 mins to complete so far. Thank you for your participation.

GEM Museum Learning 2019

From GEM:

Are you new to the museum and heritage learning sector?  Are you looking to increase your skills, understanding and confidence within your role?  If so, then this course is for you!  

Our hit foundation course is back! Museum Learning explores a variety of topics in the field, from access and inclusion to interpretation, from management to evaluation, interrogating different ideas and approaches to help you develop your skills and understanding. Since the course first opened in 2015, participants have discovered new direction, succeeded in finding employment, produced exciting projects, and made change in their organisations. Open discussion of challenges and solutions, practical training, and in-depth case studies will equip you with the tools to be an outstanding educator, and learner, and get your career off to the best possible start.

What will I gain?
The course will provide you with opportunities to develop, practise and demonstrate the basic skills and knowledge needed to be a heritage educator.  Six days of formal training, site visits and activities will guide you towards completing a work-based assignment that will benefit not only you but your organisation too.  You’ll be supported by an experienced course director, a group of like-minded peers, and a professional mentor within the sector.

What is it about?
The following elements will be covered on the course:
• The context for museum learning today
• Museum learning theory
• Methods of using museum collections and historic sites for learning
• Best practice approaches to museum learning
• Access and inclusion
• Understanding different interpretations and voices in museum learning
• Programming for different audiences
• Managing and evaluating projects
• Working with peers and teams
• Careers and continuing professional development

Who is it for?
GEM’s foundation course is intended for those in their first year or so of their museum education career; or for those working in a different part of the heritage sector but wishing to take up an education position.  Since it is a work-based course, it is a requirement that applicants should be working or volunteering in the heritage sector.

When & where is it?
The course is spread over a four-month period from April to July 2019. There are six full days of seminars, workshops and site visits, and participants then complete a work-based assignment, which should be completed a month after the last on-site course day.

Participants should be able to attend the following on-site course days in Manchester, 2019:
25 April, Manchester Art Gallery
26 April, People’s History Museum
23 May, Manchester Museum
24 May, Whitworth Art Gallery
27 June, John Rylands Library
28 June, Greater Manchester Police Museum

Course fee?
The course fee is £650 per participant.

For the full course information, visit the GEM website.

 

Job Opportunities: Macclesfield Museums

Museum Learning Co-ordinator (part-time)
Salary: £16000 pro-rata
Hours of work: 15 hours per week during School term
Location: Silk Museum & Paradise Mill, and Old Sunday School, Macclesfield 

From Macclesfield Museums:

Are you passionate about museum education, extremely well-organised and enjoy working with a wide range of people?

We need a Co-ordinator to liaise with schools and our fantastic learning team, to organise schools’ bookings for Key Stage 1 and 2 workshops in the Silk Museum, Paradise Mill and Old Sunday School; plus promoting and managing bookings of our Schools Loan Boxes.

Main Responsibilities:

The main duty of the role is to co-ordinate arrangements for bookings with schools and our Casual Learning team; to develop and promote a  creative learning offer that meets the needs of schools – developing relationships with teachers through consultation and CPD to inform learning programmes, loan boxes, resources and display.

You will co-ordinate and manage:

  • Enquiries from schools about workshops, Loan Boxes and resources focussing on a core offer of Ancient Egypt, Victorians, World War II, and Silk Industry
  • Museum Learning Casual team to deliver booked workshops as required
  • All details, logistics and arrangements for workshop bookings with schools, Museum Learning team and other staff
  • Loan Box bookings as required and contributing to the development of Schools’ Loan Boxes and other resources
  • the development of an expanded Learning programme and resources, which relate to a variety of national curriculum topics including Technology, Numeracy and Literacy
  • Detailed electronic records of bookings to ensure schools are invoiced speedily and accurately
  • Data and records of school bookings within the requirements of GDPR
  • Promotion of the Learning programme to schools, actively using the website and social media to raise the profile of the programme, ensuring that school databases are comprehensive and up to date

Wider duties include following and supporting safeguarding responsibilities of the museum, including child protection and health and safety procedures. You will act as an ambassador for the museum at all times

The role will mainly be during the academic year, however it may also include additional hours to support the delivery of other events throughout the year

Please visit our website to download the full job description.  https://macclesfieldmuseums.co.uk/support-us

To Apply: please submit your up to date CV and Letter of  Application (no more than 2 sides A4) outlining how your experience meets the requirements of the role, to director@silkmacclesfield.org.uk

Closing date: 12 noon 8th April 2019

Interviews are likely to held week beginning 15th April 2019

For further information please contact: Emma Anderson  Interim Director, director@silkmacclesfield.org.uk / 01625 613 210

Museum Learning Assistant (Casual – zero hours) 
£8.21 per hour (NMW)
Hours of work: Variable – as and when required during School term
Location: Silk Museum & Paradise Mill, and Old Sunday School, Macclesfield 

Are you a good storyteller who enjoys engaging children and young people in history by asking questions and getting children thinking?  We are looking to expand our Casual learning team who deliver memorable Key Stage 1 & 2 workshops in the unique setting of Macclesfield’s Silk Museum, Paradise Mill and Victorian School Room.

