Regional Services Program

The Powerhouse Museum’s Regional Outreach Program is supporting cultural heritage organisations across New South Wales to record, preserve and display their collections for the benefit of regional communities. Organisations and individuals with a specific project are invited to submit an Expression of Interest for support through Regional Internships, the Movable Heritage Fellowship, and the Professional Advice and Project Assistance program.

Regional Stakeholder Forum
Each year in November the Powerhouse Museum, in partnership with the other Cultural Institutions, and service agencies hosts a forum to encourage communication between the organisations and a better understanding of the issues and opportunities for those working in the regional cultural sector.

pdf Regional Services Forum 2012 report

Project Assistance
Professional Advice and Project Assistance is available across all the collection areas and other areas of museum practice such as developing exhibitions, museum learning, publishing, security and marketing. Note, if a site visit is arranged then a fee to cover costs incurred may apply.

pdf Project Assistance Guidelines (PDF document)
pdf Project Assistance Application form (PDF Document)
pdf Project Assistance Application form (WORD document)

Regional Internships
The Powerhouse Museum Regional Internships provide training and development opportunities for regional and rural cultural heritage workers. Placements are for up to four weeks and interns can apply for financial assistance (maximum of $750 per week) towards their accommodation and travel costs. Small groups working on projects are also encouraged to apply.

The program is offered in three parts:

  • Collection management (3 day course March 2013)
  • Interpretation and exhibition development (3 day course May/June 2013)
  • Project-based internship with assistance and ongoing mentoring from Powerhouse Museum staff (timing and location to be negotiated on an individual basis)

Read the 2012 interns from Gulgong Pioneers Museum blog post

pdf Regional Internship Guidelines (PDF document)
pdf Regional Internship Application form (PDF Document)
pdf Regional Internship Application form (WORD document)

Powerhouse Museum Movable Heritage Fellowship
Movable heritage is a term used to define any natural or manufactured object of heritage significance. A tertiary student enrolled in a course relevant to the research and documentation of an aspect of the movable heritage of NSW, is annually awarded the Fellowship to undertake a research project on an object or group of objects in a NSW community museum, historical society or other collecting institution. The student will receive $5,000 and spend a minimum of one week at the Powerhouse Museum working with a supervisor.

The project outcome will depend on the student’s interests. For example, in the Albury Regional Museum there is a small collection of objects relating to two Chinese market gardening families in the town. Students could: write a background paper on the history of market gardening in Albury as told through these objects and include significance statements for some of these objects; having researched the objects and their significance in Albury history, write a radio play based around the experiences of Chinese market gardeners in the district; or develop an activity for primary aged school children using these objects.

Read 2012 intern Sally Inchbold-Busby blog post of her experience 

pdf Movable Heritage Fellowship Guidelines (PDF document)
pdf Movable Heritage Fellowship form (PDF Document)
pdf Movable Heritage Fellowship form (WORD document)

Further information and how to apply
Applications for 2013 Project Assistance have closed
Applications for 2013 Regional Internships have closed
Applications for the 2013 Movable Heritage Fellowship close 1 February 2013.


Successful 2013 program recipients
There will be 18 organisations involved in the 2013 program with nine organisations benefiting from professional advice, workshops and site visits by Powerhouse Museum staff, and staff and volunteers from five organisations receiving internships.     

Professional Advice and Project Assistance 

  • Bianca Acimovic, Albury Regional Art Gallery, Advice Collections relocation and storage
  • Tom Lockley, Australian Aviation Museum, Advic Organisation of document collection
  • Barry Seghers, NSW Transport Retired Employees, Advice Promotion for the Centenary of Rail to the Manning Valley
  • Sandy McNaughton, Bingara Roxy Museum, Advice Development and install of the Exhibition
  • Bridget Guthrie, Albury Library Museum, Speake Regional conference
  • Rachael Vincent, Museum of the Riverina, Speakers Lives in the Landscape series of talks

Workshops

  • Justine Malinowski, Australian Museum of Clothing and Textiles, Workshop Australian Dress Register for Maitland District collections
  • Maureen Kingston, Dungog Historical Society, Workshop Exhibition development
  • Jody White, Eden Killer Whale Museum, Workshop Digitised technologies – tours
  • Leanne Wicks Kandos, Bicentennial Industrial Museum, Workshop Volunteers recruitment and training
  • Leanne Wicks, Kandos Bicentennial Industrial Museum , Workshop Pilgrim Project - Documentation of Dress Collections
  • Vanessa Keenan, Tumut Shire Council, Workshop Collections Management for the Tumut Network Museums
  • Lynn Collins, Upper Hunter Museums Network, Workshop Textile collection management

Internship

  • Beth Davidson, Newcastle Museum, Internship Management of storage facility
  • David Hampton, Newcastle Museum , Internship Collection management, conservation
  • David Bruderlin, Parramatta Heritage Centre, Internship Digital Technology to engage Audiences
  • Anne Oud, Port Macquarie Historical Society, Internship Collection Management workshop
  • Melanie Winthorpe, Sydney Catchment Authorit, Internship Exhibition Development and Interpretation

Movable Heritage Fellowship

2013 applications now open (see guidelines and application form above) closing 1 February 2013.

In 2012 there were two successful applicants.

Rosemarie Strange, enrolled at the Australian National University, for her research project on the Hume Dress collection at the Boorowa Museum.

 Roslyn Carroll, enrolled at the University of New England for her research project on the Sir William Hudson’s Treasures” collection at the Adaminaby Snowy Scheme Museum.