21 April 2023

Conference of Museums Heritage Highland at WASPS, Inverness, with aim to bring the network together to strengthen connections, share successes and challenges, exchange ideas and explore the skills needed to help the sector thrive into the future. With sessions on skills sharing, our workforce, resourcing and collections.

Book via Eventbrite. Tickets £27.80 (members MHH) or £65.71 non-members. Bookings close 14th April.

SOLD OUT - but contact organiser in case of returns.

Day 1

3pm Arrival, coffee, tea, networking

3.45pm Welcome from Dan

4pm Skills Speed Sharing (chaired by Helen and Nicola) - This first session will be a fun, kind of ice breaker session, but also useful in learning about the diversity of skills in the sector, the needs and wants of the sector and how we bring those two together.

5pm Project Pecha Kucha - A series of talks from museums across the region on how they have responded to the demands of the last few years and/or on their hopes for the future. Please get in touch if you would like to present a project or topic from your museum.

6pm Dinner at Velocity

7.30pm Film Screening - Dùthcas with QandA after (TBC)

Day 2

9am Tea, coffee, networking

9.30am Our People - A panel discussion looking at the museum workforce. How is our workforce changing? What are the current challenges in volunteering? How do we support our staff? Panel chaired by Tamsin Russell (Museums Association) with Siobhan Beatson (Ullapool Museum), Ian Leith (Wick Museum), David Bell (National Mining Museum).

10.15am Workshops to support the Our People session

1 - Wellbeing in museums (led by Tamsin)

2 - Succession planning and using digital volunteers (David Bell + Neil Buchan)

3 - Board Matters

11am Tea, coffee, networking

11.30am Resourcing Our Heritage - What’s the current picture? Challenges, opportunities, new ideas. Panel includes Gillian Simison MGS, Megan Braithwaite NLHF, Andrew MacKenzie (Highland Historian) and Katie Mullen (Glencoe Museum)

12.15pm Workshops to support ROH session

1 - Capital projects discussion group (led by David Rounce, Glencoe Museum)

2 - Building a new funding model/innovative income generation (A&BS)

3 - Tourism in the Highlands (with Highland Tourism + Highland Historian)

1pm LUNCH

2pm Collections Now - Panel discussion looking at how we approach collecting in the 21st C. How do we ensure our collections are accessible and representive of society today? How do we care for our objects in terms of our capacity (skills, time, money)? Chaired by Katey Boal with input from Freya Samuel, Rachael Thomas and more

2.45pm Workshops to support collections theme

1 - Decolonisation

2 - Caring for our collections - Rachael Thomas

3 - Digital engagement opportunities - Smartify

3.30pm closing remarks from Dan

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21 April 2023

Community excavation exploring the remains of a probable late 18th-century building that sits on a platform that could previously have housed Thurster Tower. The site is located in the area of Thrumster, c.1.2 km to the south-east of Thrumster House, in an area known as Long Greens.

The excavation will teach the archaeological skills needed to understand and investigate an archaeological site. No previous experience is necessary. They can teach you all that you need to know. And provide the equipment you will need.

The dig will be led by Andy Heald of AOC Archaeology. Further details on the Yarrows Trust website. If you would like to take part, contact Yarrows Heritage: heritage@yarrowsheritagetrust.co.uk

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21 April 2023

Starts: 14:00
Ends: 16:00

A guided tour of the excavations underway at Thrumster. See Yarrows Trust website for details.

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