museumaker

museumaker is now a national programme to enable museums to work with leading contemporary makers and designers to:

• unlock the creative potential of collections
• build audiences
• commission new work
• improve museums' retail offer and entrepreneurial skills
• develop workforce capacity and skills
• share ideas and skills across sectors.

The programme builds on the successful museumaker project in the East Midlands which connected nine museums with designer makers resulting in new pieces for each site, all taking inspiration from the museums involved. A larger group of museums also benefited from a programme of workforce development. For information about the East Midlands museumaker visit the museumaker in the East Midlands page.

museumaker was supported by Arts Council England, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Renaissance East Midlands.

Getting involved in museumaker 2

Call for expression of interest
Deadline 12 noon, 18 June 2009

museumaker2 (mm2) is now in development. Museums in the East Midlands, the South East, the North East and London are invited to express interest in taking part in this proposed two year (July 2009 -11) collaboration with contemporary makers.

Museums taking part in the implementation phase of mm2 will be:
· supported to bring their collections to life
· enabled to commission new work, events and audience development projects
· assisted to achieve their own strategic aims
· part of a high-profile, well resourced national programme

mm2 aims to recruit:
· a broad mix of different types of accredited museums with diverse collections ranging across all possible disciplines
· museums of all sizes, including those run by local authorities, independent trusts and charities
Applications from museums that do not have fine art, craft or related collections and are new to collaborative working with makers will be especially welcome.

For more information, please download
What is Museumaker?MM_what-is_online.pdf (99 kb)

To express interest, please download
mm2 application form;mm2APPLICATION.doc (772 kb)  mm2 guidance notes; MM_guidancenote_online.pdf (91 kb)

Programme of Information and Support
This series of 8 events and one-to- one surgeries will help museums to understand the broad scope of contemporary crafts practice; appreciate the range of resources the contemporary craft sector can offer museums and develop a proposal.

Information Events 
Newcastle 7 May, London 14 May, Nottingham 18 May

Skills Development Days
Newcastle 21 May and 1 June, London 3 and 10 June

Field Visit to Collect 
London 15 May

For programme information and booking details, please download
mm2Eventsmm2Events.doc (730 kb)

This further development phase of museumaker is supported by MLA, Renaissance in the Regions and Arts Council England.

Last updated 28 April 2009