Moving On Up

Moving on Up, a one day conference for early career professionals, was held at the School of Museum Studies at Leicester University on 24^th February. The event was sold out, with people travelling from all over the country to attend. The day has been about a year in the planning, so it was gratifying for the organising committee that it was so well supported!

There was a range of speakers from across the sector, all addressing the issues that face us all in the early stages of our career. NTU’s own Neville Stankley gave a masterclass of quick fire interview tips. Mine was the only raised hand in the room when he asked if anyone never got nervous in interviews, which shocked me (even Neville called me a weirdo). I can’t be the only one?

There followed a very interesting question and answer session with three experienced and respected leaders in the sector: Tony Butler of Derby Museums Trust, Maggie Appleton of the RAF Museum and Iain Watson of Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums. They were all eloquent on the challenges that they have faced in their careers and were generous with their advice. The best advice centred on staying true to your own values and being brave when making career decisions, particularly if that means a more divergent path than you were expecting!

The day was full of great advice from respected people in the sector, and there was plenty of space for delegates to discuss their own views on what was said. The room was perpetually abuzz with conversation, it was a great atmosphere to be a part of.

The standout moment of the day though was the opening keynote speech from Kathryn Perera of Movement for Change. Disillusioned with a career in the law (in which she was compelled to put moral beliefs aside), she took the brave decision to resign in order to found Movement for Change, a social enterprise that, in her words, “uses the power of community organising to make change happen”. Since their inception in 2010 they have campaigned on issues such as access to fair credit, the Living Wage and poor conditions in the private rented sector. She was inspiring in her eloquence.

The day was a great success, and renewed my faith that the people currently coming into our museums share a passion, dedication and creative spirit that can only serve the sector well in the future.

Rebecca Atkinson’s blog and storify: http://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/museums-journal-blog/25022015-success-is-who-i-am

Edited abstract of Kathryn Perera’s speech: www.movementforchange.org.uk/dare_to_fear

This post was written by Simon Brown, Artefact Loans Officer at Nottingham City Museums and Galleries and the East Midlands member representative for the Museums Association. He manages the 11,000 strong Access Artefacts handling collection, based at Wollaton Park.

He graduated from NTU in 2004 with a BA in Heritage Studies with Human Geography, and has since gone on to work in various roles for Nottingham City Museums and Galleries and Nottingham Contemporary, including as a museum assistant, curator and documentation assistant. He is currently studying for the AMA.

Working Towards a New Normality - Culture in Partnership

Sir John Moore's lively workshop on working with children and young people, in partnership, at the East Midlands Heritage Awards 2013

The Arts Council of England’s Great Art and Culture for Everyone strategic document published in October 2013, mentions the word partner, partners or partnership 33 times in a 65 page document. It would be fair to say the Arts Council acknowledge the importance of organisations working together, and for good reason. The Local Government Association, with its members faced with 33% (or more) cuts in the Local Services Support Grant, is advocating a ‘shared services’ approach to local government.

However this strategic thrust is at odds with what usually happens in times of economic hardship. The tendency is to withdraw and pull in on oneself, training budgets are cut, travel budgets are cut and conferences become a luxury rather than a necessity.

Therefore the challenge is for cultural organisations get together to share services, volunteers and/or staff. Can it be done? Already 95% of local authorities now share some services and a few have even experimented with shared chief executives.

The cultural sector has a history of collaboration rather than competition. We need to use this mind-set to turn collaboration into true partnership and joint working. I believe there is an urgency to do this by 2018 when the Arts Council’s current museum development funding stream ends. 

The regional strategic bodies have shown the way. Last year’s East Midlands Heritage Conference ‘Stronger Together’ showed that it can be done. It was a partnership initiative between Museum Development East Midlands, East Midlands Museum Service and Nottingham Trent University. It was free and inclusive encouraging delegates from the region and beyond to come together to share good practice. The next step is to take that good will and create something sustainable and resilient joint working practices.

The structures for this sustainable approach are in place. Strong county forums are in place to encourage smaller museums to come together. Major Partner Museums have the opportunity take a lead in joint working at the larger municipal level. Museum Development 2015-18 bidders also have the opportunity to help embed this approach strategically.

If we bury our heads in the sand we will inevitably begin to lose museums, but there is reason to be optimistic, but that optimism is dependent upon making the most of our limited resources – and that means working together in a meaningful way – permanently.

Resources from the East Midlands Heritage Conference 2013 can be found at http://emms.org.uk/east_midlands_heritage_conference_awards_2013/

More information on the East Midlands Heritage Conference 2015 will be released closer to the event. To join the mailing list, please visit www.emms.org.uk

This post is by Neville Stankley, a Senior Lecturer in Heritage Management at Nottingham Trent University, Vice-Chair of East Midlands Museums Service and key practitioner for the region. He is currently involved in several partnership projects, including the Postgraduate Certificate in Heritage Education, a pioneering model in vocational training that brings together the National Centre for Citizenship and the Law, Leicester City Council, Rutland County Council and Nottingham Trent University.