| NMDC NEWS |
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Enhancing National-Regional Museum Partnerships
At this year’s Museums Association Conference on 7 October NMDC ran a session to present and discuss the initial findings of a project aiming to improve partnership working between national and regional museums. Diane Lees, Director-General of the Imperial War Museum and chair of the NMDC project, presented key findings of an exercise to map current activity between national and regional museums across the UK, which has included a survey of NMDC members' recent partnership work.
Results of the mapping exercise highlighted some of the strengths of current partnership working, which include:
- The sheer number of museum partnerships – across 16 national institutions the total number of projects undertaken with partners across the UK in 2008-09 was well over 1600 (likely to be a vast underestimate of the total UK figure).
- An increasing understanding of the principles of partnership, and a more strategic approach from an increasing number of institutions.
- Strategic Commissioning and Renaissance in the Regions funding, which have been hugely important in building more equal partnerships.
- Good cross-country relationships between England and Wales and Scotland.
- Considerable and increasing strength in museums working with universities and other research bodies.
Threats and barriers to successful partnership activity were also identified, including:
- Diminishing resources – both finance (reductions in national and local government funding, earned income, grants) and internal capacity.
- The absence of a UK-wide delivery strategy.
- A lack of comprehensive data collection on partnership activity, and consequent underestimation of relationships between national and non-national museums.
A project advisory group, which includes representatives from national and regional museums, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund, has met to discuss the initial findings of the mapping exercise and begin development of a set of recommendations for national museums and other sector bodies. Draft recommendations were presented and discussed with delegates at the MA Conference session, grouped into a series of issues identified as key to improving partnership working:
- Building collaborative partnerships
- Working strategically
- Sharing knowledge
- Making lending easier
- Staff development
- Joint advocacy
- Recording partnership activity.
A final project report including research findings, a finalised set of recommendations and visual mapping of the distribution of different types of current partnership activity across the UK will be published later this Autumn. For further information about the project see the NMDC website.
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| DIRECTORS IN THE NEWS |
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Gordon Rintoul, National Museums of Scotland, wrote an article for Scotland’s Business7 newspaper on the role of culture in economic recovery, arguing the importance of continuing investment to maintain and enhance the cultural offer and the need for cultural institutions must work together to promote existing and emerging attractions more effectively. Business7 article
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POLITICS
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Margaret Hodge returns as Minister for Culture
Margaret Hodge MP has returned to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as Minister for Culture and Tourism after a year out of Government on compassionate leave. Barbara Follett MP has moved to become a junior minister at Communities and Local Government. Margaret Hodge joined a Question Time panel at the Museums Association Conference on 7 October and emphasised the importance of free admission to national museums, the essential role of museums in developing community cohesion and the potential offered by digitisation. She is holding a seminar on digital issues later this month. She also said she was struggling to get something into the Government's Pre-Budget Report on incentives for life-time giving. DCMS website
Party Conferences
Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw MP's speech at the Labour Party Conference focused primarily on sport and the media. He highlighted, however, that twice as many people have enjoyed “our great museums and galleries” since the Labour Government introduced free admission to national museums. Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt MP’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference focused on the sporting legacy of the Olympics, with no reference to culture. At the Museums Association Conference, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson, Don Foster MP, warned that "politicians of all parties were beginning to show less interest in heritage and culture", as evidenced by the "precious little mention of heritage and culture at party conferences". He advised the museums sector to "make sure the public keep telling politicians how important these issues are." Ben Bradshaw's speech Jeremy Hunt's speech
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| MUSEUM SECTOR NEWS |
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Cultural Capital: Maintaining Investment in Culture through the Good Times and the Bad
Leading figures from the arts, business and public sector came together at the V&A last month to call for investment to support culture through the recession. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson hosted the event and described the capital as “a cultural powerhouse.” He said “at a time of recession it is more important than ever to invest in the arts,” and argued that "a mix of corporate sponsorship, public investment and philanthropic giving will help our cultural and creative sectors ride out the current downturn – and help stimulate London's economy for the future." Kevin Spacey, Artistic Director, The Old Vic gave a keynote speech calling for renewed confidence from the sector. Kevin Spacey said "We must cite the economic value of what is called after all show business. It is not charity, or empty philanthropy, but an investment." Mark Jones, Director of the V&A, introduced the proceedings and said "'Our response to the recession has been to work flexibly and imaginatively with new and long-term partners". Mayor’s press release
Mr Johnson also made media headlines by suggesting that museum visitors should be encouraged to pay a recommended donation when visiting permanent collections in the UK In a statement issued on 29 September, the Mayor said he was disappointed that his comments had been misrepresented. Mayor's statement
Latest market trends research by Arts & Business has revealed that 70% of London-based arts organisations have experienced a decrease in business investment. However, earned income is growing, with attendance levels being maintained for most of the sector.
