SMC e-bulletin

SMC Monthly e-bulletin November 2006

The deadline for the final round of small grants for 2006/2007 is 15 November 2006.
For application forms and guidelines, see http://www.scottishmuseums.org.uk/areas_of_work/grants/small_grants.asp
or contact SMC Grants Development Manager Beverley Davies. 
T: 0131 550 4155  E: [email protected]

15 November, Edinburgh
SMC has commissioned research to develop a Quality Assurance Framework for museums and galleries and the consultants are hosting a half-day consultation event to gather input regarding the purpose, focus, management and maintenance of the framework. The event will be held in the SMC offices (NB not the COSLA offices as stated previously). To attend, please contact Helen Raggett.
T: 0131 550 4112  E: [email protected]

17 November, Aberdeen / 22 November, Dumfries / 24 November, Edinburgh
SMC is hosting three free Engagement Days to meet members and other stakeholders to explore the strategies A national workforce development strategy for Scotland�s museums and A national collections development strategy for Scotland�s museums.
You are invited to come along to any of the sessions to hear about the strategies and to share ideas about how they can be put into practice in your organisation. Each day will run from 10.30am-3.30pm (including lunch), allowing time for separate sessions to focus on a key theme from each of the strategies. In addition, there will be case study presentations and an opportunity to discuss these with colleagues in the context of your own priorities and resources. To be sure of a place, please contact Sue Wheeler.
T: 0131 550 4113  E: [email protected]

29 November, Glasgow
This year�s AGM will be held on the SS Glenlee at The Tall Ship at Glasgow Harbour.
It will be followed by a reception at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
The day will focus on collections at the heart of Scotland�s communities, with presentations and examples of good practice from across SMC�s membership.
The business of the AGM will start at 10.30am. After lunch, focus groups will examine SMC�s values and the development of SMC�s branding.
Transport will then be provided to Kelvingrove where Mark O�Neill, Head of Glasgow City Council Museums and Galleries, will welcome members prior to an opportunity to tour the recently refurbished museum.
If you have any queries about the day, please contact Emma Davies. 
T: 0131 550 4122  E: [email protected]

The Significance Scheme was launched in October. The Scottish Executive scheme, managed by SMC, will, for the first time, recognise collections of national significance held by Scotland�s non-national museums and galleries.
Douglas Connell has been appointed as chair of the Significance Committee and the committee members are Patricia Andrew, Neil Cameron, Herbert Coutts, Simon Fairclough, William Fox, Alexander Hayward, Anne Macdonald and Evelyn Silber.
Applications are now invited for the first round of recognitions. Registered/Accredited non-national museums and galleries are asked to register Notes of Interest to the scheme by 1 December 2006. Applicant guidance and forms are on the SMC website at http://www.scottishmuseums.org.uk/areas_of_work/sigschemeintro.asp

Show Scotland returns on the Bank Holiday Weekend 4-7 May 2007.
Funding will be available to SMC full member museums and galleries to help get some of the best ideas for events for Show Scotland 07 off the ground. The funds can be used for up to 75% of the total costs of an event, from a minimum of �300 up to a maximum of �1,500. Guidelines, sample evaluation forms and grant application forms are being distributed. If you have any queries about the funding pack, please contact Emma Jane McAdam.  T: 0131 550 4123  E: [email protected]

