Heritage and Audience Development Consultant Laura Crossley shares her recommendations for getting local heritage organisations to work together to plan and market a joint programme of events: a Museums at Night festival "cluster". This includes three case studies from the Norfolk area.

1. Museums at Night Clusters
Laura Crossley
Freelance Heritage and Audience Development Consultant

2. Norwich 2010
• Aim: Bring together and
collectively promote 5 venues
• Audience: Families and adults
• Events: Art, tours, sleepover
• Marketing: Flyer, website, venues
• Organisation: Venues
• Budget: Small

3. Sheringham 2011
• Aim: Create a partnership
between 3 small cultural
venues.
• Audience: Families,
first-time visitors
• Events: Pirate-themed
• Marketing: Poster, venue websites
• Organisation: Venues
• Budget: Very, very, very small

4. Cromer, Sheringham and
Wells-next-the-Sea 2012
• Aim: Bring together 9 diverse
cultural venues; attract
first-time local visitors
• Audience: Families
• Events: Victorian-themed
• Marketing: Leaflet,
website, venues, social media
• Organisation: Co-ordinator and venues
• Budget: HUGE

5. Victorian Nights
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Why North Norfolk?
Victorian theme
The benefits of funding
What we achieved:
– Lots of visitors, particularly
target audience
– Future repeat visitors
– Income generation
– Huge marketing reach
– Improved partnerships

6. Benefits of Clusters
• Improves your offer
• Creates a buzz
• More opportunities for
media coverage
• Reach your target
audience
• Increased local support for venues
• Improved local partnerships
• Brings together diverse venues
• Great way to pool resources

7. Challenges of Clusters
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Funding
Sustained funding
Lack of buy-in
Sustaining motivation and focus
Lack of staff resource
Time issues

8. Tips for Developing a Cracking Cluster
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What’s in it for us?
Don’t just think ‘museum’
Target, target, target
I love themes
Think simple
Is it affordable for our audience?
Beware clashes
Leave enough time
Keep it going!

9. Questions?
Laura Crossley
Freelance Heritage and
Audience Development Consultant
lfcrossley@yahoo.co.uk
www.lauracrossley.com