Social History Curator's Group Call for Papers

Annual Conference 2017 'Changing Tides'

Reading Museum, Reading Town Hall, The University of Reading and The Museum of English Rural Life

29th and 30th June 2017 

Call for contributions, papers, workshops, roundtable discussions and other presentations on the theme of: Museums and Cultural Identity in a post-2016 landscape

Guidance on topics for discussion

2016 has been a monumental year for the world as a whole and the effects of its events on museums are likely to be wide-ranging in their consequences. The vote for Brexit and the moves to both the left and the right of the political spectrum across the world will all have a significant effect on visitors, museums and how we adapt to stay relevant in the future.

In a world where nationalism is noticeably rising, how is your museum adapting in order to stay relevant?

How are you as a museum professional helping your museum adapt to the changes? What is being done successfully that will give your organisation more resilience for the future in this new landscape? How do you think museums should think about the withdrawal of EU funding in deprived areas?

We’d like to know how you are responding to this unprecedented and unpredictable future for the sector, and share this with fellow delegates.

Some example ideas are below:

·      Representing the people

o   How do we avoid alienating those with alternative viewpoints on our identity and ensure that museums are a place for everyone?

o   What can museums do to ensure that cultural identity remains relevant to various communities?

·      The effects of political change

o   Presentations that allow us to see how Brexit is, has or will affect a museum or group of museums

o   What impact can large-scale shifts across the political spectrum have on the museums and heritage sector

·      Riding out the storm

o   How do we become more resilient as a sector and how do we implement such changes in order to stay relevant?

o   What does the future hold for the sector if it doesn’t respond to changes on the political landscape?

The quick-fire round!

Do you have an issue relating to the changing Cultural Identities of the world that you want to debate in just three minutes? Following the success of the inaugural quick-fire round in 2016, SHCG invites 6 delegates to each present a 3-minute paper on their issue, the dilemma it presented, how they approached it and ultimately the outcome of situation.

Following the presentations, all 6 speakers will then facilitate group discussions which will aim to give delegates practical advice and guidance, how to (or how not to) face issues in all areas of museum practice and at all career levels.

If you think you have an interesting idea to submit, please complete the application form at the end of this document.

2017 conference

This year we’re looking for any presentation, talk or concept that relates to the topics outlined above in the guidance. The more thought provoking, unusual, practical and insightful the better.

If you have an idea that you think might be appropriate for this conference, we encourage you to submit it as we’ll read and review every application. We believe that insights into how others are working, their successes, their failure and their practices can be of benefit to many others within the wider museum and cultural community.

Contributors are invited to offer perspectives from local, national, international or global context. Contributions that are presented in an a different, interactive or discussion, way will be happily accepted and we keen to accept more contributions that are seen as showing ‘out of the box’ thinking and allow delegates to reflect and think about Social History Curation and its future.

Important dates

·     Please complete the submission form below and return it to Nick Sturgess and Becca Lucas at conferenceshcg@gmail.com by the 25^th February 2017.

·     All applicants will be notified by the 4^th March 2017.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

·      The decision of the conference panel is final. Only one person from each presentation or workshop submission will be given a free day delegate place for the day that they are speaking. Speakers for the Quick Fire Round will not presentation do not qualify for a free place on the day they are speaking. Speakers travel costs will be reimbursed up to a maximum of £100. Unfortunately we are unable to provide additional fees, subsistence costs or accommodation for speakers

The Social History Curators Group is a membership organisation dedicated to improving the status and provision of social history in museums and the standards of collections, research, display and interpretation.

Our annual conference is open to all and aims to facilitate the sharing of skills and experiences, and provoke debate around a current theme affecting our members through presentations, interactive workshops and tours.

For full details visit the Social History Curators website.