Social History Curators' Group

Museum Federations

Museum Federations in the United Kingdom – if we’ve missed anyone then please let us know

• Welsh Museum Federation

http://www.welshmuseumsfederation.org/

• Scottish Museum Federation

http://www.scottishmuseumsfederation.org.uk/

• Yorkshire and Humberside Federation of Museums and Galleries

http://www.yhfed.org.uk/

• South and East Museums Federation

http://www.semfed.org.uk/

• North West Museums Federation

http://www.nwfed.org.uk/

• The Midlands Federation of Museums and Galleries

https://midfed.org/

• The South Western Federation of Museums and Galleries

http://www.swfed.org.uk/

Collections Link is a collaboration of more than 20 national professional groups, bodies and associations who are responsible for providing advice and support to museums, archives, libraries and other collections-holding organisations.

The aim of the service is to provide a single point of access to best practice in the care and management of collections.

Website: www.collectionslink.org.uk

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DATS aim to provide links and mutual support for professionals in the United Kingdom and Ireland working with specialist collections of fashion, dress and textiles and with wider museum collections that include these materials . They work to encourage sharing and exchanging knowledge, information, skills and resources, and promote best practice in curatorship within dress and textile collections.

DATS produce a newsletter and hold an annual conference on topics relevant to the conservation, exhibition and documentation of costumes and textiles.

For membership details contact the Membership Secretary:
Veronica Isaac

E-mail: vtisaac@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.dressandtextilespecialists.org.uk

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Oral History records the living memories and feelings of all kinds of people, many otherwise hidden from history, and creates a more vivid picture of our past.

Rob Perks
Secretary
Oral History Society
c/o The British Library
96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB

For information and contact addresses:

E-mail: rob.perks@bl.uk
Website: www.ohs.org.uk/

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For discovering everything you have ever wanted to know about the history of plastics from 1284 to the present day.

Ideal for designers, collectors, curators, conservators and students of our industrial and cultural plastics heritage.

E-mail: general@plastiquarian.com
Website: www.plastiquarian.com

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MEG was formed to encourage good practice in curatorship of all UK ethnographic collections, encouraging and disseminating research on ethnographic collections, promoting the exchange of information and resources, nationally, internationally and locally.

The group aims to maintain the profile of ethnography with respect to other groups of museum professionals and in relation to other museum bodies more broadly, such as the Museums Association and MLA. It also aims to educate the public through the use of ethnographic collections and thereby to foster an awareness of their educational value.

E-mail: members@museumethnographersgroup.org.uk
Website: www.museumethnographersgroup.org.uk/

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This weekly calendar brings together six of the UK's regional film archives who have combined collections of millions of feet of film capturing the life, landscape and culture of their respective regions over the last 100 years. Every day a different archive is featured in the joint Archive Weekly Calendar. Each of the participating archives have their own weekly archive calendar and you can find out more here: http://www.nationalarchiveweekly.co.uk/

The calendar is available to embed in your website (as it is here) Simply email a request to yfa@yorksj.ac.uk for instructions on how to embed the Calendar.

BIG is an organisation for individuals involved in all aspects of hands-on exhibitions and activities.

It is not only for people running science centres, but for artists, archaeologists, educators, students, front of house staff, evaluators and anyone involved in hands-on communication whatever their field.

BIG aims to improve understanding of the potential of hands-on and the role it can play in may contexts, to encourage high professional standards and act as a voice for all people working with hands-on.

E-mail: membership@big.uk.com
Website: www.big.uk.com

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The interdisciplinary study of regional cultures and traditions is the key aim of the Society for Folk Life Studies.

The Society is the only organisation in Britain that brings together curators, historians, geographers, musicologists, linguists and many other people to explore the regional identity of the British Isles and beyond.

For membership enquiries, contact:
Seb Littlewood
Beamish Open Air Museum
Beamish
Co. Durham
DH9 0RG

E-mail: seblittlewood@beamish.org.uk
Website: www.folklifestudies.org.uk

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The SW Social History Curators Group is a regional network of people working with, and enthusiastic about, Social History in museum collections, based in a range of institutions and historic sites across the South West (Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire & Wiltshire).

The group's aim is to share and promote specialist collections knowledge within the South West region and act as a support forum for individuals where they can share ideas, experience and object-based knowledge. There are regular meetings and
training opportunities in heritage venues across the region’s six counties, with member updates and professional discussions by email in between meetings.

Whether you’re a curator, freelancer, student or volunteer, the group welcomes new members across a broad spectrum of related interests.

Membership is free. Please email Catherine Littlejohns for more information.

E-mail: catherine.littlejohns@bristol.gov.uk

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