IMPACT REPORT 2015 / 16 Our mission A busy year Our mission is to help people determine their place in More than 1.4 million visits were made to Tyne & Wear Archives & the world and define their identities, so enhancing their Museums (TWAM) venues in 2015-16 and included in those were the tens of thousands of people flocking to see works by Leonardo self-respect and their respect for others. da Vinci and Picasso at the Laing Art Gallery. Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) manages nine museums Meanwhile we worked with Newcastle University to raise £3.8m and galleries and the archives for Tyne and Wear. The TWAM Joint Committee is made up of representatives of the four Tyneside local for the redevelopment of the Hatton Gallery, we saw Hadrian authorities. We also manage a museum and a gallery on behalf of Primary School decant their teaching to Arbeia Roman Fort as part Newcastle University. of the My Primary School is at the Museum project in partnership with Kings College, London, work was completed on the £500,000 TWAM is a Core Funded Museum receiving funding from Arts Northern Powerhouse project at Segedunum and our youngest Council in recognition of its commitment to the successful visitors were welcomed to the Creative Baby programme at the delivery of services to new and diverse audiences. TWAM is also Shipley Art Gallery. a Major Partner Museum supported by Arts Council. Cllr Ged Bell Iain Watson Chair of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums Elsewhere, members of a diverse mix of community groups took Director Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums Joint Committee We manage the North East Museum Development Programme part in our various outreach programmes, young people learned supporting smaller museums across the region and Culture Bridge new digital skills in our Future Makers events and 621 volunteers North East, working to make sure that every child and young gave their time to support TWAM. person has the opportunity to experience the richness of the arts and culture. Our work to instill a culture of enterprise across the organisation continued to pay off and we saw a 91% increase in overall donations and a fantastic 108% increase in income from events. TWAM continued to support museums across the North East through the Museum Development programme and we received a Green Apple Award for delivering the Make Carbon History project, Contents enabling 15 museums to achieve greater levels of environmental sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint. As you can imagine, it’s been another busy year at Tyne & Wear Our Achievements 5 TWAM in Newcastle 20 Archives & Museums and I hope you enjoy reading about some of The year in brief… 7 TWAM in North Tyneside 22 the highlights in this year’s Impact Report. People 11 TWAM in South Tyneside 24 Community engagement 12 TWAM working with Newcastle University 26 Children and Young People 15 Tyne & Wear Archives 28 Digital Audiences 17 Working in Partnership 29 Friends and other Organisations 18 Enterprise and resilience 31 TWAM in Gateshead 19 Summary of Financial Results 33 2 Cover image credit: A photograph from the Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums - impact report 2015 / 16 3 collection, which can be found using our new Collections Dive. Did you know that in 2015/16 we achieved… 166,377 children took part in organised educational activities 1,464,919 743,070 102,813 More than 1.4 million visits visits to our website followers on social media were made to our venues 4,477 £186,433 £104,075 engagements with our 108% increase in 91% increase in outreach programme events income on-site donations 36,057 +91% 28,000 volunteer hours from increase in overall donations loan boxes used by children, 621 volunteers young people, teachers and adults £558,516 31,300 +78% 11% increase in visits to the late shows, increase in private donations, retail performance our annual museums at including on-site gifts, appeals night event and patrons 4 Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums - impact report 2015 / 16 5 The year in brief... Museum Development WallQuest In 2015 - 16 the North East Museum Development Through the WallQuest community archaeology Programme launched a three year initiative project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, responding to the needs of museums and the 500 volunteers from communities along Hadrian’s communities they serve. Two major strands of Wall have taken part in excavations or research. work have been Understanding Audiences - helping museums to better understand their The work of WallQuest volunteers led to the visitors and deliver the best possible experience, spectacular discovery at Wallsend of the original and Enterprising Museums - assisting museums Roman bath house at Segedunum and, this to develop commercial opportunities, business year, excavation work at the site continued to confidence and entrepreneurial skills. uncover the remains. A £500,000 grant from the government will now enable the remains of the Over 50 