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CyMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales Museums Current Awareness Service - Bulletin 95 Information about the Museums Current Awareness Service can be found on CyMAL's pages on the Welsh Assembly website. http://www.wales.gov.uk/cymal NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR WALES Questions to the Minister for Heritage, and answers to questions not reached in Plenary - Wednesday, 14 July http://tinyurl.com/39kw4we http://tinyurl.com/2wkd5aw FEDERATION OF MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES IN WALES Identifying and Recording 4th Century Roman coins - Newport, 6th October 2010 This day course is designed to provide that practical knowledge and, as the best way to learn to identify coins is to handle them, it will be through the medium of the coinage itself with each person working with their own group of coins. The main emphasis will be on the identification of 4th century coins found in Britain and much of the day will be spent learning the various tricks of the numismatist's trade which make such identification easier. The arcane art of referencing coins will also be explained, with a full explanation of the often abstruse code used in the standard catalogues. Although the day will be focused on bronze nummi, the silver and gold denominations will also be covered. Free to both members of the Welsh Federation of Museums and Society of Museum Archaeologists. Places will be available to non members at a cost of £12.00. A buffet lunch and tea/coffee will be provided. To book a place please call Linda Cronin on 01633 414701 MUSEUMS LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES COUNCIL MLA says 'stormy seas call for cool heads and steady hands' Responding to the government's announcement that the MLA is to be wound up by April 2012, Chair Sir Andrew Motion and Chief Executive Roy Clare pledge a smooth and orderly transition to deliver the best possible future for museums, libraries and archives across England and for the people and communities who expect to use them. In a joint statement, Sir Andrew Motion and Roy Clare say: "Stormy seas call for cool heads and steady hands. The team in the MLA have worked tirelessly and with commendable commitment to develop the capacity of the organisation since 2007. Now, faced with an unforeseen degree of economic pressure, government has chosen to balance the books and to prioritise the rationalisation of its existing cultural agencies as a contribution. http://www.mla.gov.uk/news_and_views/press_releases/2010/mla_gov_announcement Urgent response needed to protect against risk of online copyright infringement Museums offering public internet access could be liable to serious financial, reputational and legal costs if online copyright infringements are found. A recent consultation has set out for the sector how the provisions of the Digital Economy Act about online copyright infringement will be interpreted and enforced by Ofcom. But there is uncertainty about which legal category is appropriate for the sector, leaving it vulnerable. As a result the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council (MLA), the British Library and the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) have produced briefing documents to help the sector understand and respond to the consultation. Replies are urged by 31 July. http://www.mla.gov.uk/news_and_views/press_releases/2010/online_infringement Murillo painting export barred The Culture Minister has placed a temporary export bar on a painting by the Spanish artist Murillo. This will provide a last chance to raise the money to keep the painting of The Virgin and Child in the United Kingdom. The ruling follows a recommendation by the MLA-administered Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, which recommended that the export decision be deferred on the grounds that the painting is of outstanding aesthetic importance. http://tinyurl.com/342ssyg DEPARTMENT FOR CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT Review of Arm's Length Bodies A number of our public bodies are set to be merged, abolished or streamlined. This is part of the Government's drive to cut costs and increase transparency, accountability and efficiency. This will include the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, to focus efforts on front-line, essential services and ensure greater value for money - Government support for museums, libraries and archives will continue. Some key functions carried out by these bodies would be transferred to other, existing organisations. We will do further work over the summer to finalise the details and timing of these changes. We will also continue to look at its other arm's length bodies and explore further opportunities to improve accountability and efficiency. http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/news_stories/7280.aspx Consultation on the National Lottery Shares This consultation document seeks views on the draft Order to enact a change to the shares going to the National Lottery good causes of arts, sport, heritage and charitable expenditure, health, education and the environment. http://www.culture.gov.uk/consultations/7070.aspx MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION Your museum in changing times: Museums Association Conference - Manchester, 4-6 October This is a time of great change for UK museums and galleries - come to the Museums Association's Annual Conference and Exhibition to find out what it all means for you and your institution. Don't miss the opportunity to shape the debate about the future of the sector. Keynotes include Neil MacGregor director of the British Museum and Alex Poots director of the Manchester International Festival. Sessions, seminars, evening receptions, networking events and the exhibition add up to