Join the BCSC and some fiendish friends for their second annual Halloween online event on Thursday 28 October at 7pm.
This time around, they’ll be looking at the Black Country’s links with science fiction and exploring some of the weird and wonderful aspects of the region’s science facts. Expect monsters, mummies, mutants and menacing machines as they’re joined by University of Wolverhampton’s Dr Nicola Allen and Dr Martin Khechara, alongside BCLM researchers Dr Jenny Gilbert and Nadia Awal.
From the virtual fireside, Nicola will set the science fiction scene and introduce the genre: its origins, development and characteristics. Jenny and Nadia will share some of their favourite Black Country sci-fi stories and Dr K will be exploring the science behind monsters, mutants and terrible triffids.
There will also be an interactive quiz that will test your skills in telling scientific fact from fiction.
Tickets for this online event are free and can be booked via the BCLM website here. Book now for a free, fun and informative night of spooky science!
The Staff Consultative Forum (SCF) is a group of Museum wide colleagues to act as an important conduit and sounding board for many of the Museum’s key decisions around structure, policies, performance and wider activities that may impact staff. Chaired by the Museum’s Chief Executive/Chief Operating Officer, the Forum meets quarterly and particularly over the last 18 months has played a critical role in assisting the Museum’s endeavours to safeguard careers during the pandemic. The Forum’s members consist of an elected group of managers, front line colleagues and back office administrative staff to ensure representation of the whole Museum. Excluded from the membership are the Museum’s Leadership and People & Culture teams. The full terms of reference of the Forum can be found under the Documents tab here on the intranet (Documents/Information/Staff Consultative Forum (SCF)/Terms of Reference/Oct 2021).
To ensure that the Forum remains fresh in its challenge and contribution, elected members can serve on the Forum for a maximum of two years per term and a maximum of two terms. As a result we would now like to invite nominations for the following posts*:
Administrative, Specialist & Managerial x 1
Enterprise & Admissions x 1
Historic Characters x 1
Casuals x 1
If you would like to be considered as a Staff Representative, you will need a colleague from the same Constituency as you to propose your nomination and the name of another staff member, again within the same Constituency, who seconds the nomination.
To put yourself forward, please complete and return a nomination form to the People & Culture team (based at Canalside) either by hand, deposited in the black post box outside the People & Culture office, or via email to [email protected].
The closing date for nominations is Wednesday 27 October 2021. Elections will be held following this date if we have multiple candidates for a single role.
Unsure about which Constituency you fall under? Check the Constituencies paper saved on the Intranet (Museum Documents/Information/Staff Consultative Forum (SCF)/Constituencies) or contact the People & Culture team.
*All contracted colleagues, bar the Leadership and People & Culture teams, are eligible to be nominated for any of the above Constituencies, excluding the “Casuals” Constituency. Casual colleagues are eligible to be nominated for the “Casuals” Constituency only.
This year’s Black History Month UK is celebrating the theme of ‘Proud To Be’. Across the country people are sharing their stories and inspiring others to take pride in Black history and culture.
In collaboration with Rites of Passage Productions, Black Country Living Museum has produced four short films that celebrate the lives of four remarkable Black people. This work spans stories from the nineteenth century up to the present day and is designed to encourage us all to think about how we are making history all the time in our own ways.
These videos will be premiering throughout this and next week – to view exclusive previews of all four films ahead of their launch, watch below!
#ProudToBe RESILIENT – Cyrille Regis
The first of our films is ‘Proud to Be Resilient’: featuring Stefan Davis as West Bromwich Albion and England icon, Cyrille Regis. The film is a dramatic re-telling of Cyrille’s rise to the top flight of the beautiful game and how a shocking incident ahead of his England debut in 1982 spurred him on to event greater success.
This film is made in loving memory of Cyrille Regis, 1958-2018
#ProudToBe COURAGEOUS – Henry Box Brown
In the second of the series, we discover the story of American-born abolitionist lecturer Henry Box Brown. Born into enslavement in North Carolina in around 1815, he became famous after he escaped by mailing himself in a wooden box to abolitionists in Philadelphia. Following this he fled to England in 1850, and embarked on a successful publishing and performing career and became an important campaigner for the abolition of slavery.
#ProudToBe CARING – Nurse Brown
In the third film in our Proud To Be series, we meet “Nurse Brown”. Her portrait is part of the collection at Wolverhampton Art Gallery, yet little is known about her – a symbol of the difficulties historians face when seeking to uncover hidden histories of people of colour from the past.
