Dear colleague

This week’s crop of museum items from around the region and county:

1. Firstly, may I make an urgent plea that if you haven’t already filled in the online SHARE training needs survey (see MiC News 50) that you please do so before the extended deadline of 9am on Tuesday 31 May? This is rather important, but forgive me if you have already made your submission. I know eight museums in the County have already filled it in but all museums should fill it in to help SHARE plan their training. It is at http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/inform-SHARE-2016/.
2. The Federation (SEMFed) have two committee vacancies; let me know if you’d like to see the role descriptions.
3. Rachael Brown of the Ouse Washes Landscape Partnership has asked me to tell museums in the OWLP area about two free photography workshops. They are aimed at beginners to intermediate skill levels and although numbers are very limited preference will go to project partners. Details are as follows: Wednesday 20 July or Monday 25 July; 10am – 4pm, lunch and refreshments included; Rector’s Hall, Earith, PE28 3PX. The booking for the workshops is online at http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/HMWDX/. Alternatively volunteers can phone Rachael on 01353 865037 but note she is on leave from till 30 May.
4. I attach the latest BAFM newsletter.

Enjoy the Bank Holiday

Dear colleague

There are quite a few items this week:

1. I attach the new SHARE Benchmarking form for 2015-2016 and would ask that every Accredited museum in the County completes this by 31 August please, as it is very important. The purpose of the survey is to gather evidence to help demonstrate and prove the social and economic importance of museums both locally and regionally to funders and stakeholders. It also provides museums with data to enable them to benchmark their performance. SHARE and I would be very grateful if you would take the time to complete this survey and if you prefer you can use http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/SHAREBenchmarking1516/. Please do not hesitate to ask me if you have any questions about this.

1. The Museums in Cambridgeshire AGM will be on the morning of 15 September at Ramsey Museum (details to follow).
2. Just a reminder, if you have not already filled it in, that the SHARE training survey mentioned in MiC News 50 will close on 22 May. Apologies if you’ve already done it!
3. I’m a little late here, but can I just draw your attention to what HLF are doing about Mental Health Awareness Week https://www.hlf.org.uk/about-us/news-features/building-relationships-through-heritage?
4. Why not sign up for the next Federation meeting in Hitchin on 22 July at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/semfed-agm-developing-hitchins-museums-tickets-25475221072?aff=es2?
5. My MDO colleagues Emma Cook and Amy Cotterill are streaming a demonstration of the ‘Paraloid Sandwich’ technique on 25 May using Periscope at https://essexmdo.com/2016/05/13/paraloidsandwich/.
6. The Eridge Trust makes grants to schools and other bodies for trips to museums for projects aimed at young people. Applications can be made for grants for educational trips in school year beginning September 2016. See www.eridgetrust.co.uk/page2.htm The deadline for applications is 31^st May 2016.
7. The Cromwell Museum has a new website at http://www.cromwellmuseum.org/.

There is a vacancy for an Events Co-ordinator at the Fitzwilliam Museum, closing date 30 May at https://www.le.ac.uk/museumstudies/Jobs2/full_job_descriptions/44755.htm

Dear colleague

A few items of news this Friday the 13^th:

1. The Norris Museum in St Ives is advertising for a Community Projects Officer, closing date 6 June. It is job no. 44697 at http://www.le.ac.uk/museumstudies/Jobs2/full_job_descriptions/44697.htm.
2. There are still a few places left on the Object Marking training on Friday 20^th May at Essex Record Office starting at 10:30. More information is available here: https://essexmdo.com/events/objectmarking/ and museums can book by emailing me at amy.cotterill@essex.gov.uk.
3. We’re looking for an evaluator for a heritage project: ‘Cambridgeshire Pals, A Digital Memorial to the 11th Battalion Suffolk Regiment on The Somme’. This small contract will start 6 June and run to February 2017. Please see http://www.sourcecambridgeshire.co.uk/contracts/show/id/14153.
4. I have funding from SHARE to create a website of ‘visitable’ sites of aviation heritage in Cambridgeshire. Obviously this includes several museums so let me know if you are particularly interested in this project. I am seeing the initial designs on Monday and the plan is to launch the site in mid June. More anon.

Just a few items this week:

1. I have submitted an application to the ACE Resilience Fund for a Cambridgeshire museum volunteering project along the lines of SWIM. I should know the result by the end of July and the project would commence in October to run for 18 months. MiC will be contributing £5,000 to this project if it gets the go ahead.
2. ACE are advertising places on the Designation panel, closing date 6 June, at http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/explore-news/opportunities-join-designation-panel.
3. The Art Fund is offering bursary places for museum professionals for selected events at the ICA Artists’ Film Biennial 2016 from 25 to 29 May 2016. More details on their website.
4. May I please encourage you to complete the SHARE training needs survey at http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/inform-SHARE-2016/ by 22 May?
5. I attach an invitation to a session at the Fitzwilliam Museum on 13 July to discuss this year’s 18 November ‘Takeover Day’ programme.

Best wishes for what looks like being the start of summer!

There are a number of vacancies and events at the moment:

1. Director of the Museum of East Anglian Life, closing date 9 May, job number 44471 at http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/museumstudies/JobsDesk
2. Stained Glass Museum Learning Officer, closing date 13 May, job 44526 at the same link.
3. University of Cambridge Museums Learning Associate, closing date 8 May, job 44440 at the same link.
4. HLF Grants Officer, closing date 15 May, at https://forms.hlf.org.uk/applications/HLFJobs_PublicPortal.ofml .
5. Sheringham Museum Learning Officer, closing date 6 May (see attached).
6. This is a reminder of the SHAREd Enterprise session ‘Teamwork: effective habits for successful fundraising’ Monday 16 May, 10:00am – 3:30pm Museum of East Anglian Life, Stowmarket Click here to book.
7. The evaluation of the SWIM project is now complete (see attached). MiC provided the partnership funding for the project and I am grateful to all MiC subscribers for this.
8. Spice Innovations who run the Time Credits programme which is operating in some Cambridgeshire museums are currently recruiting for a Partnerships Manager in the East of England. Closing date 5 May, at  http://www.justaddspice.org/get-involved/join-our-team.