Inclusion Statement
As a joint museums service across Colchester and Ipswich, our aim is for everyone who enters our venues to feel welcome, supported and represented.
Numerous challenges since 2020 brought forward the relevance of our collections, events and exhibitions. We want to share some of the steps we have been taking to become a more inclusive organisation.
We will continue to reflect on our aims, review how we work and improve the diversity of our staff, visitors and the stories told within our displays.
Actions
- Colchester + Ipswich Museums have a Diversity Advisory Group, made up of staff representing a range of protected characteristics. The team scrutinises how we recruit and develop opportunities for progression for all. They also support staff to engage with diversity and inclusion by sharing resources and organising regular training on topics such as anti-racism, the social model of disability and LGBT awareness.
- We have appointed a Senior Curator of Cultural Policy to support the redevelopment of Ipswich Museum. This post is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund and involves working with our local communities to address the legacies of imperialism, patriarchal power structures and inherent biases in our current displays.
- The Colchester Museums Development Foundation was formed in 2021, with members of the local community on our board of trustees. The Foundation is supporting fundraising, including initiatives aimed at improving representation within our museums.
- We are supporting local groups and members of the community to develop creative responses to our activity. Examples include our Hidden Histories programme in Colchester and the 2021 Power of Stories exhibition in Ipswich.
- In 2021, members of staff from across the service were trained as Access Champions by Access For All UK. Together, they have been auditing our venues, identifying potential barriers to access and working to remove them.
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