04 March 2015

National Gallery of Ireland, Clare Street Entrance, Dublin 2

Kerry County Museum will participate in this forum which has been organised by the Heritage Council, under the auspices of the Museum Standards Programme for Ireland, with the support of the National Gallery of Ireland. The forum is an opportunity to discuss the facilitation of loans between Irish National Cultural Institutions and the Irish museum sector. It originates from a suggestion from the National Gallery of Ireland that it might be useful to organise a day where the sector could come together to discuss this topic.

Elaine Sansom, MSPI Assessor and museum consultant, will speak on how participation in the Museum Standards Programme has improved collections management standards in Ireland.  She will also present findings on two reports commissioned by the UK’s Museums Association on the attitudes and barriers to lending in the UK.  It is also anticipated that a representative from the Dept of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will speak about its Collections Mobility Grants Scheme.

The rest of the programme will include a series of short presentations from the museum sector and National Cultural Institutions culminating in a lengthy roundtable discussion chaired by Pat Cooke, Director of the MA in Cultural Policy and Arts Management, UCD.  The aim of the day is to increase understanding and agree points towards improving the mobility of collections in Ireland.