The event received extensive press coverage: BBC News The Times The Guardian
Museums Association Conference
The annual Museums Association Conference took place in London on 5-7 October. The key theme of the conference was "All change" with sessions on economic and environmental sustainability, the learning age and digital change. Diane Lees, Director-General of the Imperial War Museum, gave a keynote speech calling for the sector to embrace the opportunity provided by budget cuts to re-think what museums do, so that museums fit for the 21st century arise like phoenixes from the ashes. Other NMDC members on the programme included Gordon Rintoul's presentation on the development of the National Museum of Scotland and Christopher Brown on the Ashmolean's redevelopment which opens next month. Sandy Nairne contributed to the Recession Session, emphasising the need for museums to remain clear about their own plans and what they want to achieve. Mark Jones spoke at sessions on environmental sustainability and on diversity within the sector's workforce and governing bodies. www.museumsassociation.org
Draft Scottish Budget – maintains funding commitments to museums
The draft Scottish Budget 2010-11 was published on 17 September, proposing a £500m reduction in spending. Culture Minister Michael Russell said he had “reduced the scope to introduce new spending on support for innovative cultural initiatives and instead concentrated funds in our priority areas". The priorities for 2010-11 include:
- Funding commitments to the Royal Museum Project and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery Project. £1.5m has been transferred to the budget for ‘Cultural Collections' from the budget for ‘Other Arts' in the current financial year. Funding for cultural collections increases from £98.9m in 2009-10 to £99.7m in 2010-11.
- Increasing budget for International Development work to £9 million.
- Supporting the establishment of Creative Scotland including £.2.5 million for the Creative Scotland Innovation Fund.
Scottish Government press release
Museums Think Tank begins work in Scotland
Scottish Culture Minister Michael Russell MSP has convened the first meeting of the Museums Think Tank, the group that will make recommendations on the future direction of the museums sector in Scotland. The Museums Think Tank is comprised of 10 museum experts from institutions across Scotland including NMDC members John Leighton, Director General of National Galleries Scotland, and Gordon Rintoul,: Director of National Museums Scotland, as well as Bailie Liz Cameron, Chair of Culture and Sport Glasgow. The Museums Think Tank has been asked to consider four key challenges for the museums sector: articulating the sector's contribution to Scottish society; establishing the balance between local authority, national and independent provision; making the best use of limited resources through collaboration and setting priorities; and achieving a sustainable future for all Scotland's industrial collections. Recommendations will be presented next spring. Scottish Government statement
Museums are key to saving biodiversity
In an article in the New Scientist, Richard Lane, Director of Science at the Natural History Museum, argues that museums are key to saving biodiversity. He says that collections such as those of the Natural History Museum offer snapshots of past biodiversity, providing data that can be used to assess long-term changes, and that museums play a crucial role by helping to engage people's interest. Dr Lane describes the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010 as an unmissable opportunity to encourage broader understanding about the threats facing biodiversity and encourage action to solve them. New Scientist article
New research published on museum role in communities
Museums Galleries Scotland has published new research demonstrating the significant impact of museums on their local communities. The report, Cornerstones of Communities, provides evidence of the ways in which five museums in Scotland help to build up physical, human, social, economic, and cultural capital in their surrounding area. Cornerstones of Communities report
A Night at the Museum 2010
Museums at Night 2010 will run over the weekend from Friday 14-Sunday 16 May. MLA is providing funding and Culture24 will coordinate the initiative and run a national marketing campaign. VisitEngland is already on board as a marketing partner for the event and Culture24 is working to develop further promotional partnerships with organisations across the tourism, media and heritage sectors. For more information on plans for 2010, to register an event, or to read the evaluation report about 2009 visit www.culture24.org.uk/museumsatnight
Art Fund Prize 2010 - call for entries
Nominations are open for the Art Fund Prize 2010. A single award of £100,000 will be presented to a museum or gallery whose entry best meets the Prize criteria through a project completed or mainly undertaken in the previous calendar 2009. The closing date for entries is Monday 30 November 2009. The Art Fund Prize website http://www.artfundprize.org.uk/
