Improvements to Berwick Borough Museum and Art Gallery
Report by
Tim Kirton, Head of Regeneration
Ward Implications
All
1.0
Summary
1.1
The closure of the Museum to the public for the winter gives the first opportunity for improvements to be made towards achieving accreditation and addressing some of the issues highlighted by the Consultants.
2.0
Recommendation
2.1
To make a supplementary budget estimate for £10,200 for Museum Accreditation work and related improvements.
3.0
Report
3.1
At the request of the Council and the Museums Libraries and Archives Council North East (MLA) DJB Consulting are currently undertaking a study of the Museum Service and its future. Their full report will come forward to members to inform the 2008/9 budget-setting process, but there are some issues that they have highlighted which need to be urgently addressed to enable the Museum to meet the MLA’s December 2007 deadline for submission of an application for Museum Accreditation.
The closure of the Barracks site from October is the ideal time to concentrate on these issues and do some improvements in the Borough Museum.
3.2
Many of the issues highlighted in the Consultants Interim Issues Paper are matters of governance and Barracks access which will need time to resolve, similarly there are some accreditation aspects, such as an up-dated collections policy, that will need wider debate. But there are some practical issues than can be tackled immediately and which, when completed in time for the Spring 2008 re-opening, will be fully in line with the eventual report and the needs of accreditation. These issues are addressed below in the order in which they occur in the MLA’s Accreditation Standard (2004) from which the quotations are taken.
3.3
“2.1.1 Museum must publish information on the existence of the museum, its location, opening-times and arrangements..”
- This is lacking at present, with the Consultants noting an absence of marketing and promotion and no dedicated website.
Leaflet: We propose to issue a new publicity leaflet to cover the Barracks site, as well as information on the site attractions it would note some of the Museums other services such as local history research, library and the education activities, which have hitherto been missing from any publicity. The new leaflet can be designed in-house, and is envisaged as being specifically for 2008 only.
Publicity leaflets (5000) £500
Website: The Museum does have some pages on the Council Website, but having an active changing site is especially important in the closed period as one of the few means available to the public to access the collection and on-line booking of ‘by-appointment’ tours could be included. This would satisfy the requirement of the standard (2.1.2 & 2.1.4) for Museums with limited opening times. Publicity information for the new season would also be included. Extra software is needed to fully deal with this issue.
Extra software to enhance web-provision £1000
3.4
“2.4.4: Information about collections must be provided for users”
- The Consultants highlight a number of weaknesses in the provision of displayed material and associated information. They point out that only part of Berwick’s history is currently depicted. Some of these issues can only be addressed by a major refurbishment of the galleries, but there are some interim measures that will improve the situation and need not be made redundant by future schemes.
The Medieval Gallery: The key period of Berwick’s history was the Middle Ages, which hitherto has been very under-represented in the Museum. Prior to the Consultants report it was proposed to re-orientate the existing Dragon Gallery into a Medieval Gallery retaining the basic structure, including the very popular dragon, and existing Burrell collection Medieval art while adding a number of key elements such as an armoury, castle model and new exhibits from recent excavations in Berwick. The research and design work on this has already been done, and some items have already been funded, for example by the Museum Friends, but to fully realise the project some additional funds are needed, as follows:
Construction materials £1000
Electrical work £500
Sound System £700
Info panels £1000
Total £3200
Window on Berwick: Opened in 1989 as our primary social history gallery this has had only minor adjustments since. The sound effects have long since ceased to function and their lack is often commented on by visitors. Likewise the lack of information in the gallery is another source of comment. The false grass carpet is now secured in parts by staples and is become an increasing safety concern. Similarly the closure period will be the ideal opportunity to remove and reposition exhibits and have a comprehensive clean of the whole gallery. The funds needed for this are:
Carpet replacement £400
Sound system £700
Information book upgrade (plus saleable booklet) £1600
Professional cleaning £300
Total £3000
History of Berwick panels: There is scope on the stairs to add a number of graphic panels on the history of Berwick. These could be designed to be removable and thus provide a portable exhibition when a major refurbishment resulted in a new Berwick historical interpretation.
Series of graphic panels £500
3.5
“2.5.1 Learning is a core purpose of museums.”
- The Museum’s education and outreach provision are considered as strengths by the Consultants and we intend to carry on with already booked educational work through the closed period. To do this however we need to allow resources for cleaning, including the toilet block which in the Summer is English Heritage’s responsibility. Members are reminded that the Museum cleaner post was cut to achieve savings in the 2007/8 budget.
Cleaning (incl toilets) £200
3.6
“3.2.1 Museums must provide orientation information, both externally to guide visitors to the museum itself, and internally for the layout of the building and collections.”
- Again the Consultants have noted this as a weakness. General Barracks access issues will be looked at in the final report but in the meantime a Museum guide leaflet can be produced for 2008, with diagrams of the layout of the building and information on key exhibits, and a short history of Berwick.
Guide leaflet £500
3.7
“4.2.1…A museum must know at any time exactly which items it is legally responsible for…and where each item is located.”
- Generally documentation is up-to-date but the closed period is the time to ensure that the stores are up to Accreditation standard. The Consultants noted that there had been limited progress with digitisation of exhibits. It is proposed therefore as part of the in-stores work that as a stock check is carried out (with the help of the Museum Friends) a digital photographic record of objects is made as this proceeds. To speed things up an extra digital camera and tripod is needed.
Camera and tripod £800
Storage materials (including boxes) £500
Total for all works £10,200
4.0
Implications
4.1
Comments from the Council’s Section 151 Officer
Text
4.2
Comments from the Council’s Monitoring Officer
Text
4.3
Comments from the Head of Paid Service
Text
4.4
Local Agenda 21
Text
4.5
Equality
The Berwick Borough Museum and Art Gallery is seeking to reach a wider audience, and make its collections more easily accessible to as many people as possible.
4.6
Crime and Disorder
Text
5.0
Report Author
5.1
Chris Green, Museum Curator, Tel: 01289 301869
6.0
Service Head
6.1
Tim Kirton, Head of Regeneration Services, Tel: 01289 301760
7.0
Background Papers
7.1
o Museum Service Plan 2007 – 8
o Outcome of Public Consultation on Borough Museum - report to CS&R Committee 17 January 2007
7.2
o Berwick Borough Museum Review - report to REESC September 2006
o Museum Accreditation - report to CS and R Committee July 2005