a packed programme. http://www.museumsassociation.org/conference Friends patrons volunteers: Making the most of your advocates - London, 23 September Making the most of relationships with volunteers, friends and patrons can be as effective in promoting your museum or gallery as any cutting-edge website or expensive marketing campaign. Nurturing these can bring significant long-term benefit for all parties. This one-day conference examines how best to work with supporters of your museums. Taken together these different groups comprise a unique and invaluable resource, one which can be useful in many ways over and above the core goals of raising profile and fundraising. The day brings together diverse case studies and explains why and how they have been individually successful and of mutual benefit. It also looks at how to sustain such relationships through difficult times and what to do when things go wrong. http://www.museumsassociation.org/events/find-an-event/c6%252f10 Online advocacy resources available The Museums Association has launched a range of online resources to support museums and galleries in their advocacy efforts. Part of the Love Museums project, they are designed to help museums win friends and influence people by communicating better what they do. The resources include facts demonstrating the value of museums to tourism, advocacy views and perspectives plus top tips from museum professionals, and the opportunity to share ideas. http://www.museumsassociation.org/love-museums ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT MUSEUMS Focus paper: Exploring the potential of the social web With the help of a CyMAL grant, the Association for Independent Museums has published a Focus Paper on the social web. The People's Collection Wales forms one of the Case studies. It is also the first ever of AIM's popular focus papers to be published in Welsh. The audience for these focus papers include small and volunteer run museums so will be helpful to anyone new to the social web. http://www.aim-museums.co.uk/pages/pg%2D5%2Daim%2Dfocus%2Dpapers/ PROMOTING MUSEUMS A Fresh Start for ICOM UK ICOM UK, the UK committee of the International Council of Museums, has recently elected a new Chair and Trustees and is developing a new forward plan for 2010-13. Nick Poole, CEO of the Collections Trust, has been elected as the new Chair, replacing Mike Houlihan who has taken up the reins at Te Papa museum in New Zealand. Chris Bailey of the Northern Ireland Museums Council and Jane Weeks, freelance museum consultant also joined the Committee at the AGM at the British Museum in June. http://uk.icom.museum/?dm_i=6S6,79M1,NALVN,I59B,1 AMGUEDDFA CYMRU - NATIONAL MUSEUM WALES Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales appoints new Director General Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales today (12 July 2010) announced the appointment of David Anderson, Director of Learning and Interpretation at the Victoria and Albert Museum, as Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales's new Director General. David Anderson was chosen from a selection of high-calibre international candidates because of his deep understanding of the role of national museums and museum culture, his particular expertise of the role of education in museums and the passion he demonstrated to take on the role. His 20 years experience at one of the world's leading museums makes him well placed to lead Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales and he will begin his new role in October 2010. http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/5/?article_id=609 New interactive era opens at Amgueddfa Cymru A new gallery that will offer people a hands-on connection with the past opens at National Museum Cardiff this Saturday (11 July). The new Clore Discovery Centre has been made possible by a grant of over £160,000 from the Clore Duffield Foundation, founded in 1964 by the late Sir Charles Clore - one of Britain's most successful post-war businessmen and one of the most generous philanthropists of his day. "Our new gallery will give people an exciting hands-on association with the past," said Ceri Black, Head of Learning, Amgueddfa Cymru. "They will be able to handle pieces from our collection such as bronze age axes and fossils, view historic documents and enjoy an interactive experience that will help bring the past to life. "This is the beginning of a new era of innovation in learning at Amgueddfa Cymru. More learning spaces will open next year, which will greatly extend the service we are able to offer families, schools and visitors of all ages who visit us regularly." http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/5/?article_id=608 COLLECTIONS New guidelines for collection environments on the way To meet the need for environmental guidelines which are sustainable while still safeguarding collections, national organisations in the UK have come together to update existing guidance and develop new standards. Three related initiatives are under way which will ultimately lead to a new British Standard covering environments for all types of collections. http://www.icon.