Culture Syndicates CIC

   28th November 2017  In  Reviews You’ll find Bromley House Library on Angel Row, a hidden jewel within the hustle and bustle of Nottingham city centre. It has endured the technological advances of the modern age. Yet, it hasn’t turned a blind eye to it. Being one of the only subscription libraries left in the country, it is an asset to the literary heritage of the city. Culture Syndicates recently got out of the office to visit, where we attended a talk about the library and its fascinating story. A brief history A Grade II* listed red brick building, Bromley House was built in 1752 as a town house for George Smith, grandson of the founder of Smiths Bank. However, the Nottingham Subscription Library, as it was known then, didn’t move in until 1822, having itself being founded earlier on in 1816. Today, the independent library houses around 40,000 books which are spread over three floors of the building. There are many reading rooms, ranging in size and setting...

   21st November 2017  In  Industry Trends And Critical Analysis The journey into the heritage sector was never going to be plain sailing. Employers anticipate workers that can exhibit a multitude of skills, as well as workers with an enormity of experience. The benefit of completing my MA in Museum and Heritage Development at Nottingham Trent University this past year has been in providing me with the knowledge and grounding for a career in heritage. As this brief spell has passed, I now face the future as an emerging museum professional, which is exciting but also very daunting. Skilled (and counting) Whilst I was studying I picked up some freelance work as a Heritage Assistant for Culture Syndicates. Since starting, I have worked on and contributed towards five projects both within and outside of the East Midlands. These projects were diverse in nature, thus enabling me to broaden my skills. With the British Homeopathic Association (BHA) I had an active role ...

   16th November 2017  In  News And Opportunities From Charlie’s workshop at the Museums Association Conference, 16th November 2017. Powerpoint:  Get your inner chimp interview ready

   15th November 2017  In  Training And Employability I’m still standing… A lot has changed in a year. I started writing this blog almost a year to the day I left my previous role with the National Trust. A year ago, I had only been to Nottingham twice before, once for the internship interview and another to house-hunt. I didn’t know anyone, not even my housemate, but that is certainly not how I am leaving. This has truly been a unique opportunity in the heritage sector, so I’d like to reflect on some bits I consider to be the best . Museum placement I’m not sure I could call it work most days. I had so much fun at times, I was really in my element with the collection and carrying out research for exhibitions. My daily routine included exhibition installs, collection cleaning, pest management and above all else, learning so much. I even gained my first taste of art gallery experience which was really more than I expected. I want to thank Kettering Museum and Art Gall...

   10th November 2017  In  Churches Don’t look up You will. Everybody does. As soon as you pull the rope and start a bell moving, you look up because it feels like the rope will never come down again. You soon realise that it will, and quickly, you realise the main reason is the potential for dust and debris to fall from the ceiling into your eagerly watching eyes. Every evening, in churches across the country, a variety of individuals of all ages meet to practice the ancient art of bell ringing. And afterwards (very importantly) they go to the pub. And before you ask, no, it is nothing like the Mars Bar advert. When I was twelve, on a whim, I asked if I could join the local ringing band and learn to ring, just because I thought it looked like a different way to spend an evening, and I was truly overwhelmed by the fact that I could move the equivalent weight of an old fashioned VW Beetle on the end of a rope. I learnt to ring very quickly and soon became a part of th...

   10th November 2017  In  Churches Top 10 key architectural features to spot inside a church Church architecture can be thought of like a jigsaw puzzle, with set pieces but that can be used in any combination to make a slightly different picture. In other words, church interiors are generally made up from a range of features, but the architect might only select a few of them, instead of all of them, making the church appear different to others. In this quick guide I will outline some of the most common features that can be found in churches and what they are for.  Top 10: 1. Direction:  churches are always rotated east to west with the chancel, sanctuary and altar in the east. This is because the east faces towards the holy city of Jerusalem which is where, in medieval writing, God’s presence was said to be strongest. It also links to the Christian story of Jesus rising from the dead at sunrise on Easter day. As such, Christian burials are also rotated wit...

   1st November 2017  In  Churches More than half the UK population say they have no religion, statistics from The Guardian have revealed (The Guardian 2017). Similarly, last year it was recorded that the number of people attending Church of England services fell below 1 million for the first time (The Guardian 2016). These facts have to raise the question as to what will happen to these buildings as they fall out of use. When thinking about our historic buildings, a key element to ensure their future could be their continuing usefulness in modern society. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons so many historic homes have survived the turn of time, as they continue to be useful as dwelling places. Similarly, it is easy to see how out-of-use factories can be easily regenerated into modern trendy housing, and how public buildings such as halls can be re-purposed for community arts venues etc. But what is possibly harder to see the survival of are the purpose specific chur...