S12E02: Cost of Living Special

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/ Support us on Patreon! http://www.patreon.com/thecword 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.