AVAILABLE ON-LINE AT www.emms.org.uk

No 142                                                                           July 2001

1994. The Future of EmmS

Notice 1980 reported the agreement with library and archive partners to create a new body for museums, archives and libraries in the East Midlands. Subsequently, our Board, at its meeting on 3 July, agreed to endorse the Business Plan prepared by the Regional Archives Council, Regional Library System and ourselves, which has now been submitted to Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries. It also agreed to take the first steps to implement EmmS' transition from being a regional agency to becoming a voluntary membership organisation for East Midlands' museums. These include the following actions:

• To investigate options for EmmS' future scope and scale, and membership and governance, given that it will lose its core funding from Resource at the start of the 2002/3 financial year. Initial soundings among museum workers in the region suggest that there is a continuing demand for a museum network in the region, with sufficient capacity to respond to national and regional issues, facilitate regional collaborations, organise museum-specific training, provide basic information, and bid for, and manage, joint projects. Such new arrangements would require annual core funding of around £25,000, which could only be met by members' subscriptions.

• To offer established staff voluntary redundancy to take effect on or before 31 March 2002. Most will be accepting this offer and leaving before the end of 2001, though Adrian Babbidge has indicated that he will not terminate his employment until 31 March 2002, to enable completion of what needs to be done to ensure a timely and effective transition to the new agency. He has also indicated that he will not be seeking appointment as chief executive of the new agency.

• To honour all existing commitments (including project grants, the completion of the HLF-funded regimental museums project, and publication of the regional museum strategy), but not to make any new starts, other than an ‘end of term report' to describe EmmS' work as an area museum council.

• To encourage the new agency to continue our support for Interact, the region's freelance education workers network, and the Regional Emergencies and Disaster Squad.

• To complete all other outstanding projects and programmes by 31 March, including publication of the regional museums strategy.

The following consequences flow from these decisions:

• No applications for project grant will be considered after 31 August 2001.
  

• All outstanding claims for project grant will have to be made by the date specified in the offer letter. No extensions will be possible under any circumstances, and grant not claimed by the due date will be lost.

• HOT NEWS is unlikely to be published on a regular, monthly basis after December 2001.

• The Council meeting on 20 July is likely to be the last, though a members' meeting will be held after the annual general meeting in October, when the next Council meeting was planned.

Further information about this transitional period, and its implications for EmmS members, will be carried in future issues of HOT NEWS, together with information on the development of the new agency.

1995. New Opportunities Fund Digitise Programme (nof.digitise)
      
      

£50 million has been awarded to more than 150 national and local organisations, to create a ‘communities bank’ of internet learning resources. The NOF Digitise Programme was launched in 1999 to put information that supports life-long learning into digitised form. East Midlands' awards include

Belgrave Development & Enterprise, Leicester	Belgrave Pride - World Cultures	£46,020
Leicester City Council	Knitting Together (‘Virtual Museum' of the East Midlands textile industry	£160,000
University of Leicester	Digitisation of Local Directories	£335,000
Leicestershire County Council/South Gloucestershire Council/Sale Library	Three Centuries of Transport (Bridgwater Canal, Great Central Railway, British Aircraft Corporation)	£582,370
Lincolnshire/Leicestershire/ Northamptonshire County Councils	Sense of Place - East Midlands	£550,000

1996. Regional Museums Task Force
      
      

The report of the Regional Museums Task Force, due to have been published this month, is not now likely to be available until mid/late September.

1997. Your Heritage
      
      

The recently launched Heritage Lottery Fund small grants scheme, Your Heritage, offers grants between £5,000 and £50,000 for a range of capital and revenue projects, including building repairs and conservation work, buying items, land or buildings that are important to our heritage, and projects which enable easier access to heritage. Applicants must raise at least 10% of the project costs, which cannot exceed £100,000. Grants will be paid in three instalments: 50% at the start of the project, the remainder less 5% upon receipt by HLF of proof of expenditure, and the final 5% when the completion report is submitted.

The scheme is available throughout the UK, and decisions on funding are usually made within three months of the application being received. A pre-application form can be submitted if applicants are unsure whether their project is suitable. Application forms and further information are available from HLF on (020) 7591 6042/3/4/5, or can be downloaded from the HLF website: www.nhmf.org.uk/cgi-bin/hlfframemast.pl?K=179&S=EI

1998. Books Connect
      
      

The East Midlands Reading and Arts Partnership project, outlined in Notice 1966 has been launched under the title Books Connect. This is a cross-sectoral initiative funded by the East Midlands Arts Lottery Programme, The Library Association and EmmS, and aims to create sustainable working partnerships between libraries, the arts and museums in the East Midlands using books and reading as a springboard. At the launch event, Gill Tanner, former Education Adviser for EmmS, outlined several ways that museums can contribute. Some funding is available for the project, which is intended to increase audiences and reach those parts of the community that are not reached by current services. This is an opportunity for museums to be involved in a new initiative with possible long-term benefits.

There will be one project per library authority, a total of nine. Interested museums should contact the Books Connect Nominated Officer in their local library authority, as follows:

Derby City Council	Maureen King, Senior Librarian, (01332) 716605
Derbyshire County Council	Ann Wright, Arts Officer, (01773) 832497 Anne Gilman, Deputy District Librarian, (01629) 582480
Leicester City Council	Nicky Morgan, Quality & Development Manager, (0116) 252 7337
Leicestershire County Council	Andy Cooke, District Librarian, (0116) 288 7381
Lincolnshire County Council	Tom Brown, Community Librarian, (01427) 614780
Northamptonshire County Council	Evelyn Jarvis, Principal Libraries & Information Officer, (01604) 237953
Nottingham City Council	Lynn Hodgkins, Senior Librarian, (0115) 915 7273
Nottinghamshire County Council	Ann-Marie Slater, Reader Development Officer, (0115) 985 5290
Rutland County Council	Robert Clayton, Library Services Manager, (01572) 722918


Gill Tanner will also be pleased to speak to museums informally if they would like to discuss their ideas. She can be contacted on (0115) 981 2039.

