This month our interview series is introducing the ICOM UK Committee members who are planning and organising this year’s online Working Internationally Conference.
Organised in collaboration with NMDC and with curatorial support from Barker Langham, instead of a single day, the conference will take the form of online sessions spread over three days, 16 – 18 March 2021. Each conference day explores a key sector theme – Social Justice, Sustainability, and Futures, and is chaired by an ICOM Committee member or partner.
Catherine McDermott (ICOM UK Secretary) talks to ICOM UK committee member and manager of the British Museum’s International Training Programme, Claire Messenger.
Q: Claire, thank you for talking to us. Will you tell us about your current role at the British Museum?
A: I am the Manager of the British Museum’s International Training Programme (ITP) which seeks to expose participants to various aspects of museum work in the UK, to develop skills, disseminate current practice, increase specialist knowledge and create a global network of colleagues.
I’ve worked on the Programme since its inception in 2006 and have enjoyed creating, shaping, and developing the programme and focussing on ensuring that the ITP delivers both a summer programme and further engagement projects that reflect current thinking in the culture, heritage, education and commercial sectors.
Currently, I led a team of three who work on the summer programme and legacy projects all year round. What I enjoy most – apart from our wonderful network of 299 fellows from 48 countries – is the amazing opportunity the ITP gives me to work with cultural bodies including historic buildings and estates; private and council museums; university museums and departments; overseas institutions, governments and embassies. This network of UK and international institutions has proven essential to delivering programmes and projects for the ITP global alumni and helps to support our fellows to shape their own institutions while ensuring the programme remains relevant, flexible and at the forefront of current thinking.
Q: Would you talk to the members about the ICOM UK Committee and your work? We would particularly like to hear about how the committee is delivering value and support to members over the last year?
A: I am a very recent ‘addition’ to ICOM UK Committee, joining just before lockdown and a short period of furlough in 2020 which gave me the ideal opportunity to spend some time learning more about ICOM, the UK committee and our membership. While I had been a member for some years, there was so much to learn and explore. I particularly enjoyed reading the membership survey and finding out who our members were and perhaps most importantly, what they value most.
Over the last year, the committee has worked hard to keep members up-to-date and supported with a series of webinars on current sector issues and shared news and useful resources across our digital and social media platforms. ICOM UK has also ensured that the voices of our members, and the global sector, have been heard in discussions around the global pandemic and the challenge currently faced by museums and their staff.
Q: Claire, I know you helped develop the conference programme for 2021. Would you tell us a little more of what members might expect in March?
A: Very early on in discussions about the 2021 Working Internationally Conference we decided the most resilient way forward was to plan for an online event, however, even then, we realised that there was a danger of our members being ‘Zoomed-out’. To rise to the challenge we wanted to ensure we delivered a dynamic series of events with multiple voices and a mix of formats and content to keep our members engaged.
Working internationally in my ‘day job’ I was particularly keen to ensure the conference will bring a range of colleagues from around the world to allow our members to learn more about the sector globally, putting our own into context and focus.
Q: You have commissioned a session from the new director of the American University of Beirut (AUB) Archaeological Museum. Would you explain why you chose her, and why this session goes into the Sustainability section?
A: Through the ITP I have five colleagues living and working in Beirut so following the devasting explosion in the city in August 2020 I was anxious to know they and their families were safe and well. The ICOM UK Committee was also keen to know if there was any help or support we could offer to our colleagues in the cultural sector in Lebanon.
It was at this point I was delighted to be introduced to Dr Nadine Panayot, the new Director of AUB Archaeological Museum and when we were thinking about contributors to our ‘Live from…..’ sessions Nadine seemed the ideal choice. In 2020 we heard much about what had happened and the devastation caused, and now Nadine will be sharing an update on the work currently taking place to deal with the aftermath of the explosion.
Q: How do you see the future for ICOM UK?
A: While acknowledging that our members will all be needing to consider their priorities moving ahead in these challenging times, I think that global communities like ICOM UK are even more important now than ever before. We are stronger together and both globally and locally that feels essential right now!!
ICOM UK, ICOM and NMDC members can book a free place at the online 2021 Working Internationally Conference via Eventbrite. Tickets go on sale to non-members on 16 February.
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