Accredited museums ranging from bath house to be preserved and go on show to the small volunteer-run museums to university, local public, alongside other significant developments authority and larger independent museums at Segedunum - a visible legacy of the efforts of benefited from professional advice and guidance. the community volunteers of WallQuest. Approximately £95,000 of grant funding was distributed to improve services and build resilience, £60,000 of which was awarded for capital improvements to increase the number of collections loans coming in to the region. Image above: WallQuest volunteers 6 Image left: Lady Waterford Hall, one of the museums supported through Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums - impact report 2015 / 16 7 our Museum Development programme. Hatton Future This year has seen recruitment of another 10 £3.8 million was raised as part of the Hatton volunteer tour guides who will be bringing the Roman Future campaign, in partnership with Newcastle sites in the North East to life for visitors, while the University, to fund the ambitious redevelopment WallWatch volunteer team has increased to 80. of the Hatton Gallery. Money from the Heritage In February the first community conference, the Lottery Fund, trusts and foundations was boosted Hadrian’s Wall Networking Day, was delivered with by donations from members of the public who great success as many individuals and community have supported this transformation of the Hatton groups attended and celebrated their association into a vibrant and modern exhibition space, with the World Heritage Site. scheduled to reopen in 2017. The programme of free exploration events has Environmental Records Information Centre continued covering a wide range of topics including (ERIC) Roman pottery and the management and conservation of the Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail. ERIC now holds almost 2.8 million species records relating to wildlife in the region. ERIC works Contemporary collecting in partnership with organisations, groups and individuals to collate data on species, habitats and A Creative Case bursary from Arts Council England sites which can inform wildlife conservation and allowed TWAM to work with external partners planning, and has recently signed new data sharing with disability arts backgrounds to review the agreements with Northumberland Badger Group representation of disability in our collections. We and Teesmouth Bird Club. worked with young people with learning disabilities who gave valuable insights which will shape the way This year the ERIC team assisted with managing we represent diversity in the collection. data for the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Cold-blooded and Spineless Alongside an exhibition at Discovery Museum about project which is encouraging invertebrate the Newcastle West End food bank, TWAM acquired recording in the North Pennines. a typical family food parcel for the collection, representing the issue of food poverty in Tyneside. A highlight of the public events programme was the North East Wildlife Recording Conference in Stories about people from the region were collected November 2015, attended by more than 90 people in the form of digital stories and oral histories as part who heard about the variety of wildlife recording of the Great North Greats programme (in partnership activity and projects taking place across the North with Great North Run Culture and supported by East from a range of speakers. the Heritage Lottery Fund), including stories of ordinary people with extraordinary achievements. Hadrian’s Wall Community Champions An experimental project called Data Bus was used Now in its second year, this Heritage Lottery Fund to test the idea of collecting data and sounds. funded programme continues to engage local Data relating to Newcastle’s number 31 bus route communities with the protection, understanding was collected in partnership with Newcastle and presentation of the Hadrian’s Wall World University’s Open Lab, resulting in an installation Heritage Site. at Discovery Museum. 8 Image: Items collected from the West End food bank Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums - impact report 2015 / 16 9 People The profile of TWAM’s audience broadly reflects Culture Track the demographic profile of the region’s population Culture Track, supported by the Paul Hamlyn although it varies across our venues. 62% of visitors Foundation, is our volunteering programme are from Tyne and Wear, 48% visit with children aged tailored to young people aged 18 to 25 who are under 16 years, 37% are from socio economic groups facing barriers to employment. The volunteering C2DE and 14% of our visitors have a disability. opportunities help to prepare the young people Research carried out into our visitors’ experience for the world of work and a new volunteer role shows that levels of satisfaction are very high - 96% at Discovery Museum has been created as part of visitors to our venues would recommend them to of the scheme - Interactive Demonstrators. The others.