The next meeting of the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel will be on
13 February 2007. The deadline for all bids for this meeting is 23 January 2007.
The following new cases have been claimed by the Crown.
TT.56/06  LBA metalwork hoard and associated finds, Kinross, Perth & Kinross.
TT.57/06  EBA flat axehead, Kinross, Perth & Kinross.
TT.58/06  Neolithic polished stone axehead (part), Montrose basin, Angus.
TT.59/06  Collection of Mesolithic flint artifacts, Loch Garten, Highland.
TT.60/06  86 medieval/other objects, Fortrose, Highland.
TT.61/06  85 medieval/other objects, Portmahomack, Highland.
TT.62/06  Medieval annular brooch, Drumelzier, Scottish Borders.
TT.63/06  Romanesque strapend, Kingsbarns, Fife.
TT.64/06  18thC heart-shaped amulet, Kilrenny, Fife.
TT.65/06  Medieval Papal bulla and 18thC political medallion, St Andrews, Fife.
TT.66/06  17thC Anstruther communion token, Anstruther, Fife.
TT.67/06  Three 18thC military objects and one coin, Ardersier, Highland.
TT.68/06  Post medieval Jews harp, Dingwall, Highland.
TT.69/06  91 post medieval objects, Ardersier, Highland.
TT.70/06  Medieval annular brooch, Kirriemuir, Angus.
TT.71/06  Two post medieval Jew�s harps, Banff, Aberdeenshire.
TT.72/06  Post medieval lead badge, Inverboyndie, Aberdeenshire.
TT.73/06  Medieval annular brooch, Nethy Bridge, Highland.
TT.74/06  33 medieval/other finds, Kinross, Perth & Kinross.
TT.75/06  Bronze Age excavation assemblage, Balblair Quarry, Highland.
TT.76/06  Early Mesolithic flint blade, Orval, Rum, Highland.
TT.77/06  Neolithic stone axehead blade, Burntisland, Fife.
TT.78/06  Early Historic bronze pin, Whitehills, Aberdeenshire.
Eligible museums interested in bidding should request details from Jenny Shiels, Treasure Trove Administrator, National Museums of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF.  E: [email protected]

The Conservation Awards recognise excellence in conservation, collections care, conservation research and digital preservation. The �15,000 Award for Conservation is for an outstanding project conserving individual items or collections. The �15,000 Award for Care of Collections is for an initiative leading to significant and sustainable improvements in caring for collections. The deadline for both categories is 15 December 2006. For details of entry conditions, see http://www.conservationawards.org.uk

Entries are invited for the Robert Logan Award which is administered by the British Association of Friends of Museums and co-sponsored by the Association of Independent Museums to encourage the development of a future generation of museum leaders.
The award is open to professionals and volunteers under 30 years of age. Entrants are asked to submit the outline of a paper on the subject of �The Past, the Present and the Future� by 1 April 2007. The winner will receive �500 and an invitation to speak at the BAFM conference in Liverpool in October 2007.
For further information, contact Carol Bunbury.  T: 0870 224 8917 
E: [email protected]  W: http://www.bafm.org.uk/pages/bafm-logan-award.htm

Recent Heritage Lottery Fund awards include: 

• �50,000 to Buckie and District Fishing Heritage Centre to improve its museum and build an extension to provide exhibition space, a lecture theatre and associated facilities. This project will be a part of the Highland 2007 celebrations.
• �20,300 to East Ayrshire Council to conserve and restore seven 18th century textiles contained in the Dean Castle collection. Replica historical handling items and period costumes will be made as part of the project�s educational activities. Interpretation panels and an exhibition will increase access to the textiles.
• An �18,700 Project Planning Grant to the University of Glasgow for work relating to the design archive of the firms of Templeton, Widnell Stewart and Stoddards, carpet designers and manufacturers in Scotland. The designs and folios contain works by Scottish and UK designers, including Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The end project will acquire, research, conserve and make the collection accessible to a wide range of audiences.
• �17,500 to the Scottish Maritime Museum towards the purchase and conservation of items from the engine room of the tug boat the Flying Buzzard, a 105ft ocean-going steam tug and the last surviving vessel of her type.
• �11,800 to the Friends of Brechin Town House Museum for an oral history project exploring the domestic and working life of people in Brechin and district from 1920 to 1980. The grant will enable the recording of oral histories and the creation of a CD resource and publication on the internet.

HLF has launched a section on its website to encourage community groups to apply for funding to explore themes relating to the 2007 Bicentenary.
See http://www.hlf.org.uk/hlf/themes/index.html

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations� Introductory Pack on Funding and Finance is designed to assist small and medium-sized voluntary and community organisations in their search for long-term financial sustainability. The pack comprises six guides with practical information on specific areas of funding or finance and includes case studies, tools, and signposts to resources.
See http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/sfp/index.asp?id=3199

OSCR, the regulator and registrar of Scottish Charities, has announced proposals for a Rolling Review of all Scotland's charities. Details are on the OSCR website at http://www.oscr.org.uk/PublicationItem.aspx?id=a053326f-49a5-4858-a1f7-7dc84b38e613
Consultation responses should be submitted by 8 January 2007.