#ProudToBe Me – in conversation with Tonia Daley-Campbell
In the final film of the series, we sit down with Tonia Daley-Campbell. An inspiring actress, writer, director and mentor, Tonia shares with us the story of her educational and professional journey. She discusses her proudest career moments and shares advice for young people in the industry today.
Calling all staff and volunteers, we are delighted to announce that our Staff Social we be held on Monday 8th November from 6:00pm onwards in hall 2.
Please join us for a fun evening of entertainment, food and drink.
If you are interesting in attending please complete the Staff Social RSVP We will be ordering food and drink based on RSVPs so please complete the form and let us know if you have any dietary requirements. RSVP deadline 22nd October 2021
For all staff that use the car park, please can all staff park at the far end of the main car park (at the bottom end on the gravel) on Wednesday 13 October rather than the usual staff area. This is to allow for Balfour Beatty to carry out scanning work.
BCLM is committed to providing a healthy working environment and improving the quality of working lives for all staff and volunteers. As part of our continued efforts under the umbrella of ‘Health and Wellbeing’ of all our staff and volunteers, we are pleased to confirm that prepaid flu jab vouchers are available for anyone wishing to have one. The vouchers are redeemable at Boots outlets.
If you would like a voucher please contact any of the People & Culture team via [email protected] or pop into our office at Canalside. All we need from you is your name and your preferred contact method (either email or text message) in order for the voucher to be sent to you.
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 Optimistic October.
Especially when things are feeling a bit tough, it can help to set some goals. Making goals achievable and ensuring that you have a few short term as well as longer term, more ambitious goals helps us feel we’re making progress. It doesn’t matter if your goal for the day is something really small, the important thing is to give yourself the opportunity to feel like you’ve achieved something and to celebrate that! This month’s calendar is full of ideas to help you think about how you can put this into practice.
Let’s all use their calendar below, or the Action for Happiness App, to celebrate our achievements no matter how small.
We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Paul Crofts as the Museum’s Chief Operating Officer. Paul formally joins on 18 October 21, but is visiting the Museum on a weekly basis to get an early understanding of how the Museum works and meet new colleagues ahead of his ‘official’ start date.
Paul brings a wealth of senior commercial and operational experience from the rail industry, where he currently holds the post of General Manager for Avanti and is responsible for all aspects of the customer experience. During the pandemic he has been instrumental in supporting Avanti’s recovery and sustainability strategy having worked closely with the Department for Transport and other key stakeholders. Paul’s experience mirrors the complexity of challenges here at BCLM and we look forward to him being part of our Leadership Team.
The Government’s advice is that it expects and recommends that members of the public continue to wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet.
Therefore, the Museum will continue to recommend to visitors that they wear facing coverings in our indoor settings. And so, in line with that, the Museum requires all staff that are in an indoor setting, where the public are present, and where they are unable to maintain a distance of 2 metres away from members of the public, to wear a face covering. The face covering can either be one in the form of a mask, of an appropriate style and colour or a clear face visor.
Social Distance
Staff should continue to maintain a 2 metre distance from visitors where possible
The limits in meeting rooms will be removed with immediate effect. Users should ensure that rooms are ventilated during meetings and face coverings are encouraged.
Staff bubbles & staggered shifts will cease with immediate effect, but mixing within teams in social spaces remains discouraged
Morning briefings will remain separate for the moment
The guide hut can return to being a changing area
Screens will remain in place
Limiting visitor numbers in small buildings will remain and signage will be updated accordingly
One Way & QR
Where access is limited or entry is narrow, we will maintain the one-way flow and the signage in these locations.
QR codes will remain for the moment
Sanitisers
Sanitisers remain on site and all buildings and we propose no change to this at the moment.
How heartening it was to see the crowds return over the summer holidays, and for the Museum to offer such an enthusiastic welcome. There will be anxious times ahead, I have no doubt, but considering what we have all come through, I think we can be very proud. So a big thank you from me to everyone for your resilience and the continued strong desire to do the best for the Museum and our visitors.
That display of doing what is best for the Museum was very much in evidence during our first Peaky Blinder evenings, when every aspect of our operation is tested to destruction! I came along on Saturday night and was mightily impressed by the programme, quality of service and when I sneakily listened-in on what visitors had to say. Those two evening events and the strength of our appeal is reflected in how well we have bounced back after reopening. Since 17 May, when we reopened, we have achieved 72% of pre-COVID attendance, and during the month of August this was an astounding 94%. That kind of resilience gives me a level of confidence in our future not thought possible this time last year.
We are hoping to arrange a staff event in late September to celebrate our future, and I very much hope you’ll be able to join colleagues.
With my appreciation and thanks.
Andrew
For an Express and Star report and pictures from last weekend’s Peaky Blinders Nights, click here
