September 28, 2022

S12E02: Cost of Living Special

50 minutes

We have a gentle (but also angry) chat about the cost of living crisis, the impact on society, and how it affects us as conservators: both as self-employed people and as museum workers. Jenny also talks to Sharon Heal from the Museums Association, and Kloe reviews ‘Low Cost/No Cost Tips for Sustainability in Cultural Heritage’ by Lorraine Finch.

01:57 Why are we NOT talking about this?

04:11 Jenny’s lived experience of poverty

08:09 Why this is happening

11:01 Energy usage and greener thinking

13:10 Relief schemes, price caps and the impact on us

18:50 Interview with Sharon Heal

33:32 Some useful resources

43:59 Review: Low Cost/No Cost Tips for Sustainability in Cultural Heritage

Show Notes:

– AIM Cost of Living Survey: https://aim-museums.co.uk/aim-cost-living-survey/

– Museums and libraries to set up as warm banks: https://metro.co.uk/2022/08/22/libraries-and-museums-form-warm-refuges-amid-energy-crisis-17225833/

– Energy crisis may hamper museum plans of being ‘warm banks’ this winter: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/aug/31/uk-museums-rising-energy-costs-could-hamper-warm-banks-plan

– Citizen Advice Bureau: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/get-help-with-the-cost-of-living/

– Business energy costs to be cut: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62969427

– Museums Journal piece on energy relief scheme: https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2022/09/sector-welcomes-energy-relief-but-calls-for-ongoing-investment/

– Museums Association statement on cost of living crisis: https://www.museumsassociation.org/campaigns/advocacy/our-statement-on-the-cost-of-living-crisis/

– Managing the cost of living crisis (via MA Well-Being Hub): https://www.museumsassociation.org/careers/wellbeing-hub/managing-the-cost-of-living-crisis/

– Energy Bill Relief Scheme: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers

– Warm banks to get money from Welsh government: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-62968256

– Thread with ideas in collaboration with the Job Centre: https://twitter.com/eleanor_root/status/1564522591003578369

– Direct link to Google document with crowdsourced ideas: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PCdd3cPjgxH-Wd85TEXZBfqw2-ay7VjokTi1ekwHSMo/edit

– S09E04 Environmental Monitoring: https://thecword.show/2021/05/05/s09e04-environmental-monitoring/

– S04E01 Going Green: https://thecword.show/2018/09/19/s04e01-going-green/

– S06E01 Conservation on a Budget: https://thecword.show/2019/09/18/s06e01-conservation-on-a-budget/

– Mayor asks museums to close two days per week: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/energy-crisis-european-museums-2170843

– Low Cost/No Cost Tips for Sustainability in Cultural Heritage: https://lfcp.co.uk/publications/

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Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson and Kloe Rumsey.

Intro and outro music by DDmyzik, used under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.

A Wooden Dice production, 2022.

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