International Training Programme
Every summer, the British Museum runs a training programme for museum professionals from around the world, with up to 28 participants spending six weeks in the UK.
The programme seeks to expose heritage professionals to various aspects of museum work, to develop skills, disseminate best practice, increase specialist knowledge and create a global network of colleagues.
Participants come from areas of the world integral to the Museum’s programme of international engagement, particularly countries with museum sectors in need of support in training.
To date participants have come from Afghanistan, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates.
Jana Alaraj identifying pests in a session on preventative conservation, 2010
About the programme
Training sessions cover a very broad range of museum work.
This includes collections management, storage and documentation; exhibitions and galleries; conservation and scientific research; national and international loans; learning, audiences and volunteers; fundraising, income generation and commercial programmes; leadership, strategy, museums management and communication. Participants also spend time in a department relevant to their specific interests, with tailored individual training and research time.
Participants can present, and share ideas about, ongoing work on the programme blog.
The programme would not be possible without the generous support of many institutions and individuals. A list of sponsors can be found in the report for each year.
For further information, please contact itp@britishmuseum.org
2013 programme
This year’s programme will take place 12 August–21 September, with the UK placement 11–20 September.
Details of the participating countries will be updated shortly.
Reports
Since 2007, a report has been produced for each programme. These are all available here.
Programme partners
A key part of the programme is a 10-day period spent at another UK museum.
This allows the participants to experience multi-site museums and different types of displays, and helps these museums develop international relationships.