Museums [ Australia ] Museum Matters New South Wales Vol 20 no 1 June/July 2011 ISSN 1320 2677 New directions for NSW museums? The branch will publish the proceedings later in the year. In this issue of Museum Matters, we combine the impressions of Paul Bentley, Andrew Simpson and Re- becca Pinchin with those of Christine McMillan, Bernard Boyce, Tamara Hynd, Lyn Hall, Debbie Sommers, Denise Bell, Judy Peters, Chris Lattimore and Bob McKillop, who have recorded their thoughts in bursary reports and chapter newsletters. A plan for the future Deborah Ely, representing Professor Amanda Lawson and other members of the consulting team working on a new strategy, outlined the scope and processes involved leading to a report to Arts NSW in mid July. Looking for inspiration To check overseas developments, we turned to two speakers. Alec Coles, CEO of the Western Austra- Delegates assemble for the Museums Australia (NSW) symposium, Place, Space lian Museum and previously director of and Identity: New Directions for NSW Museums at Macquarie University. Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums in the UK, advocated an integrated approach for Contents CHANGE was in the air. The Collections providing museum services based on his Council of Australia had ceased operation experience with the Renaissance in the New directions for NSW in 2010. The Federal Government had Regions program in England. museums? flagged the disbandment of the Cultural Before the Museums Libraries Archives A report on the MANSW Ministers Council. The Collections Council (MLA) established the program, symposium Place, Space & Australia Network was in limbo. there was an absence of regional leadership. Identity, April 2011. Arts NSW had begun work on a new Structures were fragmented. Objectives were strategic plan for the visual arts and poorly articulated. Decisions were based on NSW round-up museum sectors, one recommendation of expediency rather than strategy. There was the Watts report on Museums and inefficient and ineffective use of resources. The trade Galleries NSW (M&GNSW). And the elec- The sector did not really work together or tion of the O‘Farrell Government in March share best practice. Austin Sloper’s digest introduced the prospect of new policy con- As part of the Renaissance program, Museums and advocacy, texts for the next four years. museum hubs were established in nine Eng- Australia, collaboration & To explore the landscape and consider lish regions. Each hub had a lead organisa- convergence, digitisation & future directions, Museums Australia tion with up to four other partners. The digitisation tools, (NSW) organised the symposium Place, program also consisted of a museum devel- exhibitions, information Space and Identity: New Directions for opment officer network, traineeships, management, lighting & air Museums in NSW. accreditation support and other elements. conditioning, social media, With the support of Arts NSW, the As a result, visits to the regional museums tips & resources, tourism, Powerhouse Museum and other sponsors, in England increased, out-performing their and the United Kingdom the symposium attracted 160 participants to counterparts in Scotland and Wales. Diary dates & contacts Macquarie University on 18-19 April for Regional museum development officers presentations, panel discussions, tours, achieved real change. There was a noticeable demonstrations, business meetings and impact on educational services and visitor social events. Page 2 Museum Matters New directions for NSW museums? significance against the National Stan- Laura Miles described the ap- dards. proach in Victoria, where Museums Tamara Hynd, Coordinator of the Australia (Victoria), with funding MANSW Southern Highlands and Illa- from the State government, provides warra Chapter and Curator of Tongarra a range of services, including expert Museum, promoted the importance of advice, grants, professional develop- small grants, such as the M&GNSW ment, advocacy and disaster re- volunteer-initiated-museum and leg-up sponses. grants, in building capacity and revital- A feature of its services is the ising small museums and facilitating the delivery of its standards program, work of Museums Australia‘s NSW MANSW. President Andrew Simpson calls which is not only tied to the Na- chapters. on Professor Stephen Thurgate, Executive tional Standards for Australian Mu- Lyn Hicks (Macquarie University) Dean of the Faculty of Science, Macquarie seums and Galleries, it is bound up championed the concept of sustainable University to welcomes delegates. with accreditation. Eighty percent of public policy that is driven and deliv- museums and galleries are catego- ered by networks. NSW cultural policy demographics. The museums gained a rised as grassroots organisations, over