Helpdesk

Iplicit

FuseMetrix

Planday

My ePayWindow

Intranet

Category: Key update

  • Filming on site – Tue 15 Feb

    Please note that there is a large-scale production being filmed at the Museum on Tuesday 15 February from 7am until 8pm (with Monday 14 February as a set up day).

    Car park

    The production’s unit base will be at the bottom end of the car park and there will be around 50-60 other cars associated with the production, however you should still be able to park as normal in the top end of the car park.

    Access to the Museum

    Please enter the Museum in the morning via Rolfe Street and NOT the green side gate as they will be shooting at Bradburn & Wedge first thing until mid-morning.

    In addition to Bradburn & Wedge, locations include the Workers’ Institute and the Cinema so these areas should be avoided. BCLM filming staff will be accompanying the production at all times.

    Should you encounter the filming during the day, please act with discretion and do not take any photographs of the activity or any production personnel which would see us in breach of the location agreement.

    Many thanks for your co-operation.

  • Update – Forging Ahead

    It is fantastic to see the rate and scale of which the Forging Ahead development is advancing. Our behind the hoardings tours have been very popular and with so much now happening, we would like to share our updated Forging Ahead Building Location Plan.

  • Action for Happiness: Friendly February

    Action for Happiness is a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society.

    Each month they release a “Monthly Action Calendar” which are packed with actions you can take to help create a happier and kinder world.

    This month’s theme is Friendly February, letting us focus on reaching out to connect with others and doing our best to be a good friend. In stressful times people around us may be feeling the strain, so let’s try to keep calm, take time to listen and show compassion.

    Let’s all use their calendar below, or the Action for Happiness App, to do more good this month.

  • Open audition call out – BCLM social media

    The Audiences & Communications team will be re-launching the Museum’s TikTok account for 2022. The team plans on uploading one video per week (this may be subject to change) and intend to feature a mixture of informational and entertaining videos, all with an educational undertone.

    The team would love to give everyone at the Museum the opportunity to submit their interest to take part in both Tiktok and the Museum’s other social media content. Types of content could include acting, lipsyncing (TikTok specifically) or voiceover work. To do so, the team is inviting you to submit audition videos for their consideration.

    If you would like to be involved, the team is asking you to prepare a video of yourself performing the audition material below.

    Please bear the following in mind when filming your video:

    • Ensure your voice can be heard clearly (no need to add background music or additional sound)
    • There’s no need to dress up in costume for the audition video as the team are looking at your performance
    • Please film your video in your own time and not at the Museum during your working hours
    • Think about how you physically perform as well as your delivery of the script
    • Film your videos in portrait – mobile quality is fine, there’s no need to film on a camera unless you would prefer to
    • Try to learn each line so that you’re not visibly reading the script

    Submissions should be sent to the BCLM Marketing Team iPhone via whatsapp or text on 07563 074173 for Hannah and the A&C team to review. Alternatively you can email videos to [email protected].

    Along with your video messages, please send your name, department and line manager’s name. If the team think you would be a good fit they will be in touch. Please note that involvement with all social media filming sessions are classed as paid shifts so staff will be paid for their involvement.

    The cut-off date for auditions is Friday 18 February. Anything received after this time will not be accepted for this round of auditions. There may be may additional audition periods throughout the year in case people change their mind or to give new staff in the future an opportunity to express interest.

    If you have any questions at all don’t hesitate to contact the A&C team via [email protected].

    Please note that the team is currently only looking for expressions of interest for performers and is not looking for ideas on video content at this time.

    Audition Script

    Did you know that a lot of the food that working class Victorians ate was adulterated?

    Bread was a staple food in the Victorian period and was consumed for almost every meal.

    But most working-class Victorians that lived in back-to-backs like this, didn’t have the time or facilities to bake their own bread from scratch.

    So, they relied on local bakers and retailers to get their bread.

    The problem was that at every point in the supply chain adulterants like chalk, alum and plaster of paris were added.

    These adulterants could build up to dangerous levels and left an already impoverished population very malnourished.

    It could even have deadly consequences for babies.

    The original video can be viewed on TikTok here.

  • Updated COVID guidelines for staff

    Following the Government announcement of the easing of COVID restrictions from Thursday 27th January, the following control measures will remain in place across site. All other restrictions are no longer valid, unless mentioned below.

    • All visitors will be encouraged to wear a face covering in indoor settings.
    • All staff are required to wear a face covering, unless exempt, in indoor public settings and are encouraged to wear a face covering in indoor settings where they may come into close contact with someone who is not in their household e.g. corridors.
    • Visitors are encouraged to maintain a 2 metre distance from those not in their household. Staff should maintain a 2 metre distance from visitors and always at least 1 metre from colleagues.
    • Break spaces and times will be fixed to reduce mixing between teams.
    • Morning briefings will remain separate.
    • Screens will remain in place.
    • Rooms should be ventilated during or after use as appropriate.
    • Sanitising stations will remain in place.
    • Shared spaces should be sanitised with the materials provided after use.
    • Visitors and staff must not attend site if they have symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19, or have been advised to self-isolate by Test and Trace. Colleagues should continue to regularly test with Lateral Flow Devices and must self-isolate immediately; and notify People & Culture if they either receive a positive result or develop symptoms.

    These measures will be reviewed in 4 weeks or sooner if government advice changes.

    You will notice that individual COVID-19 signage across museum buildings will be removed in coming days in favour of larger messaging at key locations along the visitor journey. Such an approach will retain clear recommendations to our visitors, whilst allowing us to showcase the museum at its best.  

  • BCLM Win “Being Social” category at Digital Culture Awards

    We are thrilled to have been awarded in the “Being Social” category at Arts Council England and the Digital Culture Network’s Digital Culture awards this week! The award recognises our work on TikTok, praising our success in increasing awareness and engagement with new audiences.

    This category at the awards was judged by Adam Kozary, Head of Digital at the Audience Agency, who said:

    “The Black Country Living Museum should be celebrated for sheer global impact, ruthlessly exploiting their niche and showing the rest of the sector how to engage with TikTok. They – and their fellow shortlistees – hold that rare combination of a deep understanding of what their organisation is for, the creative mind to spark ideas and the technical skills to make it happen.“

    Tiina Hill, senior manager of Digital Culture Network, said:

    “We received hundreds of submissions and thousands of votes in this year’s Digital Culture Awards, demonstrating the need to acknowledge and celebrate the creativity of our sector. Arts and cultural organisations across the country have innovated how they connect and engage audiences in-person and online, whilst also embracing digital to adapt their ways of working and find new ways of generating income.“

    We’d like to once again extend a huge thank you to everyone that has been involved with our work on TikTok and other social media channels so far. After our hiatus, the Audiences & Comms team is excited to relaunch the TikTok channel this February to continue increasing awareness of the Museum and engaging with new audiences once again.

  • Dudley’s Holocaust Commemoration service – invitation to join online

    Dudley’s annual Holocaust Commemoration will take place online at noon on Friday 28th January with key-note speaker Janine Webber BEM.

    As a young child, Janine Webber survived the Holocaust by moving between hiding places in occupied Poland, and witnessed the Nazis seizing and murdering other members of her family. She moved to the UK in 1956 where she met her husband. She was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2017 for services to Holocaust Education.

    The annual event is organised by Dudley College’s Students Union, the Holocaust Educational Trust and a small group of volunteers.

    The event will include a presentation from a local student who visited Auschwitz with the Holocaust Educational Trust and have contributions from local faith and civic leaders including the Bishop of Dudley, Rabbi Margaret Jacobi and the leader of Dudley Council, Councillor Patrick Harley.

    It will be very easy for anyone with access to a smartphone, tablet or computer to join the event. If you would like to join, please follow this link: https://bit.ly/HolocaustMemorial22

  • People News Update 20/01/22

    Welcomes

    As referenced on last month’s People News Paul Raybould has joined us as our Senior Motor Mechanic, Bonnie Wilkes as Enterprise Team Manager and Janine Downes as Head of Public Programmes.

    Farewells

    This month we are saying farewell to Liam Parkes. Liam left the Museum earlier this month after three years, as the Museum’s Engineering Manager.  Liam’s role was initially part of our Collection Care and Management team and latterly part of the Maintenance team. Liam leaves to concentrate on his personal interests and opportunities.

    Grant Bird, Head of Audiences & Communications will be leaving the Museum on 11 February 2022 after four years with us. Grant started with us as a volunteer in Collections and during his time here has worked not only as Head of Audiences & Communications but also as an Audience Analyst, Communications and Marketing Manager, Curator (Domestic & Cultural Life) and Acting Director of Visitor Engagement. Grant sadly leaves us to pursue free lance and consultancy work.

    We have also said goodbye to Teresa Bullows, Sales & Ticketing Administrator, and Ben Owens, Painter and Decorator, as referenced in last month’s People News, Janet Andrews, Retail & Admissions Assistant.

    Other News

    Many of you will know Emily Smith as Casual colleague within the Museum’s Enterprise team and as one of our TikTok characters. Emily having now completed her University studies, is starting her professional career as a Coordinator within our Audience and Communications team. Emily is a another example of the careers that are possible for colleagues who initially join the Museum to offer Casual support.

    As part of the recent recruitment we have also offered several historic characters from our casual pool permanent positions.

  • AIM Annual Conference

    The AIM (Association of Independent Museums) annual Conference will be held at Port Sunlight Village, Wirral, on 16-17 June 2022. 

    This year’s conference theme of ‘Making it happen’ will see colleagues from across the UK explore the vision for independent Museums as we recover from the challenges of the pandemic.

    Sessions will highlight how to implement the changes sector debates call for with practical and relevant examples from Museums of all shapes and sizes. As ever with AIM Conference, delegates can look forward to a schedule packed with inspirational and practical advice, debate and discussion.

    As in previous years we are offering staff the opportunity to attend this year’s conference, with travel and accommodation provided. All you need to do is complete an application and provide us with some information as to how you think this will be of benefit to you in your role here at BCLM.

    More information is available on the AIM website. https://aim-museums.co.uk/aim-national-conference-2022/

    If you are interested in attending, please complete the AIM application form (available in the documents section of the intranet under forms for staff or by using: http://pmm.d88.mywebsitetransfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AIM-application-2022.docx) and return to [email protected] by 5pm on Friday 11 February 2022. Staff will be selected based on their application and informed in early March.

  • New Year message from Andrew

    We sat down with Andrew last week, ahead of today’s reopening, who shared his reflections on the Museum’s successes in 2021 and hopes for the new year. You can watch the full interview below or click through to YouTube here.