museumaker workforce development programme

The autumn 2008 museumaker workforce development programme will include a range of training events, retail support and expert-led research visits. The training programme is open to all museums and museums interested in taking part in museumaker 2 are urged to attend the training sessions.

Small travel bursaries may be available to help museums attend events.

Training events: September 2008 - February 2009

Training events comprise presentations, case studies and practical activities and are hosted by museums and galleries in central London. All events are free for museum professionals and makers and include free refreshments.

Booking is essential - for more information and to book on the following courses contact:

Susie O'Reilly on 077111 502334 or email Susie.

Working with contemporary crafts 1

Friday 10 October, 10.30am - 3.30pm, Arts Council, London

This course will examine why to work with contemporary crafts, what you can do and how to approach it. Contemporary craftspeople and curators have a lot in common, both are training to challenge, re-interpret and communicate the role and purpose of objects and use real and virtual artefacts to provoke curiosity, support learning and explore personal and collective identity.

This session will explore the scope, range and relevance of contemporary craft and will discuss the strategic, practical and creative benefits of joint working to build audiences. It will use case studies to show how museums can use the resources and expertise of the contemporary arts sector and highlight funding opportunities.

Working with contemporary crafts 2

Thursday 27 November, 10.30am - 4pm, Arts Council, London

This session will look at commissioning including practical advice on writing strong briefs, finding and appointing your maker, shortlisting, paid pitches and writing effective contracts. The course will answer all your questions.

Working with museums 1 - for makers and museums

Thursday 15 January, 10.30am - 3.30pm, Sir John Soane's Museum

This event will help makers understand museums and appreciate the potential to work with them. Five places are reserved for museums interested in broadening their understanding of how makers approach collaboration with museums.

Working with museums 2 - for makers and museums

Thursday 6 February, 10.30am - 3.30pm, Arts Council, London

Improving your retail 1 - professional merchandising

Wednesday 24 September, 10.30am - 3.30pm, The Geffrye Museum

A session focusing on professional merchandising: buying, planning and pricing. This will provide a comprehensive review of the fundamental concepts of successful retailing with expert briefing, Q&A and workshops. Topics covered will include:

building a product matrix
writing a professional merchandising plan
operating the 'open to buy' system
pricing policies
budgeting for mark down.

Imrpoving your retail 2 - confident visual merchandising

Tuesday 14 October 10.30am - 3.30pm, TATE Modern

This will look at giving product customer appeal. It includes strong presentation in store - window and feature displays and high impact displays for special promotions - and offers advice on dressing the shop for Christmas. The TATE director of retail, Laura Wright, will talk about trading.

Improving your retail 3 - product development

Wednesday 12 November, 10.30am - 3.30pm, The Wallace Collection

This session will enable museums to look at product types, identify the product potential of collections including licensing, manage product and range development and work effectively with makers and designers. It will help you to take business-based decisions about costing, pricing and presentation.

Improving your retail 4 - professional selling

Wednesday 10 December, 10.30am - 3.30pm, the Wellcome Collection

This considers the psychology of selling and the art of making profitable conversation. It will explore how you can create a dynamic retail environment, extend the experience of visiting the museum into the shop and exploit the selling potential of your product.

Improving your retail 5 - future perfect

Monday 12 January, 10.30am - 3.30pm, National Portrait Gallery

With shopping seen as a leisure pursuit and new technology make short-runs of specially designed objects inspired by collections profitable, museum shops are well placed to attract shoppers looking for special products. An expert will look at new demographic and retail trends and show how your museum shop can position itself to meet the desires of future visitors.

For a full details on the museumaker retail development training courses, please see the following attachment:
museumaker - Improving your retail (765 kb)

Go See 1: Origin

Thursday 9 October, 10.30am - 3.30pm, Hunterian Museum and Somerset House
Friday 17 October, 10.30am - 3.30pm

In partnership with the Crafts Council, this includes free entry to Origin and provides a chance to meet top makers. There will be an introduction to Origin at the Hunterian, then the group will visit the fair at Somerset House. The quality of work, display and installation at Origin is outstanding. For more information about Origin visit the Crafts Council website.

Both sessions are the same.

Go See 2: Museum Expressions and Maison and Objet

Friday 23 and Saturday 24 January 2009, Paris Expo, Porte de Versaille and Paris Nord Villepinte

These two fairs are the high spots of the international trade fair calendar, where top craftspeople, designers and short-run manufacturers show their ranges of original and customised items. An invited group of UK makers will accompany the group, providing a chance for discussion inspired by the artefacts on show.

Participants will be responsible for finding travel to Paris, an overnight stay and subsistence. They will also need to register for Museum Expressions (free) and to pay the 30 Euros entry fee to Maison.

Subject to funding, museums whose staff have attended at least two retail training events will be able to apply for bursaries to help meet the costs.

Go See 3: COLLECT

Friday 27 February 2009, 10.30am - 3.30pm, Saatchi Gallery, Sloane Square, London

This course is run in association with the Crafts Council and includes entrance to COLLECT.

COLLECT is one of the most important events for the contemporary craft world. It offers the opportunity to see cutting edge contemporary crafts practice from leading makers.

For more information about COLLECT visit the Crafts Council website.

For a full details on the museumaker Go See study visits, please see the following attachment:
museumaker Origin Studydays (229 kb)

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