DEVELOPMENT 2015: LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD

London Museum Development 2015: Looking back, looking forward written by Ben Travers, Regional Museum Development Manager, [email protected] Contents London Museum Development programme Foreword

Foreword 03 The Museum of London is very proud to be the host of the Museum Development programme for London. London’s non-national are the custodians of wonderfully diverse collections and engage with a Part 1: Looking forward 2015-18 04 broad range of audiences across the capital. Supporting and developing this sector is core to the work of the London Museum Development programme and is the inspiration for 2015-18. About the programme 04 This programme was developed through extensive consultation with the sector. The London Museums Group is an important partner and Organisational health 06 they have participated closely in the planning of the next programme. We value the input from this group which has shown great leadership Collections 08 for the sector in London in recent years. Through consultation we also identified a clear need for low cost skill sharing for the museum sector and rebalanced our offer so that we are now able to offer a range of Audiences 09 flexible skill sharing and training offers to both museum workers and volunteers. Digital technologies 10 Reflection on the 2012-15 programme Finbarr Whooley Given the challenging environment within which museums operate and Director of Content, the need to increase their resilience, it is unsurprising that one of the Museum of London most popular programmes which we delivered in the 2012-15 period was Part 2: Looking back 2012-15 11 the Survive and Thrive programme. Our resilience work – one of the main areas that the London Museum Development Programme is noted for – was crucial given the wider context of declining public funding and the Introduction 11 very real threats faced by many local museum services in recent years. The Gallery has credited the programme with setting Museum Development Officers 12 them on the way to winning the prize for in 2013.

Training programmes 12 The programme for Looking forward to the 2015-18 programme 2015-18 is launching As well as building on the themes of the previous programme the Survive and Thrive 14 fresh initiatives that programme for 2015-18 is also launching fresh initiatives that are are responding to new responding to new and emerging sector requirements. We are very Income Generation programme 15 excited about having a new post to run our Digital Futures skills and emerging sector programme. requirements. Looking beyond the Museum Development team to the Museum of Marketing Advisory programme 16 London generally, it is our aspiration to deploy our resources more effectively to support the sector in the coming period. Some of the Collection Grants programme 17 museum’s specialists already have a good track record in offering support to the wider sector. Our Conservation and Collection Care colleagues have a track record in this area as indeed do colleagues within our Museums supported 2012-15 19 Pull quote Kievit Regular Learning team. In the coming period we will look to other areas of 14pt/16.8pt expertise within the museum to also lend their support to the work of the London Museum Development programme team so that collectively we can improve the range of the support that we offer to the non-national sector in London. Museums are currently living through one of their most challenging of periods. The continuing squeeze on public finances means that worse cuts in public funding are likely to unfold by 2018. Over recent years self-mobilisation and innovation have been the hallmarks of the London non-national sector. It is our hope that the London Museum Development programme will support these qualities and help the sector to find innovative solutions to the problems that it will continue to face.

Front cover image: UCL Grant Museum of Zoology Inside back cover and back cover images: London Museum of Water & Steam, Kew 03 Museum of London museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-development London Museum Development programme Part 1: Looking forward 2015-18 London Museum Development programme

About the programme Consultation Museum of London will continue Before writing this new programme we consulted extensively with Introduction London Museums Group and with all parts of the sector in London via its highly regarded leadership events and online surveys. The feeling was that both the specialist and The Arts Council (ACE) Museum Development programme role of sharing best practice on general support provided by Museum Development Officers (MDOs) uses the five ACE strategic goals to drive development and deliver collections care with the wider should be continued. We commissioned a piece of research on a suitable sustainability, resilience and innovation in England’s non-national skills sharing model for the London museums sector to explore whether museums, so they can maximise their benefits to audiences museums sector. MDOs might do even more to facilitate skills sharing (low or zero cost and communities. sharing of knowledge between museum workers). We have acted on its In London over the period 2015-18, we will support museums to conclusions by rebalancing programmes to free more MDOs’ time to realise this ambition in the following ways: pro-actively connect museums to each other.

