Appointment of Community Development and Learning Coordinator
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Appointment of Community Development and Learning Coordinator
This post has been made possible by Major Museum Partner investment by Arts Council England for the period
2015 – 18. The Major Museum Partners benefitting from this investment are Penlee House Gallery & Museum
(Lead Partner), Royal Cornwall Museum, National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Falmouth Art Gallery,
Porthcurno Telegraph Museum and Wheal Martyn Museum.
Cornwall Museums Partnership is a newly established CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation). Its board of
trustees includes representatives from Cornwall’s Major Partner Museums.
Job title
Community Engagement Coordinator
Location
TBC but with the Cornwall Museums Partnership team
Salary
£28,000 per annum
Hours
Full time 37 hours per week
Contract type
Fixed Term Post ending 31st March 2018 – open to job share applications
Reporting to
Director of Cornwall Museums Partnership CIO
Application
If you are interested in the applying for the post, fill in the application form and Equal Opportunities
Monitoring Form and send to:
Ernie Shepherd, South West Lakes Trust, Lidn Park, Quarry Crescent, Pennygillam Industrial Estate, Launceston,
Cornwall PL15 7PF or email eshepherd@swlakestrust.org.uk
by Noon 20 March 2015. Interviews will be in the week commencing 13 April 2015
Background to Cornwall Museums Partnership
Cornwall Museums Partnership was initially formed as an unincorporated association of the larger museums in
Cornwall to deliver and co-ordinate the partnership activity required to implement the aims of the Museum
Strategy. The collective development of the strategy, funded by Cornwall Council, involved all museums in
Cornwall and created a culture of shared purpose. The strategy set out how to sustain a thriving museum
sector and its aims and objectives reflect the key characteristics of Cornwall’s Museum sector: i.e. a large
number of small, diverse and independent museums, the absence of a ‘lead’ museum service and very limited
Local Authority funding.
Since its inception the partnership has gone from strength to strength:
 securing funding from the Arts Council England’s Renaissance Strategic Support Fund programme in
2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 for a range of projects designed to increase the resilience of the
sector
Appointment of Community Development and Learning Coordinator
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
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being one of only nine partnerships in the UK to be awarded substantial funds (£250k) from the
Heritage Lottery Funds Catalyst Umbrella programme to support the development of fundraising
expertise throughout the sector
being one of only 21 organisations in England to become a member of Arts Council England’s Major
Partner Museum programme with a three year award of £1.5m towards total project costs of £3m
in April 2015 the partnership will be taking over the management of the Museum Development
Officer post, which is jointly funded by Cornwall Council and Arts Council England
The Purpose and Ethos of the Cornwall Museums Partnership
The Cornwall Museum Partnership exists to coordinate the delivery of collective programmes of work required
to implement the aims of the Museums Strategy for all museums in Cornwall. It aims to support the
development of best practice throughout the sector and to develop its profile and reputation. It is a flexible,
nimble and highly adaptable organisation which responds to the needs of the sector and on their behalf seeks
to secure substantial resources for partnership working.
The Cornwall Museum Partnership works on the principle that every organisation has a strength from which
others can learn and benefit. The structure is not hierarchical and does not rely on a single lead organisation
and no organisation is wholly reliant on another – thus sharing and reducing risk. The ethos of the partnership
is based on a culture of mutual trust, maintaining the freedom of individual museums whilst at the same time
being highly suited to delivering a range of collaborative ventures.
The board and staff of the Cornwall Museum Partnership identifies collective needs and potential resources to
support clusters of activity. Each project connects together museums with similar requirements with other
organisations, helping them to address the needs of their audiences and become increasingly embedded in
their respective communities – whether local or international. Within projects, museums can operate as both
commissioners and suppliers, and work together to deliver joint programmes of activity. To date this has
included joint marketing, fundraising, collections development, learning programmes, advocacy and online
retail.
Resources
In 2015/16 the partnership will be responsible for co-ordinating the delivery of projects with a budget of
around £1.17m
In April 2015 the staff complement will be
 Chief Executive (0.8 fte)
 Finance Director (0.5 fte)
 Catalyst Co-ordinator (0.6 fte)
 Catalyst Administrator (full time)
 Museum Development Officer 1.0 (full time)
 Major Partner Museum - Project Manager (0.5 fte)
 Major Partner Museum - Community Development and Learning Co-ordinator (full time)
 Major Partner Museum - Festival Co-ordinator (0.5 fte)
 Major Partner Museum Evaluator (0.5 fte)
 Major Partner Museum Administrator/apprentice (full time)
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Appointment of Community Development and Learning Coordinator
Job description
Overall purpose
The Community Development and Learning Coordinator will work across the 6 Major Partner Museums to
deliver agreed outputs and outcomes as informed by the Cornwall Museums Partnership MPM Activity Plan
and SMART Targets. (see attached document) .The post-holder will coordinate the Partnership’s community
engagement programmes, working with arts organisations in Cornwall, including Arts Council NPOs (National
Portfolio Organisations) and Arts for Health, to reach out to new and diverse audiences. They will help the
Partnership maximise skills sharing and build on specific areas of expertise (in terms of community
engagement) which have already been developed by some cultural organisations in Cornwall.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
1.
Generally, work with accredited museums across Cornwall to develop sustainable partnerships with each
other, with other arts and community organisations and volunteers to create opportunities for local
communities to use museums, their collections and archives as a focus for activities that foster community
ownership. As part of the Major Partner Museum bid there is a framework of community engagement and
inclusion projects that have been approved by Arts Council England and will be delivered over the three year
period.
The programme includes:

