Federation Of Family History Societies

Family History hits museums and galleries by storm!

 

Archive Awareness Campaign has been given an exciting opportunity to help bring family history into museums and galleries this summer.

For the first time, Archive Awareness has formed a partnership with the organisers of the popular Museums and Galleries Month (MGM), which takes place annually in May.

Together they are inviting museums and galleries to stage family workshops to link with the MGM 2007 theme – ‘People – who are we?’

All sessions will be promoted on both the MGM and Archive Awareness websites – www.mgm.org.uk and www.archiveawareness.com.

The scheme offers the Federation of Family History Societies a great chance to raise its profile amongst regional cultural organisations. The FFHS will be asking local societies to perform the sessions in various venues, enabling a fantastic marketing opportunity.  

Museums and galleries are currently registering their interest in the project with Archive Awareness who says the response from organisations has been overwhelmingly positive.

Elise Oliver, Archive Awareness Campaign Officer, says she has been surprised by how open museums and galleries were to working with archives and family history societies. “Many have told us they are so pleased to be given this opportunity as they have felt unsure in the past about the best way to approach their local historical societies" comments Elise. “Hopefully this will be the start of a useful partnership between the different sectors that can continue in years to come “

Archive Awareness Campaign is run jointly by The National Council on Archives, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and The National Archives.  It is now in its fifth year and if you haven’t got involved in the campaign before now, 2007 could be your chance! 

Family History societies can register any of their events on www.archiveawareness.com throughout 2007.

This year’s Archive Awareness theme is Freedom and Liberty, with events taking place primarily in Autumn 2007. The theme has been chosen to link in with the Bicentenary of the Parliamentary Abolition of the Trans-Atlantic British Slave Trade. However, all organisations are also free to interpret the theme to highlight other historical issues of 'Freedom and Liberty' eg Suffragettes, Chartists or the 60th anniversary of Indian Independence.

If you would like to discuss any ideas on how you could get involved in Archive Awareness email Elise at .