Organisational health MDOs will work more flexibly within and between the various museum We will work to ensure that museums are resilient, well-managed, networks to facilitate or deliver skills sharing sessions, provide action environmentally sustainable and creative in the approaches they take learning training, and will incorporate even more free presentations to strengthening skills of leaders, staff and volunteers. from sector colleagues into their formal training events, particularly from the larger services receiving regular ACE funding. We will also fund Collections the London Museums Group to deliver three big, thematic skills sharing There will be an entirely We will work to ensure that museums are provided with first class events per year. new digital programme area, support in the care and management of their collections and are To take account of the perceived lack of training opportunities for early designed to excite the sector better able to safeguard these priceless assets for current and and mid-career professionals, our training programmes will remain free, future generations. will no longer contain any demarcation between staff and volunteers with the possibilities for and will be open to all. There will be an entirely new Digital Futures Audiences programme, designed to excite the sector with the possibilities for digital technologies We will work to ensure that museums have the potential to better reach digital technologies in museums. The other three programme areas and engage with new and existing audiences with exciting programmes in museums. of Organisational Health, Collections and Audiences, based on the and content both within and beyond their walls. structure of Museum Accreditation, will continue. A need to continue Digital technologies improvements to our web pages was identified and has been addressed by making the lead MDO training role full-time, and renaming it Museum , . We will work to ensure that museums are able to better harness the Winner of the Art Fund prize for Museum power of digital technology to better manage their assets and potentially Development Officer Training and Communications. of the Year, 2013 reach every adult and every child in London. Edward Sumner Working as part of the Museum of London The Museum of London’s ongoing status as an ACE-funded Major Partner Museum means it can continue its highly regarded leadership role of sharing best practice on collections care with the wider museums sector. The Regional Collections Care Development Officer post will continue, working closely alongside the MDO team to grow the collections care expertise of London’s museums in a sustainable way. The Museum of London will also be sharing new expertise on collections rationalisation via the Museum Development programme. The Museum of London’s Learning team will be sharing the wide-ranging digital expertise it has developed over the last few years, working closely with the new post of Museum Development Officer Digital Technologies. It will also continue to share best practice through networks covering early years, secondary schools and special educational needs, working closely with the Museum Development Officer Audiences.

ACE Accreditation Scheme advice ACE have decided not to continue with Accreditation Advisers and have instead asked Museum Development teams across England to provide all such advice in their region. In London the MDO team will provide this support across sub-regions of London as part of their general advice giving role (see page 6).

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Survive and Thrive London Museum Development team Over the last few years our flagship resilience programme has Following positive feedback we will continue the matrix structure of the transformed the way some services work and operate. We will continue it MDOs team which provides both specialist and general support, giving with the aim of having intensively supported eight museums by 2018. The museums a choice as to how they access advice. MDOs will continue to museums will go through a process of self-assessment and peer review provide one-to-one general and now also advice on ACE Accreditation to which will identify strengths and areas for improvement, and will receive museums in specific sub-regions. They will also provide specialist advice up to £4,000 each to implement an improvement plan. A network of to museums across London. This will be as follows: volunteer peers supports MDOs to run the reviews. This network has grown as museums that have been through the process enthusiastically volunteer to perform the role for others. In return we will offer peers POST HOLDER JOB TITLE (pan-London specialist role) ACCREDITATION AND GENERAL ADVICE (sub-regional role) training in action learning, so they can establish action learning sets, enabling them to learn from each other and better support participating YVETTE SHEPHERD MDO ORGANISATIONAL HEALTH SOUTH AND WEST LONDON museums, working closely with the MDO. (four days per week) Hammersmith & Fulham, Brent, Ealing, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Contact: Yvette Shepherd, MDO Organisational Health Harrow, Richmond upon Thames, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, [email protected] Sutton, Croydon, Bromley, Lewisham, , Bexley