The Scottish Executive has published two consultation papers on Future European Structural Funds Programmes:

• in Lowlands & Uplands Scotland 2007�2013 �
  see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/10/20155513/0
• in Highlands & Islands 2007�2013 �
  see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/10/20155426/0

The consultation invites views on the content of the draft Operational Programmes, particularly on the proposed priorities, delivery arrangements and financial allocations.
The deadline for responses is 8 January 2007.

The European Commission has announced a conditional call for proposals under the new Culture 2007 programme, a funding programme which replaces Culture 2000.
The aim of the programme is to help develop cultural cooperation between participating countries, circulate artistic and cultural works and products, and encourage an intercultural dialogue within Europe. The deadline for applications is 22 December 2006.
For further information, see http://www.culture2007.info

Usable Websites is a Glasgow-based charity which helps other UK charities and not-for-profit organisations to develop accessible and engaging websites that can be easily updated and expanded by the charities themselves, completely free of charge.
The project is in its pilot stage. If your organisation could benefit, contact Usable Websites.  T : 0141 229 1115  E: [email protected]

The 24 Hour Museum is linking with tourism agency VisitBritain in a data-sharing initiative which will help to raise the profile of UK museums and galleries online.
The 24 Hour Museum will supply VisitBritain with venue and listings data entered via the website's Direct Data Entry system. The information will go live on VisitBritain�s 46 websites in 2007. The partnership means that even small museums or galleries with limited marketing resources will have their information available to international audiences. See www.24hourmuseum.org.uk

The Arts Access UK website is a disability guide to accessing the arts in Britain, providing information that many disabled people need to feel confident about visiting a venue. You can enter you venue details after creating an account for your organisation at http://www.artsaccessuk.org/cgi-bin/create_user.cgi

Collections Link is the national advisory service for collections management managed by MDA in partnership with the Institute of Conservation and the National Preservation Office.
The latest edition of Collections Link News on the Collections Link website at http://www.collectionslink.org.uk/news/002842.html includes

• Accreditation Resource Directory
• Strength in Numbers - the Collections Link partnership
• Cultural Property Advice service.

The website also includes the Standards in Museum Care of Collections series at http://www.collectionslink.org.uk/collections_care and a database of short training courses for Collections Management - see http://www.collectionslink.org.uk/training
You can also sign up to receive a free Collections Link pack.
If you have questions about your collections, you can call the Collections Link helpline on 0845 838 4000.

This guide to the creative evaluation of participatory arts projects aims to suggest how arts organisations can begin to monitor their work, evaluate what they do, and share results with partners, funders and their own workers. It can be downloaded from http://www.vaw.org.uk/cgi-bin/website.cgi?tier1=wales&tier2=vaw%20publications&tier3=other%20publications#4574
or can be ordered, price �10 incl p&p, from Voluntary Arts Wales, PO Box 200, Welshpool, Powys SY21 7WN.  T: 01938 556455  E: [email protected]

The Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, is mounting a major retrospective exhibition on the Australian expatriate sculptor Sir Bertram Mackennal (1863 -1931) in August 2007. Mackennal, one of the most celebrated Australian born sculptors, spent most of his career working in England and much of his work remains in public and private collections in the United Kingdom. The curators of the exhibition are very keen to locate two sculptures by Mackennal which were last exhibited at the Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts in 1902. If you know of the whereabouts of the two works, or indeed any works by Bertram Mackennal, the curators would be very pleased to hear from you.
Contact Deborah Edwards, tel +61 2 9225 1755, e-mail [email protected]
or Denise Mimmocchi, tel +61 2 9225 1817, e-mail [email protected]

A Right to Collections? Cultural Entitlement and Museums

16-17 November, Dundee

�60

Organised by UMiS (University Museums in Scotland), this conference will explore what Cultural Entitlement means for museums.

