MuseumWIDE is a training and grants programme that will help museums in the south east on their journey to be more Welcoming, Inclusive, Diverse and Equitable.
We are working with Isilda Almeida – a specialist consultant in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) – to offer a programme in partnership with West Midlands Museum Development, that helps museums embed and develop EDI across their workforce, governance, programming, and collections.
This Project will support museums in embodying the ‘Cultural Community’ outcome, and the Inclusivity & Relevance Investment Principle within Arts Council England’s Let’s Create strategy.
What’s Involved
Recruitment for the second cohort of MuseumWIDE 2022-23 has now been completed.
Participants will start by completing a self-assessment survey which will enable the museums to evaluate their current EDI position, determine their aspirations for the future, and make plans to meet their goals.
The combined museum development cohort, made up of 2 team members from each museum, will attend group training sessions and benefit from recorded video resources to support their learning journey. The participants will also have 121 sessions online with our specialist Isilda, who will guide them on developing their EDI Action Plans. The cohort will work together to troubleshoot their ideas, and support each other on developing the actions they would like to take forward.
Once the participants have completed the self-assessment, attended the training, and developed their EDI Action Plans, they will be eligible for a grant of £2000. This funding allows them to action the learning they gained from MuseumWIDE which will ultimately assist them to become more equitable and inclusive in the long term.
Open Access Training Sessions
As part of the MuseumWIDE programme we will be opening up some (limited) spaces beyond the Project Cohort to 3 online training sessions. Additional spaces will be made available to eligible museums from the South East and the West Midlands only.
Please see below for the details and links to book [coming soon] for each training session:
1.) Museums and the Legacy of Imperialism
Tuesday 6 December, 10am-12.30pm (online)
Open access training session looking at the background to museums and colonialism and case studies of activities taken to
decolonise museums.
2.) Bringing Volunteers on your EDI Journey
Tuesday 31 January 2023, 10am-12.30pm (online)
Open access training session looking at championing EDI work with voluntary teams and with special guest speaker Raj Pal, Curator and Historian, discusses positive ways to bring volunteers along the journey of diversity, including the exploration of
difficult histories.
3.) Co-curation & Decolonisation: Myth-busting
Thursday 23 February 2023, 10am-12.30pm (online)
Open access training session exploring the benefits of co-curation, myth-busting decolonisation and with special guest speakers Nicola Bird and Rawz presenting case studies on co-curation and co-production with underserved communities.
About the Trainer
Isilda Almeida is a passionate advocate for Cultural Inclusion. She has worked in the heritage and cultural sectors for nearly 20 years and is currently working as an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Consultant. She is also a PhD student at the University of Brighton.
Isilda believes in the power of museums and cultural institutions to inspire, foster belonging, promote economic growth and stronger communities. This can only happen if these organisations are inclusive and champion diversity in all they do.
Recommended for you
- Watch two recorded introductory training sessions which provide an overview of the business case for Equity, Diversity and Inclusive practice, and the history of museums and how social and economic aspects have shaped interpretation on our [YouTube channel]. Simply select the one you want to watch below.
- The Business Case for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion [Watch the recorded session].
- Changing Perceptions of the Roles of Museums in Interpreting History [Watch the recorded session].
- Enrol yourself (or your team) in our Disability Essentials eLearning course (5 modules) to improve confidence and skill in engaging with disabled visitors. Each module takes about 15 minutes to complete and can be done at your own pace, with your own equipment via a simple log in. The course is devised by accessibility specialists, AccessAble. More information is available on our Training page.
- Watch a recording of the Creative Collections ‘launch’ event (2021) which features inspirational examples for community collaboration work from Powell-Cotton Museum, the National Paralympic Heritage Centre, Hastings Museum & Gallery, and Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust.