Training grant – AIM Conference 2022 – David Livingstone Birthplace

Elena Trimarchi, David Livingstone Birthplace Trust 

My first AIM conference was also my first in-person conference since the pandemic – it couldn’t have been a better opportunity to meet colleagues from around the UK and hear about the brilliant work going on.   

I left feeling so inspired by the sessions I was able to attend – Jenny Cousins from The Food Museum shared their very real experience and backlash about changing their museum’s name – something that we at David Livingstone Birthplace (DLB) can relate to with the decolonisation efforts we have been undertaking; I really appreciated the openness of Arike Oke, who shared her journey from the Black Cultural Archives to the British Film Institute in a really playful and story-centered way – ‘Society needs stories’.  

The conference sessions were all about relationship-building, overcoming challenges, challenging accepted way of doing things and of seeing things – looking ahead to what museums can do to support their communities and sustain two-way relationships with the public, all while centering equalities-based values in museums’ work. Having had the opportunity to share some of the engagement work we have been undertaking at DLB provided me the platform to have insightful conversations and be asked challenging questions. An opportunity to learn and discuss with peers which online conferences just don’t provide the opportunity for. 

AIM Training Grants are available to support member museums to develop the skills and expertise of their workforce, either paid or voluntary. Click here to find out how you can apply for a Training Grant>>