Museums seek to acquire Staffordshire hoard
The largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found has gone on display at Birmingham Museum and Art. The Staffordshire hoard containing more than 1500 objects, most of which are gold, was discovered by a metal detectorist in July and declared treasure last month. Most items appear to date from the seventh century and the quality of craftsmanship may indicate a royal owner. There are already over 600 photographs of the hoard on the Portable Antiquities Flickr page.
As treasure, ownership is vested in the Crown, although the finder and land owner are entitled to a reward of the full value of the treasure. The hoard has now been offered to museums to acquire, and Staffordshire County Council, Birmingham City Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council are working together towards this goal. A Treasure Valuation Committee will commission valuations from leading auction houses and experts in the antiquities trade and recommend a valuation to the Secretary of State. Speaking at the Museums Association Conference on 7 October, Culture Minister Margaret Hodge said "we have got to make sure the Staffordshire Hoard's eventual home is in the West Midlands." Staffordshire Hoard website
MLA announces funding for first 25 Creative Apprenticeships
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) has announced grants to museums across the country for 25 creative apprentices in the first round of the Creative Apprenticeship scheme. The scheme, developed by Creative & Cultural Skills, aims to offer an alternative route into the sector, providing a vocational award which is assessed in the workplace. MLA’s funding will provide £5,000 for each year of the apprentice’s employment. Successful bids have come from national, independent and local authority-run museums and include NMDC members National Museums Liverpool, Tate Liverpool, Victoria and Albert Museum and Tyne & Wear Museums. MLA has pledged to fund up to 50 Creative Apprenticeships in museums across England. There will be a further round of applications this autumn, with a deadline of 20 November for submissions. MLA website
Learning Revolution Festival promotes informal adult learning
MLA is encouraging museums, libraries and archives to participate in the Learning Revolution Festival organised by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills this month. Throughout October, hundreds of events will highlight the wide variety of learning taking place. Museums can get involved by showcasing activities that are already available and offering or signposting new activities to get people started. The MLA has provided £500,000 to fund 18 mini festival programmes, across the country. MLA website
Initial Teacher Education grants now available
MLA is inviting applications for Initial Teacher Education grants, a scheme designed to build learning partnerships between museums, archives and bodies that run undergraduate and postgraduate teacher training courses. Expression of Interest forms should be submitted to the MLA by 16 October 2009 and final applications by 16 November 2009. MLA website
MLA develops online applications for export licences and delays licensing move to Birmingham
Following consultation on plans to relocate the Acquisitions, Exports, and Loans Unit (AELU) from London to Birmingham, the MLA is exploring the technical and legal feasibility of enabling export licence applications to be made online. Should an on-line system prove secure and effective, a paper-based applications system would remain available for users who prefer it. To allow sufficient time for this work and for consultation with users, MLA will maintain a licensing team in London for the time being. In the first instance, the MLA Board has agreed a three month extension on the original plan, to June 2010. All of the other functions of AELU will be relocated in Birmingham from 1 April 2010, as planned. MLA statement
Psychology of art audiences
New research has revealed that the motivations of art audiences depend on the type of art on display and the era in which it was created. The research, undertaken by the University of Rome, found that those visiting modern art are motivated by emotional aspects - "sensation seeking" - while those visiting ancient art have a more cognitive approach based on learning. The research is published in the journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts. More
Funding for China-UK visits
The British Council has announced the latest round of the China-UK: Connections through Culture development grants providing funding for visits between the UK and China. The deadline for applications is Friday 9 October 2009 for visits taking place before 30 June 2010. More
Consultation on future development of Europe’s online cultural library
