AIM 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE 'SPIRIT OF TIME AND PLACE' IRONBRIDGE, UK : 16-18th May 1997 The Association of Independent Museums will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 1997. Joint hosts for this special anniversary conference will be the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and the Ironbri dge Institute (University of Birmingham). The historic Ironbridge Gorge provides a fitting venue for this year's theme of 'Spirit of Time and Place'. The seminar programme will be extended this year to include a focus on current management initiatives at UK World Heritage Sites (the Ironbridge Gorge being one of UNESCO's designated World Heritage Sites) and to look at new provisions for training heritage managers. The conference will include the 'behind the scenes' study tours and social programme expected from the annual AIM conference. In keeping with the AIM tradition of holding the Annual Conference Dinne r in unusual places, this year we will be wined and dined on the Severn Valley Steam Railway as we travel down the valley from the Bridgnorth to Kidderminster. The grand finale will be a visit to Ha wkstone Park to experience the recently restored eighteenth century landscape walks, designed to challenge the senses ! Main Conference Themes : - Response to 'Treasures in Trust' - UK government strategy for museums - The interpretation of collections in context - Designation of museums & landscapes of regional, national and international importance - Cultural landscapes - Strategies for cultural tourism - World Heritage Sites - Designation and management - Training for heritage managers PROGRAMME DAY 1: FRIDAY 16th MAY 1997 9.30 - 10.30 Registration at the John Rose Centre, Coalport SESSION ONE MUSEUMS IN CONTEXT (10.30 - 13.00) Chair : Jonathan Bryant, Director of River and Rowing Museum Foundation. Chairman of AIM Opening Address : Loyd Grossman Speakers : Tim Mason, Museums and Galleries Commission. TREASURES IN TRUST. WHERE TO NEXT? Patrick Fallon, Museums & Galleries Div., Dept. of National Heritage. GOVERNMENT POLICY & MUSEUMS Patrick Greene, Director, Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. A RESPONSE TO TREASURES IN TRUST Geoff Ward, Secretary & Director, Eyam Museum THE VIEW OF TREASURES IN TRUST FROM A SMALL INDEPENDENT MUSEUM Kathy Gee, Director, West Midlands Area Museum Council THE AREA MUSEUM SERVICE PERSPECTIVE Glen Lawes, Chief Executive, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust SPIRIT OF TIME & PLACE - COLLECTIONS IN CONTEXT SESSION TWO SPIRIT OF PLACE (14.00 - 16.35) Chair : Chris Zeuner, Director, Weald and Downland Open Air Museum. Speakers : Professor Peter Fowler, University of Newcastle CULTURAL LANDSCAPES - SPIRIT OF PLACE John Hume, Chief Inspector of Historic Buildings, Historic Scotland. A STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPING CULTURAL TOURISM Professor Alan Day, University of Bath A VIRTUAL REALITY TOUR OF BATH Jane Brantom, Hadrian's Wall Tourism Partnership PRIVATE & PUBLIC SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS Evening: 20th Anniversary Conference Dinner on the Severn Valley Steam Railway. Including: After Dinner Speech by Sir Neil Cossons, Director, Science Museum (London) & visit to Kidderminster Railway Museum DAY 2: SATURDAY 17th MAY 1997 For Saturday there is a choice of programme. You may elect to attend either the two formal sessions at the Ironbridge Institute or to undertake the "behind the scenes" tours of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum. SESSION THREE WORLD HERITAGE SITES (10.00 - 13.00) Venue: Ironbridge Institute, Coalbrookdale Chair : Marion Blockley, Programme Director, Ironbridge Institute. ICOMOS (UK) World Heritage Sites Committee. Speakers : Philip Whitbourn, ICOMOS (UK). THE SELECTION PROCESS - THE PROPOSED WORLD HERITAGE SITE AT GREENWICH Philip Davis,Chair, Local Authorities Forum on World Heritage Sites. WORKING TOGETHER : LOCAL AUTHORITIES & WORLD HERITAGE SITE MANAGEMENT Christopher Young, Director for Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site. HADRIAN'S WALL WORLD HERITAGE SITE : THE VIEW FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE Prof. Peter Fowler, University of Newcastle STONEHENGE & AVEBURY Dave Batchelor, English Heritage THE USE OF G.I.S. AS A TOOL FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF LANDSCAPE WORLD HERITAGE SITES SESSION FOUR TRAINING TO MEET NEW CHALLENGES (14.00 - 17.10) Chair : Michael Lowe, Chairman Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. Chairman Shropshire TEC Speakers : Marion Blockley, Programme Director, Ironbridge Institute. MANAGEMENT TRAINING FOR CURATORS, HERITAGE MANAGERS & VOLUNTEERS Lester Borley, Europa Nostra. ICOMOS(UK) Cultural Tourism Committee. TRAINING FOR MANAGERS OF CULTURAL LANDSCAPES Victor Middleton, Visiting Professor at Oxford Brookes University. ICOMOS(UK) Cultural Tourism Committee. MANAGEMENT TRAINING & NETWORKING Richard Harrison, Museum & Heritage Consultant. SIBH Education Committee. NVQ'S/SVQ'S AT LEVELS 2,3 & 4 IN ENVIRONMENTAL & HERITAGE INTERPRETATION Rob Shorland-Ball, Museums Consultant. Former Hon. Secretary of AIM. TRAINING FREELANCES - WHO FOOTS THE BILL ? OPTIONAL STUDY TOURS - BEHIND THE SCENES AT IGMT AM Study visits of Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust sites : Broseley Pipeworks Museum; William de Morgan Exhibition at Jackfield Tile Museum ; Coalport China Museum PM Visits to : Refurbished Museum of Iron at Coalbrookdale & Blists Hill Open Air Museum. Opportunity to see the working replica of the Trevithick steam railway locomotive. EVENING Launch of the Wrekin District Museums & Heritage Strategy at the Museum of Iron, Coalbrookdale. Followed by a barbecue with live music, hosted by Wrekin District Council. DAY 3: SUNDAY 18th May 1997 VISIT TO HAWKSTONE PARK A social outing to Hawkstone Historic Park and Follies to celebrate the 'Spirit of Time and Place' theme of this anniversary conference. Hawkstone, a Grade One listed eighteenth century landscape, i s a celebrated romantic landscape complete with follies, caves, tunnels, a castle, and the 'awful precipice'. Delegates will be able to experience the recently restored landscape walks of Hawkstone, designed to challenge the senses ! The day will include a guided tour of the Red castle, a 'romantic ruin' not usually accessible to visitors. A picnic lunch and hermit will be provided ! CONFERENCE FEES : Conference Sessions - stlg40 (AIM Member), stlg55 (Non-member) per day Anniversary Dinner - stlg30 Guided Study Tour of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum sites - stlg25 Social Visit to Hawkstone Park - stlg18 Lunch and refreshments are included in the prices for the conference sessions, the guided study tour and the social visit to Hawkstone Park. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, & BOOKING FORMS PLEASE CONTACT : Sue Jopling at the Ironbridge Institute, Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Ironbridge, Telford, Shropshire, TF8 7AW, UK. Tel. (44) 1952 432751 Fax : (44) 1952 432237 E-mail : [log in to unmask]