TO BE ANNOUNCED MDO AUDIENCES CENTRAL AND EAST LONDON Skills Plus (full time) Camden, Islington, , Kensington & Chelsea, The Museum of the Order of St John Our Skills Plus training programme will include six events per year with , Lambeth, , , Hackney, benefitted from on-site retail training Hamlets, Newham, Redbridge, Barking & Dagenham, an organisational health theme. The topics for the first year, identified Museum of the Order of St John, London Havering through a training needs survey, include action learning, governance, recruitment and selection, volunteers and the law, developing your team KAREN WEBB-GREEN MDO TRAINING & COMMUNICATIONS and project management. The Survive and Thrive programme and the (full time) action learning training provide a potential mechanism and structure for those professionals who are keen to share their skills with colleagues. TO BE ANNOUNCED MDO DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES We cannot cover all topics within our free training programme, and (two days a week) recognise that museums may have a need to access training provided elsewhere. However course fees and/or travel costs can make it difficult BEN TRAVERS REGIONAL MUSEUM DEVELOPMENT NORTH LONDON for them to do so. Our Skills Plus grants will provide a training fund (full time) DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, Waltham Forest of £1000 per annum to enable individuals to attend relevant events, including those with an organisational health theme. Our Skills Plus ‘In-house’ programme meanwhile will encourage Organisational health museums to specify their institutional training needs and provide funding for the training to be delivered to their door, as long as they Over the last few years We will work to ensure that museums are resilient, well-managed, also provide some places for other museums to benefit. This new environmentally sustainable and creative in the approaches they approach delivers training and skills sharing at the point where it Survive and Thrive has take to strengthening skills of leaders, staff and volunteers. ‘The most important thing about the is most beneficial, for instance at recipient museums or museum transformed the way Survive and Thrive programme is that we use it – network meetings. Applications for ‘In-house’ can include those with an We will provide direct support, training and skill sharing for museums rather than it being just a box ticking exercise.’ organisational health theme. some services work on governance, management, forward planning, organisational Katherine Ford, Cinema Museum Contact: Karen Webb-Green, MDO Training & Communications sustainability, income generation, volunteer management, environmental © Ronald Grant and operate. [email protected] sustainability and Accreditation. We will continue to run the Survive and Thrive programme, recognising that the economic climate will remain very tough over this period and that some museums will need intensive support to manage this. As well as providing support directly, we will also signpost to the relevant programmes provided by others, for instance the HLF catalyst ‘Giving to Heritage’ programme, the ACE Resilience Fund, the AIM Sustainability grants, and the AIM and GLA green programmes. Lead officer: Yvette Shepherd, MDO Organisational Health [email protected]

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Collections Collection grants will Collection grants continue but with a These will continue but with a simpler and lighter touch approach We will work to ensure that museums are provided with first class which will make smaller grants available to a much wider spread of support in the care and management of their collections and are simpler and lighter touch museums. Museums will be able to bid to finance a range of specific better able to safeguard these priceless assets for current and low-cost items or services which would make a significant difference future generations. approach which will make smaller grants available to their management of collections. With a maximum grant of £500, We will provide direct support, training, skills sharing and grants for we expect 20 beneficiaries over the course of the year, and will run museums on collections care and conservation, collections management, to a much wider spread the programme in two tranches per year, giving museums maximum documentation, rationalisation, and risk assessment. The Museum of of museums. opportunity to apply. London’s Regional Collections Care Development Officer will provide Contact: Karen Webb-Green, MDO Training & Communications direct advice and training on a wide range of collections care topics, and [email protected] will work alongside the MDO on a new lighter-touch grants programme and a series of ‘fusion’ events which will combine collections care training with related documentation and audience engagement topics. As well as providing support directly, we will also signpost relevant Audiences support being provided by others, for instance Collections Trust, AIM Museum of London’s Regional collection care programme Conservation grants. We will work to ensure that museums have the potential to better includes training in areas like insect trapping reach and engage with new and existing audiences with exciting © Museum of London programmes and content both within and beyond their walls. Regional Collections Care programme We will provide direct support, training and skills sharing for museums The Regional Collection Care Development Officer will provide a broad on marketing, learning, children and young people, community range of support for London museums on collection care issues. This engagement, audience monitoring/evaluation, front of house skills, support will include an extensive training programme encompassing a digital and social media. We will also signpost relevant programmes wide range of collection care topics as well as the very successful ten provided by others, for instance the ACE Bridge organisation ‘A New week Collection Cleaning Course. Direction’, GEM London and Engage. New strands of training will be introduced in the coming three years. Lead officer: MDO Audiences This will include ‘flexible’ training, where the training comes out to museums, and a ‘Caring for’ strand of training, relating to specific types of collections eg ‘Caring for Textiles’. Museum of London Learning networks The training programme is underpinned by site visits to discuss The Museum of London’s Learning team will continue its leading role Museum of London’s learning department in the specialist skill sharing networks concerning Early Years (in which individual museums’ needs, support to museum network groups through will continue to share its expertise via the museum is an acknowledged expert), and secondary schools, surgeries, advice and training, a suite of e-learning tools and guides, the Early Years network as well as setting up a new network on Special Educational Needs. equipment loans and email and telephone support. © Museum of London We will facilitate these networks and encourage participation by Contact: Libby Finney, Regional Collections Care Development Officer London museums. [email protected] Contact: MDO Audiences

