MA Conference thoughts.

First off, apologies for the delay - haven't been well.

OK, thoughts on the MA Conference and other events.

Great conference, good to be up in Edinburgh, the guys at the National Museums made us all very welcome, from the first evening's reception at the National Portrait Gallery to the ceilidh at the National Museum of Scotland.  Liverpool will have to go the extra mile next year, but personally, it'll be easier for me being just around the corner.  Come up with some good events, Liverpool, or I'll commute to conference next year! Save myself the expense of the hotel (Jury's Inn in my case, which was OK, room good, food average).

The keynote speakers were good on the whole, Martin Roth of the V&A and Aamer Anwar being the star turns.  Martin Roth's very dry and to the point speech and answers to questions from the floor were a particular highlight.  I thought that both of those keynotes were saying a lot of what David Anderson of Amgueddfa Cymru was leading on, the need for museums to be aware of social justice issues. It was good to go to those events and find more Welsh delegates, especially Morrigan and Laura from Bodelwyddan Castle - and Lesley-Anne from CyMAL who is, after all my AMA Mentor.

The first keynote by Fiona Hyslop was a bit political for most, judging from what I'd overheard form delegates leaving the hall afterwards.  A little less overt politicking in favour of the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum would have been nice and a bit more concentrating on the issues confronting museums here and now would have been more welcome.  Having said that, expect more of the same in Cardiff in 2014 when Conference is there, but a bit more subtle, pointing out differences between Westminster and Cardiff Bay.  We're a long way from an independence referendum here in Wales.  Then again if the Scots do go their own way...  Wales will still probably stay in the Union for the foreseeable future. Either way, on the day we were not there to be addressed like a constituency meeting and from my observations many resented the fact that we were.

Anyway, back to the themes. David Anderson's sessions, especially the "Save the Children" on Thursday afternoon were good on highlighting the possibilities for museums in tackling the social justice agenda.  Will Morecombe from Rhyl Adventure Playground (RAPA) and myself went down to Cardiff in March to do a presentation on our involvement in Communities First areas and partnership working, so I was aware of some of the issues raised by David and Huw Lewis, Welsh heritage minister (who also spoke at the Cardiff event).  Living in Rhyl, I'm well aware of the problems of child poverty and cultural poverty in the area - it's certainly something that museums can work on.  At Rhyl, when I was with Denbighshire we worked with communities in creating exhibitions to express their views of their community and follow up with outreach events.  It's one of those areas where with the right eyes you see a whole range of possibilities.  OK, a cliché, but it is seeing a challenge rather than a problem. 

The other sessions I went to were mostly about education and play.  It was nice - and unexpected, I admit - on Friday night to find someone coming to speak to me: Dea Birkett of Kids in Museums. I was involved in KiM events with Denbighshire. It's a great cause and an ideal opportunity.  It was good to catch up with Dea.  It made me think about Llangollen Museum where I'm currently working.  There is one alcove (the building is a 16-sided (!) 1980s building, former library) that is the children's section, with books, toys and dressing up. I was wondering if it could be otherwise used - a bit of creative thinking sees the whole museum as the children's section.  Why not make costumes available at the door?  Why not have the needs of children catered to throughout the displays, not pushed into a corner which can be little more than a crèche?  Hopefully, with the upcoming Sharing Treasures project with the National Museum of Wales that Llangollen are involved with, this might be a possibility.  

More thoughts to come, hopefully, but really a Conference to set the mind into overdrive.  Always come home with pages of notes and ideas buzzing...

Off to Conference!

Off to the Museums Association Conference in Edinburgh - report and recent events coming up at the weekend!

Well, it's been an interesting week or so - I've been trying to write about it but this blog has been down.

Anyway, after some good meetings last week in Bangor to talk about possible research projects, Wednesday was the Federation of Museums and Galleries in Wales AGM.  Much better known as the Fed.  Saves a load of oxygen and typing.  The most interesting things, apart from the guest speakers was the Contemporary Collections project and "Rhannu".  

