*Visit the above website to view the Disaster Resilience Workshop YouTube playlist.
This video series documents a pilot program of workshops that covered the four stages of disaster preparedness and response for collections as part of the 2023 joint History Trust of South Australia and Artlab of South Australia Strengthening Disaster Resilience Training for South Australian Community Museums project.
Generous funding from the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission’s (SAFECOM) Disaster Risk Reduction Grant program in 2022-2023 enabled the History Trust and Artlab to collaborate on the delivery of a pilot disaster resilience training program to small community museums across the state in 2023.
Beginning with St John’s Ambulance Museum at Brighton in March 2023, followed by the Hahndorf Academy in the Adelaide Hills in April, the teams rolled up their sleeves and covered off on the four stages of disaster preparedness and response for museum collections. Next the team travelled to Port Lincoln to facilitate training with a large group of volunteers from Port Lincoln History Group and Axel Stenross Maritime Museum. The fourth and final workshop was held in the mid-north at Clare National Trust in July/August.
The Strengthening Disaster Resilience Training project was focused on capacity building for staff and volunteers in community museums to enable them to safeguard their collections in the event of disasters. Participants gained skills to identify and mitigate potential disasters and respond appropriately and safely, thereby reducing the impact of damage and loss in the face of a disaster. The training was embedded in a risk management framework that emphasised the prevention and preparation stages of disaster management. Participants learnt by doing their own risk assessments. This changed their way of seeing their collections through the lens of ‘risks’ to both physical and digital collections. They then worked through how to reduce the risks in practical ways. This interactive risk management approach equipped the participants with the long-term understanding and skills to identify and mitigate risks to safeguard their museum collections from disasters.
In developing their disaster plans, the museum teams were encouraged to link their disaster plans with useful contacts in relevant organisations such as the local council, other museums and bodies such as the National Trust. Building networks can strengthen sustainability through raising awareness of useful contacts and other disaster management plans.
All four community museums have since formed disaster teams, developed their stockpile of useful emergency disaster response supplies and have currently embedded in their disaster plans the cycle of updating their plans annually.
Small community museums contain unique knowledge and heritage that tells local stories. They play a vital role in rebuilding organisational and community resilience after disasters.
Thanks to the staff and volunteers from St John’s Ambulance Museum, Hahndorf Academy, Port Lincoln History Group and the Clare branch of the National Trust who participated in these workshops.
Disaster Resilience Training Workshop 2023