2024 Newsletter Award

We look forward to receiving your entries for this new Newsletter Award.
You may submit more than one newsletter publication but two copies of the same newsletter will need to be submitted in paper copy form for our Judges, even though they may only have been circulated electronically.
Your Newsletter submissions, to be accepted, need to have been produced any time from May 2023 and submitted before 1st July 2024.

Our Judges would like to find, as content, the following:

Variety of activity;
Clarity of Information and production;
BAfM news

The Winning Prize
The winning Friends Group!s Newsletter will receive two free places for our National Conference in 2024 and a Winner’s Certificate.
The Runners Up
Those newsletters which are consider very good will receive a Certificate of Merit.
Please ensure that your contributors will allow their articles to be read by other BAfM Members, apart from your own Friend’s group.

Download the Newsletter Award Application Form
Please complete this form and post it with two copies of your Newsletter submission/s to:

David Adgar, our acting Journal Editor, 6 Winnery Close, Tickhill, Doncaster, DN11 9JT, to forward to our Judges, before 1st July 2024.

2023 Friends of the Year Award

BAFM is proud to announce the launch of the 2023 Friends of the Year Award. This award follows on from last year’s BAFM Impact Award, with slight differences. The criteria have been altered so that longer term projects can be included in the application, rather than focussing exclusively on the previous twelve months. However, the aim of the award remains similar; to recognise excellence amongst our member groups as they continue to support the development of the arts and heritage throughout the UK. This year, we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of BAFM but our aims remain the same; to support groups throughout the country as they celebrate the rich heritage of Britain. I would encourage all members to consider making an application, the closing date for which is 1 July 2023

Next step,
Carefully read the comprehensive guidance notes which are available on the BAFM website alongside this announcement.

Consider Contacting your Regional Coordinator or the Vice Chair daveadgar@gmail.com for advice

Gather the application together as described in the guidelines

Send your completed application form, letter of support and supporting evidence to:

BAFM Awards Team
Initially to daveadgar@gmail.com for shortlisting

Shortlisted applicants will be notified by 31st July

Winners will be notified 31st August

Download documents here:
Friends of the Year Award 2023 – Guidance Notes (pdf)
Friends of the Year Award 2023 – Application form (docx)
Friends of the Year Award 2023 – Application form (pdf)

2023 Young Museum Professional Award

BAFM aims to help young museum professionals realize their curatorial ambitions and further the aims of their institution by offering an annual award for new collections-based research and curatorial development opportunities. BAFM is committed to delivering public benefit in museums, and aims to achieve this through supporting the development, conservation, and dissemination of museum collections to enhance their public presentation and accessibility. We also accept that research can and should be creative and exploratory.

We therefore welcome ambitious applications and will not always expect material outcomes (for example in the form of acquisitions, exhibitions, or publications) to be an immediate consequence of the award. However, while the award aims to help support curatorial development and collections-based research, it is not intended to replace statutory funding for equipment and resources. BAFM hopes the award will demonstrate the importance and benefits of continued investment in curatorial expertise and encourage funding from other sources.

BAFM welcomes applications for the award from professionals under 30 years of age who work in museums whose Friends are BAFM members, to undertake:

-travel and accommodation for research trips and conferences, museum and exhibition visits,
-training courses and programmes of study,
-publications and subscriptions to add to a museum’s research resources or library

.
The award might also support other kinds of activity, provided you are able to make a strong case for its contribution to the development of curatorial skill and collections-based research projects.
Tim Craven
(For BAFM Council)

Final date date for applications 1st July 2023
For further information contact Tim Craven on timcraven1066@gmail.com

Read more about BAFM’s Historic Awards