Date/Time
Date(s) – 06/11/2017
9:45 am – 3:45 pm

Location
John Bunyan Museum

Categories

• Accreditation
• Children & Young People
• Collections
• Digital
• Leadership & Governance
• Reaching Audiences
• Resilience
• SHARED Enterprise

Change is unavoidable, but how can it be turned to our advantage? The Conference will examine ways of approaching change in the museums sector and how we can aim for the most positive outcomes.

We are delighted that the John Bunyan Museum, The Higgins and the Panacea Museum will be jointly hosting this year’s conference. All three museums are within two minutes’ walk of each other, and the afternoon will feature plenty of time to explore them.

The keynote speakers are:

• Julia Kauffman OBE (Chair, Small Charities Coalition) – Facilitating Change Julia Kaufmann has been working as a freelance consultant in the voluntary sector for 15 years, helping a wide range of small and medium charities to improve what they do; conducting organisational reviews and evaluating grant making programmes. Previously she was CEO of the BBC Children in Need Appeal and, before that, the Director of Gingerbread, the association for one parent families. Julia has served as chair and/or trustee of a number of charities and grant making trusts and is currently Chair of the Small Charities Coalition, a national organisation supporting small charities across the UK.
• Bernard Donoghue (Director, Association of Leading Visitor Attractions) – What Excellent Looks Like in Visitor Attractions Bernard Donoghue has been the Director of ALVA since 2011 following a career in advocacy, communications and lobbying, latterly at a senior level in the tourism and heritage sector. Previously he was Head of Government and Public Affairs for VisitBritain between 1997 and 2010. Bernard is a trustee of many boards including Kids in Museums, The Geffrye Museum of the Home in London and The Heritage Alliance. He is also a Fellow of the Tourism Society. In May of 2017 Bernard was appointed to be a member of the Mayor of London’s Cultural Leadership Board and is the Mayor’s Ambassador for Cultural Tourism.

In addition there will be a range of speakers sharing their thoughts and experiences on the subject of change in museums of all shapes and sizes, including:

• Jayne Austin: Suffolk Museum Development & Partnership Manager
• Megan Dennis: Curator, Gressenhall Farm & Workhouse
• Sarah Priestley: Heritage & Arts Manager, Watford Museum
• Bill Seaman: Museum Arts & Culture Manager, Colchester & Ipswich Museum Service

The afternoon will offer the chance to explore not one but three museums in Bedford. Drop-in sessions in each museum will showcase good and innovative practice from those with first-hand experience of significant change. There will also be advice on the 2018 Volunteer Awards and how to apply. All three key areas of museum Accreditation will be covered – governance, collections and audiences.

Lunch and all refreshments will be provided, so please let us know of any dietary needs on your booking form. Similarly, if you have any access requirements please let us know when you book. The Bunyan Meeting Church is fully accessible.

Available places

The SHARE Museum Development programme is funded by Arts Council England to work with Accredited museums in the East of England. The Conference is free for museums in the region which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation (up to 2 delegates per museum site).

Places for other organisations are changed at £30 per head to cover costs. This includes non-Accredited museums, museums from outside the East of England, freelancers and staff from commercial organisations. You will receive an acknowledgement email and the booking will be confirmed once payment has been arranged.

The SHARE Conference is always very popular, so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Bookings