Museums and heritage

The price of entry to some museums and attractions in Leeds has risen by up to 14%, the BBC reports.

The price hikes apply at venues including Temple Newsam House, Leeds Industrial Museum, Thwaite Watermill and Abbey House Museum, all owned by Leeds City Council.

The rises were implemented due to inflationary pressures and increased staff costs, the council said. 

The average rise in entry prices was between 5% and 14%. No admission price will rise by more than £2, the council said.

Attractions including the Art Gallery and Leeds City Museum will remain free to enter.

A council report laying out the price changes said they aimed to “ensure Leeds Museums and Galleries can provide choice to visitors, offer value for money alongside specific discounts, deliver against agreed income targets in the next financial year and support Leeds 2023, in the year of culture”.

London attractions including Tower Bridge and the Barbican could face industrial action following a vote by City of London Corporation staff.

GMB union members working for the council have overwhelmingly voted for strike action, having rejected the Corporation’s 2022-23 pay offer.

Of those who voted, 77% said they were prepared to strike.

Anna Lee, GMB London Regional Organiser, said: “This vote for industrial action shows just how strongly our members feel and how they will continue to fight for a fair and decent pay rise.

“This is an historic vote, the first time ever that City of London Corporation staff have voted to strike over pay.

"I hope in light of this vote the Corporation will reconsider its position and get back to the negotiating table and present an offer which truly recognises the hard work, reliability and dedication of its workforce.”

A 3D virtual museum is set is to launch this week, showcasing objects from the National Paralympic Heritage Trust (NPHT).

The Digital Explorations Celebration & Virtual Museum, launching on Wednesday (19 April) at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement, will showcase objects including mascots, clothing and sports equipment.

The museum is part of the Digital Exploration Project, funded by the Rothschild Foundation and National Lottery Heritage Fund, with support from the Heart of Bucks.

The result of three years of work, the exhibition brings together more than 65 objects curated and scanned by participants from local disability organisations from across Buckinghamshire. 

The collection also includes artefacts from other museums, items from students at Pebble Brook School and artefacts from NPHT’s own collection.

Participants received professional training and work experience in historical research and cataloguing, digital 3D scanning, photogrammetry and editing.

“We are proud to support NPHT’s Digital Exploration project, preserving and sharing their inspirational Paralympic heritage of international significance, through the digital innovation of 3D models and exhibitions, promoting wider access for disabled people, young people and researchers,” said Leona Forsyth, Senior Grants Manager at the Rothschild Foundation.

“This work is also helping build a local cultural sector that is inclusive, vibrant and resilient. 

“The team’s personal approach and dedication to meeting individual needs through mentoring and training is developing the life skills and improving the quality of life and well-being of disabled participants, while helping build a more diverse, representative heritage workforce locally.”

Dundee Museum of Transport has been granted planning permission to convert an old tram depot into a permanent home.

The museum purchased the 120-metre-long B-listed Maryfield Tram Depot in 2015, along with two acres of surrounding grounds.

Constructed in 1901, it has been on the Buildings at Risk register since 2010. It is scheduled for “extensive renovation”, following which it will serve as the new home of the museum, which is currently based in temporary premises.

The multi-million development plans propose re-using the existing building fabric, conserving and restoring building elements where possible.

A new steel structure and modern panelled roof are set to be installed to the fire-damaged rear section, with translucent panels at high levels introducing light into the new exhibition space, according to plans by local architectural practice Andrew Black Design.

Increasing the internal height will allow for future expansion by adding a mezzanine level, enabling the museum to change its space to suit shifting needs. The design also includes an internal courtyard that will be connected to an external display space.

“To reach the milestone of securing planning permission for our Maryfield site is incredibly exciting,” said Dr Paul Jennings, the museum’s Executive Director.

“The new museum will celebrate Dundee’s transport heritage but also take a look into the future of transport. Over the coming months, we will continue our fundraising efforts in order to try and deliver the new museum to an ambitious timetable.”
 

The National Portrait Gallery will boast a new learning facility when it reopens in June.

The centre, which will be called Mildred and Simon Palley Learning Centre, has been named after the philanthropists who have donated millions of pounds to the Gallery and will compromise of three new studios, a gallery and an outdoor space, all of which will be available to all visitors.

The centre’s studios – The Law Photograph Studio, The Art Studio and The Clore Studio – will host the Gallery’s creative programmes, aimed at developing practical skills and increasing visitors’ access to experts.

“The creation of our new Mildred and Simon Palley Learning Centre has more than doubled the Gallery’s provision for learners, with welcoming and stimulating open studios now available for all to enjoy,” said National Portrait Gallery Director Dr Nicholas Cullinan.

“Visitors will be able to engage with portraiture in ways that just weren’t possible prior to our redevelopment, thanks to the capabilities of the new space.”

A new report published by National Museums Scotland (NMS) calls for diaspora community participants in museum projects to be valued as experts and offered fair remuneration.

The report is the first stage of the Exchange: Community-Led Collections Research initiative, funded by a £250,000 grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

It outlines nine recommendations that also include the creation of safer spaces and co-designing participation so people can tell stories on their terms.

Seven museum partners around the UK were supported to carry out the research, with NMS and Royal Museums Greenwich acting as a support hub.

The partners worked with African, Caribbean, and South Asian diaspora heritage community members. Participatory research methodologies were used to explore experiences of empire, migration, and life in Britain.

John Giblin, keeper of global arts, cultures and design at NMS, said: “The key question at the centre of the Exchange project was how participation can be more equitable for diaspora heritage community members. 

“This report highlights the benefits of community-led participatory practice as well as the challenges and barriers to participation, and the nine recommendations are a valuable first step in finding an answer to that question."

The AHRC has announced £150,000 of funding for Exchange 2.0, which will aim to build on the findings of the first stage with a focus on knowledge sharing, sustainable legacy and impact.