WIREDGOV

Getting Down To Business highlights the many practical and surprising ways in which London’s businesses can profitably work with its museums, libraries and archives.  Published by MLA in partnership with Sparknow, the new report is a collection of essays and experiences from the Knowledge Transfer Programme in London’s museums, libraries and archives.

The report shows how cultural organisations can help businesses and entrepreneurs learn from the past, develop ideas and innovate; and how they can provide inspiration, education and training opportunities. It is the result of a two-year research and pilot programme involving more than 100 professionals from museums, libraries and archives.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: ‘In the current economic climate, finding innovative ways to ensure London emerges triumphant from the recession is vital. And the capital’s cultural institutions are doing just that, by engaging the brains of the business world as well as their wallets.’

Andrew Holden, MLA Director, said, "We are delighted with the energy which this programme has helped release in museums libraries and archives. It has shown what huge scope there is for greater entrepreneurship among our sector – and a real appetite among businesses to take advantage of the wealth of resources and knowledge which it holds in its collections and its staff. In the week in which the Government has launched its new philanthropy strategy, this work shows that cultural institutions can engage more than the wallets of business people and develop a richer relationship than one based simply on donations and marketing.”

The full report is available to download.

Notes to editor

About the Knowledge Transfer Programme:

The programme has its origins in around 2005, in a general investigation into the economic impact of the museums, libraries and archives sector. In 2007, with encouragement from the London Development Agency (LDA), MLA developed a programme focussing specifically on the role of collections in stimulating innovation within businesses. In 2009 four pilot projects, engaging more than 100 professionals from museums, libraries and archives, tested the applicability of practical ideas for knowledge transfer between businesses and the cultural sector.

About Sparknow:

Sparknow is a consultancy that helps organizations find and craft the stories that define, inspire and advance them — stories that connect strategy to experience. Sparknow has spent the past 13 years pioneering storytelling, dramatic and related techniques in organizations in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Related Documents