5 Reasons Why Donations Are Essential for Culture Syndicates CIC by Anna Stanley

We feature a blog post written by placement student Anna Stanley from the University of Nottingham on the issue of funding for CIC organisations. 

Why haven't I heard of Culture Syndicates? 🤔

When most of us think about the heritage sector, the first thing that comes to mind are the national public museums like the British Museum, and we often neglect the independent, local authority, National Trust and university-owned museums. 


Could it be the size of the museum?
This impressive architecture is definitely hard to miss, located between Holborn and Tottenham Court Road tube stations. 







Or could it just be down to how the collections are managed, with a combination of both permanent collections for free visits and Special Exhibitions to pay for?









This is where Culture Syndicates comes in.


Our Values

  • To support cultural organisations in making their collections accessible to local, national and international audiences. 
  • To Train the next sector of emerging graduates who will constitute the diverse heritage workforce. 
  • To engage with future sustainable projects and create fair employment opportunities. 

So where do you fit in? What if you're not a history enthusiast or can't understand the importance of preserving archives? And it's expected that donations would be the last thing on your mind, especially when you feel out-of-touch with the manifesto of the organisation. 

Here's my reasoning behind how you can make a difference...

1. Your children are the future

Donations will enable Culture Syndicates to train and recruit young graduates into our projects. As an organisation with an open and evolving mindset, the organisation embraces the global outlook that younger people bring, in terms of recommending international sustainable partnerships.  

2. Variety of events   

The rate of public engagement and participation in in-person and online events remains of top priority to Culture Syndicates. The impact of Covid-19 has made it all the more challenging for full-time staff and volunteers to adapt activities for the public and for the public to still receive the same level of enjoyment and learning experience. A technique called projection mapping which involves using outdoor lighting to project animated scenes onto heritage sites is one way that museums can attract a large audience. These light shows have also been used in Berlin and Cannes.  

3. Enlarging sphere of influence

Culture Syndicates is based in the East Midlands but since 2014, have been looking to expand in order to provide widespread support to heritage organisations. 

4. Sustainability defines the future

It's important for children to understand from an early age how their contribution can help the heritage sector. Museums often have coin spiral donation boxes dotted around the grounds, by main reception, in exhibition rooms and in souvenir shops. Donations would support the ongoing data collection and production of research reports into how to provide a more memorable visitor experience!  

5. Ultimately- It's all about you!

Culture Syndicates has an audience-focused approach towards their work which means they take into account what a museum wants to convey and how it should be done. Between 2019 and 2020, 54-55% of those aged between 25 and 74 were most likely to visit a museum but equally 45% of the 16-24 age group visited a museum at least once a year (Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, National Statistics (2020) 'Museums - Taking Part Survey 2019/20'). This data is fundamental to understanding how heritage organisations can provide a valued and appreciated service to the public. 

If you are interested in contacting Culture Syndicates for more information click here. Click the Facebook, Instagram and Twitter links below to find out more about their ongoing projects and finally don't forget to hit the selfie below to donate!


Anna Stanley

Guest Blogger, University of Nottingham

See the original post here: https://tagalong-withme.blogspot.com/2022/01/5-reasons-why-donations-are-essential.html.

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