2012 annual report Contents About Museums Australia Inc. (Victoria) ................................................................................................2 President’s Report ..................................................................................................................................3 Treasurer’s Report ..................................................................................................................................4 Executive Director’s Report ................................................................................................................ 5-6 Management Report ........................................................................................................................... 7-8 Awards and Conference ..........................................................................................................................9 Events ...................................................................................................................................................10 Communications and Digital Projects ..................................................................................................11 INSITE ...................................................................................................................................................12 Membership and Fundraising ..............................................................................................................13 Exhibition Services ...............................................................................................................................14 Museum Accreditation Program – MAP ..............................................................................................15 Victorian Collections ............................................................................................................................16 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... 17-18 Financial Reports ........................................................................................................................... 19-22 1 Museums Australia (Victoria) About Museums Australia Inc. (Victoria) Mission Enabling museums and their people to develop their capacity to inspire and engage their communities. Statement of Purpose The Victorian branch of Museums Australia volunteers and raise the profile of Museums Australia (Victoria) provides provides services for museums and museum participating museums. professional services to develop and workers regardless of membership status, sustain the roles and interests of museum and our programs are relevant, accessible Awards communities across Victoria. Museums and strategically useful to the sector as Each year since 1994 we have recognised Australia is the national association a whole. the achievements of museum individuals representing the museum and gallery and museum organisations at the Victorian The Victoria membership reflects the sector. Museum Awards which includes the great diversity of the museum sector. presentation of Accredited Museums. The At the end of December 2012 it included Museums Australia (Victoria) provides: Awards are peer-reviewed and celebrate 219 organisations spanning archives, art the hard work of staff and volunteers in galleries, botanical gardens, historical • Expert advice on museum practice and creating a vibrant sector. The Awards are societies, natural and social history development proudly sponsored by a range of industry museums and specialist collections. At • Grants for exhibition development and and cultural supporters. end 2012 we had 220 individual members, small infrastructure projects most of whom are working either • Accreditation and application of the Exhibition Services professionally or voluntarily in museums. National Standards for Australian Provides advice, professional development Museums & Galleries and grants specifically targeted to improve Our key services include: • Professional development static and touring exhibition activity in • Advocacy and profile-raising of Victorian regional Victoria. Events museums Over 68 events offered ranging from INSITE exclusive member events to lectures, Our stimulating and informative member Values seminars, workshops and masterclasses magazine published five times a year is • Recognising that museums and galleries catering to beginner, mid-level and expert directly sent to members with the latest occupy a vital place in the community museum staff, volunteers and partners. news on Victorian museums, events and • Recognising the contributions of our We cross-reference our program with topics. members to the sector member feedback and our matrix of • Supporting access to and the care of the Membership and Fundraising museum and individual types to ensure we Distributed National Collection Dedicated resources proactively and offered a balanced program catering to • Recognising and celebrating diversity reactively identify the needs of existing and needs. including Indigenous cultural heritage potential members and encourage broader • Recognising the importance of being a Regional Museums Training Program networking within and between groups and forum for ideas Training is provided in ‘informal hubs’ of communities. Our fundraising activities • Upholding the highest ethical professional flood-affected communities to respond to support both museums applying for grants standards museum needs on a tailored basis, and fundraising for branch income and involving multiple groups from local areas in-kind support for activities which benefit Background and Accredited Museums. This Program is the membership. MA (Vic) is a state branch of a not-for- supported by philanthropic bodies. profit national membership association Digital Projects founded in 1993 to bring together people Victorian Collections The weekly e-bulletin and MA (Vic) website concerned with the care and An online database enabling community offer a range of up-to-date museum sector communication of Australia’s natural, groups to record their local heritage and information and links to external artistic and cultural heritage. culture to ensure collections are well- resources. New online training tools documented for the future. include short training videos on museum Through the direction of an elected best practice and selected seminar Committee, the Victorian Branch provides Museum Accreditation Program presentations available online. Special support, representation and professional Seventy museums are participating in our disaster response areas of the website are development services to the museum gold-standard Museum Accreditation available for fire and flood-affected sector throughout the State. Program, a wholistic, peer-supported communities when required. Membership model of excellence developed according MA (Vic) represents approximately one to the National Standards for Australian The Branch Office is housed on the lower third of Museums Australia’s total Museums and Galleries. The Program ground floor of the Melbourne Museum. membership. It represents the Victorian enables strong mentoring between Members enjoy easy access to Branch members and coordinates services museums and museum experts to share services and staff. MA (Vic) is grateful for for them. best-practice, upskill museum staff and the generous ongoing support of Museum Victoria in making this space available. Annual Report 2012 / www.mavic.asn.au 2 President’s Report For Museums Australia (Victoria), 2012 It was the first full year we have had a Alongside online tools we continue to was a year when we bedded down some membership and fundraising manager provide support in person through our significant changes to our operations and which has enabled MA (Vic) to develop accreditation program and our exhibition offerings, activity that has borne fruit in a better systems for member and sponsor grants. We continued work with flood- rebalanced financial position and a support. We thank all our members for the affected communities, courtesy of special refocused strategic vision. constructive and useful feedback they have grants from the Lord Mayor’s Charitable provided particularly through the survey we Foundation and the Sidney Myer We have trialled several new initiatives put out during the middle of 2012. We have Foundation. And we continue to provide over the course of the year. Our first State had considerable success in raising funds regular updates and information to our Conference, held at the University of to support our online initiatives in networks through our e-newsletters, Ballarat School of Mines buildings, particular, thanks in no small part to the INSITE magazine and our annual events brought together the museum and gallery focus we have been able to bring to this program. sector from across Victoria for a work. stimulating two days of conversation and We expect to see further development of connection. Feedback from the event was Our Victorian Collections initiative, in these and other initiatives as we enter very positive and we look forward to partnership with Museum Victoria and 2013 and go through strategic planning providing an annual event, both to supported by the Victorian Cultural and the bid process for Arts Victoria showcase Victoria’s regional cultural Network, continued to see solid take-up recurrent funding. We are continuing to heritage activity and to provide an and use throughout