Key figures in the sector discuss what type of leadership is needed in times of crisis such as this and what leadership might look like going forward. Our speakers share their experiences of the past two years as they reflect on the challenges that their organisations have faced during the pandemic and how they addressed these. How are they leading on issues such as decolonisation, anti-racism and the climate crisis and what are their future plans in these areas? And what can they do to support their staff and communities in the face of the growing cost of living crisis?

This event will be followed by an open discussion in the room.

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Our Shared Cultural Heritage has introduced new models for engaging underrepresented young people with heritage – as creators, decision-makers, citizens, and trainers. The programme aims to make museums better places for young people to explore identity and belonging. It is also designed to help them connect with others and become active and vocal participants in organisational decision-making. Learn about the challenges faced by young people involved in the programme, their experiences of making change in the heritage sector, their views on anti-racism and decolonisation and the positive impact that Our Shared Cultural Heritage has had on their careers.

If you’re keen to make your museum inclusive and caring for young people and want to museums to learn from them, this session is for you. Come and explore the radical transformations that can take place when the heritage sector is genuinely committed to engaging with young peoples’ interests and identities.

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This session explores the powerful impact on the wellbeing of communities and practitioners through their engagement with IWM’s Second World War and Holocaust Partnership Programme (SWWHPP). The programme’s dynamic, inclusive and sustainable model brings communities and individuals together with museums and cultural organisations to share lesser-known stories of these histories in a creative and enabling way.

In Wales, Syrian community members have been working with the Centre for the Movement of People at Aberystwyth University and a filmmaker to explore themes around displacement to create a temporary exhibition. In Scotland, Industrial Museums Scotland is working with young people at the Devil’s Porridge Museum and Scottish Fisheries Museum to create an artwork while exploring local and international connections to the second world war. And in England, Manchester Jewish Museum has developed a creative hub with young people and creative artists to reimagine commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day.

Speakers from each organisation will share the impact of their programmes and the meaningful value they have brought to communities and their own workforces as well as the challenges of developing new relationships with communities during and as we emerge from lockdown.

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Black Cultural Archives, Wellcome Collection and Wellcome Connecting Science are co-commissioning artists Larry Achiampong and David Blandy to make a new work in their Genetic Automata series, exploring the roots and impact of scientific racism. These three very different organisations come together to discuss how collaboration can be a tool for anti-racist practice, effecting sector-wide change toward a more socially just and equitable society. The session explores how science has been used as a tool for the systemic repression for sections of society, particularly around eugenics and race.

Sasha Henriques will discuss how her work as the only Black genetic counsellor in the UK led her to research race equity in genomics and health research at the Wellcome Genome Campus. Lisa Anderson will talk about the Black Cultural Archives’ beginnings as a community response to systemic racism and the need to self-represent the lived experiences of African and Caribbean people in Britain. Shamita Sharmacharja will examine the Wellcome Collection’s complicity in establishing narratives of racial supremacy and the kinds of community-led research needed to decolonise its collection and fulfil its ambition to be an anti-racist museum. The session is chaired by writer, researcher and public scholar Furaha Asani, a self-described precarious migrant, mental health advocate and loud anti-racist, who is also on Connecting Science’s community board.

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The David Livingstone Birthplace Museum reopened in 2021 after major refurbishment. While the initial exhibition redesign may be complete, the museum is thinking hard about how it can continue efforts to decolonise the museum and engage key communities and partners. A series of case studies addresses community-led collections research, international partnerships and anti-racist training in the context of legacies of slavery and colonialism.

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DeepStore will present their approach to collections and their commitment to being a sustainable supplier for their customers. By promoting environmental improvements, diverse and supportive working environments, and community involvement, they have ensured a culture and business that supports the goals and aspirations of the museum sector.

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Speakers discuss the role of culture during times of conflict. They ask: what should we prioritise and value during these periods and how best can we support those directly involved? More details soon.