Skills Plus We will run a day Our Skills Plus training programme includes ‘Collections fusion’ events on collections which will combine collections care and documentation training in a single day. We will also run a day on collections rationalisation featuring rationalisation the Museum of London’s expertise in this area. featuring the Museum Museums needing to access collections training provided elsewhere, can of London’s expertise do so via our Skills Plus grants, which will provide an overall training fund of £1,000 per annum Our Skills Plus In-house programme will encourage in this area. museums to specify their institutional training needs and provide funding for the training to be delivered to their door, as long as they also provide some places for other museums to benefit. Applications for In-house can include those with a collections theme. Contact: Karen Webb-Green, MDO Training & Communications [email protected]

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Skills Plus Introduction Our Skills Plus training programme will include six events with an audiences theme. Our training needs survey indicated that the most ‘The support given over the The capital’s non-national museums help make London’s cultural offer one of the richest to be found anywhere in the world. The collections popular audience focused topics for us to cover in the first year would last 5 years by the MDO team be tour training, basic marketing, retail skills, VocalEyes and developing of these small and medium-size museums tell a huge range of unique a . We will also provide train the trainer sessions on front of house has been excellent. No matter stories. Whether it’s the niche collections of eclectic art, medical history, skills, to meet an increasing desire among managers in the sector to who has answered a query, the different faiths or famous personalities which typify the centre, or the upskill their own teams. stories of diverse and dynamic local communities which typify outer team has gone out of the way London, museums give a richness to London’s cultural landscape which We recognise that museums may have a need to access other training should be cherished and celebrated. provided elsewhere, and that course fees and/or travel costs can make it to answer it thoroughly with as difficult for them to do so. Our Skills Plus grants will provide a training much follow on advice and Over the last 3 years, the London Museum Development programme fund of £1,000 per annum to enable individuals to attend relevant events, has played a key role in nurturing these museums, supporting them to including those with an audiences theme. help as possible.’ be innovative and as resilient as possible during a period of exceptional economic difficulty. A high point was the success of the William Morris Our Skills Plus ‘In-house’ programme will encourage museums to gallery in Walthamstow in winning the Art Fund prize for Museum of specify their institutional training needs and provide funding for the the Year in 2013, skilfully capitalising on support from the Museum training to be delivered to their door, as long as they also provide some Development programme as well as its own hard work. Museum places for other museums to benefit. Applications for ‘In-house’ can Development support has also helped a number of other services achieve include those with an audiences theme. transformational Heritage Lottery Fund investment, or make themselves Contact: Karen Webb-Green, MDO Training & Communications resilient in other ways, for instance greatly expanding the proportion [email protected] of their income which is self-generated. This is not to forget the many smaller and often routine MDO interventions which collectively help museums grow and prosper over the years. Digital technologies This brief look back celebrates some of the key successes, and also takes The London Museum of Water & Steam a look at the scale of the programme and the number of museums, staff We will work to ensure that museums are able to better harness (formerly Kew Bridge Steam Museum) and volunteers it has reached over the last 3 years. the power of digital technology to better manage their assets and has worked closely with MDOs The MDO Digital Technologies potentially reach every adult and every child in London. over the last 3 years will co-ordinate a new Digital London Museum of Water & Steam We will provide support to museums on all aspects of using digital Futures skills programme, technologies in a museum setting. The MDO Digital Technologies will working closely with Museum of co-ordinate a new Digital Futures skills programme, working closely London departments particularly with Museum of London departments particularly Learning, Collections Trust and other museums. This post will also provide specialist advice Learning, Collections Trust and on-site at museums. other museums. Digital Futures Our new Digital Futures programme designed to excite the London museums sector with the possibilities for digital technologies. The MDO Digital Technologies will work closely with the Museum of London’s Learning team and other partner museums to deliver skills sessions on the potential for engaging audiences, particularly schools, and will work closely with Collections Trust to develop skills on strategic and ‘back of house’ aspects of digital work. Digital is a relatively new area of work for museums, so we carried out an online survey to establish the needs of London museums. A good response established the most popular topics, and these ranged from digital strategy and social media strategy through to classroom webinars, app building, film making, animation and use of I-phones in galleries. We aim to cover as many of these topics as possible working with the Museum of London, partner museums and the Collections Trust. Lead officer: MDO Digital Technologies, to be announced

