MDNW is now part of Museum Development North.
MD North will continue to deliver the ‘Branches’ of Roots & Branches on behalf of Museum Development England throughout 2024-26.
Free Carbon Literacy training for museums, Trainer Support Sessions and Seeds for Action sessions will be programmed throughout this period.
Visit the MD North Events page for current listings.
Roots & Branches
Museums taking action against climate change
Roots & Branches is a collaboration between The Carbon Literacy Project, Museum Development England and Manchester Museum, supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. It aims to train and certify 1,500 people from 300 museums as Carbon Literate over the next two years and give an opportunity for museums to converse, experiment, and test new ideas for a more sustainable future.
Project background
Roots & Branches is an ambitious, environmentally-driven partnership project between Manchester Museum, Museum Development North West and The Carbon Literacy Project.
Manchester Museum is hosting the ’Roots’, creating a nationally significant co-working hub of cultural environmental action that will bring together museums, educators, environmentalists, artists, researchers, third sector organisations and students. This is being coordinated by an innovative new post, Hannah Hartley, Environmental Action Manager, shared between Manchester Museum and The Carbon Literacy Project.
The ‘Branches’ of the project will create an environmentally aware and active sector, giving museums the tools to respond to ‘Let’s Create’, Art Council England’s 10-year strategy in which environmental responsibility is at the core. Over the next two years, this project will enable Museum Development England to scale up the roll-out of Carbon Literacy training across museums in England. A new online Carbon Literacy for Museums Toolkit is now available and free to access by all museums in the UK.
What is the Carbon Literacy for Museums Toolkit?
Carbon Literacy training is a tried and tested model of delivery that gives delegates a deeper understanding of the climate crisis and how they, as individuals and workers, can accelerate their action to respond to the climate crisis.
The Carbon Literacy for Museums Toolkit has been designed with museum staff and volunteers in mind, and will empower all museum workers to enact significant, achievable change within their workplace to reduce carbon emissions, and to use their platforms to positively influence their audiences and communities.
The Toolkit contains a day’s worth of learning and action planning, and has been co-created, reviewed, and piloted alongside a panel of museums and organisations in the sector, ensuring it is a practical and relevant resource to support your museum’s environmental responsibility goals. It consists of a Slide Deck; a comprehensive Trainer Manual; activity resources; a ‘Getting Started’ pack; a pre-recorded video to support delivery; and a post-training resource document for learners. The Toolkit has the flexibility to be adapted for your local area, using local environmental data and case studies.
The Toolkit has also been adapted for a face-to-face delivery model. Museum Development teams across England are also delivering regional training courses for Accredited non-National museums with the support of a new Museum Carbon Literacy Officer post.
How do I find out more about the Toolkit?
The Toolkit is accessible to all museums in the UK via The Carbon Literacy Project. To find out more about the Toolkit, what it contains and for sector testimonials, head over to the Museums pages of The Carbon Literacy Project’s website: https://carbonliteracy.com/toolkits/museums/
How can I access the Toolkit and training?
For people working and volunteering in Accredited non-national museums in England, including freelancers, there are opportunities to attend free Carbon Literacy courses delivered by your regional Museum Development provider. There is also additional support to help you roll out the training in your own organisation through Train the Trainer workshops delivered by Alison Criddle, Museum Development Officer: Environmental Responsibility at Museum Development North West.
Information about your local Museum Development Provider can be found here: https://mduk.org.uk/md-providers/
Museums in the UK can access the Toolkit via The Carbon Literacy Project website. You can use the content to schedule and run your own training sessions for your workforce. For more information and to access the Toolkit, visit: https://carbonliteracy.com/toolkits/museums/
Learner certification fees apply, generally £10 per learner. The training materials can be accessed by museums and their approved training providers for the purposes of certified Carbon Literacy training.
Seeds for Action Programme
As part of Roots & Branches, the Seeds for Action Programme aims to connect Carbon Literate Certified museum people across England to develop and build on their carbon reduction strategies and approaches to taking climate action. This online programme, using Museum Development Programme funding from Arts Council England, is a chance to share your experiences of and ask others about the nitty gritty of implementing climate action around various areas of work.
You can find out more about the Programme here: Seeds for Action Programme
Museum Development North West 