Contemporary collecting does split the museum world.  Not only do people disagree about whether we should be collecting modern items at all (although this varies between institutions), but they differ on what "Contemporary" means.  Apparently in some places it means only in the last 10 years, but the Sports project which has been running for the last 18 months or so in Wales used items since 1950. That project, which resulted in a travelling exhibition around the country to highlight contemporary collecting, and for which I was a member of the steering group, was valuable in making heritage people think about collecting modern items (whatever that means).  Perhaps a national definition will arise.  When it's mentioned most people (non museum folk) often thing of computers and modern electronic gadgets, the objects that define the modern age, that separate generations.  The latest project, however, is on Natural History collections.  Considering most collections of this type seem to be stereotyped as Victorian collections of stuffed birds and insects on pins this may seem odd, but a contemporary natural collection may tell us more about the environment, climate change and ecosystems as we now understand them.  It'll be an interesting project.

Rhannu has a lot of potential - a meeting place, really, for museum professionals throughout the country to swap ideas, information, best (and sometimes not so good) practice and case studies. 

The good thing about working in Wales is the networks - there is a very good feeling of everyone in it together, people keeping in touch, support always being there.

Thursday's meeting at Llandudno Museum was an excellent opportunity for people to make known how they felt about the museum and how its future should be shaped.  Having just been awarded a contract to work on their collections and train up staff to work in collections management there (for which I must thank again the most excellent Helen Bradley) I'll be a part of the process which will look at the collections.  I'll be using the CyMAL Significance Model to highlight the stars of the collection and eventually this will lea to a re-interpretation of the museum's collections.  Exciting project, starting next week - can't wait!

The main notable thing about Friday's interview in Scarborough - apart from the fog pretty much all the way between Leeds and the coast - was the presentation that I had to give on an object from the stores and say how I'd use it in a Key Stage 2 education session.  There was a choice of 4 objects to choose from, but as soon as I saw them I knew what I wanted to use.

So the main thing I'll remember from Scarborough is a stuffed kakapo. See below.

Still working on the collections at Llangollen Museum, two months of that still to go.

Last word of the day, on contemporary collections.  When thinking about technology remember this:

Everyone who has ever lived, lived in the Modern Age.

Today has been another collections management day - training the Llangollen Museum staff in the use of their collections database, in their case, PastPerfect IV.  If you've used MODES, PastPerfect can be a bit of a shock to the system.  To be honest, its search functions aren't as good.  I admit I'm wondering if one of my bugbears about it is that it's an American product, so addresses and phone numbers that you need to input in the UK aren't in the right format - same for dates (ugh!) and there's no flexibility in the system.  Give me MODES Compact any day!  Anyway, having got to grips with it I've been able to give the training necessary for the staff to accession and search once my bit of the project has been completed.

Still two months and a bit to go at Llangollen - now searching for the next job.

Time for a major update - sorry for not updating this for ages but between work and being a bit unwell, it's been one of those things that have gone by the board - more posts to follow - little and often will be the policy from now on I think!

I've had a good time digging at Project Eliseg (for more info see: http://www.projecteliseg.org/).  The dig at the 9th Century Eliseg's Pillar near Llangollen was great experience and the finding of the late Neolithic / early Bronze Age cist burial was a major find, showing the length of settlement in the area.  Have a look at the videos on the website or on YouTube.  Sadly it looks like that's the last year of excavations at Eliseg, for the time being at least.  The cairn beneath the pillar will keep some of its secrets for a while yet.  There were also medieval and probable Iron Age burials, but they had either been disturbed or were empty.  Either way, it was nice having a bit of a dig and deal with the hard historical evidence in the ground before it is sanitised and "packaged" with conservation and interpretation.

My work at the Sir Henry Jones Museum is nearly done - just waiting for the replies from those people who have loaned items to the Museum and that'll be it.  The Forward Plan and Conservation Care Policy and Plan are done, and the Museum will be all ready for their Accreditation return in a month.  

I'm also looking to going on the CyMAL register of Museum Mentors, for which the preparation of the documents and all the help I've been giving to Llangollen and Llandudno Museums has been good practice.  Other projects await....