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A showcase of creative projects featuring William Braddon-Milon, Cat Bagg & Delpha Hudson

William Braddon-Milon (AR/Chive)

A recent graduate of the Smart Urban Futures Masters Degree at Plymouth University, I am fascinated with how technology, design, and data can be used to play a bigger role in daily life. More notably, how we can gain further access and understanding of our environment culture and community through it. I have done work with archival communities and organisations within Plymouth to explore how this can be realised, and how the next steps for culture could be visualised.

Cat Bagg (Field Notes)

Cat co-founded Field Notes CIC in 2014 in Cornwall with her curatorial partner Rosie Allen. Together they have developed and delivered many large-scale publicly funded community-based visual art projects and festivals including, Red River: listening to a polluted river 2020-2022, Inland Art Festival, 2014 and 2016, Plymouth Art Weekender 2017 and 2018, and Goonhilly Village Green 2015 and 2019. “Our creativity is fuelled by the artists, sites, and communities we work with. Each new project is an opportunity to explore
new ideas, discovering layers of history, ecology, and folklore – almost always in Cornwall, which has become the principal subject of our work as well as our main site of activity.

Delpha Hudson (Creating Site-Specific Collaborative Friezes)

Delpha Hudson is an artist based in Cornwall who over the last 20 years has worked as a curator and artist with commissions from Newlyn Art Gallery & Tate St Ives. Residencies and shows include Artcore Gallery Derby, English Heritage, RWA, Kestle Barton, Tremenheere Gallery, Phoenix Exeter, Scottish Society of Art, Truro Cathedral, Helston Museum, Leyton Gallery, London.

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Climate change continues with extreme weather impacts and rising sea levels. This change will bring the loss of our natural, built and cultural heritage, and adaptation planning for this loss is crucial in preparing for climate change. This session explores how museums can use their existing and future collections to support communities to adapt to the loss of place and culture.

The session is designed to encourage conversations about a just transition towards environmental sustainability which reflects the connections with our cultural heritage and adaptation planning, exploring questions such as: how can museums support people’s wellbeing and sense of place and identity in the face of loss and change? How can museums record and reflect the changing environment and the impact on local places and communities? How can museums encourage people to think about their ongoing role in shaping the landscape and adapt to ensure sustainability?

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An exploration of racist objects in our collections, offering practical advice on how to deal with this issue, chaired by Miles Greenwood, Curator (Legacies of Slavery & Empire), Glasgow Museums. He is joined by Sarah Cartwright and Renée Landell.

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Simpson & Brown explores how museums can draw on their heritage, significance, and historic fabric. They consider modern day challenges to become more sustainable, better maintained, and improve physical access and legibility. The session addresses building fabric and environment, curatorial matters including historic interiors, and collections.

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This panel discussion focuses on collaborative approaches to restitution and decolonising collections. It considers the collaborations happening both within the cultural sectors across Africa and between practitioners in Africa and Europe. The MA’s 2021 conference session on African cultural restitution called on delegates to open up the possibilities offered by restitution, emphasising the importance of partnerships, care, ethics, connection and fore-fronting African voices. In this session, speakers draw on their experiences of pioneering new ways of working, which expand the meanings and potential of restitution and return.

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Brunel’s SS Great Britain, the world’s first iron ship, is conserved and displayed in the historic dry dock where it was built. The most vulnerable lower parts of the original iron hull are preserved by keeping the surrounding air at 20% relative humidity to prevent corrosion. A glass “sea” at waterline level creates a seal, with dehumidifiers treating the air inside and underneath the ship. This conservation method relies on natural gas for the drying action of the dehumidifiers, and electricity for the fans circulating the air. The SS Great Britain Trust has committed to become carbon neutral by 2030, and work is underway to adapt the conservation system to meet this ambitious target.

The Ship’s Conservation Engineer role was created to bring system-level understanding and ownership of the desiccant plant in-house. Improvements to controls and instrumentation are providing new insight into the system’s behaviour, facilitating a programme of research, adaptation and optimisation. Using this information, retrofitted modifications to the plant have both directly reduced emissions and altered the heat demand of the drying system, introducing the possibility of overcoming reliance on natural gas, improving resilience to increased energy prices and taking a significant step towards carbon neutral conservation. Join this session to find out how this was achieved.

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