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Figure 1 Museum Development Officers No An even larger undertaking was our Volunteer Development Proportion of respondents saying Large Pull quote 6% programme, which provided training for both volunteers and volunteer they found MDO advice practical/ Museum Development Officers (MDOs) work with non-national managers. With the increasingly difficult economic climate, the museum effective by subject museums right across London, providing a one-to-one support and sector’s traditional reliance on volunteers has continued to grow over

Kievitdevelopment service Regular and advice on all areas of museum operations. the last three years. Supporting volunteers with good museum practice During the most recent funding period, which ran from August 2012 and professionalising volunteer management practices remained a high Yes 83% to March 2015, the range of one-to-one support provided by MDOs priority. Between August 2012 and December 2014, no fewer than 875 94% 30pt/30ptwas enhanced. At the request of the museums, two MDO roles were places were taken at 73 events staged through this programme. As with Audiences expanded to provide specialist advice on Organisational Health and the Accreditation Plus programme, the proportion of attendees saying -20Audiences, kerningwith the Regional Collections Care Development Officer they had gained knowledge and understanding of the topic 85% continuing to provide specialist support. MDOs continued to mentor being covered was in excess of 90%. and provide general advice to museums as before. Figure 2 Organisational Health The biennial MDO Impact Survey, most recently carried out in February Proportion of respondents that said that 2014, showed this re-organisation to have been successful. Of those they did something differently as 90% responding, 88% said they were more or equally likely to use the service, a result of the training. showing museums valued the extra flexibility that was being provided Collections in the way they could access support. The numbers accessing general support and specialist support were almost even, showing that museums 98% valued both routes into the service. Overall, during the period August 2012 to December 2014 MDOs provided 386 instances of significant General advice one-to-one support to 128 different museums. Figure 3 What respondents said they Training programmes did differently.

‘My MDO is a mine The largest training programme run for museum staff during 2012-15 14% was Accreditation Plus. This programme used Museum Accreditation of ideas and information, as a route map to good and best practice across a wide range of themes, We added/changed something in our forward plan very approachable and included everything from collections rationalisation and good governance, to tour training and engaging audiences on-site. The results 33% and invaluable.’ are very positive, showing that the training developed the workforce not only in terms of skills and confidence, but also had an impact on forward I developed/implemented a new system or procedure planning and the development of systems and procedures. 20% Between August 2012 and December 2014, 414 places were taken at ‘As the only member of staff in our the 33 events organised through this programme. The sessions featured I changed a system or procedure small museum, the MDOs are vital to an increasing amount of zero-cost yet good quality skill sharing, saving on fees charged by freelance trainers. MDOs either delivered sessions 26% me and I would be lost without their directly or facilitated delivery by museum sector colleagues, enabling us support and advice.’ to save a third of the original budget which was re-allocated to I changed the way I did something other programmes. 62% 92% of those attending felt they had gained knowledge and understanding of the topic being covered. Even more impressive was I was more confident in my role and what I was doing the long range evaluation of how far people had been able to put their learning into practice. When asked at the end of 2014 whether they had done something differently at their museum as a result of the training, 94% of those responding said they had. Figure 3 gives more detail on what they did differently. ‘Let’s have more MDOs please! The MDO support has been crucial to our development – sharing skills and knowledge, especially.’