Europeana, Europe’s multimedia online library, now provides access to 4.6 million books, maps, recordings, photographs, archival documents, paintings and films from over 1000 museums, libraries and archives across Europe. Last month, the European Commission issued a policy paper on the future development of Europeana, including a target of 10 million digitised objects by 2010 and the need for reform of Europe's “too fragmented” copyright framework. The Commission is inviting comments by 15 November. European Commission statement Europeana website
Museums Association ends recognition for universities
The Museums Association has decided to end its policy of formally recognising museum studies courses and allowing graduates a short-cut route for Associate Membership of the Museums Association (AMA). The change is part of an overhaul of the AMA system intended to make registration for the scheme more accessible and ensure the criteria for achieving AMA better reflects the skills and competencies needed to thrive in the sector. Museums Association
Southampton City Council votes to sell art works
Southampton City Council has voted in favour of proceeding with plans to sell two paintings from its museum collection to help fund a new cultural quarter. The council believes it can raise £5m by selling pieces by Auguste Rodin and Sir Alfred Munnings. The council will now seek approval from the Attorney General. The MA's ethics committee has told Southampton City Council that it is 'not persuaded' that plans to sell works of art from its collections constitute a last resort, so currently its proposals do not meet the MA's code. Museums Association
Old name for Bristol’s new museum
Bristol's new museum will be called M Shed, the historical name of the building that previously housed the Bristol Industrial Museum. The new museum, which will tell the history of Bristol, is due to open in 2011. The Daily Telegraph reports that the advertising agency True North were paid £100,000 to develop the brand identity for the museum. Daily Telegraph article
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| CULTURAL SECTOR NEWS |
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29 cities bid to become UK City of Culture 2013
Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw MP has announced that 29 cities and local areas from across the UK have expressed interest in becoming the first ever UK City of Culture in 2013. The winning candidate, to be announced next spring, is expected to host national cultural events, as well as putting on a year-long programme of their own. Phil Redmond, Chair of National Museums Liverpool, will chair the judging panel for the City of Culture competition.
DCMS has also published the report of a working group chaired by Phil Redmond looking at the feasilbity and desirability of UK City of Culture. The vision for the UK City of Culture is to use culture as a catalyst for social and civic agendas, utilising its potential as a driver for economic benefits and promoting and enabling greater participation in, and experience of, cultural excellence. The Working Group agreed that no new central government funding should be committed to UK City of Culture but that host cities should bid to existing funding programmes and work creatively with public sector broadcasters to maximise opportunities. DCMS press release Working group report
Library users can now borrow from any public library
The Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) has announced that more than 4,000 public libraries across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will now be open for borrowing by any member of the public regardless of where they live. Library users can now show their own library ticket or membership card to use or join other public library services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. SCL website
Strategic direction of Historic Environment of Wales
Welsh Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones AM, has published his Strategic Statement for the Historic Environment in Wales. The Minister said "90% of international visitors staying in Wales visit cultural sites. This level of activity cannot be underestimated in our economy." Specific actions in the statement include Work with the Minister for Children, Education Lifelong Learning and Skills on promotion of the study of Welsh history at community level and in higher education and the contribution that our historic environment can make to the school curriculum. The Minister will convene a Heritage Summit in 2010 to discuss heritage interpretation and the links between heritage and the Arts. Cadw website
Analysis shows little change in art participation
The Arts Council England has published analysis of data on year-on-year changes in arts engagement since 2005/06. The data from the DCMS's Taking Part survey shows that overall attendance and participation rates have remained stable, and that the demographic profile of arts audiences and participants was largely the same in 2007/08 as it was in 2005/06. The only arts events where attendance increased are relatively informal, sociable types of events – musicals, pantomime, rock and pop concerts. There was a relatively large increase in arts attendance and participation in the North West of England, likely to be related to Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008, and a decline in London and the North East. Arts Council report
