VOLUNTEER SYMPOSIUM

Museums of History NSW is excited to be partnering with Museums & Galleries of NSW to host the inaugural Volunteer Symposium for NSW Regional and Community-Run Museums, in July 2025.

The two-day symposium is intended for volunteers who work in small to medium-sized museums in regional NSW, as well as the workers who support them. The symposium will feature keynote sessions on strategies for volunteer-run museums, succession planning, First Nations engagement and school learning programs in museums.

There will be many breakout sessions specifically tailored to the volunteer museum sector, with some involving hands-on demonstrations. These will run concurrently across the two days. Presented by experts from MHNSW and M&GNSW, they include introductions to the State Archives Collection and the Caroline Simpson Library, as well as presentations on textile collections care, archival collections care, researching collections, collection documentation, significance assessment, AMaGA’s First Peoples: A Roadmap for Enhancing Indigenous Engagement in Museums and Galleries, creating simple labels, the use of AI at Museums of History NSW, marketing, engaging children in museums, storytelling, grants and funding, and tour guiding

Ticket includes lunch, morning and afternoon teas.

KEYNOTE SESSIONS

In the first two sessions, participants will go beyond discussions of recruitment and retention to explore strategies to build resilient and sustainable volunteer-run museums.

Volunteer strategies for small museums: from planning to fully engaging
Mark Creyton, Consultant – Volunteering and Leadership Development (bio)

This session will provide the opportunity for participants to consider the new landscape of volunteering and what are their museum’s unique rationale, ethos and model for involving and working with volunteers. We will explore strategies to better communicate the engagement message and to work with different volunteer motivations, from those seeking experience to episodic and project volunteers. We will also delve into how to create effective early involvement and how to build and strengthen connections. 

• Creating the culture, ethos and space for volunteering
• Considering volunteer opportunities and meaningfully connecting with volunteers
• Engaging volunteers in the unique work and culture of the museum

Succession planning for small museums: from building belonging to preparing for leadership
Mark Creyton, Consultant – Volunteering and Leadership Development (bio)

This session will explore how to create sustainable volunteer programs. We will examine how to transition from volunteers ‘helping out’ to volunteers actively involved as an integral part of the work of the museum, and ways to meaningfully sustain volunteer motivations. We will look at practical forms of enabling and creating leadership opportunities for volunteers and discuss succession planning and evaluation. 

•  Building belonging

•  Preparing for leadership and succession

•  Continuing to evolve and improve

What teachers want from your museum
Dr Rebecca Kummerfeld, Learning Manager, Museums of History NSW (bio)

Discover ways to connect with teachers to encourage school groups to visit your museum. Consider the way your museum collection connects with the school curriculum, what teachers look for in a museum visit and simple ways to make your museum engaging and relevant for school groups.

AMaGA First Peoples: A Roadmap for Enhancing Indigenous Engagement in Museums and Galleries
Peter White, Head of First Nations Cultural Engagement, Museums of History NSW (bio)

We have a roadmap with strategic directions, and we know what the goal is. How does the Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA) roadmap work for small to medium museums?

BREAKOUT SESSIONS
You will be able to indicate your preferred breakout sessions on registration.

Participants can attend a maximum of 5 breakout sessions during the 2-day conference.

Please select 7 options on ticket checkout, and we will attempt to accommodate as many of your choices as possible. Due to scheduling constraints and session capacities, you may be assigned to other options.


An introduction to the Caroline Simpson Library
Dr Matthew Stephens, Research Librarian, Museums of History NSW

Join Matt and other experts to explore the Caroline Simpson Library’s unique collection of rare books, ephemera, archives and objects dating back to the late 18th century. Learn about the history of the home in NSW through items such as store catalogues, linoleum and wallpaper sample books, furnishing textiles, photographic collections and much more.

Textile collections care
Sarah-Jane Rennie, Coordinator Collections Care, Museums of History NSW

Learn about housing, labelling and handling textiles. This will be a hands-on demonstration using Museums of History NSW collection items.

Caring for archival collections
Lang Ngo, Senior Advisor Conservation, Museums of History NSW

This session will explore the care, housing and handling of archival collections. It will be a hands-on demonstration using Museums of History NSW collection items.

Collection documentation: from acquisition to deaccession
Alex Shapley, Registrar, Museums of History NSW

This presentation will cover documentation for acquisitions, loans and deaccessions, and will touch on assessing the condition of an object at acquisition and collection management policies.

Creating engaging onsite experiences for children at your museum
Naomi Manning, Senior Producer, Tamsin Birch, Producer, and Jo Chapman, Producer, Learning team, Museums of History NSW

This hands-on workshop will explore three different modes for engaging children in your museum: object-based learning, sensory activities and role-play.

Creating useful web resources for teachers and students
Edward Washington, Producer, Learning Team, Museums of History NSW

Discover how to develop online teaching resources, allowing teachers and students to use your collection in their classrooms.

Significance assessment
Anna Cossu, Curator, Museums of History NSW

This workshop will explore the fundamentals of significance assessment and how it can assist us in making decisions about our collections.

Researching your collection
Michael Lech, Curator, Museums of History NSW

An introduction to researching the history of items in your collection using the resources of the Caroline Simpson Library. A complete understanding of your collection will help you to produce new stories that attract more diverse audiences.

An introduction to the State Archives Collection  
Bonnie Wildie, Lead Archivist, Museums of History NSW

Discover the types of records held in the State Archives Collection and how to search the collection online. This session will include a demonstration of online resources.

Storytelling
Kate Gahan, Storyplace Manager, Museums & Galleries of NSW

This workshop will provide tips and tricks for storytelling with museum objects.

Tour guiding essentials
Scott Cumming and David Key, Visitor Services Coordinators, Museums of History NSW

Join Visitor Services Coordinators as they talk through their experiences of welcoming visitors and delivering tours across a variety of museum contexts – from small houses to gardens, farms and exhibitions. The session will incorporate a practical demonstration of tour delivery, including Acknowledgement of Country, welcoming, engaging visitors and delivering a tour.

AI and Museums of History NSW
Tim Girling-Butcher, Head of Digital & Design, Museums of History NSW

Tim Girling-Butcher will provide an introduction to AI for beginners, discuss how he and his team use it in their daily work, and talk about upcoming projects and the changes that AI is expected to bring to Museums of History NSW over the next five years.

Marketing your museum
Karen Rivera, Head of Audience & Marketing, Museums of History NSW

Join members of Museums of History NSW’s Marketing team to explore how to effectively leverage your organisation’s marketing channels, including website, enewsletters and social media, to drive audience awareness and engagement. Learn how Museums of History NSW undertakes audience evaluation, the pros and cons of different data collection methodologies, and existing third-party audience data sources.

Creating simple object labels
Anne-Louise Falson, Exhibition Graphic Designer, and Rhiain Hull, Project Manager – Written Content, Museums of History NSW

Learn how to produce a basic object label. This session will cover the hierarchy of text elements, font size and other design requirements, and will include a label-making demonstration.

Exploring First Nations engagement
Peter White, Head of First Nations Cultural Engagement, Museums of History NSW

This session will offer a deep dive into how to apply the key principles outlined in AMaGA’s roadmap in your work.

Grants and funding
Emily Cullen, Sector Development Manager, and Alice Norwood, Museum Coordinator, Museums & Galleries of NSW

Learn how to find funding, write applications and understand what assessors are looking for.


Photo © Joshua Morris for MHNSW