12 Museum of London [email protected]/museum-development | @MuseumofLondon | 020 7814 5502 Museum of London museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-development 13 Figure 5 How have you implemented the findings from the self-assessment/peer review process? (multiple responses allowed)

London Museum Development programme London Museum Development programme

1 Working with new audiences 5 Survive and Thrive CASE STUDY: INCOME GENERATION PROGRAMME Improved internal/external communication The period 2012-15 was an exceptionally tough period for museums, 3 particularly those relying on dwindling sources of public funding. Museum: Bexley Heritage Trust The Survive and Thrive programme supported museums in London New systems to improve their financial sustainability and capacity to respond to Name: Caroline Worthington, Chief Executive change. During the period 2012-15 it supported museums undergoing 3 LargeHow would you ratePull the final reportquote resulting from restructuring, facing new governance arrangements or major budget the micro-consultancy? New skills cutbacks, and those keen and ready to explore the need for change proactively on their own terms. MDOs, working with specially trained KievitVery useful – all of Regularthe recommendations are applicable. 5 museum peers, supported 12 museums through a process of self- Please explain your rating: New insights assessment and peer review, enabling them to identify strengths and 30pt/30ptwe got an excellent plan to work through as a result of the areas for improvement. A total fund of £80,000 was available to carry consultancy which led to HLF Catalyst funding. 4 out the improvement projects identified. Which of the recommendations for your museum did New information for decision making Eight museums were supported during Phase 1 of the programme in -20 kerning you find most useful? 2012-14. Six of these said that they found the self-assessment and peer To look again at our social media. Figure 4 review process either extremely or very beneficial. Figure 4 shows ‘We got an excellent plan to work through as How participants said the programme had the different ways in which the funded improvement projects made a a result of the Income generation programme How you have shared learning from the micro-consultancy which led to HLF Catalyst funding.’ made a difference to their museum. difference to the museums. within your organisation? Caroline Worthington, Chief Executive, It was discussed at Board level, staff and volunteers were involved Bexley Heritage Trust in the micro consultancy, and findings shared at staff meetings © Sarah Humphris, Bexley Heritage Trust and volunteer gatherings once the full report was ready.

CASE STUDY: SURVIVE AND THRIVE PROGRAMME Additional comment: We did not have the capacity or expertise in house around Museum: , income generation so external, professional advice was critical to us. Name: Helen Elletson, Curator

Areas for self-assessment: We initially focussed on the needs and expectations of community, forward planning, improvement and innovation. Income Generation programme Survive and Thrive funded improvement project: We were provided with support from consultants HBRL to improve Board governance In 2012 the Museum Development team commissioned the National structures and succession planning. Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) to carry out research into income generation practices with London’s museums. The report found Impact of the grant: that most museums were reliant on one main source of income, and that • The self-assessment gave us an opportunity to discuss needs and whilst retail and space hire were commonly practised, opportunities priorities with staff, trustees, volunteers and key stakeholders relating to donations, corporate sponsorship, image copyright/ licensing, membership schemes and online fundraising were relatively • The involvement of volunteers gave them a sense of ownership, under-exploited. Above all what the report noted was a lack of time to and empowerment and has led to regular volunteer meetings develop and prioritise income generation as a key activity. We therefore • The review by HBRL was extremely thorough and offered commissioned consultants Hopkins van Mil to run ‘micro-consultancies’ recommendations for best practice and improvement, many of with a total of 15 museums over the following three years, to help them which are being put into practice in areas such as developing vision and unique selling point, diversifying income streams and increasing individual giving and sponsorship. How would you sum up your experience of the programme overall? ‘Survive and Thrive has given us the The Survive and Thrive programme has proven to be an invaluable We asked those museums to evaluate their experience of involvement momentum to create a step change process for our museum, and was extremely timely considering that in the programme. All those responding said they had used the throughout our organisation.’ ‘We did not have the we are currently undergoing a period of change and development. recommendations arising from Hopkin Van Mil’s reports. All respondents Helen Elletson, Curator, Having the fresh perspectives of external museum consultants, as capacity or expertise in house said the learning from the micro-consultancies has been widely spread Kelmscott House across their organisation and half of them were already able to report well as expert guidance from MDOs, offered new and creative ideas around income generation that we had not previously considered. increased income arising from the consultancies. so external, professional

advice was critical to us.’