T: 01382 384310  W: www.dundee.ac.uk/umis/conference2006/programme.htm

MDA Documentation Planning

21 November, Stirling

�35 for SMC member museums� volunteers, �50 for SMC / ASVA members,

�70 for non-members

Expanding on basic principles of museum documentation, topics will include SPECTRUM, the Museum Accreditation scheme, museum backlogs and documentation plans.

Training, SMC.  T: 0131 550 4112.  E: [email protected]

W: http://www.scottishmuseums.org.uk/areas_of_work/training/training_programme.asp

Introduction to the School Curriculum. GEM/SMC Grass Roots Project Training

22 November, Dundee

�30 for SMC and Group for Education in Museums members, �60 for non-members

What exactly are the requirements of the 5-14 curriculum and how do we effectively link to them in our learning work?

Calum Price, GEM/SMC Learning Development Officer.  T: 07878 737507 

E: [email protected]  W: http://www.gem.org.uk/grassroots/gr_index.html

Managing and Governance - The Critical Differences

23 November, Edinburgh

�60 for SCVO members, �90 for non-member voluntary organisations, �125 for others

The functions of the board and of the chief officer and how they fit together.

Jane Baillie, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.  T: 0131 474 8019. 

E: [email protected] 

W: http://www.scvo.org.uk/scvo/SCVOEvents/ViewSCVOEvents.aspx?al=t&EID=508&from=EventHome

Should ALL Museums be Family Friendly?

30 November, Glasgow

�75 for Group for Education in Museums members, �95 for non-members

Should all museums and galleries strive to be �family friendly�? Is there a need for �adult only� museum spaces?

GEM.  T: 01634 312409  E: [email protected]

W: http://www.gem.org.uk/cpd/ntd/ntd30nov06.html

How to Produce a Collections Care Programme for your Museum

w/b 4 December, Edinburgh (to be confirmed)

One of the requirements of the Museum Accreditation Scheme is that applicants have a planned programme to institute improvements in collections care. This Preventive Conservation Forum meeting will discuss what constitutes successful planning and budgeting in this area and how to carry out the necessary condition assessments.

Helen Spencer.  T: 0131 247 4347  E: [email protected]

The National Fund for Acquisitions: Introduction and Writing Good Applications

5 December, Edinburgh

Free of charge

An introduction to the National Fund for Acquisitions for those who either have not used the fund before or would like a refresher in the fund criteria and application process.

Clare McIntyre, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF.

E: [email protected]

Getting Skilled Up

5 December, London

�20 for MPG members, �40 for non-members

Ways in which you can develop both in and out of work.

Liz Neathey, Museum Professionals Group.  T: 01934 621028

E: s[email protected]

Slavery 1807 and 2007

7 December, London

�70 for GEM members, �90 for non-members

Preparation for the anniversary celebrations of the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire in 1807.

Group for Education in Museums.  T: 01634 312409  E: [email protected]

W: http://www.gem.org.uk/cpd/ntd/ntd07dec06.html

Growth Strategy: New Approaches to Acquisition

8 December, London

�100 for MA members, �175 for non-members

How museums can transform static collections into growing ones and turn reactive collecting into proactive collecting; how to develop a successful collecting strategy; and examples of partnership working and community-based practice.

Museums Association.  T: 020 7426 6940  E: [email protected]

W: http://www.museumsassociation.org/12879

Facets of Fraternity

11 December, Manchester

Free

This Subject Specialist Network for Fraternal and Friendly Societies and Association workshop will provide an introduction to this type of collection and look at how interpretation strategies have developed.

Diane Clements, The Library and Museum of Freemasonry.  T: 020 7395 9250 

E: [email protected]

'Plastics' Discussion Day

13 December, London

Free

An exploration of how a Plastics Subject Specialist Network could help maximise public access to and enjoyment of museum plastics collections while being beneficial to the organisations involved.

Pam Langdown, Manager of the Design Collection Museum.  E: [email protected]

LGBT History Training Seminar

14 December, Leicester

�25 for SHCG members, �30 for non-members

The Social History Curators Group and Proud Heritage have teamed up to offer this seminar to provide training to develop work in lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans gender social history or the heritage of same sex love/desire and gender transgression.

T (Proud Heritage): 020 7609 1811  E: [email protected]