February Issue 2007

2007 – AIM’s 30th Anniversary

The AIM Bulletin is the main communication channel for the UKs 1000+ independent museums and heritage organisations - half the total provision for the British Isles - which have been in the forefront of the museum movement for nearly 30 years.

IN THIS ISSUE –


•AIM celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and the annual conference will be hosted by Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust, Shropshire, a leading independent museum, on 21-23 June 2007. The theme will be Local Authority – Friend or Foe? and will focus on the relationship between independent museums and local authorities. Despite their inherent independence these museums often have close links with their local authorities – and many local authorities turn to the independent model to transform their own museums. Culture Minister, David Lammy, has agreed to give the keynote speech. A highlight of the conference will be the presentation of new AIM-commissioned research into the relationships between independents and local authorities from Adrian Babbidge of Egeria Heritage Consultancy. Other subjects central to the conference include social enterprise companies, legal update for charitable museums, corporate hire, catering and governance. Updates on the AIM Sustainability Scheme and the AIM-hosted Museum Development Officers’ (MDOs) Conference will be included, while social events include the 30th anniversary annual dinner at Coalbrookdale and a behind-the-scenes tour of Ironbridge Gorge Museums sites. Page 1/2

•AIM chairman Bill Ferris has given evidence on behalf of AIM to the House of Commons Culture, Media & Sport Committee’s Caring for our Collections enquiry. His submission on the outcomes of the Renaissance in the regions programme for independent museums. He stressed the patchiness of good practice and absence of trickle-down of money to non-hub museums; the benefits to smaller museums of the Museum Development Fund; discrepancies between regions and the way medium-sized museums have missed out entirely from benefits. during a long debate in AIM Council in December, one Council member stressed that the only thing making a difference to smaller museums is MDF money. Independent museums who benefited most were the larger projects who were part of a hub. Page 3

•Interest in the Heritage Lottery Fund grant-aided Industrial heritage skills training bursary scheme has been high with 30 applications for four posts. A number of independent museums have agreed to become host training centres including the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, Hampshire; Bluebell Railway, Sussex; The Boat Museum, Ellesmere Port; Ironbridge, Blists Hill, and Crich Tramway Village. Skills training will include basic care and maintenance of industrial objects; use of specialist tools; restoration and conservation processes; operational skills and specialist fitting. Page 4

•Subject Specialist Networks (SSNs) – a key area where MLA’s Renaissance project is encouraging museums outside the hub framework – have certainly touched a chord. Relatively small amounts of money have been available but museums have jumped at the chance to link together where there is common ground and take new initatives to enhance their projects. Thirty-six networks have been set up, with an investment of nearly £300,000. Six are led by independent museums. Networks hope to improve sharing of information about collections, undertake joint exhibitions and take part in learning and audience development initiatives. Among the early projects of the Rural Museums Network, for example, was an interactive ‘potato to chip’ event involving schools, families and visitors in the Fens. Page 7

•Museums are providing better education facilities than ever, says MLA (Museums, Libraries & Archives Council) in its first review of education provision since 1999. MLA says museums are increasingly putting learning at the heart of everything they do. Museum education is higher up the agenda of museum governing bodies than before with 73% stating its importance, compared with the 1994 figure of 64%. AIM chairman Bill Ferris points out that some of the most innovative educational developments have taken place at independent museums, despite the impression sometimes given that it was a new idea. Pages 16

•Nine museums and heritage attractions in Norfolk have experienced a 120% increase in visitors following their investment in a joint marketing campaign. They received 150,000 visitors in 2006 compared with 69,198 in 2003/4, with some projects reporting that visitor numbers had trebled. The campaign was part of an £8.5 million European Objective 2 funded project, led by the Norfolk Museums and Heritage Partnership and run by the Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service. The campaing, Original Norfolk, featured posters with modern characters in colour with their historical black-and-white counterparts, under the theme ‘Visit yesterday, tomorrow’. Page 16

Also in this issue –

•Government should champion heritage science, says Lords committee
•Robert Logan Award for young people working in heritage: closing date announced
•Comment: Bill Ferris on AIM’s 30 years
•Queen Mother’s childhood display for British Schools Museum
•AIM’s latest Focus paper, on Conservation, is uploaded onto AIM website
•New AIM Council members, AIM Honorary Members and New Year Honours
•Cutty Sark masts move to Historic Dockyard, Chatham, for conservation
•Bottom Line: New legislation with implications for Independent Museums
•AIM’s Bob Harding Training Grants receive boost
•MuseumProfile: Crewkerne & District Museum & Heritage Centre, Somerset
•AIM Sustainability Scheme case studies – the latest awards


Plus –

Information on AIM’s latest events, the Bob Harding Training Grants, FOCUS information papers, and the two-page AIM Directory – 30+ providers of products and services for the museum sector.