Arts Council England recruiting 150 Artistic Assessors
Arts Council England is recruiting 150 people with knowledge and understanding of the arts to carry out assessments of the work of its regularly funded organisations. The new scheme of artistic assessments was piloted in South East and North West earlier this year and will roll out across the country from January 2010. A further 150 Artistic Assessors will be appointed in 2010. Arts Council press release
Arts Council England has also announced the nine members of its new Executive Board – the streamlined national leadership team that will lead the re-structured organisation from April 2010. The board consists of Chief Executive Alan Davey with four National and four Area Executive Directors. Arts Council statement
DCMS Procurement Manager accused of £60,000 'improper' purchases.
DCMS has issued civil proceedings against its former procurement manager, Steven Macvicar, after it was revealed he used Government procurement credit cards for personal purchases worth almost £60,000. Court papers cite 518 ‘improper’ purchases between June 2003 and February 2007 by Mr Macvicar, who was responsible for overseeing all spending on DCMS cards. Daily Mail article
National Trust for Scotland chief stands down
Shonaig Macpherson, chairman of the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), will not stand for a second term of office at the charity’s AGM this month. Ms Macpherson’s decision comes less than a month after it was revealed that the Trust plans to sell its historic Wemyss House headquarters in Edinburgh’s New Town and relocate to a business park in an effort to cut costs. In March, NTS announced it would close four historic properties and to make 65 redundancies. The Times
New National Trust Monopoly set
The National Trust has launched its own Monopoly set, the first ever charity version of the game to be created. Twenty six National Trust places from across England, Wales and Northern Ireland feature in the board game; including beaches, a light house, a mill from the Industrial Revolution and Sir Winston Churchill’s family home. Where there are houses and hotels in the original game, National Trust Monopoly has players building visitor centres and holiday cottages. National Trust website
Find more innovative museum products at culturelabel.com
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| CHARITIES |
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Response to the consultation on a new Charitable Incorporated Organisation
The Government and Charity Commission have published a joint response to the consultation on plans for a new type of incorporated charity structure. The Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) will be an entirely new type of charity structure that will provide charity trustees with protections and responsibilities similar to those given to directors of limited companies. The new CIO will be regulated by the Charity Commission, and will combine the advantages of a corporate structure without the burden of dual regulation. The CIO status is due to be available from spring 2010. Charity Commission statement
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| APPOINTMENTS |
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The Prime Minister has appointed Professor Frances Corner OBE and Denise Lewis as Trustees of The Wallace Collection, and reappointed Edwin Davies OBE as a Trustee of the Victoria and Albert Museum and Kathy Gee and Douglas Hulyer as Trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund. Press releases
Will Gompertz has been appointed to the newly-created role of Arts Editor for BBC News. Will is currently Director of Tate Media at the Tate. He also performed a solo comedy show on art history at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He starts his new role in the next few months. The creation of a new Arts Editor role for BBC News is part of the BBC's stated deeper commitment to arts and music on the BBC throughout 2010, with a wide range of initiatives aimed at supporting cultural Britain and better serving the public. BBC statement
Welsh Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones AM has announced the re-appointment of Professor Dai Smith as Chair of Arts Council of Wales. More
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council Board has agreed to the secondment of up to four informal members to increase the expertise and diversity of the board. MLA is currently seeking expressions of interest from potential candidates and would particularly welcome secondees from minority groups, younger people and those representing the creative and tourism industries. Each secondment will be for up to a year. The secondment programme will be evaluated and the results made available to the sector as a whole. www.mla.gov.uk
