Join us for the NWFed Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2024 between 9.30am-4pm on Thursday 17 October at The World of Glass in St Helens, Merseyside.

This year’s conference theme is Advocating for and through museums and with a range of talks and presentations, we’ll be exploring questions like:

  • How do we advocate for museums and galleries, and the important role they play in society?
  • How can we advocate for and support people who work and volunteer at museums, as well as our visitors?
  • How do we advocate for artists and other groups and organisations, and their work and campaigns? How much value can museums and galleries bring to work and campaigns?

Book your place here.

The day in detail

  • From 9.30am: Arrivals, networking, and refreshments
  • 10.00am: Welcome from The World of Glass 
  • 10.15am: Margaret Middleton – Exhibition Designer and Consultant – Queer Museum Narratives and the Family Audience Margaret will talk about a chapter they wrote for the book ‘Storytelling in Museums’ (2022) and discuss how museums can advocate for LGBTQ communities by producing exhibitions with queer themes for families. The talk will include a case study on a children’s museum exhibition about a family with a transgender grandparent.
  • 11.00am: Meg McHugh, Curatorial Manager and Debbie Walker, Engagement Specialist at Manchester Town Hall – Our Town Hall project Meg and Debbie will look at how the historic Manchester Town Hall, which has been closed for redevelopment since 2018, is using techniques developed by museums and galleries to make its building and exhibitions accessible and relevant to local communities. They will cover advocacy for and representation of diverse voices and cultures in the building’s interpretation, as well as engagement and co-development with local groups and organisations.
  • 11.45am: Kate Smith, Youth Participation Officer (North) at English Heritage – Shout Out Loud Youth Engagement Shout Out Loud, English Heritage’s youth engagement team, was created as part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s ‘Kick the Dust’ scheme. Kate will look at how the work has amplified the voices of young people aged 11-25 through a Young Producers programme and a medieval-themed Festival of Archaeology Youth Event at Chester Castle.
  • 12.30pm: Helen Fairs, NWFed Chair – AGM 
  • Buffet lunch and networking
  • 1.30pm: Glass blowing demonstration (optional)
  • 2.15pm: The Group for Education in Museums (GEM) – The Value of Museum Learning Matt Exley from GEM will share the organisation’s findings from a year-long research project into the museum learning sector, which was funded by the Arts Council England’s 2023-2026 Investment Programme. The talk will cover how GEM plans to use the report to advocate for museum learning and staff, how the research highlights incredible work being done in the sector, and future plans. They welcome feedback from attendees to help shape GEM’s future work.
  • 3.00pm: Meg Parnell and Ruth Edson, Platt Hall Learning Managers – Platt Hall Inbetween project Meg will talk about how advocacy has been part of the transformation of 18th century Platt Hall, Manchester Art Gallery’s former costume museum. Focusing on a project which kickstarted in 2019, Meg will explore how the team have worked with communities to meet local need in Rusholme, Moss Side, Fallowfield and Longsight, and to develop a sustainable future for the Hall. Their programme has been developed in partnership with local services including a GP practice, a Surestart centre, a local primary school and resident and volunteer groups. 
  • 4.00pm: Thanks and goodbyes 

Book your place here.

This event costs £20 (to cover catering costs) + an Eventbrite booking fee for all NWFed members, including those who work in NWFed member museums. Find out how to join us as an individual member for just £12 per year here. 

Find out how to get to The World of Glass here. There is a paid car park at the venue. The World of Glass is a short distance from St Helens Central train station and the local bus station. 

If you would like to talk to us about the event, access or dietary requirements, please email chair@nwfed.org.uk. Dietary requirements must be confirmed by Thursday 3 October 2024.