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CASE STUDY: MARKETING ADVISORY PROGRAMME Collections Grants programme ‘The grant enabled us to Between 2012 and 2015 we ran a competitive programme of funding Museum: Dr Johnson’s House, City of London for conservation and documentation work in London’s museums. 19 launch a media campaign grants of a total value of £25,000 were provided to support projects Name: Celine McDaid, Deputy Curator and create public enthusiasm which were prioritised in museum collection care and documentation LargeWhy did you apply Pull to the programme? quote around the project.’ plans. Many of the successful collection care applications were taking There is a long tradition of entertaining and hosting at the house forward recommendations arising from site visits made by the Regional Kievitwhich we wanted toRegular revive and heartily encourage. However, working Collections Care Development Officer. out how to generate much needed revenue from this was a challenge. A wide variety of collection projects were supported by this grant programme. One of the most interesting concerned the Grant Museum 30pt/30ptWhat was the application process like? of Zoology at University College London (UCL). The application process involved no more than proposing a simple plan of action, and I was soon assigned a site visit from an industry expert, -20Robert Wetherell, kerning the Museum of London’s head of hospitality.

‘The expert marketing advice was a How does the expert advice bit work? wonderful experience, providing the Robert’s visit resulted in my seeing the house with new eyes and as opportunity to build ties with suppliers such, was priceless. I saw the need to clarify what we can offer, decide in addition to showcasing the House who needed to know about it and how best to approach them. to guests and potential hirers.’ Celine Mc Daid, Deputy Curator, And the grant? Dr Johnson’s House Our grant culminated in a re-launch party, to which were invited By permission of Dr Johnson’s House Trustees Events Organisers and our target audience, which was largely companies based in the City of London. CASE STUDY: COLLECTIONS GRANTS PROGRAMME How would you summarise your experience of participating in the programme? This was a wonderful experience, providing the opportunity to Museum: Grant Museum of Zoology, UCL showcase the House to guests and potential hirers. The impact Name: Jack Ashby, Museum Manager was felt immediately, with bookings flooding in since the event. What did you use the grant for? The grant enabled us to conserve the first three specimens (of 39) that will be protected by the Bone Idols project. Bone Idols is a major project in remedial conservation focusing on the rare articulated Marketing Advisory programme skeletons which have been on display in the museum for up to 180 years, and will be heavily reliant on public donations. ‘The impact was felt During the last funding period we continued another programme which immediately, with bookings has been popular for many years with London museums. Between 2012 What did the work involve? and 2015, six museums without specialist marketing staff were provided The first three specimens selected were small ape skeletons, flooding in.’ with expert advice, and an implementation grant of £2,000 to implement requiring us to engage an external specialist in bone preparation the subsequent recommendations. Specialists within the Museum of and the complex metal work for their mounts. This proved an London’s Communications team have long been a source of expert invaluable learning opportunity for staff and volunteers at the advice for this programme. A new development in the last funding period Grant and wider UCL Museums. was for an increasing number of museums to apply for support with marketing their space hire offer. The Museum of London’s Hospitality What were you hoping to achieve through this project? team were asked to help, and the support provided to Dr Johnson’s It enabled us to provide essential staff learning opportunities for House provides a very interesting case study. UCL Museums staff who will be doing the bulk of the conservation ‘The collections grant enabled us to take the critical first step in a wider project work. It also enabled us to launch the media campaign and create which is seeking to conserve 39 skeletons public enthusiasm around the project. via public donations.’ What have been the key outcomes for you? Jack Ashby, Manager, Grant Museum UCL The media campaign has generated essential coverage for the UCL Grant Museum of Zoology fundraising drive. The conservation work has enabled us to safeguarded the specimens for the long-term future.

