Lessons learnt. Community museums | Zoe Gealy
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The document outlines lessons learned from community museum projects. It emphasizes the importance of understanding community needs and existing local resources. Partnerships across different organizations can help museums be sustainable and give communities ownership. Projects should be realistic in scope and adapt flexibly based on partner priorities and changing circumstances. The takeaway is to build on what already exists, work collaboratively, and regularly review approaches to maintain relevance.
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Lessons learnt. Community museums | Zoe Gealy
- 1. Lessons Learnt Community Museums Zoe Gealy Senior Learning Oficer Amgueddfa Cymru/National Museums Wales
- 2. “Wales is extraordinarily rich in culture and heritage, and if local communities can draw more deeply on these resources, they can help to raise achievement, reduce poverty and foster pride in community. The foundations are all there. What is needed is common purpose and clear frameworks to enable people to work together creatively.” Baroness Kay Andrews OBE
- 3. Don’t re-invent the wheel
- 4. ASK….. What communities want/need? Look at other local provision Check days Suitable timing? Where? Transport
- 5. Pride in Penderry – Community Museum
- 6. Pride in Penderry – Kids in Museums Takeover Day
- 7. PARTNERSHIP Communities First Housing staff Local Librarian
- 8. Time to manage it? Time to set up? Popular times to visit?
- 9. VOLUNTEERS
- 11. ‘You can’t force people to like the things that you do’ Gregor Henderson – Director of Wellbeing and Mental Health at public health England
- 14. Main things we have learnt…so far • Build flexibility into your methodology • Find out what your partners agendas are – can you link to them? • Catch your hare - get the coordinators on board first. • Devise projects that link to 2,3 or more different agendas • Don’t re-invent the wheel – use what you have. Hook in to what others are doing already • Take advantage of unexpected events • Check that your project is realistic and achievable.
- 15. • Work in Partnership whenever possible – work shared is halved. • Use expertise from other departments within your organisation and keep all informed in the loop. • Attend other people’s events to target hardest to reach audiences in their comfort zone • Stay flexible and adaptable • Regularly review how you approach projects and how you evaluate. • Keep an eye on what is affecting your partners - ie. changes to the way the local authority can operate under times of extreme financial stringency. Review charging policies regularly.
- 16. What happens next Welsh Government funding • Amgueddfa Cymru has to adjust to new funding amount from Welsh government Local Authorities • Changes in how Welsh Govt asks councils to work with communities in areas of deprivation • Possible phased closure of Communities First structure locally. National Waterfront Museum • Keeps targeting CF areas with its special outreach programmes • Keeps working in partnership
Editor's Notes
- Came from community background. Kay Andrews instrumental in allowing museum to open up secondment
- Started looking at existing museum structure Tweak what’s already there No need to design from scratch to make your mark If things are working well then that’s a good thing. Tried and tested is best Work to the strengths of your site – ours are our collections and flexible approach Site specific museums succesful in the schools following the museum in a box…community museums = logical progression
- Don’t provide what you want to provide/think what they need Groups may surprise you…Never assume (Older peoples group surgical pirates!) Mixed group – community kite making Community focused/community minded Check accessibility for people – this includes providers as well as community members – budgets allow for travel? Is this required? Is it more suitable in the first instance to reach out to the community by attending something on their turf? Feed people – always a winner – or at least give them a cup of tea – make sure what you supply is relevant to the group – seen people fancy food so many times
- Developed make a museum to community museum Hugely succesful open day – standing room only. Various community groups attended Schools excitement and backing – 3 schools attended 93 year old resident opened the museum alongside the local AM
- Variety of activities taking place
- Positives and Negatives – expectations, different agendas, reliability, funding, /halves work load, saves money, doubles expertise, creates stronger working relationships, reaches out to more of the community Don’t compete – team up or do differently – could offer progression route for example
- Ie during school hours? After school? Weekdays – if so which – what is shopping day, benefits day etc. Would a weekend work? Depends who your target audience is? Is it people out of work/long term sick etc? is it families? Would a family – children especially, encourage one to visit? Have you realistically got the time required to dedicate to it? Set up and building momentum – lots time required t get to know the comm – you can work with partners but they also have own agenda so you must be realistic in how much you can depend? Have you got time once it’s opened to maintain, promote? Who will man – volunteers also take work
- Volunteers reliability? Too good – get work, not turn up? Late, not suitable, too keen….who will look after? What do they get out of it? Mutually beneficial, who will support them – again time?
- Specific/Measureable/Achieveable/Realistic/Relevant/Timely??? Can you afford the staff time, resources Do you have common agenda with someone? Can you join forces? Can your project hit several different agendas at once? Brownie points Identify the Benefits to both parties Shared responsibilities are more sustainable – especially for small organisations Join forces but remember One size does not fit all - National Museum / Local authority / independent different approach Go higher up the scale – don’t go to play worker, go to the area coordinator, or the local authority co-ordinator and show them info about a project that worked – offer to go and speak to one of their area meetings. Offer to host one of their area meetings if you can speak to people. Find out their agenda – see where you think you can help them achieve their agenda. Remember - Word of mouth is best way to get there – you need to work well with one group – get feedback and then use that feedback to speak to other groups. HANDOUT M. Activity – Planning your project? 15 mins RG/ZG Can you afford the staff time, resources Do you have common agenda with someone? Can you join forces? Can your project hit several different agendas at once? Brownie points Identify the Benefits to both parties – thread through session Shared responsibilities are more sustainable – especially for small organisations Join forces : you may not be able to run a Youth group on your own, but how about joining up with other cultural organisations nearby to share a Youth group One size does not fit all - National Museum / Local authority / independent different approach Go higher up the scale – don’t go to play worker, go to the area coordinator, or the local authority co-ordinator and show them info about a project that worked – offer to go and speak to one of their area meetings. Offer to host one of their area meetings if you can speak to people. Find out their agenda – see where you think you can help them achieve their agenda. Remember - Word of mouth is best way to get there – you need to work well with one group – get feedback and then use that feedback to speak to other groups.
- From health and wellbeing conference in The Whitworth Museum - Manchester
- 623 members on the pride in penderry community website – big discussions – conversation, memories info sharing – various comm members, project officers Easy and realistic way to reach a huge audience
- Think are you setting up a long term project that is truly sustainable, have the comm taken ownership? What will happen if you/your partners leave, will it truly be a communal facility or is a short term pop up more realistic/
- You never know what is going to happen when working with partners and the public, Co-ordinators who are well known in the area – the librarian Jodi are invaluable – people know them and have trust in them….they know about barriers within their community ie Penderry divide. Multiple agendas ie Kids in Museums takeover day linked with the community museum, and intergenerational videoing for Peoples collection Wales
- Utilise peoples strengths These changes can sometimes be to your benefit as well as your detriment
- Things are constantly evolving for us all Staying one step ahead – where possible and reacting to and developing with these changes What changes may you foresee? Something you are currently reacting to? Health and Wellbeing Act 6th April 2016