Museum sector partnerships
Renaissance East of England has been proactive in developing a range of regional partnerships and partnership projects including:
Stuart Hall, Fenland Partnership Project Officer
stuart.hall@norfolk.gov.uk
01553 773450
The Greater Fens Museums Partnership was set up in 2005 to bring together museums with a shared geographical and collections focus in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Lincolnshire. The project is led by Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service and has 19 partners. Members share expertise and take part in joint initiatives and promotion including touring exhibitions such as Feast of Fenland exhibition and Fenland Stories.
Jo O'Donoghue, Maritime Heritage East Project Officer
johanna.odonoghue@norfolk.gov.uk
01493 745526
www.maritimeheritageeast.org.uk
Maritime Heritage East is the only regional maritime development programme of its kind. Its key objectives are: to develop regional and national partnerships; raise the profile and appreciation of maritime heritage in the East of England, and provide advice to the maritime museum sector. The partnership currently numbers 33 museums. Initial work has concentrated on three areas of activity; collections, a skills and resources survey, and the creation of a project website and a joint exhibition.
Laura Matthews, Growing Communities Project Officer
laura.matthews@norfolk.gov.uk
01842 768501
Growing Communities is a project which focuses on museums' contribution to the government's growth agenda. Led by Thetford Ancient House Museum and Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service, it involves a number of museums across the region situated in government growth point areas. Together they are exploring a series of approaches to ensure that heritage and history are an integral part of planning for successful growth.
Growing_Communities
Hannah Jackson, Sustainability Project Officer
hannah.jackson@norfolk.gov.uk
01362 869262
The Sustainability project's focus is on museums and the environment. It complements the Growing Communities work on building sustainable communities and the two project officers work closely together. The Sustainability strand is exploring how museums with rural collections can use their expertise and sites to interpret green issues for the public and encourage engagement and debate, while also seeking to reduce their own carbon footprint. The two projects came together in a national conference held at Norwich Castle in 2008. The next conference is planned for July 2010 - look out for news of speakers, themes and how to book.
Hazel Courtley, Partnerships Manager
hazel.courtley@norfolk.gov.uk
28994
Engaging Young Minds is a developmental piece of work which seeks to ensure museums' contribution to children and young people is more widely recognised beyond the cultural sector. It aims to forge links between senior museum professionals and leaders of Children and Young People's Services.
These partnerships are enabling museums to learn from one another, develop their services, reach their audiences and support their communities more effectively through joint project working. In addition, through research papers and conferences such as the Sustainability Conference, the second of which is taking place in July 2010, these partnerships are actively taking the sector forward and raising the profile of museums.
Renaissance East of England is also helping to forge important partnerships with national museums, further enriching the region’s offer to the public - you can read more about these partnerships in the Visitors and audiences section under National Programmes.
Non-museum partnerships
The museum sector is also an important partner for many non-museum organisations, working with them to deliver better services to local communities. Examples of joint working include: tourist boards, Children and Young People’s Services, planning departments, libraries, Youth Offending Teams, charities, and universities and colleges. Renaissance East of England works to promote these relationships which are vital for the long-term sustainability of the sector.
Last year funding from Renaissance supported partnership working with over 100 non-museum partners and 200 non-hub museums:
Partnership Map 2008-09 (PDF 68KB)
For further information on how Renaissance is supporting partnership working contact:
Hazel Courtley
Partnerships Manager, Renaissance East of England
T: 01603 228994
E: hazel.courtley@norfolk.gov.uk
To keep in touch with museum development opportunities, including training, funding and partnership projects, sign up to receive Renaissance News and/or our monthly eBulletin by contacting:
Esther Morgan
Communications Officer, Renaissance East of England
T: 01603 493667
E: esther.morgan@norfolk.gov.uk