The architect Richard Rogers has announced that he is stepping down as deputy Chair of the Mayor of London's Design Advisory Panel and Great Spaces Panel. More
Irina Bokova has been elected as the new Director-General of UNESCO. She is currently Bulgaria's Ambassador to France and was Minister of Foreign Affairs(1996-7). Art Newspaper
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| CULTURAL PROPERTY |
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INTERPOL launches stolen art database
INTERPOL, the global policing body, has established direct online access to its international database on stolen works. Access to the database is free of charge and granted via application. The secure website contains details of 34,000 works of art stolen worldwide and is updated continually. Making the information available as widely as possible is part of INTERPOL's efforts to protect cultural property by making the sale of stolen works of art more difficult. The online database replaces the “INTERPOL – Stolen Works of Art” DVD previously made available upon application. INTERPOL website
Magritte painting stolen from museum at gunpoint
Two armed men have stolen a painting from the Rene Magritte Museum, in Jette, Belgium, after holding a gun to a museum attendants head. The museum, which occupies the house in which the artist lived and worked for nearly 24 years, is open by appointment only. The stolen work, Olympia, a nude portrait of the artist's wife, was painted in the house in 1948. The two men, who were not masked, rounded up the museum staff and visitors and made them kneel in the courtyard. The pair left carrying the 60cm by 80cm painting and got into a car. Guardian article
US court rulings on two spoliation claims
A court in Los Angeles has ruled that an 80 year old man can continue a lawsuit against Madrid's Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Spanish state to recover a painting by Camille Pissaro. The painting, Rue Saint-Honoré, Après-midi, Effet de Pluie, was originally owned by the claimant's grandmother, Lilly Cassirer Neubauer and is alleged to have been the subject of a forced sale in Germany in 1939. Guardian article
A federal court in New Orleans has rejected a spoliation claim brought against a woman whose family has owned a painting by Oskar Kokoschka since 1946, because of the “inordinate delay" in bringing the claims. Art Newspaper article
Illegally exported fossil provides new understanding of T-Rex evolution
A miniature version of Tyrannosaurus rex which is the size of a human being has been discovered after a fossil that had been almost lost to the black market was recovered for science. Raptorex kriegsteini, named after the father of the private collector who acquired the fossil, has overturned standard explanations for the evolution of the tyrannosaurs. The fossil was originally unearthed in the Yixian Formation of inner Mongolia in China and smuggled out of the country. Scientists at the University of Chicago agreed to document the specimen on condition that it was donated to science and returned to China. It will be displayed at a museum in inner Mongolia once the research team has made a detailed analysis. The Times
Meanwhile, federal investigators in the US have returned dinosaurs eggs sabre-toothed cat fossils and other fossils stolen from China. Customs official had seized the fossils, taken without permission from China, and asked researchers at Chicago's Field Museum and the Virginia Museum of Natural History to evaluate them. Chinese researchers will escort the fossils home, where they will be studied at the Geological Museum of China, says a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement statement. USA Today
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| NEWS FROM NMDC MEMBERS |
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Andrew Scott, Director of the National Railway Museum, has taken over as Acting Director of the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI) following the dismissal of Molly Jackson. The Trustees of NMSI will recruit a permanent Director in due course. More
The Natural History Museum has opened the £78m Darwin Centre, bringing together in one building visitors, scientists and collections. The building houses 17 million insect and 3 million plant specimens, as well as 220 staff and science visitors and doubles the size of the Museum’s laboratory areas. 2,500 people per day can take a self-guided journey through the collections and research areas. The new building was opened by HRH Prince William of Wales, his first major museum opening, and Sir David Attenborough. More
The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) was officially launched at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard on 18 September with a 64 gun broadside from HMS Victory. NRMN embraces the four existing Naval Service museums: the Royal Naval Museum (Portsmouth), the Royal Marines Museum (Southsea), the Royal Navy Submarine Museum (Gosport) and the Fleet Air Arm Museum (Yeovilton). NRMN will also take over responsibility for heritage and visitor services onboard HMS Victory, which will remain commissioned as a Royal Navy Flagship. The creation of NMRN is intended to provide a clear strategic focus and enable synergies and efficiencies to be harnessed for the wider benefit of naval heritage. The National Museum is now the body to which the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy will look for leadership on naval heritage matters. More
