Events & Events Archive
This is what we do! Advocacy in social history museums and beyond
Monday 6th November, 2017
How to advocate for your museum, role or collection is really important. This advocacy can be to external stakeholders, visitors, other members of staff, volunteers or trustees. Recent cuts to some organisations in the sector is making advocacy more important than ever before, but shouldn’t advocacy be something we are all doing more often?
In this practical seminar you will hear from several museum professionals about what actions they have taken to advocate for their museum, particular collection or role. In the afternoon we will have two practical problem solving sessions, one using Barnsley museum’s education service advocacy
document “This is what we do” and the other will help you create your own advocacy plan. The day also includes a tour of Nottingham castle!
The focus of this seminar will be on social history collections and organisations, but the skills and resources here go beyond social history, making this day ideal to anyone who wants to find out more about how to advocate effectively.
By the end of the day participants will:
- Be inspired by a range of case studies
- Learn more about the range of techniques that can be used to advocate
- Have a practical plan on how to advocate to a particular stakeholder, department, group or trustee.
- Gain confidence in how to advocate effectively
- Network- meet other people in similar situations, give you ideas, food for thought etc
Costs:
£25 SHCG Members
£40 Non Members
Please note, lunch is not included.
Please complete the form at the bottom of this page to book your place:
Speakers:
Bev Baker, Senior Curator & Archivist, National Justice Museum
Simon Brown, Curator of Collections, Newstead Abbey & Museums Association Trustee
Rachel Cockett, Director of Development, Birmingham Museums Trust
Victoria Rogers, Museum Manager, The Cardiff Story Museum
Timetable
10:00-10:25 Welcome & refreshments
10:25-10:30 Introduction and housekeeping
10:30-11:10 Rachel Cockett- #SupportBhamMuseums advocacy campaign
11:10-11:50 Bev Baker- Advocacy through Subject Specialist Networks, local Heritage Forums and partnership work with Universities.
11:50-12:20 Simon Brown- Museums Association advocacy work.
12:20-1:20 Lunch- Not included
1:20-2:00 Victoria Rogers- Blow your own trumpet: the importance of advocacy in building resilience.
2:00-2:30 Practical group session 1- using Barnsley Museum’s Education service This is what we do advocacy document.
2:30-2:45 Refreshments
2:45-3:15 Practical session 2- developing a plan for your museum- with help and support from speakers & other delegates
3:15-3:25 Feedback, wrap up and close
3:25-4:00 Optional-Tour of Nottingham Castle
Session Details:
Bev Baker: Senior Curator & Archivist, National Justice Museum. This session will focus on advocacy through the membership of Subject Specialist Networks and local Heritage Forums and partnership work with Universities.
Simon Brown: Curator of Collections, Newstead Abbey & Museums Association Trustee. The Museums Association is the largest membership organisation for the sector in the UK, and one of their primary functions is to advocate for the value of museums to the public and stakeholders. Simon Brown is a board member of the MA and will speak about the work the organisation does in this regard.
Rachel Cockett: Director of Development, Birmingham Museums Trust. This session will focus on the 2017 #SupportBhamMuseums advocacy campaign which successfully reduced the impact of proposed local authority cuts. This was Birmingham Museums Trust’s second anti-cuts campaign in 2 years. The session will consider the political sensitivities, risks and limits of public campaigns.
Victoria Rogers: Museum manager, The Cardiff Story Museum. Based on personal experience, this session will look at the importance of advocacy to the sector and to individual museums and professionals. It will give practical examples that any museum or individual can use to help build organisational or personal resilience.
Event details
Venue: Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery Lenton Road, Nottingham, NG1 6EL. Tel: 0115 8761400
More details about how to get to the venue will be sent out in the delegate pack.
Bookings Close: 5pm Wednesday 1 November.
Free place: We offered a free place to any SHCG member who hadn’t attended a seminar before. The deadline for free place applications has now passed.