Job Description: To deliver school programmes in the museums

Main Responsibilities:

The main duty of the role is to deliver education workshops for Macclesfield Museum’s programme for Key Stages 1 and 2 pupils. Currently the core programme is focused on the core offer of Ancient Egypt, Victorians, World War II, and the Silk Industry.

You will undertake training to deliver sessions independently and with other members of the team. You will ensure all resources are prepared and set up is complete before sessions and tidy away after each has finished. The role will assist with continued development of the programme.

Wider duties include following and supporting safeguarding responsibilities of the museum, including child protection and health and safety procedures. You will act as an ambassador for the museum at all times

The role will mainly be during the academic year, however it may also include additional hours to support the delivery of other engagement and outreach events throughout the year

Please visit our website to download the full job description.  https://macclesfieldmuseums.co.uk/support-us

To Apply: please submit your up to date CV and Letter of  Application (no more than 2 sides A4) outlining how your experience meets the requirements of the role, to director@silkmacclesfield.org.uk

Closing date: 12 noon 18th April 2019

Interviews are likely to held week beginning 29th April 2019

For further information please contact: Emma Anderson  Interim Director, director@silkmacclesfield.org.uk / 01625 613 210

Museum Visitor Assistant (Casual – zero hours) 
£8.21 per hour (NMW)
Hours of work: Variable – including weekends, as and when required
Location: Silk Museum & Paradise Mill, and Old Sunday School, Macclesfield 

Are you welcoming and approachable, always prepared to engage with visitors and who puts the visitor first in everything they do. Are you practical and fascinated with learning how our looms and other machines work? Do you have a background or interest in the history of Macclesfield’s silk industry, of textile production, coding and engineering? Become part of our team at the Silk Museum,sharing your knowledge of our amazing collections with visitors and groups.

Job Description: To be the first point of contact with the visitors to the Silk Museum and our other sites. To deliver guided tours of Paradise Mill, providing interesting and knowledgeable tours.

Main Responsibilities:

Museum Visitor Assistants play an important part in the Silk Heritage Trust’s visitor offer, by helping us to:

  • Deliver the highest standard of customer care and engagement
  • Meet income targets through group visits and retail spend
  • Ensure that the Museum and collections are clean and secure at all times

Wider duties include following and supporting safeguarding responsibilities of the museum, including health and safety procedures. You will act as an ambassador for the museum at all times

Please visit our website to download the full job description.  https://macclesfieldmuseums.co.uk/support-us

To Apply: please submit your up to date CV and Letter of  Application (no more than 2 sides A4) outlining how your experience meets the requirements of the role, to director@silkmacclesfield.org.uk

Closing date: 12 noon 18th April 2019

Interviews are likely to held week beginning 29th April 2019

For further information please contact: Emma Anderson  Interim Director, director@silkmacclesfield.org.uk / 01625 613 210

 

 

 

 

Children’s Art Week 2019

Engage, the National Association for Gallery Education, has announced that Children’s Art Week is back for 2019, running from Saturday 8th until Sunday 16th June.

This annual campaign encourages venues – including museums of all sizes – to participate by hosting an event, or running an activity, that captures children’s imaginations, encourages creativity and attracts new audiences to the arts.

Venues interested in organising an event can register on the Children’s Art Week website until late May.

The first 40 venues to register will be offered £50 grant towards costs. Participating venues will receive support to run, publicise and brand their events, including stickers, logos and press release templates.

Year after year Children’s Art Week has been shown to be one of the most effective, yet simple, ways to bring new audiences into local venues, whilst also giving creative opportunities to disadvantaged children and young people.

Collections Trust Workshops

As part of our ongoing work with Collections Trust to support Accredited museums in the North West with their collections and documentation, we are pleased to announce more workshops for 2019-20.

Documentation procedural manuals
25th April 2019, 10am-1pm
Lancashire Conservation Studios, Preston

 A documentation procedural manual is an evolving series of clear instructions to standardise the capture, recording, safekeeping and use of information about museum collections. It describes the documentation system used in a particular museum and communicates that system to all staff and volunteers. It is a requirement of the Museum Accreditation Scheme that Accredited museums have a documentation procedural manual in place (requirement 5.2).

This session, led by Sarah Brown (Collections Trust), will explore what makes a good manual. Focussing on some of the Spectrum 5.0 procedures, we will put your own manuals to the test and identify how they might be improved.

Attendees are requested to bring along their organisation’s manual, to share and discuss during the session.

To book a place follow the link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/documentation-procedural-manuals-workshop-tickets-58857325846

Spectrum 5.0
14th June 2019, 10am-4pm
Lancashire Conservation Studios, Preston

Spectrum 5.0, the collections management standard, was launched in September 2017 following extensive consultation with the museum sector. This session, led by Sarah Brown (Collections Trust), will focus on the documentation and information required for accountability and the museum Accreditation standard requirement 5.2.  Together we will review the latest Spectrum 5.0 primary procedures, with opportunities to reflect on how they are approached by your organisation and develop actions for improvement. Sarah will also highlight the key changes to the standard. Delegates will be encouraged to participate through discussions and activities, and there will be plenty of opportunity for questions throughout.

