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And Now the End is Near

 It is time to draw to a close the adventure that has been Culture Syndicates. We will cease operations in September 2024, after almost 15 years of activity and 10 years as a social enterprise. We were still employing apprentices and heritage assistants right up to the end. We have given experience to countless young people looking to make a start in the heritage world and supported countless museums and other heritage clients over the years. I hope someone picks up this baton and has the vision to take on this idea as a sustainable way of giving real experience to young people that neither a university course or simple volunteering can ever do.  Totally independent of funding, or major institutional support the company grew and had its best year in 2019, working nationally and even internationally, even beginning to support international graduates in their ambitions.  Unfortunately the pandemic was the event from which we never fully recovered despite the generous support of the Arts
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April Reading List

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This month we are musing on the theme of wellbeing, taking inspiration from Stress Awareness Month and World Health Day. It is a little shorter this month as we try to catch up with the start of Spring and find new directions. Meditations Marcus Aurelius  "Let not future things disturb thee, for thou wilt come to them, if it shall be necessary, having with thee the same reason which now thou usest for present things." on worry & anxiety This collection of writings from Aurelius, once Emperor of Rome, the book is more accurately titled "To Himself" and is a random collection of short Stoic reflections on things like life, friendship, and enduring hardship. It's quite a small book and is ideal to pick during your commute, lunch break, or bedtime. On Solitude Michel de Montaigne "When I dance, I dance; when I sleep, I sleep; yes, and when I walk alone in a beautiful orchard, if my thoughts drift to far-off matters for some part of the time for some other p
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Running Up That Hill by Claire Roe

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"How do you know if someone is a runner?" "Don't worry; they'll tell you." As little as 18 months ago, I would have definitely been guilty of crack ing the joke above . However, yesterday I bought my third ‘proper’ pair of running shoes, which meant today was ‘new running shoes” day and I was actually excited. Yes, I was excited because nice, new , shiny things are always exciting, aren’t they? But actually, there is a bit more to this; running for me has become symbolic of ‘the journey’. It’s not really about running at all. Let me share my story and explain what I mean. In March 2020, I was awarded a fully funded PhD with the University of Derby. I was, and a l ways will be, eternally grateful for this opportunity. Deep down inside of me, tucked away behind what you are supposed to say you want when you are a 40-something year old teacher, was an enduring ambition to do a doctorate. It was so buried that I’d almost forgotten about it. (Almost…) The o
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Managing Your Wellbeing by Elizabeth Neathey

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When we talk about well-being it is likely to be reflecting the experiences over the last two years following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Children, young people and adults have experienced conditions such as anxiety, stress, overwhelm, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.  1. Walking I really enjoy walking. I walk 360 days a year! The walks vary from going to and from the office in the centre of Nottingham to walks around my locality or going to places both new and familiar to take in the scenery. I find the process of walking relaxing, as it helps with my breathing and keeps me fit. It focuses my attention on the here and now, listening to bird song, the sounds of movement and watching. My river walks are guaranteed to make me smile as I listen to the ducks or geese, watching them take off, fly and land. I actually find being close to water therapeutic. The sound water makes and the movement helps me to feel peaceful. 2. Photography  I am lucky enough to
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3 Wordsworth poems to read today: Introduction by Amy Wilcockson

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Introduction by Amy Wilcockson Whenever I see a little yellow-headed sunny daffodil, whether it is planted in someone’s garden waving to and fro in the wind, or displayed in a supermarket, it is inevitable that I think of one man. I suspect that many people do. William Wordsworth (1770-1850), the epitome of the Romantic poet, shall be forever linked with this small commonplace flower, and remembered for his astounding descriptions of the Lake District and natural world . Alongside his friend, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Wordsworth reshaped poetry. In a contrast t o the more formal Augustan poetry of the late eighteenth century, Wordsworth’s poetry was fluid, and his subject matters that of nature, emotions based on real life, and normal people. Wordsworth and Coleridge’s 1798 poetical collection Lyrical Ballads was seen as an experiment, an insight into how real, working-class people spoke and thought. The new and innovative poetical ideas contained in this volume and Wordsworth’s
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Reviews of Curiosity and Zoology Museums: Viktor Wynd, House of Dreams, Grant Museum of Zoology

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To reflect on World Wildlife Day on March 3rd in the museum sector, we take a look at the role of curiosity museums and highlight visits and reflections on these unusual places and their even more unusual collections: The Viktor Wynd Museum, House of Dreams, and the Grant Museum of Zoology. Grant Museum of Zoology Curiosity museums are historically associated with Cabinets of Curiosities: private collections that were usually built up by members of the aristocracy, particularly in the 17th century. Individuals who owned the collections were also usually the curators, controlling how party guests or visitors interpreted the objects. These objects included a wide range of things: taxidermy, preserved wildlife, literature, objects of scientific interest, collected from their travels or (secretly) from local markets.  The representation of wildlife and nature was somewhat irrational, containing a strong element of storytelling and personal narrative. Items such as the magician's 'm
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Welcome Jane Seaman, Projects and Evaluation Officer

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We finally manage to catch up with the recently-joined Jane Seaman as part of our Routes Into Heritage series, who has been busy ensuring we have a fruitful and exciting 2022 ahead of us.  Image credit: Jane, on a visit to St Peter's church Jane joined Culture Syndicates in December 2021 as Projects and Evaluation Officer. She has had a varied career including running her own business producing life-size realistic models and props for museums, Professional Development Manager for the Museums Association and, in more recent years, working on audience development and evaluation. Over the last fifteen years Jane has concentrated on working with clients to deliver their National Lottery Heritage Fund projects through evaluation and detailed analysis, enabling them to monitor project progress and reach a successful outcome.  Jane is now working with the Culture Syndicates team to deliver their current projects and bid for new contracts. We have really enjoyed having her on the team so f
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