Tate has published its annual report for 2008/9, revealing a record year for acquisition and loans. 589 works were solely acquired by Tate last year, as well as 1,126 works acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland as part of Anthony D'Offay's ARTIST ROOMS collection. The total value of works acquired for the Collection in 2008/9 is £96.7 million, including £64m worth of gifts and bequests from artists and collectors. Tate also announced an increased focus on working with regional and international partners, with a record number of loans from its collection: 1,031 works lent to 117 venues in the UK and 144 abroad. In 2008/9 Tate toured 26 exhibitions to 35 international venues. Building work is expected to begin on Tate 2, the extension of Tate Modern, next year, for completion by 2012. Tate has so far raised £74m of the £215m cost of the project, only £4m of which was raised in the last 12 months. More
Tate Modern hosted the launch of 10:10, the nationwide campaign to reduce carbon emissions by 10% in 2010. National museums including Tate and the Science Museum were among the first to sign up to the campaign. www.1010uk.org
Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw MP visited the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool on 15 September to celebrate the first anniversary of Find Your Talent, the Government’s pilot cultural offer for all children and young people.
The British Library Preservation Advisory Centre is the new name for the National Preservation Office, which was integrated into the British Library Collection Care department in April. The Preservation Advisory Centre supports the preservation of library and archive collections of all types through the provision of preservation management tools, training and information services. Caroline Peach has been appointed to lead the organisation in its new form. More
Experts from the National Gallery have helped identify a painting by sixteenth-century artist Ludovico Mazzolino, which had been left in storage for more than 60 years. More
The Trustees of the British Museum visited Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums during a two- day visit to the North East of England last month. Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums is part of the British Museum's Partnership UK scheme and the two organisations have collaborated on more than twenty projects in recent years.
National Museums Liverpool has been awarded the status of Independent Research Organisation by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in recognition that the Museum's research outputs equivalent to a university or higher education institution. NML will now be able to apply directly for research funding from the AHRC.
Dai Price, the new Manager of the National Roman Legion Museum, part of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, started his career as a volunteer and spent six years as Gwern the Celt at St Fagans: National History Museum's Celtic Village. More
The National Portrait Gallery has acquired Mark Quinn's Self, a self-portrait cast of the artist's head made in 2006 from his own blood and then frozen. More
National Galleries of Scotland have announced a new catering partnership with Victor and Carina Contini. The Scottish Cafe and Restaurant at the National Gallery will be open from 9am everyday with late opening on Saturday evenings. More
The Science Museum's Flat Cap Friday iniative offers free entry to its exhibition Wallace & Gromit Present a World of Cracking Ideas exhibition to anyone coming to the museum on a Friday in October wearing a flat cap. More
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| NMDC JOBS |
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Our jobs website, www.nationalmuseumjobs.org.uk has details of over 30 current vacancies at museums around the UK including:
- Curator of Horology, National Maritime Museum
- Archive Assistant, Museum of London
- Museum Residency, Automata Maker, V&A
- Computed Tomography Research Assistant, Natural History Museum
For details of these jobs and many more visit www.nationalmuseumjobs.org.uk
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| AND FINALLY.... |
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Americans for the Arts has launched a series of TV adverts to promote arts education to young children and their parents. "The Arts. Ask For More" campaign ads include spoofs of "healthy arts food products" like "Raisin Brahms," and "Van Goghgurt," to encourage parents to make sure their kids are getting their daily serving of the arts. Americans for the Arts
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