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1263&Itemid=1 CONSERVATION Icon Conservation Awards Icon is delighted to announce the third round of Conservation Awards. The Conservation Awards have been the most important event within conservation since their inception in 1993, celebrating excellence in conservation treatment, training and research and development, and since 2004, the new field of digital preservation. They highlight the achievements of a sector which, although vital to the effective care of our heritage, rarely receives public recognition. They contribute to the raising of professional standards and promote sustainability and care for the environment. By focusing on best practice and the dissemination of new ideas, they provide a wider social benefit in supporting the effective preservation of artefacts both new and old. There are 5 awards: - The Pilgrim Trust Award for Conservation: for an outstanding project to conserve individual or collections of objects, or decorative, artistic or fine crafted elements of historic buildings (but not the building itself), or monuments and sculptures. £7,500 prize. - The Award for the Care of Collections: for an initiative leading to significant and sustainable improvements to caring for collections. £2,500 prize. - The Student Conservator of the Year Award: for an exceptional project completed by a student during their training, illustrating best standard in conservation, collections care or research and innovation. £5000 prize (to be shared between the student and their institution). - The Digital Preservation Award in association with The Digital Preservation Coalition: recognises leadership and practical advancement in digital preservation. £2,500 prize. - The Anna Plowden Trust Award for Research and Innovation in Conservation: for a completed research or development project that has advanced the knowledge of conservation. £2,500 prize. http://www.conservationawards.org.uk/?dm_i=6S6,79M1,NALVN,I59A,1 TRAINING AND CONFERENCES MGHG Annual Conference: Museums and the Market - Leeds, 10-11 September In the history of every museum there has been a significant engagement with the wider market structures and yet these engagements rarely feature in the interpretation of the history of the objects as we encounter them in the modern museum. The museum has also, since its inception, been involved in the cultural and the economic structures of society. Indeed, museums are now seen as crucial signifiers and influential catalysts in what we now call the 'cultural economy'. It is therefore appropriate, given the current interest in the commercial aspects of the history of collections and the interest in the museum itself as part of the 'market', to look anew at the role played by the market in the history of the museum. This innovative conference, one of the first of its kind, focuses on the intersections, the formal and informal spaces where the market and the museum meet and overlap. The papers reflect a wide range of interests and perspectives and bring together leading academics and museum professionals in order to further discussion and debate around this increasingly significant subject. Located at the new Leeds City Museum, the conference will be of interest to academics, museum professionals, and all those who are interested in the history of the museum and its role in society. http://www.mghg.org/events/ Interpretive Master Planning, Plas Tan y Bwlch (Snowdonia National Park Training Centre, Wales), 31 Aug-3 Sept, 2010 Interpretive Master Planning (cost £357) is a four-day course which takes an in-depth look at interpretive planning for parks, historic sites, museums, botanical gardens/zoos, etc. It will also touch on visitor centre and exhibit planning. Participants are encouraged to bring interpretive planning projects with them to work on. Course instructor is John Veverka, who has 30 years of interpretive planning and teaching experience. For more details contact [log in to unmask] Heritage Science in Scotland - Glasgow, 7th September 2010 Historic Scotland will be hosting a conference 'Heritage Science in Scotland' on 7th September 2010 at the Glasgow Science Centre. This event will highlight the importance and quality of Scotland's heritage science output and will demonstrate the close and productive working between heritage institutions and specialist university research groups. The speakers will be a mixture of scientists and non-scientists working in the heritage field, and the event will have four themes: 1. Using science to understand the past 2. Monitoring decay and conservation treatments 3. Public and wider benefits of heritage science 4. Current research in heritage science in Scotland http://tinyurl.com/2wkj8kd Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Conference The Army Museums Ogilby Trust Annual Conference will take place on Tuesday 26th October at the Royal United Services Institute, Whitehall. £45 including lunch. Themes include Funding, MOD issues and Horizon Scanning. Further details from: Army Museums Ogilby Trust, (Registered Charity No: 250907), Brigadier CS Sibun, 58 The Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2EX. Tel/Fax: +44 (0)1722 332188, e-mail: [log in to unmask] WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Apprenticeships in Wales - Unleashing Wales' talent! Creative Apprenticeships is an employer - designed and Government backed programme. It is the first ever accredited apprenticeship designed specifically to meet the needs of the creative and cultural sectors. It will allow a sector that accounts for over half a million jobs to offer flexible work-based training for those who may lack qualifications but not potential. Creative Apprenticeships seek to create a new and alternative route into skilled and rewarding careers in one of the fastest growing sectors of the UK economy. One based on ability and potential rather than necessarily academic track record or social background and contacts. Creative Apprenticeships will provide high quality, paid, work-based qualifications at Level 2 and Level 3 in technical and specialist skills areas where employers have identified current and future skill needs. The apprenticeships will also widen entry to the workforce, by providing a vocational pathway that will be attractive to talented people as an alternative to academic entry routes. From July 2010 we will be launching and phasing the implementation of Creative Apprenticeships in the following pathways across the whole of Wales: - Technical Theatre: Rigging, Lighting and Sound - Live Events and