16 Museum of London museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-development Museum of London museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-development 17 Museums supported through the London Museum Development Programme 2012-15

Survive and Thrive Skills sharing grants Island History Trust Museum British Dental Association Museum & Heritage Service Brent Museum Jewish Military Museum Greenwich Heritage Centre Museum of the Order of St John John Soane Museum Barking & Dagenham Heritage Service John Wesley House & Museum of Methodism Cinema Museum Bentley Priory Kelmscott House Bexley Heritage Trust Dr Johnson’s House Emery Walker Trust Kelmscott House Old Operating Theatre MDO Significant 1:1 support Kew Bridge Steam Museum Royal College of Music Museum Service Islington Museum Museum Barking and Dagenham Heritage Service Langdon Down Museum Massey Shaw fire boat Lea valley Box Barts Pathology Museum Legacy heritage Centre, Tottenham Town Hall Income Generation programme Ben Uri Gallery London Ambulance Museum Gunnersbury Park Museum House London Fire Brigade Museum Grant Museum UCL Bentley Priory London Museum of Water and Steam Bexley Heritage Trust Bethlam Hospital Museum & Archive Barking & Dagenham Heritage Service Bexley Heritage Trust Massey Shaw Fireboat British Dental Association Museum Brent Museum and Heritage Service Michael Faraday Museum Estorick Collection British Dental Association Museum Museum of Bethlem Royal Hospital Museum & Archive British Music Experience Museum of Fulham Palace Museum British Postal Museum Museum of Islam London Museum of Water & Steam Bromley Museum Musical Museum Art Museum UCL Museum of Order of St John Cartoon Museum Brunel Museum Old Operating Theatre Dr Johnson’s House Old Royal Naval College Bentley Priory Cartoon Museum Gallery Central St Martins Pembroke Lodge Pitzhanger Museum Marketing Advice visits/grants Cinema Museum Queen Elizabeth Lodge Strawberry Hill House City of London Police Museum Ragged School Museum London Museum of Water & Steam Corporation of London, Royal College of General Practitioners Museum Dr Johnson’s House Corporation of London, Keats House Royal College of Music Museum Bexley Heritage Trust Royal College of Nursing Library and Crossness Engines Museum Heritage Centre Estorick Collection Croydon community group Royal College of Phycisians Museum Croydon Museum & Archives Service Royal College of Surgeons, Hunterian Museum Collections grants Arts Museum UCL De Morgan Centre Royal London Hospital Museum & Archive British Dental Association Museum Design Museum Royal Pharmaceutical Society Museum Emery Walker Trust Dorich House, Kingston University Royal Philatelic Society Museum Estorick Collection Dr Johnsons House Salters Livery (museum/archive) (2) Picture Gallery Severndroog Castle Eastside Community heritage Society of Antiquaries Grant Museum UCL (2) Enfield Museum Southbank Gallery Jewish Military Museum (2) Southwark Museum Service Keats House (2) Estorick Collection Sports Museum project (Russell Martin) Kelmscott House Fan Museum SS Robin Sutton Museum & Heritage Service Firepower St George’s Hospital Art collection Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge Florence Nightingale Museum Stephens Collection Society of Antiquaries Foundling Museum Strawberry Hill House Vestry House Museum Freemasons Museum Sutton House, Freud Museum Sutton Museum & Heritage Service Museum Improvement grants Fulham Palace Thames River Police Museum Bexley Heritage Trust Garden Museum UAL London College of Fashion Barnet Museum Geffrye Museum UCL Art Collection Grant Museum UCL UCL Grant Museum of Zoology Ben Uri Gallery Golders Green Synagogue UCL Museums Service Stephens Collection Gordon Museum William Morris Gallery Brunel Museum Government Art Collection Walthamstow Pump House Freud Museum Greenwich Heritage Centre Wandle Industrial Museum Gunnersbury Park Museum Wandsworth Museum Cinema Museum Wellcome Library Estorick Collection Headstone Manor Museum West House Pinner Museum of Wimbledon West Indian ex Serviceman’s Association Museum of Fulham Palace Household Cavalry Museum Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum Houses of Parliament Wimbledon Museum Imperial Healthcare Art Collection World Rugby Museum Hammersmith