Museums and Inter Faith Week 2021

Inter Faith Week 2021 (www.interfaithweek.org) will take place in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland from Sunday 14 to Sunday 21 November.

An ever-growing array of organisations participate, from faith groups and schools to sports organisations, local authorities, cultural institutions, hospitals, and hospices.

The Week is a tremendous opportunity for museums to highlight aspects of your collection which relate to the different religious communities in the UK, to develop and strengthen your links with local faith and belief groups, and to encourage religious harmony and respect in your community.

Below are a few activity ideas (https://www.interfaithweek.org/resources/activity-ideas-museums-galleries-archives-inter-faith-week-2021) that museums may be interested to consider for Inter Faith Week this year. These draw on successful activities held by museums, galleries, and archives in recent times. Most can be adapted, if needed, to be fully or partly virtual.

• Highlight your museum’s contribution to creating understanding of our diverse society, in particular the diversity of faith and belief, on your website
• Create a tour/trail of selected artefacts in your museum which relate to religious traditions
• Create a video of local members of different faiths speaking briefly about the importance of your museum’s contribution to inter faith learning, and share clips on your social media
• Produce a social media series exhibiting faith leaders’ favourite faith artefacts in your collection
• Curate a mini-exhibition about different faiths and beliefs in your area and invite local schools and faith groups to visit it
• Offer a space in your museum for community Inter Faith Week events

If you hold an activity, the team at Inter Faith Week would love to hear from you! If you submit the details at https://www.interfaithweek.org/submit so they can list the event on their website, you will be eligible for a free pack with Inter Faith Week stickers, a poster, flyers, and a blank message card on which to share an Inter Faith Week message. You can indicate that an event is closed to just museum staff and volunteers, but listing the activity still contributes to the ‘buzz’ of the Week and demonstrates how your museum is engaging positively with the faiths and beliefs of staff.

Whatever you do, you are welcome to use Inter Faith Week branding: the logo and materials can be found at https://www.interfaithweek.org/resources/publicity-and-branding.

If you post about your event you can use #Interfaithweek on any social media and tag @ifweek on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

If you would like to discuss your ideas with one of the team, you can contact them on 020 7730 0410 or by emailing ashley.beck@interfaith.org.uk.

Note: Inter Faith Week has taken place since 2009. It is led by the Inter Faith Network for the UK (www.interfaith.org.uk) and supported by the Government. IFN has been working since 1987 to promote mutual respect and understanding between the faith communities of the UK. It works with the Northern Ireland Inter-Faith Forum and the Inter-faith Council for Wales/ Cyngor Rhyngffydd Cymru in relation to the Week in those nations.

Scotland: If you are a museum in Scotland, you may like to look up details for Scottish Interfaith Week, which is led by Interfaith Scotland. This year it is linked to COP26 in Glasgow and is therefore beginning earlier than usual on 31 October: https://scottishinterfaithweek.org/