The deadline this month for applications to the first phase of the Museums Association’s (MA) Transformers programme, designed to encourage mid-career professionals to look at innovative ways to build resilience and create impact for their museums, will also mark the first anniversary of a number of projects from last year’s pilot scheme.
One year on, how is the programme doing? An independent evaluation by market research consultancy Atticus found that professionals at museums supporting the programme felt they had developed more resilient and sustainable practices, enhanced the museum’s role in the community and increased its impact (see box).
The evaluation of the pilot scheme was positive, says Jess Turtle, the MA’s project coordinator, but some things have changed for the first phase following feedback from the pilot participants.
These include involving the participants’ backers at their respective museums in the process earlier and holding more peer-learning events during winter. Turtle says that whereas the pilot was open to England, Scotland and Wales, the first phase is only accessible to participants in England.
The MA received funding from Arts Council England’s (ACE) Museum Resilience Fund, she says, and is seeking to to secure funding this year from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. And the hope is that the MA might be able to work with those countries on future workforce projects, Turtle adds.
The arts council believes that there is a correlation between resilient and well-led organisations, says John Orna-Ornstein, ACE’s director of museums. There are a lot of talented people mid-career, he says. “We want to support them in taking the next step – they are the people who will lead organisations in the future and we want to unlock that talent.”
This fits with ACE’s approach to resilience, which is not about being more commercial, but about clarity of purpose and aligning this to audience needs.
Combining those elements, Caroline Cutmore, the sales and ticketing manager at the Royal Collection and a Transformers pilot participant, devised a training programme called Creative Punk culture Turner Contemporary will play host to Provincial Punk, a Grayson Perry exhibition, from 23 May-13 September.
The show explores Perry’s subversive practice, from a young artist in 1980s Britain to today as a commentator on contemporary society and culture. Central to the exhibition will be Perry’s ceramic pots including Spirit Jar, 1994 (pictured)
Transactions to help museum professionals think about how their job could generate income for their museum. A year on, she has teamed up with Peter Cooper, the visitor services manager at the Southbank Centre, and Hannah Ellams, the director of Wycombe Museum, and with £2,250 in micro-funding from Transformers they will deliver their first training course later this month.
Ellie Swinbank, the keeper at National Mining Museum Scotland and a Transformers participant, says the programme was useful for building “personal resilience”. When you are trying to launch big projects it is helpful to have the support of Transformers, she says
.
Swinbank advises anyone considering applying for the first phase to think creatively about projects, but also to remember that Transformers is focused less on what you are looking to achieve and more on how you go about it.
• The closing date for applications for the Transformers scheme is 20 May. More details can be found at www.museumsassociation.org
Turner Contemporary will play host to Provincial Punk, a Grayson Perry exhibition,
from 23 May- 13 September.
The show explores Perry’s subversive practice, from a young artist in 1980s Britain to today as a commentator on contemporary society and culture. Central to the exhibition will be Perry’s ceramic pots including Spirit Jar, 1994.
One year on, how is the programme doing? An independent evaluation by market research consultancy Atticus found that professionals at museums supporting the programme felt they had developed more resilient and sustainable practices, enhanced the museum’s role in the community and increased its impact (see box).
The evaluation of the pilot scheme was positive, says Jess Turtle, the MA’s project coordinator, but some things have changed for the first phase following feedback from the pilot participants.
These include involving the participants’ backers at their respective museums in the process earlier and holding more peer-learning events during winter. Turtle says that whereas the pilot was open to England, Scotland and Wales, the first phase is only accessible to participants in England.
The MA received funding from Arts Council England’s (ACE) Museum Resilience Fund, she says, and is seeking to to secure funding this year from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. And the hope is that the MA might be able to work with those countries on future workforce projects, Turtle adds.
The arts council believes that there is a correlation between resilient and well-led organisations, says John Orna-Ornstein, ACE’s director of museums. There are a lot of talented people mid-career, he says. “We want to support them in taking the next step – they are the people who will lead organisations in the future and we want to unlock that talent.”
This fits with ACE’s approach to resilience, which is not about being more commercial, but about clarity of purpose and aligning this to audience needs.
Combining those elements, Caroline Cutmore, the sales and ticketing manager at the Royal Collection and a Transformers pilot participant, devised a training programme called Creative Punk culture Turner Contemporary will play host to Provincial Punk, a Grayson Perry exhibition, from 23 May-13 September.
The show explores Perry’s subversive practice, from a young artist in 1980s Britain to today as a commentator on contemporary society and culture. Central to the exhibition will be Perry’s ceramic pots including Spirit Jar, 1994 (pictured)
Transactions to help museum professionals think about how their job could generate income for their museum. A year on, she has teamed up with Peter Cooper, the visitor services manager at the Southbank Centre, and Hannah Ellams, the director of Wycombe Museum, and with £2,250 in micro-funding from Transformers they will deliver their first training course later this month.
Ellie Swinbank, the keeper at National Mining Museum Scotland and a Transformers participant, says the programme was useful for building “personal resilience”. When you are trying to launch big projects it is helpful to have the support of Transformers, she says
.
Swinbank advises anyone considering applying for the first phase to think creatively about projects, but also to remember that Transformers is focused less on what you are looking to achieve and more on how you go about it.
• The closing date for applications for the Transformers scheme is 20 May. More details can be found at www.museumsassociation.org
Punk Culture
Turner Contemporary will play host to Provincial Punk, a Grayson Perry exhibition,
from 23 May- 13 September.
The show explores Perry’s subversive practice, from a young artist in 1980s Britain to today as a commentator on contemporary society and culture. Central to the exhibition will be Perry’s ceramic pots including Spirit Jar, 1994.