I must thank Sarah Paul, Collections Adviser of CyMAL for her help and support.  I've also been doing some work on Significance and sending this to Sarah for help with the new Significance Model that CyMAL will shortly be bringing out.  If you ever have any questions on your collections ask Sarah - she's brilliant.

Llangollen Museum is an ongoing project, but most of the collection is now described and properly catalogued using PastPerfect IV.  I'm training the staff next Wednesday, and then doing a talk on Roman pottery to the Llangollen Brownies in the evening.  

It's all varied and all go, isn't it?

Well, it's been a busy time.  The last week has been taken up with an archaeological dig - can't say where or what was found - or not - until I get the go ahead and the relevant authorities have had their say, but it's been a load of fun - even the shovelling what seemed like tons of soil from the spoil heaps. Then again, retrospect is a wonderful thing - wasn't so good when I was sweating buckets after an our of shovelling or mattocking.  I can say that I'll be doing it again at the end of the month at Eliseg's Pillar near Valle Crucis Abbey near Llangollen. Can also say that over the last week it's been good being on the same site as Stewart Ainsworth, probably better known from Time Team - he's the one who looks at the landscape and tells them what's been going on all along!  As someone who hasn't dug in a while it was good to get the trowel out.

I've been working mostly on Collections Management again, both at Llangollen and at the Sir Henry Jones Museum.  Once I've collected my thoughts I'll say more on the collections side.  Also just embarking on the main part of my AMA.  Did a good talk last night at Llandudno Museum on the use of MODES to the Friends of the Museum - many thanks to Richard, Debbie and Sian James, it was a good evening, even if I was exhausted after hot footing it from... wherever we were digging.

Most of what I'll be doing soon will be on the subject of Museum Accreditation - bust week next week when I'll know more of where I stand.

Thought I hadn't posted in a while - many apologies!

Well, I'm now into writing the documentation for the Syr Henry Jones Museum and well into the collections at Llangollen.  Again, the job is made by the items you find, everything from a sheep's skull to Samian ware.  

Good meeting with Sarah Paul of CyMAL, and Helen Bradley, looking at the Accreditation Standard and what it means in practical terms along with a look at the stores of Conwy Council  and some from the Syr Henry Jones Museum as well as a peek at the collections of Llandudno Museum.  Nearly finished my stint there - good to see a job to its end, and the report to the Friends and the Trustees will be worth all the digging around in boxes - or is it the other way round?

Sarah gave us good advice on the documentation needed for the museums and the various plans and policies needed for certain sizes of institution expected by accrediting bodies. Very pleasant meeting, helped by the fact that Sarah is one of the more knowledgeable people you'll every meet, good company, and that we were meeting in the cafe at the Mostyn Art Gallery - with some very good cake!  Thoroughly recommeneded if you're in Llandudno  - 2 mins from the station.  30 seconds in you run!

The weather has been pretty bad up here,but in comparison with many other places, we've got off lightly - the worst I've experienced were flooded roads between Llangernyw and Abergele and later just outside Llangollen.  Thankfully none of it put a damper on the International Eisteddfod - great to see choirs and bands on the streets of Llangollen despite the drizzle.  I'm not fit to judge their singing but 10/10 for determination.  Also it's pretty great working in an office where live music is going on outside.

Then again I'm going to forsake the office and storerooms for the outside a bit more this summer as I'll be doing a little digging this year - always great to do some practical archaeology.  Trowels out - and also, given the weather,the wellies!

Will be booking my place at the Museums Association Conference this week - a lovely couple of days in Edinburgh.  

The big news of the week up here really ought to be Susan Dalloe leaving Denbighshire this week.  A fantastic servant of the county, Susan has been at the heart of museums and heritage throughout the region as well as just Denbighshire.  As a committee member of the Federation of Museums and Galleries of Wales Susan has been a national figure who certainly deserves better than that she has been served with by the political masters in the county.  Better pastures await!  Added to which those who really know heritage in North Wales know what Susan has done for the Denbighshire sites, including all the independent museums that she has mentored and I must include my personal thanks for her part in developing my career in the heritage industry, which has been immense.  If I've learned how to do anything properly, I've learned it under her tutelage.  

Don't it always seem to go, you don't know what you've got til it's gone.

Good line for a song that...