About the Offer: Museum Development South East is offering museums half a day online support with Pippa Smith, a consultant specialising in audience development. This support will take place between now and the end of March 2027. Pippa can support you with anything you would find helpful, but here are some examples:
Pippa Smith has been working with museums across the East of England for a number of years and created the Steps to Creating an Audience Development Plan resource.
If you are at an early stage of writing or reviewing your audience development plan you may find it useful to sign up for one of the online ‘Visitor Research 101’ sessions taking place regularly until February 2027.
Who Can Apply: Any museum that is Accredited or confirmed as WTA (working towards Accreditation) by Arts Council England.
Application Process: We encourage you to submit your expression of interest as soon as possible, as this is a first come first served programme. We will assess expressions of interest within three weeks of submission. The final deadline for applications is Tuesday 1 December 2026, but applications will close sooner if all places on the programme are allocated. Places will be given after an internal assessment of the expression of interest applications by at least 2 MDSE staff. If you are selected to take part in the programme, you will be sent an offer letter.
Your name and contact details
Are you:
Your experience
On a scale of 1 to 5 what would you consider your organisation's current level of expertise in relation to Access?
Is your museum:
What aspect of audience development would you like to explore with Pippa? What are your reasons for wanting to do this work now? Please detail any evidence to support your need e.g. targets in your Forward or Audience Development Plan, or issues working through the Steps to Creating an Audience Development Plan resource? 250-400 words maximum
Senior Leadership Endorsement
By submitting this EOI application you are signing up as a representative of your organisation, and are committing to the timescales laid out in the project i.e. to complete the consultancy with Pippa Smith within 4 months of the date of this application; and to adhere to subsequent grant requirements if successfully awarded.
Are you happy to be contacted within 12 months to review the effectiveness of this work?
By signing this form you are:
1. Consenting to MDSE sharing the above information with Pippa Smith, the consultant working on this programme. 2. Agreeing to complete an MDSE evaluation survey by Monday 22 March 2027.3. Committing to the terms of the programme i.e. supplying Pippa Smith with information to help her prepare for meetings, organising a date to meet within 4 months of the date of this application, and supplying any follow up materials by agreed deadlines.
4. Agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy (www.mdse.org.uk/about-us/plans-and-policies/)5. Have permission to proceed from your line manager, supervisor or a trustee.
I confirm that I agree to these terms and conditions.
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