In conversation with the CBA: lunchtime networking sessions
If you are involved in leading a voluntary or community archaeological group, these online discussions could help your group adapt to the challenges of the new normal.
Join us for a lunchtime session designed to help group organisers share ideas and pool experiences. Facilitated by CBA staff, the sessions are designed to be friendly and informal - bring a coffee or your lunch to the session.
The sessions follow on online networking meetings we held in September and will look at topics that organisers have told us are important in more depth. All sessions are open to people involved in running groups for adults or for young people.
These opportunities are supported by Historic England’s Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund.
All sessions will run from 12.15 to 1.15pm
Places are limited. To book, please follow the appropriate links to the Zoom registration page.
'From Find to Mind: Creative responses to archaeology'
Hosted by Neil Redfern and Claire Corkill
Wednesday 9 June and Wednesday 23 June
This session is all about using creative approaches to broaden engagement and to inspire new and existing audiences. Moving beyond traditional approaches to archaeology can provide an opportunity to help people move from passive audience member to active participant, with opportunities to share thoughts, feelings, ideas and questions in a range of different ways. Using tools such as art and crafts, storytelling and poetry we can help people connect with archaeology and tell the stories of their places both past and present.
Introducing these methods doesn’t have to be costly or challenging, and including what may be a small creative element in your project can have big results. During this conversation there will be opportunities to ask questions and share your thoughts, ideas and experiences.
Please register for the event on Wednesday 9 June here
Please register for the event on Wednesday 23 June here
'Using the Casework hub'
**FULLY BOOKED**
Hosted by Catherine Bell and Alison Edwards
The CBA have a statutory role within the planning system; we are consulted on applications for the partial or total demolition of listed buildings. This forms the basis of our casework. We co-ordinate a casework database of all the applications we are consulted on across England and Wales, on behalf of the national amenity societies. The casework database is publicly accessible online here.
If you are interested in seeing what Listed Building Consent applications are happening in your area, perhaps on behalf of a local history society, or regional CBA group, then we will be looking at how you could make use of the casework database. We will also explain a bit about the CBA’s archaeological approach towards listed building casework and our priorities for comment.
Registration for this event has now closed.
Supporting community archaeology in Wales
Led by Cy Griffiths, CBA Director in Wales and Penny Foreman, CPAT, and consultant leading the CBA’s recent research in Wales, with Helen Wilkinson from the CBA
Wednesday 14 July
With support from the Welsh Government, the CBA has been talking to voluntary and community archaeology groups in Wales to understand the challenges facing them as they recover from the pandemic. This session will include a summary of key findings, including the need to recruit diverse memberships and to tackle digital skills gaps. We will provide an opportunity for participants to share their experiences and to get new ideas about the issues most important to them, including recruiting and retaining a wide range of volunteers, working with young people, planning Covid secure projects and overcoming the challenges of rural isolation.
Please register for the event here.
Beginners guide to social media
Hosted by Jo Kirton and Comms Manager
Wednesday 18 August
This session is all about learning social media techniques to engage digitally with your audience, whilst also attracting more people to archaeology. Social media is widely used by people of all ages, and provides an opportunity to debate, share thoughts and ideas, and prompt digital creativity. Using social media as a tool, we can connect with more people to encourage engagement and participation with archaeology, and showcase the importance of the discipline.
During this conversation there will be opportunities to ask questions and share your thoughts, ideas and experiences.
Please register for the event here.
Past Events
'Engaging with members who aren't online'
Hosted by Claire Corkill and Rachel Arbury
Wednesday 17 March
Over the course of the last year many local archaeology groups and societies have moved their activities online as the ongoing pandemic has made meeting in person impossible. While this has enabled groups to continue to deliver events and activities for many, there are also those who are not online and would still like to engage with the groups activities and connect with fellow members.
How can you best support all of your members? From opportunities to help members feel confident participating online to creative ways of engaging offline there are lots of ways to get people involved and feeling connected.
This discussion session is a chance for participants to ask questions and share ideas and experiences to help groups and societies better engage with offline members during the pandemic and beyond.
Please find the session handout PDF below.
'Attracting younger members – 25-45 year olds'
Hosted by Neil Redfern and Jo Kirton
Following requests in previous sessions from groups looking to understand how they can attract younger members to join and participate, this session will explore current obstacles to participation that groups have encountered and consider how they might overcome them.
Time permitting, we will also discuss:
- ideas for developing engaging activities for this age-range
- how to communicate your groups activities and membership offer in a way that will likely reach and interest 25-45 year olds.
- topics for future discussion
There will be time to share your experiences, ask questions and reflect on the answers. If necessary, we will run a second session to explore topics further.
