On 2 February 2017, over 80 professionals from the Museum and Heritage sector gathered at Fazeley Studios, Birmingham for the one-day workshop ‘Entrepreneurship in Cultural Heritage'. Organised by the Ironbridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage in partnership with West Midlands Museum Development, the workshop explored the opportunities to work entrepreneurially in a challenging funding landscape.  

The day was opened by a presentation from Professor Mike Robinson, Director of IIICH, who outlined the key challenges and opportunities faced by the heritage sector. Professor Robinson was followed by speakers from organisations such as Auckland Castle, National Gallery, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, and the National Trust, who shared their current projects, and their own experiences of developing resilience and identifying new ways of working. Throughout the day,  we explored key themes such as working with the creative industries, developing international partnerships, taking inspiration from museum collections, and working with film makers and the media to build profile and income. We were also delighted to welcome Kiran Trehan, Professor of Leadership and Enterprise Development University of Birmingham, who was on hand throughout the day to offer advice and give the closing statement at the workshop.