News
Call for Members: IMA Working Groups
26 Sep 2024
Are you interested in joining in an IMA Working Group and contributing to advocacy within the sector on a topic you are passionate about?
The IMA's board of directors would like to invite members to form part of one of our recently formed working groups. It is intended that these groups will provide a focus on core areas of importance to the museum sector and form a core part of our advocacy work.
They will provide a valuable platform for members to connect and collaborate, strengthen knowledge and expertise, and influence. Supported by the IMA excutive and board, working group members will be provided with space to research and share best practices and suggest or develop practical tools or resources to improve sectoral approaches.
Two working groups are now open to members:
Decolonisation
International networks have been engaged in activities around decolonisation in the museum field, some of them for decades. Topics include principles for the repatriation and restitution of cultural property, new governance models, reconciliation, reparations, Indigenisation, practices and processes of engagement with Indigenous peoples, migrant populations, mechanisms to empower local communities to lead museum activities, among others.
In 2021, a survey of IMA members showed strong interest in advancing knowledge of the decolonisation practices and the need for guidance specific to the Irish context. In 2022, the Dept of Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media announced the formation of an Advisory Committee on the Restitution and Repatriation of Cultural Heritage. In June 2024, National Museums NI launched new guidance to support museums in Northern Ireland to move forward with work on decolonisation.
The purpose of the Working Group is to expand knowledge and advise on how the IMA, as the main representative organisation for the museum community in Ireland, can address key topics around decolonisation and encourage and embed exemplary best practice, seeking equity and social inclusion.
Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability
Museums are uniquely positioned to play a critical role in tackling the climate and biodiversity crises by leveraging their educational, cultural and community influence. As the main representative organisation and connector for the museum community across Ireland, the Irish Museums Association (IMA) is inviting IMA members to form part of our Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability Working Group (CAWG).
This working group is aimed at expanding knowledge and advising on how the IMA can address key topics around mitigation and awareness building around climate action. To do so, it is envisioned that the group will research best practice across the museum sector, identify areas of development and advise the IMA on how to address these. Supported by the IMA's executive, it will aim to lead on tangible outputs that supports our advocacy role and can be shared with the wider museum and relevant communities.
Who can join? Membership of a working group is open to all IMA members (including staff within IMA institutional members), with ten places available. It is envisioned that members will be widely representative of the diversity of the sector so shortlisting may apply.
What is the time commitment? In principle, working group membership will be for terms of two years.
How are members compensated? These are volunteer positions drawn from the IMA membership and, as such, are unrenumerated. An execption to this are freelance practitioners or those without a salaried position who will be allocated a per meeting fee. An annual budget will also be extended to support specific training needs for WG members and development of outputs, supported by the IMA executive and board.
If you would like to join a working group, please get in touch for further information by the 25 November 2024. We would love to hear from you.