Museums in Cambridgeshire News no 44 (7 March 2016)

Not too many items to report this week:

  1. Vivacity in Peterborough are advertising a unique opportunity for a conservation technician to look after their amazing Bronze Age boats. The closing date is 18 March and the job no. is 43986 at http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/museumstudies/JobsDesk .
  2. AIM have organised a museum trustee event at Hughes Hall, Cambridge on 20 April. Details are at https://aimuseums.wordpress.com/category/governance-2/.
  3. ‘Space Invaders: Women Museum Leaders’ is on Friday, 18 March, 10:30-4.30 at the Imperial War Museum, London, cost £15.  This conference will address issues around women’s leadership in the museum sector. For a full programme please visit: www.women-museum-leaders.eventbrite.co.uk.
  4. Can I mention again that the County Council has an online funding database with a section on culture, arts and music (including museums) at http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/info/20012/arts_green_spaces_and_activities/35/arts_funding_opportunities_in_cambridgeshire?
  5. Booking  is open for the 2016 Social History Curators Group Conference: ‘The Only Way is Ethics’, in Lincoln on 23-24 June 2016.  The full programme and booking details can be found at http://shcg.org.uk/conf16. I note that this clashes with the AIM conference in Edinburgh and the referendum!
  6. As a result of the Chelmsford theft (see http://theartnewspaper.com/news/museums/chelmsford-museum-gold-coin-theft/) it’s probably worth repeating William Brown, ACE Security Adviser advice that “smaller, more portable items will be targeted rather than items like large paintings”. Alarms on display cases should be “used correctly” and glass cases “cleaned frequently to preserve forensic evidence”.
  7. Finally I cannot let the opportunity pass to wish farewell to Mike Brooks, Volunteer Co-ordinator in the SWIM project for the NVR, Ramsey, Cromwell, Burwell, Farmland and St Neots Museums. SWIM is ACE-funded with partnership funding from MiC and as it ends at the end of March, Mike leaves this week to work at St Neots Library. He’s done a great job on SWIM and I’m sure all the museums would join me in wishing him all the best in his new post.