Association of Independent Museums: New Stories New Audiences

Overview

This fund aims to support smaller museums that wish to increase and widen their audiences, enhance their sustainability, and increase participation from groups that are currently under-represented.

Funding will support projects and activities that result in a wider range of people being involved in heritage, as well as at least one or more of the following:

• Heritage will be better identified and better explained.
• People will have developed skills.
• People will have learnt about heritage leading to change in ideas and actions.
• People will have greater well-being.
• The organisation will be more resilient.
• The local area will be a better place to live, work, or visit.

Funding Level

Grants of up to £15,000 are available.

Match Funding Restrictions

Applicants will be asked to contribute at least 5% of their total project costs. This can include cash, non-cash transactions, volunteer time, or a combination of all of these.

Who can apply?

AIM members in the small museum category (up to 20,000 visitors) that seek to work with new partners and try new ideas can apply. This includes both not-for-profit organisations and private heritage collections.

Examples of new partners include schools, local history groups, universities, local charities, communities, social or volunteer groups, or individuals such as artists.

Applicants must provide:

• A copy of their constitution or governing document (not required for public organisations or private owners)
• A copy of their most recent audited or accountant-verified annual accounts (newly formed organisations
• Briefs for externally commissioned work over £10,000.
• Letters of support from people involved in the project (if applicable).

Applicants must consider how to make their project more sustainable by increasing positive environmental impacts and reducing negative impacts and should embed this into your project from the beginning.

Private owners will be assessed whether the public benefit of their proposal outweighs any private gain.

What can they fund?

They will fund projects up to £15,000 that result in a wider range of people being involved in heritage at your organisation. They expect you to have identified a new story that you wish to tell and undertaken some initial research to identify who the new audience will be.

They also expect you to work with a new partner, to work differently and to try something new.

Successful projects will be allocated an experienced project mentor and will take part in the New Stories New Audiences network with other successful applicants. At the end of your project, you will be brought together to share learning, contribute to the evaluation of the experience and inform the creation of new resources.

As an example, these are some of the successful projects funded in round 1 (2021):

• Provan Hall received £15,000 to collaborate and create an educational resource with local communities to interpret their built heritage and history.
• The Museum of Youth Culture received £14,500 for a project working with young people from Hackney’s Black African and Caribbean communities to collect stories, curate and produce an exhibition.
• The Scottish Fisheries Museum received £11,896 to create a touring exhibition and series of activities to showcase island life in the Forth, including climate change impacts.

See website for further examples

Funding will support projects that result in a wider range of people being involved in heritage in an organisation, and projects where a new story has been identified and some research into identifying a new audience has already been undertaken.

New stories could relate to the local area, an organisation’s mission, particular groups, or individuals from the past or present.

New audiences will include groups that are currently under-represented to help address inequalities that can be perpetuated by organisations (often unconsciously or through lack of awareness). Examples include BAME communities, people with disabilities, young people, or local people from particular socio-economic groups.

Preference will be given to organisations that recognize their responsibility to carry out their purpose for the benefit of all, striving to make a positive impact and represent all communities.

Funding will support projects that:

• Have a clear plan with a defined start, middle, and end.
• Have not already started.
• Will last up to one year.

Eligible costs include:

• Volunteer expenses.
• Training costs.
• Events costs (including room hire, refreshments and equipment).
• Small capital works (including purchasing equipment, digitisation, and minor building work).
• Costs to improve access.
• Professional fees.
• Interpretation and display costs.

Examples of funded projects include:

• Provan Hall – To collaborate and create an educational resource with local communities to interpret their built heritage and history.
• Museum of Youth Culture - For working with young people from Hackney’s Black African and Caribbean communities to collect stories, curate and produce an exhibition.
• The Scottish Fisheries Museum – To create a touring exhibition and series of activities to showcase island life in the Forth, including climate change impacts.
• Edeyrnion Heritage and Cultural Society - To bring together a deprived rural community with an immersive display, bilingual walks, outdoor interpretation boards, in-person guided walks and a launch event, all centred around local heritage and landscape.
• Birkenhead Priority - To develop a 3D tour of the grounds and learning resources for KS1 and 2, collaborating with the area’s multi-faith communities and schools.
• Sturminster Heritage Trust - To work with young people in Sturminster and Newfoundland to explore the history of people emigrating to Canada from the 1600s to the 1800s.

Successful projects should be completed within 12 months of the formal offer letter.