Cultural partnerships

Cultural partnerships
Content partnerships — Digital image restorations — Joint events

An entertainment in Vauxhall Gardens in c.1779 by Thomas Rowlandson. Digitally restored by Wikimedia volunteers.

Cultural partnerships are co-operations between the Wikimedia movement and cultural institutions, such as galleries, libraries, archives and museums, known collectively as GLAMs. There are a wide range of possible projects - from content donations to edit-a-thon events (where Wikipedians and experts work together to improve the projects' coverage of a certain topic), and more.

Why work with Wikimedia?

• Present your collections to new audiences
• Increase worldwide engagement with the cultural heritage held by your institution
• Work with a global community of volunteers to share your content online, on the Wikimedia projects

Who is working with us?

Cultural institutions we have worked with include:

• The British Library
• The British Museum
• Derby Museum and Art Gallery
• The National Maritime Museum
• The National Archives
• Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry
• Natural History Museum
• Science Museum
• National Library of Scotland

Wikimedia UK's work with the GLAM sector complements its work with learned societies.

If you represent a cultural institution, and are interested in working with Wikimedia UK, please contact our office on +44 (0)20 7065 0990 or glamwikimedia.org.uk.

Wikimedians in Residence

Some of the Wikimedians in Residence from around the world at GLAMcamp London in 2012

A Wikimedian in Residence is a Wikipedia editor who works in an institution to facilitate a close working relationship between the Wikimedia movement and that institution through a range of activities, including:

• Organising outreach work to encourage understanding and development of Wikimedia projects internally and externally
• Exploring sharing the institution's digital resources on Wikimedia Commons
• Organising events to create or expand existing articles about notable items or subjects of specific relevance to the collection and the organisation's expertise
• Working with the institution's staff to explain Wikipedia's and its sister projects' practices and how they might be able to contribute. This can be done via events, workshops, producing case studies and documentation of content
• Helping other Wikimedians to expand and write articles about the institutions's collections or area of expertise
• Developing other projects supporting open knowledge in the UK.

An overview and background of our Wikimedians in Residence programme is given in the programme review published in 2014.

Current Wikimedians in Residence

The links below include more about current residencies arranged by partnerships including WMUK - including contact details.

• National Library of Scotland – c. a year part time. On our blog
• York Museums Trust – set as 6 months part-time
• The Royal Society – 6 months part-time, until July 2014. WMUK blog
• Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol – 6 months full-time, from March 2014
• Cancer Research UK - 7 months part time, until December 2014. WMUK blog

There are plans for further residencies; if you have any queries please contact the office on 0207 065 0990, or glamwikimedia.org.uk.

Past Wikimedians in Residence

Previous residences arranged by partnerships including WMUK include:

• ARKive project, improving Wikipedia's articles on threatened species, in the Summer of 2011
• The University of Bristol Wikimedia Ambassador - 2 months in the Summer of 2011
• Our ongoing collaboration with the British Library included a Wikimedian in Residence for a year in 2012 and 2013. Project page on Wikipedia | Andrew Gray's final report | Section in programme review. We are continuing the cooperation with the British Library.
• WIR at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums - 3 months part time in 2013. On our Announcement | Project page | Section in programme review
• WIR at the Natural History Museum and Science Museum - 8 months in 2013 and 2014. Announcement | Project page on Wikipedia | Section in programme review
• Jisc Wikimedia Ambassador - 10 months in 2013 and 2014. Announcement | Project pages on Wikimedia UK | Project blog including final report | Section in programme review

All residencies, including those in which WMUK was not involved, are listed at outreach:Wikipedian in Residence.

Further reading

• An example of the agreement signed by WMUK and GLAMs when arranging a Wikimedia in Residence post
• A suggested job description for a Wikipedian in Residence