Promotions - Technical Theatre: Costume and Wardrobe - Community Arts Management - Cultural and Heritage Venue Operations Creative Apprenticeships are being launched in Wales through the Sector Priority Fund Pilot (SPFP) with Welsh Assembly Government and the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO). For further information contact Alison Cade on 02920 444195 or [log in to unmask] http://www.ccskills.org.uk Cultural Leadership International 2010 - Applications open The British Council, with support from the Cultural Leadership Programme (CLP), is looking for the UK's most promising cultural leaders to take part in its 2010 Cultural Leadership International (CLI) programme. They are looking for mid-career potential leaders in the creative, educational and sports sectors that are interested in international networking and opportunities, and that understand the impact culture can have in addressing global social and economic issues. The participants of CLI 2010 will all take part in a leadership skills' workshop in Beirut (September 2010) with the rest of the international participants from Syria, the Palestinian Territories, Egypt, Lebanon, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. As part of the workshop, each participant will develop a professional development plan, and receive a £5,000 grant to implement it. The plan could take the form of a course, an international placement or a mentorship scheme. Applications close on 9 August 2010. http://www.britishcouncil.org/arts-cli-get-involved.htm MCN 2010 Conference Scholarship Application Process Now Open! The Museum Computer Network is providing NINE scholarships to attend this year's MCN Conference, in Austin, Texas, 27th-30th October 2010. The competitive scholarship provides free conference registration, free hotel stay, and a $50 stipend to cover additional expenses. Applicants must meet ONE of the following criteria for eligibility: 1. Employed at an institution with no more than 20 permanent staff 2. First-time MCN conference attendee 3. New to the profession with less than 2 years experience in the field http://www.mcn.edu/mcn-2010-scholarships One Day Courses for Chairs and Chief Executives The Clore Leadership Programme, in partnership with the Cultural Leadership Programme, is offering one-day courses for: - Chairs and CEOs or Artistic Directors coming as a pair on Thursday 21st October 2010 and Wednesday 2nd March 2011. - Individuals who have recently been appointed as new Chairs on Wednesday 1st December 2010. All days will take place at the Whitechapel Gallery in London and will cover issues such as artistic risk, financial information, legal responsibilities, strategic planning, diversity, recruitment and succession planning. For full information regarding dates, venues and fees for applications and to apply please visit our website. http://www.cloreleadership.org. ACCESS, LIFELONG LEARNING AND SOCIAL INCLUSION Learning Together: A Guide for Facilitators of Informal Adult Learning This guide is free to download from the NIACE website. It is intended for people and organisations who help adults to learn in informal settings, and you may find it useful when thinking about how you train your volunteers. http://shop.niace.org.uk/learning-together.html CHARITIES AND VOLUNTEERS CC20 Charities and Fundraising: new guidance for charities The Charity Commission has published new guidance on fundraising to help charities and their trustees fundraise effectively, efficiently and legally. Concerning fundraising from the public for the benefit of charities and their beneficiaries, it is primarily intended for charities and their trustees but it may also be of interest to professional fundraisers, businesses and consultants working in fundraising and to donors. Charity law applies to both organisations and individuals who appeal for funds for charitable purposes. The guidance includes information on charity law as it applies to fundraising, general principles charities should follow when developing a fundraising strategy, where the sector's self-regulatory Codes of Fundraising Practice apply and information on issues that charities may encounter http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/publications/cc20.aspx?#a1 SITUATIONS VACANT Temporary Collections Assistant (Rhondda Valleys) Working hours: Full Time Salary: £17,161 - £19,126 Closing date: 13/08/2010 Rhondda Cynon Taf Museum and Heritage Service is looking to recruit a temporary Collections Assistant to work on museum collections from the Rhondda Valleys. You will undertake work which is essential to achieving professional standards for these collections. The Collections Assistant will support the County Collections Manager in improving the documentation and care of collections held by the Museum Service relating to the Rhondda Valleys, in preparation for an Accreditation bid for Rhondda Heritage Park. You will also have experience of working with museum collections and a thorough understanding of accreditation requirements. The post will be based mainly at Cynon Valley Museum and Gallery, but the successful candidate will be required to work at Rhondda Heritage Park on a regular basis. For further information or an informal discussion regarding the post, please contact Heather Perry (County Collections Manager) on (01685) 886729 or via email [log in to unmask] http://tinyurl.com/2wh47pr NEWS - WALES Tenby Museum acquires rare Gwen and Augustus John material Tenby Museum & Art Gallery has acquired an impressive collection of works and memorabilia relating to the artists and siblings Gwen and Augustus John. The museum has a strong interest in the lives and works of the pair due to the Tenby connection with their early lives. The collection includes two drawings by Gwen John and Edwin John (Augustus John's son) purchased with the assistance of a £3,500 Art Fund