We request that attendees bring examples of their organisation’s documentation procedures and documentation plan, to share and discuss during the day.

To book a place follow the link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/spectrum-50-workshop-tickets-58855964775

 

Funding News

The 2019 Stationers’ Company Innovation Excellence Awards
The Stationers’ Company Innovation Excellence Awards celebrate the key role that our industries play in the UK economy and give valuable publicity to the entrants and, especially, the winners in each category.

Museums and heritage sites that run different forms of eligible communications can enter by Friday 5th April – find out all information by clicking here.

Marsh Christian Trust Grants
Grants of between £250 to £4,000 are available for groups to pay for various running costs. Funding is available to groups carrying out projects concerned with social welfare, literature arts and heritage.

Full information: Marsh Christian Trust Grants

The Clore Duffield Foundation: Main Grants
Grants for cultural learning, museum, gallery, heritage and performing arts learning spaces. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, although all successful grants can only be awarded at meetings of the Trustees. These are held twice a year, usually in June and December. Grants range from £10,000 to in excess of £1m, although larger grants are made infrequently.

AMA conference 2019 — Bursaries now available

From the Arts Marketing Association:

AMA conference 2019 — Rewire: Culture, Audiences and You is heading to NewcastleGateshead from Tuesday 9th — Thursday 11th July 2019.

There are 35 bursaries available, covering up to 100% of your conference cost, and you don’t have to be a member to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity. So why not apply today for your chance to join hundreds of other cultural professionals for over two and half days of keynotes, breakout sessions, socials and plenty of networking opportunities at a highly discounted rate?

For further information and to download the quick and simple application form, please visit our website.

Touring Exhibitions Group News

Wednesday 5th June
Merseyside Maritime Museum
10:00 – 16:30

The TEG Preparing to Borrow workshop supports participants to acquire the knowledge and confidence to make an application to borrow an object or exhibition.

It is an interactive session, based on problem solving and discussion, covering:

  • The benefits of borrowing
  • Researching suitable objects and exhibitions for loan and hire
  • Making a case to borrow
  • Communicating with lenders
  • Loan applications
  • Fees and contracts
  • Sources of funding
  • Scheduling
  • Transportation
  • Facilities reports
  • Government Indemnity and commercial insurance
  • Security
  • Emergency planning

The workshop is delivered by a TEG trainer, William Brown, National Security Advisor, Carol Warner, Government Indemnity Scheme (GIS) Manager and a member of Art Fund’s team. The training encourages networking, and provides the opportunity to meet colleagues from other organisations who are looking to borrow and find partners.

Art Fund’s Weston Loan Programme will be introduced; information about the programme is available on their website. To keep up-to-date with developments sign up to Art Fund’s Museum Bulletin.

Sign-up for TEG’s e-newsletter to receive the latest information about our professional development opportunities.

For details on how to book tickets, click here.

TEG Marketplace
Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum
Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd May 2019

Join colleagues nationwide at the TEG Marketplace and Pre-Marketplace Seminar for one or two days of networking and inspiration at the UK’s principal touring and partnership exhibitions networking event. Click here for the detailed programme or to book.

Day one

This year’s seminar will explore how to commission creative content, graphic design and exhibition build and infrastructure to tour. It will look at the imaginative, practical and contractual steps involved in commissioning artists, writers, poets and other creatives, as well as graphic and exhibition designers, to help you get the most out of these relationships. TEG will launch and introduce its new commissioning agreement template and resource.

Speakers will include Brian Cass, Senior Curator Hayward Touring, Matt Windle, Poetry with a Punch (Birmingham Poet Laureate), Jessica Litherland, Visual Arts and Media Producer, MAC, Emma Daker, Exhibitions and Project Development Manager, Craftspace, and Juneau Projects.

Day two

TEG’s annual Marketplace is a unique opportunity for organisations developing or supporting the development of touring and partnership exhibitions to network, discuss projects and exchange ideas.

5 Reasons to attend Touring Exhibitions Group Marketplace 2019

  1. Find and share partnership, touring and other exhibition opportunities;be one of the more than 100 organisations starting a conversation and networking
  2. Access 1-2-1 surgerieswith HMRC, re Museums and Galleries Tax Relief, Arts Council England, re funding, security and GIS and Art Fund re the Weston Loan Programme and other opportunities
  3. Get priority access and an introduction to TEG’s new commissioning resource and template; the new resource will launch at the pre-Marketplace seminar, where a fantastic line-up of speakers will share their experience of commissioning
  4. Go on an out-of-hours tour of the ‘Leonardo de Vinci: A Life in Drawing’ exhibition at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, or one of the other exclusive tours on the programme
  5. Take-part in the 5-minute-share; 5-minutes to share information about opportunities at and with your organisation

If you can’t take part, you can still promote exhibition and other opportunities and services through a delegate pack insert or TEG’s range of sponsorship opportunities. Email membership@teg.org.uk for more details or click here to book an insert.