Friends Newsletter 1 FOIM Newsletter - Summer 2009
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FOIM Newsletter - Summer 2009 Summer 2009 © Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service Ipswich Museums Friends Newsletter 1 FOIM Newsletter - Summer 2009 Contents Editor’s Notes 3 IAA Discounts 3 Chairman’s Message 4 The Friends of the Ipswich Museums Newsletter is published quarterly and Peter Berridge’s Column 5 distributed free to all members. The FOIM AGM Report 7 was set up in 1934 to support the work Friends Events and News 9 and development of the Ipswich Membership Secretary 9 Museums: Ipswich Museum in the High Mansion Guides 10 Street (including Gallery 3 at the Town Webmaster 10 Hall) , Christchurch Mansion and the Visit to Cumbria 11 Wolsey Gallery in Christchurch Park. Since April 2007 the Ipswich Museums New Darwin Letter 13 have been managed as part of the New Constable Portraits 14 Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service. Reserving Judgement 15 Friends continue to provide financial Ipswich’s Wallace Collection 16 support to the Ipswich Museums as well Persian Splendours 17 as acting as volunteers. The Friends run Summer at the Mansion 19 outings, lectures and other events for their A Letter from Bristol 20 members. Ipswich Museum Highlights 22 The Friends provide guided tours of both Colchester Events 23 the Mansion and the Museum, including Other Ipswich Organisations 23 free taster tours of the Mansion on FOIM Council 2009 –2010 24 Wednesday afternoons during British Corporate Members 24 Summer Time. Tours can be booked by contacting the Mansion (01473 433554). FOIM is a member of the British Association of Friends of Museums and Ipswich Arts Association. Cover Illustration: Friends at Tullie House—see visit report on page 11 or Contributions to the Autumn 2009 Amédée Forestier, A Scene from Omar Newsletter should be sent to the editor by Khayyam 3 August (address on back cover). Please visit our website at www.foim.org.uk. Jerry Latham would welcome your comments. We have already started to use the website to advertise events which are notified too late to be printed in the Newsletter (also see page 10). 2 FOIM Newsletter - Summer 2009 Editor’s Notes I must start by apologising to Valerie Irwin. Friends copies of the events list which She holds the copyright to the drawing Service publishes every three months. shown on the front cover of the last issue. This means that I will not longer publish I incorrectly attributed the copyright to the children’s events. Starting with this issue I Museum Service.. will only be including information about events which are of particular interest to In this issue we welcome our new adult members. Chairman Mary Southwood who was elected at our AGM in April. There is also Mary Halliwell a summary of the decisions made at the AGM for those who were unable to come. The Winter Lectures were not very well attended this year. This was very disappointing after all the hard work put in by Mary Hollis. The Council are considering what should be organised for the coming winter. Please let us know your views. I have been talking to Lynette Burgess at Colchester about informing Friends about Museum events. Lynette tells me that the Museum Service will be sending the Ipswich Arts Association Discounts FOIM is a subscribing member of the will include the Ipswich Civic Concerts, Ipswich Arts Association and this entitles and certain ballet and opera events at the its individual members to discounts on Ipswich Regent Theatre. The concessions certain events promoted by Ipswich do not extend to other promoted events Borough Council. To obtain these concessions, please Paid-up members of societies affiliated to produce a current membership card Ipswich Arts Association may receive confirming your affiliation to FOIM when special offers on some events promoted booking. by Ipswich Borough Council. These events 3 FOIM Newsletter - Summer 2009 Chairman’s Message It is now two years since the merger of Ipswich and Colchester Museums and clearly the result has been SUCCESS. The museums have continued to develop and expand and visitor numbers are rising. Everyone involved has worked very hard and there is still much to do. Christchurch Mansion looks splendid under a perfect new roof and the collection is safe from the weather. The Friends' web site is now up and running; here you can get interesting news about the museums and the activities of the Friends, so log on to Thank you for making me Chairman of the www.foim.org.uk. Friends of the Ipswich Museums; It is a privilege. Did you go to a Winter Lecture this year? Mary Hollis worked hard, but I have been involved in the Museums attendance was not good. Do you since 2002, soon after I moved into have any ideas about time, date, Ipswich. A friend (in both senses) venue or subject that you think would suggested joining the Friends would be a make the lectures more attractive ? If good way to meet a lot of really nice so, please let us know. The Lectures people and do something interesting; I are for your enjoyment took her advice and began training as a This summer promises to be very exciting guide. This made me so curious that I was at Ipswich Museums. I am looking forward soon looking for extra information to to the opera costumes and lots more, answer my own and visitors' questions. As organised by the Museum Service. I do the research goes on I have, indeed, met hope you enjoy the pleasures that Ipswich many charming people and increased my Museums offer. Please feel free to make circle of (F)friends. I have enjoyed many of suggestions for Friends activities; your Alan's well organised yet relaxed trips membership is greatly appreciated. Thank (though I was not able to go on the latest you adventure, unfortunately). I have attended fascinating talks and relaxed at Christmas Mary Southwood parties and other social events. My friend Chairman has some very good ideas! 4 FOIM Newsletter - Summer 2009 Peter Berridge’s Column Our Joint Museum Service between the county and the city. In terms of what they are looking to do they seem As I am writing this it is in the latter part of to be drawing very heavily on our model May 2009 which means that we are now particularly in terms of the legal framework firmly into the third year of the operation of they are adopting. It will be very the joint museum service across Ipswich interesting to follow the progress of this and Colchester. As the months and years initiative over the next few months. On the go on the fact of the partnership same issue of sharing our experience I arrangement and its ongoing success will have also been asked to give a talk about be a matter of less and less comment, as it the Colchester and Ipswich model at the will just become part of the accepted way Museum Association’s annual conference of doing things. For the present, however, in October which this year is being held in it is still something that is very much on London. people’s minds. On a national level this form of partnership, in the cultural sector, Our National Profile is still very rare though increasingly In creating the new museum service it was commonplace in many other aspects of identified that one of the results would be Local Authority activity. This rarity places an increased profile both regionally and a value on the experience gained through nationally. From what I have just the creation and management of our described it is clear that in terms of profile shared museum service to the extent that a positive result has been achieved. This others are directly seeking advice as they is not simply a vain glorious exercise as it consider similar partnerships themselves. brings with it some real and clear benefits. Sharing our Experiences Certainly various partnership projects have and are being developed because of this Over the last couple of years there have which in particular has led to various been several enquiries which have funding opportunities being opened up. involved discussions over the phone and Both I and other members of museum staff sharing some of the various documents are also being asked to be part of various and reports that were written as part of the initiatives and bodies at both a regional creation of Colchester and Ipswich and national level. For instance I have Museum Service. Last year I gave a talk been asked to form part of a advisory to share the experience of Colchester and group formed by the National Museum Ipswich at an event in Birmingham, which Directors Conference (an organisation that was looking at governance arrangements brings the nationals together) to look at in museums. In part, as a result of this last enhancing national-regional partnerships. week I attended a meeting in Worcester in This not only shows that we are seen as a order to give some advice towards the credible and influential partner for national creation of a merged museum service 5 FOIM Newsletter - Summer 2009 museums but the involvement itself opens track of one of these). The overall project up opportunities for partnership working. will see a wide range of activities from working with community groups, such as Working with China the Ipswich based children’s Chinese As a direct result of our increased profile Drum Ensemble, to mounting international we now form part of a partnership project loan exhibitions from China. While some organised by the British Museum who have of these will be one of events every been given a grant from the DCMS to work opportunity will be taken to ensure that a with a number of regional museums under lasting legacy is achieved whether it be the theme of China.