grant, towards the total cost of £7,100. The MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund gave £4,750 towards the whole collection. To assist with the purchase the museum's Friends group organised a performance of A Face Behind the Glass in June, a monologue written by Mark Lewis, the museum's collections manager, on the life of Gwen John. (Source: AIM Bulletin, July 2010) Restoration aim for slate mine electric trains Two of the oldest electric railway engines in the UK are starting a journey from the Welsh slate mine they served for 70 years to be restored. The Coalition and the Eclipse locomotives worked at Llechwedd Slate Mines in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, from the 1890s to the 1960s. Both locomotives were used to pull trucks of slate around the Llechwedd mine and were rebuilt as electric engines there. When they were withdrawn from service they were preserved on static display at the site. However, time and weather have taken their toll, and they are being transported to the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR) in Porthmadog where they will be kept under cover while fundraising to restore them is carried out. The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Tywyn, Gwynedd, is paying for the transportation. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-10704636 Pembrokeshire council to sell old Haverfordwest prison A 19th Century former prison currently used as Pembrokeshire's records office and archive store is to be sold. The building in Haverfordwest dates back to 1820 and has been declared surplus to requirements after the service moves to a new base. The county council said selling the site would raise money and lead to efficiency savings. It put a house where Lord Nelson received the Freedom of Haverfordwest on the market last month. The archive service will move from the former prison within the grounds of Haverfordwest Castle when new council offices are completed in the Prendergast area of the town. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10555307 NEWS - NORTHERN IRELAND Derry/Londonderry is UK City of Culture 2013 Derry/Londonderry is celebrating as it becomes the UK's first ever city of culture. Derry/Londonderry beat three other finalists, Birmingham, Norwich and Sheffield to the title. Its passion and commitment to culture, its strong cultural programme and support from communities across the city, all contributed to Derry/Londonderry's winning bid. Derry/Londonderry will become a focus for national attention in 2013 and could host high-profile events including the Turner Prize, BBC Sports Personality of the Year, The Brits and the RIBA Stirling Prize as part of its year in the spotlight. http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/news_stories/7248.aspx NEWS - UK Court case puts collections at risk A court case to decide whether the Wedgwood Museum collection can be sold to meet a pension deficit could have ramifications for other museums and put collections at risk of being broken up. The Wedgwood Museum Trust (WMT), which went into administration in April after being saddled with an estimated £134m pension shortfall, is currently awaiting a court case to decide whether the Wedgwood Pension Plan Trustee Limited (WPPTL) has a legal claim to its collection. The WPPTL could argue that pension protection legislation overrules the common law that protects collections - meaning the Wedgwood Museum Trust's collection could be sold to meet the pension liability. It is believed this is the first time the status of museum collections as protected assets will be subject to a court hearing. http://tinyurl.com/36bg725 NEWS - INTERNATIONAL CAP reform post-2013: cultural heritage is a force for rural development, say European heritage and landscape bodies Following a joint meeting of interested parties in Brussels in March, hosted by the European Cultural Heritage body Europa Nostra, a joint statement has been submitted to the European Commission outlining what they want reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post 2013 to achieve for European landscapes and cultural heritage, and why this is so important. The statement advocates that the active stewardship of Europe's diverse historic landscapes and the conservation and adaptive re-use of its rural cultural heritage can make a fundamental contribution to preserving the countryside and developing the economy in rural areas. It clearly asks that the next round of CAP reform recognises the European landscape and cultural heritage as a key public good, alongside biodiversity, food security and the need to respond to a changing climate. (Source: Heritage Update 187) http://www.europanostra.org/news/107/ Elizabeth Bennett & Carol Whittaker Current Awareness Service Inclusion of third party information in the Museums Current Awareness Service does not constitute an endorsement by CyMAL. CyMAL takes no responsibility for the quality of third party events, products or services featured in this Newsletter. Whilst every care is taken to provide accurate information, neither CyMAL nor the editor undertakes any liability for any error or omission. If you know anyone who would like to be added to the circulation list, or would like a 'hard copy' of the main mailing, or if you don't have access to the internet and need prints from the sites listed - please contact Carol Whittaker. People who currently receive hard copies will continue to do so. Welsh and English versions of the bulletin will remain separate in response to requests from readers. --- Elizabeth Bennett CyMAL: Amgueddfeydd Archifau a Llyfrgelloedd Cymru - CyMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru - Welsh Assembly Government Rhodfa Padarn, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3UR. Ffon/Tel: 0300 062 2101 Fax/Ffacs: 0300 062 2052 e-bost/e-mail: [log in to unmask]