Annual Report W
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
09 annual report w Contents About Museums Australia Inc. (Victoria) .................................................................................................. 2 President’s Report .................................................................................................................................... 3 Treasurer’s Report .................................................................................................................................... 4 Executive Director’s Report ...................................................................................................................... 5 Management Report ................................................................................................................................. 7 Professional Development and Member Events ...................................................................................... 9 Communications ......................................................................................................................................11 INSITE .......................................................................................................................................................12 Building Better Museums – BBM ............................................................................................................13 Regional Exhibition Touring Initiative – RETI ..........................................................................................14 Community Collections Training – CCT ..................................................................................................15 Museum Accreditation Program – MAP .................................................................................................16 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................17 Financial Reports .....................................................................................................................................19 1 Museums Australia (Victoria) w About Museums Australia Inc. (Victoria) Training and Professional Development Mission Enabling museums and their services, including phone and print-based people to develop their capacity to inspire advice, referrals, workshops and seminars. Membership and Networking and engage their communities. to proactively and reactively identify initiatives for the benefit of existing and potential members and links with the Statement of Purpose Membership wider museum sector. The weekly Museums Australia (Victoria) provides MA (Vic) represents approximately one e-bulletin and website resources offer professional services to develop and third of Museums Australia’s total a range of up-to-date information and sustain the roles and interests of museum membership. It represents the Victorian resources. communities across Victoria. Museums members and co-ordinates services Australia is the national association for them. Regional Exhibition and Touring Initiative representing the museum and gallery (RETI) providing advice, professional sector. The Victorian branch of Museums Australia development and grants specifically provides services for museums and museum targeted to improve exhibition touring Museums Australia (Victoria) provides: workers regardless of membership status, activity in regional Victoria. and our programs are relevant, accessible • Expert advice on museum practice and and strategically useful to the sector as Building Better Museums (BBM) provides development a whole. grants for small infrastructure projects in regional museums and practical advice • Grants for exhibition development and MA (Vic) encourages membership of and information through site visits and museum improvement anyone, or any organisation, with an interest telephone support. in or an association with museums. • Accreditation and application of the Membership is relevant for individuals and National Standards for Australian INSITE our stimulating and informative organisations involved in the operations Museums & Galleries member magazine published five times and administration of museums, institutions a year is directly sent to members with the • Professional development that teach courses relevant to museum latest news on Victorian museums, events practice and both public and private • Advocacy and profile-raising of Victorian and practical advice on museological institutions that hold collections of cultural museums matters. material. The Victoria membership reflects the Community Collections Training Values great diversity of the museum sector. a program targeted at developing the • Recognising that museums and galleries At the end of December 2008 it included skills and capacity of community museum occupy a vital place in the community 229 organisations spanning archives, art workers to care for and share their • Recognising the contributions of our galleries, botanical gardens, community collections. members to the sector historical societies, exhibition venues, natural and social history museums and The Branch Office is housed on the lower • Supporting access to and the care of the specialist collections. At end 2008 we had ground floor of the Melbourne Museum. distributed national collection 254 individual members, most of whom are Members enjoy easy access to Branch • Recognising and celebrating diversity working either professionally or voluntarily services and staff. Information brochures including Indigenous cultural heritage in museums as curators, conservators, from Victoria’s museums are displayed in collection managers, exhibition designers, the foyer to provide promotional services • Recognising the importance of being a guides, historians and educators. for our members, as well as information forum for ideas to Melbourne Museum visitors about the • Upholding the highest ethical professional Our key services include: wealth of Victoria’s collections. Museums standards. Australia (Victoria) is grateful for the The Museum Accreditation Program generous ongoing support of Museum offering tools for museum groups to Victoria in making this space available. Background develop with reference to accepted Museums Australia (Victoria) is a state industry standards, drawing heavily on branch of a not-for-profit national peer-review and guidance and the National membership association founded in 1993 Standards for Australian Museums & to bring together people concerned with Galleries. the care and communication of Australia’s natural, artistic and cultural heritage. Through the direction of an elected Committee, the Victorian Branch provides support, representation and professional development services to the museum sector throughout the state. Annual Report 2009 / www.mavic.asn.au 2 President’s Report 2009 was a year of ups and downs for the Headline achievements in 2009 include: Branch activities are detailed later in this museums community in Victoria, book- report, and MA (Vic) staff deserve special ended by the tragic loss of lives and • over 1400 attendees at our events, 350 of recognition for the commitment and collections in the February bushfires, and those subsidised through the Community passion they have brought to their roles. the shock announcement of the closure of Collections Training program funded 2009 saw growth in the number of staff the City Museum at Old Treasury in through Heritage Victoria and the development of existing positions. Melbourne in December. These crises, and We also farewelled Anne Thoday (Training • a glittering Museum awards night, the global financial crisis have perversely and Professional Development Manager) including a new People’s Choice Award highlighted the importance of museums and Bridget Forbes (MAP Manager), both sponsored by the Herald Sun, and attended and collections to individuals and contributing much to the development of by the Mayors and Executives of many local communities. The record attendances to their respective programs. governments, reinforcing our strong the ‘blockbuster’ exhibitions of Salvador position supporting the work of community We have been generously supported again Dali at the National Gallery of Victoria and museums in our core operations and projects by Arts A Day In Pompeii at Museum Victoria are Victoria and Museum Victoria. We also thought in part to reflect the greater • sixty-five museums enrolled in the thank the City of Melbourne’s support for attachment to culture in times of stress. Museums Accreditation Program the website redevelopment which now Museums Australia (Victoria) has • over $152,000 distributed to thirty boasts online booking and payment. We responded to these challenges by providing museums through our Regional also thank Heritage Victoria, the Royal appropriate and timely support. MA (Vic) Exhibitions Touring Initiative and Building Historical Society of Victoria, the major relies on the shared vision of its members Better Museums grants programs, both arts institutions, and many other to both understand the possibilities and underwritten by Arts Victoria organisations who have allowed their staff support the realities of museum work, and time to support and participate in • ongoing support for bushfire recovery to develop useful and constructive partnerships, on our committees, as guest efforts, providing advice and ideas to programs to supports museum workers presenters and attending events. affected communities and the agencies across our diverse sector. that are responding