Set up a Community Projects Working Group to share best practice in engaging with diverse as well as
marginalised audiences.

Coordinate six pilot community projects, to be completed by March 2016, between the Major Partner
Museums and major arts organisations in Cornwall including National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs). The
pilot projects will involve a minimum of 60 participants and be attended by a minimum of 180 people.

Coordinate a pilot community projects skills sharing event for the wider museum and arts sector, by April
2016, attended by a minimum of 20 participants.

Coordinate a total of 12 community engagement projects, to be completed by March 2017 and January
2017. The 12 projects will involve a minimum of 120 participants and events will be attended by a
minimum of 360 people.

Enable each Major Partner Museum to achieve Arts Award Gold Supporter status by March 2016 –
organisations can support Discover, Explore, Bronze and Silver – and enable Gold when approached by
young individuals.

Work with Arts for Health on a total of 6 projects with elderly people. 3 events will be completed by
March 2016 and 3 by March 2017. The 6 projects will involve a minimum of 36 participants and events will
be attended by a minimum of 120 people.

Coordinate two Arts for Health projects’ skills sharing events for the wider museum and arts sector, one
by April 2016 and one by March 2017, each attended by a minimum of 20 participants.

Coordinate the delivery of 10 inclusion projects with under-represented groups. 5 events will be
completed by March 2017 and 5 by December 2017. The events will involve a minimum of 100
participants and will be attended by a minimum of 200 people.
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Appointment of Community Development and Learning Coordinator

Coordinate two inclusion project skills sharing events for the wider museums and art sector, one by April
2017 and one by March 2018, each attended by a minimum of 20 participants.
In addition:
2.
Write project updates and reports for monthly MPM meetings.
3.
Disseminate project outcomes and best-practise with the wider sector through reports to Cornwall
Museums Group, Arts Council England and the National Partnership Conference. Undertake
presentations and provide talks to groups when required.
4.
Effectively evaluate each project and event, ensuring that accurate data is recorded about the numbers
of participants and satisfaction levels, for the purpose of monitoring.
5.
Work closely with the Museum Development Officer, Cornwall as appropriate, helping to build capacity
and capability across the Cornwall Museums Partnership through the Major Partner Museum and other
projects by developing relationships, partnership building and actively developing models of working with
and in communities.
6.
Undertake training where it will add value to the work of the Partnership, the post-holder’s duties or
professional development.
7.
Take responsibility for health and safety of self, colleagues, visitors and contractors, completing accident
and incident reports as and when applicable.
8.
Carry out such other duties as are reasonably directed.
Qualifications and Experience
Essential
1.
At least 2-3 years’ experience of working with community groups on arts-based and/or heritage projects.
2.
Self-motivated, with an enthusiasm and passion for heritage and demonstrable understanding of, and
experience of working in museums, heritage or arts sector.
3.
Ability to work on own initiative essential, demonstrate strategic ability to coordinate and facilitate
projects.
4.
Ability to build strong, effective, supportive relationships and networks in order to achieve project
objectives over a geographically dispersed area.
5.
Demonstrate how to organise and work within timescales and experience of managing budgets.
6.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Personal credibility and authority in working effectively
to develop and maintain productive relationships with colleagues and external contacts.
7.
Good analytical skills and the ability to keep accurate records.
8.
Experience of reporting to funding bodies and writing evaluations.
9.
IT literate and demonstrable experience of using social media to raise the profile of museums within
communities
10. Able to meet the travel requirements of the role working with Partnership museums across Cornwall.
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Appointment of Community Development and Learning Coordinator
Desirable
1.
Post graduate qualification in a relevant subject.
2.
Knowledge of the arts and heritage sector in Cornwall including an understanding of the geographical
spread.
3.
Experience of working as part of a funded project.
4.
The ability to be creative.
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