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In brief | Latest sector developments
Citizens’ Jury for Birmingham | Glasgow sustainability project | Ikon gallery youth programme
Citizens’ Jury to look at future of Birmingham Museums
Birmingham Museums Trust (BMT) is convening a Citizens’ Jury to find out what local people want from their museums. Up to 30 participants will be selected through a two-stage lottery process to ensure a representative cross-section of the city’s population. Participants will discuss the future of Birmingham's museums and then produce a set of recommendations for BMT's board and executive, who have committed to responding to all proposals.
Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, Co-CEOs of BMT, said: “We’re excited to pioneer this innovative approach in the UK museum sector. By inviting citizens to help shape the future of their museums, we're ensuring that our transformation truly reflects the needs and aspirations of our citizens, communities and the city.”
The jury will meet over six sessions in October and November, with participants receiving £360 in vouchers as compensation for their time. The Citizen’s Jury process will be run by social enterprise Shared Future, with support from DemocracyNext. The jury is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Tate St Ives unveils plans for Barbara Hepworth site
Tate St Ives has unveiled first stage designs for the transformation of the Palais de Danse, a Grade II-listed building in St Ives that was a cinema and a dance hall before being purchased by sculptor Barbara Hepworth in the 1960s as her second studio. The designs, created by Adam Khan Architects, are designed to create a space that can be used for art, performances and events.
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Anne Barlow, director of Tate St Ives, said: “The Palais de Danse played an important role in Hepworth’s international artistic career as well as in the local history of the St Ives community. In bringing it back to life, we want to honour that rich history and realise its immense potential for local residents, visitors, and a new generation of artists.”
Glasgow Life secures money for sustainability project
Glasgow Life has been awarded a grant of just over £1.5m for a project to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions at Glasgow Museums Resource Centre. The funding has been granted through Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund, which helps public buildings tap into investment for environmentally sustainable solutions. The Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, which houses millions of objects, is one of more than a dozen organisations that have been awarded money through the scheme.
Plain sailing for Ikon gallery youth programme
Three-year funding from the Freelands Foundation has allowed Birmingham’s Ikon gallery to continue its youth programme. The scheme, called Slow Boat, uses a converted narrowboat as an alternative art school. The group of young people, aged 16-21, has developed a regional route that explores the art school heritage of Birmingham and the West Midlands.
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Each year, Slow Boat travels 150 miles of canal network, with annual stop-offs in Walsall, Wolverhampton, Tipton, Stourbridge, Smethwick and Coventry. Slow Boat was created in response to Ikon Youth Programme’s request for “a space of their own” through which they could produce and present their version of contemporary art as it intersects with popular culture and political activism.
Want to build a museum?
Florence Schechter, a consultant who specialises in the cultural and creative industries and founder of the Vagina Museum, has created a free toolkit about how to create a new museum. The So You Want To Build A Museum toolkit features more than 100 pages of exercises, examples and advice. It includes advice on defining the purpose of a museum, writing exhibition briefs and finding a location. The toolkit is now available to download.
Wells Cathedral wins lottery grant to save medieval buildings
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has given a £4.4m grant to Wells Cathedral for a project to save a series of medieval buildings. Vicars’ Close is the most complete and continuously occupied medieval street in Europe. The project will cost a total of £7m and includes not only conservation works, but also a new visitor experience that will open up four of the buildings to the public for the first time. The cathedral has already raised £1m from donors, leaving £1.6m still to raise.