Museums training programme
Supporting skills development within the sector
Our training offer
Working with a network of over 140 UK Regimental & Corps Museums and international partners, we deliver a free annual training programme that encourages skills development within the sector, and explores the benefits of networking and sharing expertise in working with Army collections.
While our training is free for those working or volunteering in Regimental & Corps Museums, our courses are currently charged at £50 for a half day, £100 for a full day, and £450 for our week-long Regimental Curators’ Course, for those wishing to attend from outside the sector.
Please note that all volunteer bookings need to come direct from your volunteer-supervisor.
If you have any enquiries regarding the training programme, please contact Julian Farrance (jfarrance@nam.ac.uk).
Edged and Offensive Weapons for the Museum Curator
Date: Tuesday, 3 June 2025
Time: 10.30am – 3.00pm
Location: Royal Armouries, Leeds
Designed to complement the Curator’s Firearms Course, this is a one-day course delivered at the Royal Armouries in Leeds (limited to 10 delegates).
This course is aimed at museum professionals and is designed to address concerns about all manner of bladed articles and offensive weapons – from batons through knives to swords.
It will look at the historical landscape and what legislation is currently in force, what material is covered by legislation and, most importantly, how this affects museums and those who visit them. The course will also look at the conservation of such pieces.
Edged and Offensive Weapons for the Museum Curator
Date: Thursday, 5 June 2025
Time: 10.30am – 3.00pm
Location: National Army Museum, London
Designed to complement the Curator’s Firearms Course, this is a one-day course delivered at the National Army Museum in London.
This course is aimed at museum professionals and is designed to address concerns about all manner of bladed articles and offensive weapons – from batons through knives to swords.
It will look at the historical landscape and what legislation is currently in force, what material is covered by legislation and, most importantly, how this affects museums and those who visit them. The course will also look at the conservation of such pieces.
Radiation Safety in Museums
Date: Monday, 9 June 2025
Time: 10.30am – 3.00pm
Location: National Army Museum, London
This course is delivered by Atomic Warfare Establishment (AWE) and is a full day of training on radiation safety for museums. The course will provide an introduction to what radiation is, help raise awareness, and provide you with resources for safety measures for museum staff and visitors as well as to protect collections.
Bitesize: Uniform Storage and Preventive Conservation of Textiles
Date: Wednesday, 25 June 2025
Time: 10.30am – 11.30pm
Location: Online (Zoom)
This one-hour bitesize session will focus on textile uniforms in your collection. We will discuss the different types you may come across and how these can be stored for their long-term preservation. We will also cover preventive conservation considerations such as how to prevent and identify pest and mould damage.
Army 101 Scotland
Date: Thursday, 26 June 2025
Time: 10.30am – 4.00pm
Location: The Royal Scots Club, Edinburgh
If you’re new into the world of military museums, if you’ve never known the difference between a regiment and a battalion, or why officers are promoted along one track and other ranks along another, then this is the course for you. We will examine the basics of army structure, uniforms, weapons and medals, and try to break down the myriad of military mysteries during this full-day course.
Managing Our Information: Archives, Libraries and Information Management
Date: Monday, 30 June 2025
Time: 10.30am – 3.30pm
Location: National Army Museum, London
Join us for a full-day workshop looking at the information held within museums. With a mixture of shared experiences, good practice and behind-the-scenes tours, the National Army Museum team will cover archive, library and information issues, ranging from information security and data protection, to archive and library management, to displays and providing access to collections.
Introduction to Collections Care
Date: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Time: 10.30am – 3.00pm
Location: National Army Museum Stores, Stevenage
This full-day workshop is aimed at those caring for the storage and documentation of military collections. In the workshop, we will tour the National Army Museum’s own storage facility and learn about how we care for the collection. The session will include hands-on guidance in the storage of uniforms, equipment and rations, and working to Spectrum standards in documentation of the collection.
Please note that this course takes place at the National Army Museum Stores in Stevenage.
Introduction to Prints in Museums
Date: Tuesday, 22 July 2025
Time: 10.30am – 3.00pm
Location: National Army Museum, London
Join one of our art curators as we take a closer look at some of the prints in our collection. Learn about the tools, techniques and purposes of prints, as well as the important role that prints play in recording history. We will be discussing the cataloguing, identification and interpretation of prints and learning how to safely display them.
Introduction to Museum Learning
Date: Monday, 8 September 2025
Time: 10.30am – 4.00pm
Location: National Army Museum, London
This full-day workshop is aimed at museum staff with a responsibility for running learning activities at their museum or site. We will look at why museums offer learning activities and the range of options that a museum may wish to consider such as school workshops, family learning activities, trails, handling objects and digital resources.
We will use examples from the National Army Museum’s learning offer and there will be opportunities to get hands-on with our handling collection and learning resources throughout the day.
Bitesize: Responding to Repatriation Requests
Date: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Time: 10.30am – 11.30am
Location: Online (Zoom)
Join our Head of Collections Standards and Care in a one-hour session discussing experiences of receiving and processing repatriation requests. In this session, we will look at what a repatriation request might look like, how to appropriately respond in line with current guidance, and the collections information required to support this process.
Bitesize: ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) Training
Date: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Time: 10.30am – 12.00pm
Location: Online (Microsoft Teams)
This half-day training is provided online by a member of the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism team. The course is primarily aimed at staff working within venues and public spaces and will cover different types of security threats, how to improve awareness and security, and what to do in the event of a threat or incident.
Bitesize: ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) Training
Date: Wednesday, 8 October 2025
Time: 10.30am – 12.00pm
Location: Online (Microsoft Teams)
This half-day training is provided online by a member of the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism team. The course is primarily aimed at staff working within venues and public spaces and will cover different types of security threats, how to improve awareness and security, and what to do in the event of a threat or incident.
