Collections Management Cohort
Programme information
Following on from the success of last year’s Collections Management Cohort, Museums Galleries Scotland has partnered with Collections Trust again to deliver a series of workshops and peer support on core collections management concerns and practices: inventory, review, and disposals. This opportunity is open to a cohort of six museums, each with two members of the workforce in attendance.
The training will be delivered on the following dates:
- 22nd October 2026: Maintaining inventory information during collections relocation
- 3rd December 2026: Collections review – scoring matrix, criteria; good practice examples
- 18th February 2027: Collections disposals and rationalisation – decision making, ethics, and documentation
All sessions will run from 10:00 – 13:00; both members of the workforce will be required to attend all sessions, and this is to encourage organisational embedding of knowledge and learning. The cohort is limited to six organisations, to promote interactive sessions and peer-support across the cohort.
In between sessions, cohort members will be encouraged to share learning collectively and will have regular one-to-one catch-up sessions with Jacob O’Sullivan, the Museum Development Manager, MGS . Cohort members will be encouraged to apply to MGS funding streams to address any outstanding issues.
The collections management cohort has been incredibly beneficial both for my professional development and the development of major projects within my museum service. I now feel I have the confidence, knowledge, and expertise to undertake large-scale collections reconciliations and re-locations. An additional benefit which was an unexpected bonus was the development of professional connections across Scotland, providing key points of contact I can go to for advice when undertaking my work. I would recommend this cohort to anyone, at any stage of their collections projects, who is looking for training, support, and tailored advice for their collections projects.
Sophie Lenihan, Museum Curator at The Royal Scots Regimental Museum
Apply to join the cohort
There are limited spaces available. Expressions of interest will be assessed based on evidenced need for training, time sensitivity, and the ability to implement learning and development.
To apply for this course, please download an Expression of Interest form below and submit it to jacobos@museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk by 12 noon on Monday 17th August 2026, with Collections Management Cohort 2026 as the subject line.