the last decade, she said, had been better profile with Whitehall and local 15% are regarded as accreditation- characterised by patchy support and authorities. They were able to leverage ready and 5% are classified as ex- cost shifting between governments. funding more effectively. There was a pert organisations. She pointed to the approach of the lift in standards and confidence. Future plans of the branch in- Victorian Department of Planning and Volunteering increased massively. volve getting more volunteer and Community Development, which is But the program was far from per- paid staff connected online, partner- based on three key principles: the fect. Sometimes there was a lack of ships with industry and philanthro- importance of investing in community- clarity about directions. Performance pists, and more collaboration with strengthening activities; the need to measures lacked objectivity. Perform- interstate branches and service pro- develop integrated local approaches to ance varied from region to region. viders. planning and delivery of services; the There was a focus on quick wins. need to change the way government A New Renaissance Program, fol- works, both within government and lowing a review in 2009, sets out to with community sectors. These princi- address these shortcomings. It consists ples were very much applicable in of a small number of locally-funded NSW, where 66% of museums and museums to provide core services, a galleries are located the regions. challenge fund shaped by national Andrew Simpson promoted the strategies to drive improvements re- future generation of museum profes- gionally, a nationally coordinated, sionals as a resource for the current locally managed network of museum work of museums. Macquarie Univer- development officers, partnerships sity‘s museum studies program, he said, with local governments, and other gives some emphasis to understanding elements. the challenges of working in regional Sarah-Jane Rennie (M&GNSW), areas. The University organises annual in her presentation New Vibrancy in an student tours of the regions. It facilitates Old World, encouraged delegates to partnerships between metropolitan and draw comparisons between NSW and regional museums and students to un- Scotland, where museum services are dertake projects on exhibition develop- shaped by the small, sea-hugging land ment, audience evaluation, disaster mass, the fallout from the Global management, collection management, Financial Crisis, a sense that history Laura Miles considers modes of transport oral history and conservation, and other has been shaped by conquerors and the before travelling to Victorian museums museum activities in need of problem conquered, and increased use of tech- and galleries. solving or additional resources. nology. The importance of standards was Kylie Winkworth, to the disappoint- Regional services something that featured in a presen- ment of the delegates had to pull out of tation by Bill Storer, Museums the event because of illness. Her presen- The focus for the consultants‘ plan- Australia National Secretary. He tation, More on the Museum Diet, ning will be on the small-to-medium emphasised the undercurrent of exploring ten strategies for sustainable sector. The symposium drew together museum purpose in his exploration museums and collections in NSW, will a number of presentations that gave an of collections, collecting and be made available in the published emphasis to this aspect. proceedings. Museum Matters Page 3 Museums Australia Inc (NSW) newsletter New directions for NSW museums? Influencing society Professor Duncan Waterson, and productions worth mentioning as (Macquarie University) turned his examples of changing approaches to Future strategies will no doubt call attention to its influence on the minds broadcasting include Gallipolli: The upon museums to use their resources of those in Turkey, where there has First Day, and Black Saturday, a web- to influence society at large on the been recent rapid development of site devoted to the impact of Austra- issues of the day. museums and memorials as a deliber- lia‘s worst bushfire. Multiculturalism was the issue ate government policy to reinforce the It‘s an exciting world, he said, and considered by Professor Amareswar cultural legacy of Ataturk. some of the most exciting things come Galla, Chairperson of the ICOM from unexpected places. Cross Cultural Task Force and Direc- Using technology Alison Dellit, in her presentation, tor of the UNESCO Project, Pacific Given the primary importance of tech- Trove and Museums: An Opportunity Asia Observatory for Cultural Diver- nology, the symposium gave special to be Realised?, gave us an update on sity in Human Development, when emphasis to necessities and options for the