1999. Innovation Awards Scheme
      
      

The Arts and Humanities Research Board has announced a new scheme offering awards of up to £50,000 to fund innovative research projects. The scheme aims to support research which develops significant breakthroughs in knowledge and understanding, by challenging or radically extending existing models, perceptions or research methods. The closing date for applications is 31 August 2001. For full details see the AHRB web site, www.ahrb.ac.uk/mlg/index or contact Alison Henry, Research Awards Team Leader, on (0117) 931 7415. Email: a.henry@ahrb.ac.uk

2000. GEM Midlands Convenor Needed

A vacancy has arisen for a museum professional working in education to become joint convenor for the Group for Education in Museums (GEM) in the Midlands. The position provides a good opportunity to learn about museum education regionally and nationally. It broadens contacts, and is a valuable addition to a CV. The commitment is to organise three training meetings a year, and to operate as a first contact point for members in the region. If you are interested in this opportunity, please telephone Kirsty Sherwood at Tamworth Castle Museum on (01827) 709632, not later than Tuesday 31 July.

2001. BBC Get WebWise Video
      
      

The BBC has available a video of library and museum programmes which were featured in their Get WebWise series, broadcast last October. The four programmes, two relating to libraries and two to museums, provide background information on the role of ICT for staff in the sector. The video costs £10. For further details and an order from, contact Rose Millington at EmmS on (0115) 985 4534. Email: emms@emms.co.uk

2002. Deferred Exports

A temporary bar has been placed on the export of the following:

• a drawing by the Italian artist Parmigianino, entitled Ganymede Serving Nectar to the Gods. Recommended price: £224,137.93;
• a painting by William Blake (1757-1827) entitled God Blessing the Seventh Day. Recommended price: £1,369,487.81;
• a 2^nd Century Roman marble statue of a Molossian Dog, the dog of Alcibiades. Recommended price: £662,297.82; and
• three English 15^th Century oak figures. Recommended price: £220,000.

This ruling reflects the outstanding quality and importance of the items, and provides a last chance to raise the money to keep them in the United Kingdom. The deferral period, until after 26 August 2001, provides an opportunity for purchase at the recommended prices shown above. The deferral period could be extended until after 26 November 2001 if there is a serious intention to raise funds.

Anyone interested in making an offer to purchase the above items should contact the owners' agent through the Secretary, the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art, DCMS, 2-4 Cockspur Street, London SW1Y 5DH.

2003. Forthcoming Events & Seminars
      
      

8 August EU INFORMATION AFTERNOON – UKISHELP/Resource/Arts Council of England. This seminar is for museums, archives, libraries and arts organisations interested in applying for funding under EU Information Society Technologies Programmes. Venue: London. Cost: to be confirmed. For details contact Nick Poole, ICT Adviser at Resource on (020) 7273 8733. Email: nick.poole@resource.gov.uk

10-14 September SCANNING THE HORIZEN - mda Conference. The annual mda conference will explore emerging and converging technologies as they apply to the cultural sector. Venue: Norwich. Cost: full conference fee, including accommodation £325. For details contact: Kym Edwards, Information Officer, mda, Jupiter House, Station Road, Cambridge, CB1 2JD. Tel: (01223) 315760. Email: kym@mda.org.uk

4-6 October ART & YOUNG PEOPLE (Title to be confirmed) – engage (the national association for gallery education). The annual engage conference will focus on approaches and issues in involving young people in galleries and the visual arts. Venue: Glasgow. Cost: to be confirmed. For details contact Christopher Naylor, engage, 1 Herbal Hill, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 5EF. Tel: (020) 7278 8382. Fax: (020) 7278 7092. Email: info@engage.org

12-14 October FRIENDS, VOLUNTEERS AND PROFESSIONALS - British Association of Friends of Museums (BAfM) Conference and AGM. The weekend will centre around a day conference on Saturday 13 October, during which a panel of representatives from the voluntary sector, and the professionals with whom they work, will share their expertise, experiences, successes and problems relating to volunteering. Venue: Birmingham. Cost: £100. For details contact: Carol Bunbury, Fonthill Cottages, Lewannick, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 7QE.

2004. Welcome to …
      
      

… Matt Cambridge, who has been appointed to the one year post of Research Curator for the R P Bonington bi-centennial exhibition to be held at Nottingham Castle next year.

… Janet Edmond, who has been appointed as Principal Keeper (Collections Management) at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life. She previously worked for Doncaster Museums Service.

2005. Farewell and Best Wishes to…

… Barbara Wake, who has been our Director's Assistant since 1997, and the first point of telephone contact with EmmS for many readers, who has moved to the Isle of Wight.

… Jas Purewal, who has moved from his post as Education and Community Development Officer with Leicester City Museums, to become Quality and Development Manager in the Parks and Grounds Maintenance Service of Leicester City Council, where he had been on secondment.

TOP

CUMULATIVE INDEX No 1 (January 1990) - No 141 (June 2001)

ARCHIVE

TOP