BU Research Blog

The NCCPE are hosting a selection of fantastic opportunities for academics to build upon partnerships with museums across London, the South East and the South West. Take part in a MUPI Match event…It’s a chance for those who are keen to meet museums and other academics in the region and to network and develop new ideas! Each event is regional, attracting museums and universities from various areas; free to participate in; and interactive.

After receiving funding from the Arts Council England’s Museum Resilience Fund, the NCCPE have been developing an 18 month project to maximise the potential for museums and universities to work together to mutually beneficial aims. This project builds on a successful pilot project which was completed earlier this year.

The benefits: It is well proven that there are mutual benefits to museums and universities working together. Projects can cover a wide range of topics – from improving audience understanding to developing more effective collections knowledge or interpretation; from inspiring museum audiences with cutting edge research to developing new exhibits and exhibitions; the opportunities are endless.

The MUPI Match events are based on tried and tested methods of bringing people together to explore innovative and useful partnership working, stimulating new connections and new projects. Each event involves museum staff, volunteers, and academics working together to find mutually beneficial ideas that they would like to develop together. Participants can then bid for ‘thinking funding’ – to enable them to do desk research; have conversations; test ideas; and work together to plan their potential project. Teams will be supported to develop their partnership, and find effective ways to fund their project in the future.

The details: There will be 9 regional networking events (or ‘sandpits’) but information and booking forms for the sandpits in the southwest and London can be found here:

• London, 21 March 2017, Quayside Room, Museum of Docklands (details)
• South East Region, 28 March 2017, venue tbc (details) – rescheduled from 8 February
• South West, 3 May 2017, The New Room, Bristol (details)

There will also be two national networking events (one focused on designated collections) to broker partnerships between small and medium sized museums and HEIs:

• Partnerships, London, 7 June 2017
• Designated collections, Birmingham, 14 June 2017, Arts Council Offices, Birmingham

Contact: If you would like to find out more or register your interest in receiving regular updates about the project, including invitations to the sandpits and events, please contact Claire Wood (claire6.wood@uwe.ac.uk)

Additionally, if you’d like to discuss ideas for an event or need inspiration please contact Genna West, RKEO’s Engagement & Impact Facilitator (gwest@bournemouth.ac.uk)

For more information on the initiative please visit: https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/work-with-us/current-projects/museum-university-partnerships-initiative