The Independent Museums Podcast

AIM
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The AIM (Association of Independent Museums) podcast brings you inspiring stories, practical ideas and honest conversations from across the UK's independent museum sector. Hear from people working in museums and heritage organisations of all shapes and sizes as they share their successes, challenges and lessons they’ve learned along the way. Whether you're looking for fresh ideas or practical advice, each episode offers insights you can take back to your own museum. Hosted by Catrin Salvatore, AIM's Marketing Officer.

Episodes

  1. Nov 4

    A tradition of storytelling and hospitality

    In this episode we hear from Chris Ferguson and Claire Byers about the story behind Ad Gefrin, the Anglo-Saxon museum and whisky distillery in Northumberland. They explain how a clear sense of purpose, authentic storytelling and a culture of hospitality connect every aspect of the visitor experience. The conversation also offers practical lessons for heritage organisations of all sizes on empowering staff, building a strong brand, engaging local communities and planning sustainably for the long term.

  2. Sep 23

    The road to financial diversification

    Having faced a fragile financial position, The Minories has massively improved earned income, becoming much less reliant on any one revenue stream. In this episode, I speak to Emma Howe and Darren Smith to discover how they've put The Minories' finances on a much more stable footing.

  3. Aug 28

    A collection that you water

    There's an ambitious capital redevelopment programme underway at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. In this episode, hear how the team have rebuilt the Birmingham Botanical Gardens brand and business resilience from the ground up. Plus, find out what a triple bottom line is. With Sara Blair-Manning and Jen Ridding.

  4. Jul 2

    Accreditation with Three Rivers Museum Trust

    Three Rivers Museum Trust have recently achieved Accredited Museum status after a four year process that was both challenging and rewarding. We spoke to Chair, Fabian Hiscock, and Trustee, Susan North, to hear what they learnt during the process. Fabian and Susan share their key considerations for other volunteer run museums applying for Accreditation for the first time, or for trustees new to the sector and approaching re-Accreditation.

  5. Jul 2

    New Stories New Audiences - The Mixed Museum

    The New Stories New Audiences (NSNA) programme, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and managed by AIM, offered grants of up to £15,000 to smaller museums to tell new stories, work with new partners, and reach new audiences. Across three cohorts, dozens of museums experimented, adapted, and learned. The Mixed Museum created a whole new digital exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Su Andi, working with Su Andi and The Saturday Club to ensure the exhibition is relevant to a younger audience.

  6. Jul 2

    Mentoring support at Staithes Museum

    We speak to Rosie Barnes, Curator at Staithes Museum, to hear what was achieved following mentoring support via the AIM Aspire programme.

  7. Jul 2

    Governance with Royal Irish Benevolent Fund

    Dr Laura Patrick, Regimental Heritage Officer / Director Virtual Military Gallery, Royal Irish Benevolent Fund, applied to AIM Higher for governance training following a rationalisation of the military museums in Northern Ireland. Three regimental museums with six collections and five Boards have been brought together as one museum across two sites with two new Boards; a collections trust Board responsible for all the collections and an operations Board to manage the business side of the museum. Consultant Hilary Barnard supported a review of the governance documents and delivered training with the two newly formed Boards responsible for Virtual Military Gallery. We chatted to Laura about her role in the formation of these two Boards.

  8. Jul 2

    Fundraising at Wycombe Museum

    Roz Currie, Director at Wycombe Museum, applied to AIM Higher for support with their fundraising strategy. The museum worked with consultant Rachel Shepherd to identify viable income streams which also meet their mission and bring in a good income. As Roz explains in this podcast, this consultancy support followed a much larger piece of work to clarify the museum's purpose and aims, and forms part of their forward plan submitted to the local council, a key stakeholder for the museum.

  • 8 Episodes

About

The AIM (Association of Independent Museums) podcast brings you inspiring stories, practical ideas and honest conversations from across the UK's independent museum sector. Hear from people working in museums and heritage organisations of all shapes and sizes as they share their successes, challenges and lessons they’ve learned along the way. Whether you're looking for fresh ideas or practical advice, each episode offers insights you can take back to your own museum. Hosted by Catrin Salvatore, AIM's Marketing Officer.

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