Culture Syndicates CIC

   26th July 2017  In  Exploring History It is 50 years since homosexuality was decriminalised in England. Over the time since, there has been a cascade in changing society’s norms and values to promote equality for the LGBTQ+ community. It is just over a year that same-sex marriage was legalised. There is still much to change. However, Pride is a time to celebrate the successes that the movement has had. Museums and culture play an instrumental part in representing history and promoting role models. History must be told from as many different views as possible to give a rounded knowledge of the past. Many museums are campaigning with LGBTQ+ exhibitions throughout the pride celebrations. The Museum Association actively encourages museums to join the celebration and ‘ highlight the fact that museums can tell diverse stories and are places that can help us all understand our identity’ . You can follow the museum hashtag #QueerMuseum to follow events and exhibitions tha...

   26th July 2017  In  Industry Trends And Critical Analysis Just over a month after the fateful day that may influence the history books for some time, it’s time to look back and consider what we know now. From the moment that we realised that Theresa May was looking to our counterparts in Northern Ireland for support, panic appears to have set in across the museums and heritage sector. A particularly outdated article regarding the request of a creationist exhibition at the Ulster Museum struck fear into our hearts; how will our natural history museums fare under the influence of Democratic Unionist Party(DUP)? Actually, the outcry doesn’t seem to have been necessary. Although the main headline for the last couple of weeks has focused on the £1 billion promised to Northern Ireland in order to secure votes on the benches, there seems to have been little else said about any future plans. There has been no comment on the religious standpoint of the DUP, much less has i...

   24th July 2017  In  News And Opportunities Please click the link below for a full job description and person specification. Freelance Heritage Asst Role If this sounds like the role for you, please send a CV and covering letter to Lizzie Irving,  lizzie@culturesyndicates.co.uk Culture Syndicates are an Equal Opportunities employer.

   25th July 2017  In  Training And Employability Mentors volunteer their time and expertise to further develop the career aspirations of the next generation of recruits within the sector. They use their knowledge to support your decision making approach rather than influence the direction of your career. Although they can offer advice, the sign of a good mentor is someone who listens and is responsive to your individual situation. It is a relationship based on mutual respect, with each party outlining their expectations for the interaction. The peer-to-peer partnership is a development of trust and a two-way learning experience. Although it may be seen as impolite, when this relationship does not fit both parties it is best to reassess, otherwise valuable, mutual benefits may be lost. Once established within their chosen field, many of those who were once mentees become mentors to carry on the exchange of knowledge and guidance, continuing this sustainable model of ...

   19th July 2017  In  Reviews On the 26 th  and 27 th  June I had the pleasure of attending the ‘Unlocking the Vault’ conference hosted at Manchester Museum. Over the two days, there were three sessions discussing three different topics: connecting collections and breaking isolation reaching new audiences new meanings through art, history and research   Speakers came from across the UK and Europe and this was my first taste of a multi-country conference. Although aimed at scientific and natural history collections, many of the issues discussed could apply to any collection, in any museum. I have selected some of my favourite ideas to discuss them here. Object Lessons The inspiration for this conference was the museum’s current temporary exhibition ‘ Object Lessons’  inspired by the book of the same name written by George Loudon. Loudon curated this idea from his own personal collection back in 2015 and this is the first time it has gone on public...

   12th July 2017  In  Industry Trends And Critical Analysis Long gone are the days of the cabinets of curiosity, spaces crammed with objects and artefacts only accessible to a select group of people, with very little interpretation. But, what do museums look like today and what are they for? Are they an educational resource, a tourist attraction or an escape from the rain? Should they have interpretation boards, glass display cases and the all important gift shop? We all have expectations and ideas of what a museum is, but if these elements are found at a location not identified as a traditional heritage site, can the title of museum be bestowed upon it? The Making of Harry Potter Leavesden film studios in London has a long history that stretches back beyond its motion picture heritage, with the film hangers previously being utilised as an aircraft factory. Following the success and completion of the  Harry Potter  film series, the decision was made to cre...

   4th July 2017  In  Exploring History Famous Horologists On the weekend of the 10 th  and 11 th  of June the BHI Museum opened for its summer show. Over the course of the weekend, visitors could participate in a range of activities: the watch workshop was open to the public for demonstrations; visitors could meet the keepers of Big Ben’s clock; and on Sunday, there were vintage cars on display in front of the museum. Inside, there were also some new temporary exhibition panels, each one on the subject of an influential horologist. By focusing on the individuals behind famous horological inventions, the museum is drawing attention to the social history of timekeeping and the stories of people whose work has influenced generations. The featured horologists were:   Alexander Bain (1810 – 1877)  – A Scottish clockmaker who invented the electric clock and the chemical telegraph. Bain also installed telegraph lines between Edinburgh and Glasgow. ...