The Annual Programme is at the core of the International Training Programme. Here, fellows are introduced to a global network of colleagues and exposed to a variety of museum practices. The Programme invites museum and heritage professionals from across the world to the British Museum for six weeks over the summer, providing an insight into museum practice in the UK and a forum for sharing skills and expertise.
The ITP features a mix of general and tailored sessions. These are delivered through presentations, tours, workshops and hands-on sessions, all of which contribute to an intensive training experience.
At the British Museum
Group sessions exploring all aspects of museum work sit alongside a range of practical and theoretical workshops. These include:
- Collections management, storage, documentation and photography
- Libraries and archives
- Exhibitions and galleries
- Conservation and scientific research
- National and international loans
- Learning, volunteers and audiences
- Fundraising, income generation and commerical programmes
- Marketing, press and social media
- Leadership, strategy, museum management and communication
Part of each fellow’s time is spent within a relevant Museum department, for sessions related to their professional interests and role profile. Here they can learn more about curators’ current projects and programmes, and share skills and expertise on the Museum’s collection.
Working in smaller groups means that close relationships between museum colleagues are developed. These relationships that begin during the summer programme can lead to future collaborations.
UK partnerships
During the Annual Programme, fellows spend time at a UK partner museum. These placements offer fellows the chance to see multi-site and regional museums with different experiences of governance and funding and with strong local collections and community links.
Partners deliver programmes which are responsive and bespoke to support fellows’ current projects and future plans, providing additional opportunities for collaboration and skill sharing.
Explore our UK partner institutions
Programme partners
Day trips offer the chance to visit other museums and hear from professionals across the sector. This gives fellows a wide view of approaches to cultural heritage.
Explore our recent programme partnersLegacy
Further engagement projects are essential to the core objectives of the ITP. Finding ways to give our fellows the widest possible opportunities for further training and development is fundamental.
Legacy projects inspire a lifelong commitment to our network from ITP partners and fellows, supported by the British Museum.
View all our ITP legacy projects