Join the #DCDC17 in November for three days of discussions and workshops on how we gather, measure and present evidence of the cultural value and impact of our collections.

DCDC17 keynotes

• Geoffrey Crossick, Distinguished Professor of Humanities, School of Advanced Study
• Shân Maclennan, Deputy Artistic Director, Southbank Centre
• Mike Jackson, Chief Executive, North Somerset Council
• Nancy E. Gwinn, Director, Smithsonian Libraries

In today’s uncertain political and economic climate the ability to demonstrate why heritage and culture matter – and to whom – has never been more important or relevant. The ways in which we gather, measure and present evidence of cultural value and impact has attracted increasing attention in recent years, as emphasis has led to a stronger focus on the experience of individuals and of communities.

Archives, libraries, museums and heritage organisations across the UK and further afield have played a leading role in this movement. They have actively looked to examine, capture and measure the wider social, cultural and economic impact of their collections, and to engage more effectively with a wider variety of audiences. Work in this area continues to evolve, as does the need for new and better ways of evidencing value and impact through continuing research and the effective sharing of experiences within and between sectors.

DCDC17 will consider how, by working collaboratively through networks of inter and cross-disciplinary initiatives, we can continue to improve and develop methodologies in order to build a strong evidence base to demonstrate the cultural value of collections and their contribution to the creative economy.

Programme and info: http://dcdcconference.com/

Pre-conference workshops :: 27 November 2017

This year we will be holding three pre-conference workshops, taking place around Manchester. These interactive workshops are an excellent opportunity to explore and discuss practical issues, and to get to know fellow delegates before the main conference. Places are limited for these workshops so we advise that you register early to avoid disappointment.

Successful partnerships: A practical guide
Manchester Libraries and Archives services (Archives+)

This will be an interactive session featuring workshops, discussions and practical exercises… Learn from our experience, with a chance to discuss successful approaches to partnership working, strategic management and achieving outcomes for customers.

Audience development at the John Rylands Library:Working hard to establish relevance with special collections
University of Manchester

Over the past two years our audience-focussed approach to everything we do has helped us to establish our relevance. At this workshop we will share with you the tools we’ve used to answer ‘Who are our ‘core’ and ‘keep warm’ audiences and how can we shape our programme to make us relevant to them?’

Difficult Conversations – Creating relevant and responsive public engagement opportunities about past conflict and the contemporary world
Imperial War Museums 

Considering case studies from our recent programmes, we will lead discussion of how public engagement and learning programmes can be responsive to current events, shifting media, and new technologies while contributing to, and driving, public debate grounded in research, sites, collections, and stories from 100 years of conflict.