The British Museum’s International Training Programme 2014

Every year we are delighted to be able to take part in the British Museum's prestigious International Training Programme, bringing archaeologists and museum curators from across the world to the UK to share knowledge and experiences.  The participants spend five weeks at the British Museum, based in departments related to their specific countries or interests, and then spend ten days in a partner museum across the UK, experiencing the realities of museum management in the regions and in non-national institutions.

This year, our participants were Waad Awisat from Palestine, Balsam Shakal from Sudan and Mostafa Dehpahlavan from Iran.  Waad has recently graduated from Berzeit University and is particularly interested in the identification and care of ancient coinage.  Balsam is a curator at the Sudan National Museum and has an interest in public access and education in museums.  Mostafa is an Assistant Professor at Tehran University and manages two of the university's museums.  He is a specialist in Parthian and Seleucid archaeology.

During their stay at The Collection, the participants were introduced to the work of the museum, the historic sights of Lincoln, and to just some of the many partners we work with to preserve and interpret our local heritage.  The following is a quick run down of some of their activities while they were here:

Presentations to staff

After being introduced to the staff at the museum, one of the highlights for us is hearing the presentations that the participants bring with them about their own work and institutions.  This not only provides us with a fascinating insight into museum and archaeology work outside of Europe, but allows us to get to understand the participants' backgrounds and professional interests and to see where we can tailor their experience to enable them to get the most out of their time in Lincoln.

Museum management discussions and demonstrations

In many ways the heart of the programme, the participants spend a lot of time with staff at the museum, learning about our various processes for managing our collections and activities.  These include the museum's cataloguing systems and collections database, digitisation and photography, our website and www.lincstothepast.com online resource, exhibitions planning and funding, education, storage and conservation and the host of national and local policy and strategy documents that steer our work.  Time was also spent with colleagues in the wider archaeological world, specifically from the Portable Antiquities Scheme and the Historic Environment Record, to see how the museum's archaeological work fits in to the wider sector.

Tours of Lincoln

Lincoln, of course, has a long and fascinating history, and it is important for the participants to gain a feel for the city while they are here.  We therefore take them to the city's major heritage sites, which includes a wonderful walking tour of the lower city by guide Brian Taylor, culminating in a trip inside the Stonebow to see the Mayor's chambers and the city's wonderful civic treasures.

Trip to Nottingham University Museum

As Mostafa and Waad were both attached to universities, we took the short trip to the Nottingham University Archaeology Museum to meet curator Clare Pickersgill and see how museum curatorship differs when set in a higher education context.  Clare provided us with a wonderful session, as much of interest to The Collection's staff as to the participants, looking at the museum's collections, funding, storage and recent educational projects.  The experience has brought The Collection and the University of Nottingham Museum closer together and we hope to be able to work more closely in partnership on projects in the future.

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