A MUSEUM FOR GRAVESHAM?
A feasibility study for Gravesham Borough Council
prepared by Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott
October 2010
A MUSEUM FOR GRAVESHAM? – A Feasibility Study
Contents
1.0 The Brief and the Process
2.0 The Context: Policies, Stakeholders and Current Provision
3.0 Collections and storylines
4.0 Location
5.0 Defining a museum for Gravesham
6.0 Costs and sources of funding
7.0 Practical partnerships
8.0 Governance
9.0 Next steps
Appendix 1 Consultation interviews
Appendix 2 Analysis of Residents’ Panel Questionnaire Survey
Appendix 3 Desirable Spatial Relationships within the Museum
Appendix 4 Sources of information
Cover illustrations (from top ) Northfleet hoard, 1000BC (WG1712-20), silver Anglo Saxon cross from Pelham Street (1839,0319.1),14 th century tile, Northfleet (BM no to follow), Gravesend waterfront A H Thompson, early 19 th century (GBC Civic Collection), 18 th century watchmaker’s paper (1958,1006.2510), wooden fashion doll, about 1830 (GBC collection), Victorian Rosherville Gardens season ticket , (MG.716)
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010
1.0 The Brief and the process
1.1 In February 2010 Gravesham Borough Council commissioned a Feasibility Study to consider a potential Museum for Gravesham. Two independent consultants, Val Bott and Pat Astley- Cooper, were appointed to undertake the work. The research and consultation was completed in May 2010; the final text of the report was completed in October .
1.2 The Council required the Feasibility Study to assist in deciding the following questions:
• is there a need for a Museum for Gravesham? • are there sufficient artefacts of appropriate quality for a museum? • where might such a museum be located?
In addition the Study was intended to advise and make recommendations upon the appropriate scope and scale for a local museum and to provide indicative capital and revenue costs to aid the Council in its decision making.
1.3 A programme of research and consultation was agreed and the following work has been undertaken as a result: • desk research into council policies and statistics, the Kent museums community, Gravesham’s history, collections of artefacts and images and potential story-lines • consultation with stakeholders and potential partners, either face to face or by telephone • a survey of the Borough’s Residents Panel by questionnaire, • an initial assessment of the collections currently held by the Borough Council and the local societies • visits to Towncentric, The Chantry Heritage Centre and New Tavern Fort, and • an exploration of Gravesend and Northfleet, considering potential locations .
1.4 Following this phase of the work, we presented the outcomes to the steering group of officers and council members. In summary, we reported finding • a substantial and enthusiastic response to the survey, suggesting that there is a real demand and support for a local museum from the community, • clear support for a lively and attractive presentation of the history of the area for local residents, schools and visitors to the area, with potential to contribute to the local economy, • significant collections held by various bodies which may be available for loan and a small collection of good quality items belonging to the Borough Council itself, suggesting that a museum could succeed on a sufficient scale to attract tourists, • some difficulty in identifying an existing building to house such a museum but a clear message that it should be located in the centre of Gravesend and make use of the opportunities offered by planned regeneration and development in the town, • a lack of expertise and capacity to take on such a big project in the small team managing heritage services, which must be remedied if the project is to succeed, and • the need to decide upon an appropriate form of governance for such a museum.
1.5 We have considered the outcomes of this research and the consultation process against the pattern of provision in neighbouring districts and the need to define what a Museum A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 for Gravesham might be and do. We have provided information on sources of potential capital funding, on likely sources of revenue funding including earned income, and on sustainability, to help the Council make a decision about creating such a museum.
2.0 The Context : Policies, Stakeholders and Current Provision
Formal responsibility for aspects of Gravesham’s heritage lies with Gravesham Borough Council, Kent County Council and English Heritage. In addition, local groups have contributed substantially to the interpretation of its history. Though The Chantry opens only in the summer and the Old Town Hall Museum has closed, the Residents’ Panel Survey revealed considerable enthusiasm for local history in the Borough.
The creation of a museum offering attractive exhibits, with strong community and education programmes, would respond to local demand and could make a considerable contribution towards fulfilling Gravesham Borough Council’s policies for community identity, regeneration and tourism development.
2.1 A Place of Choice – the Gravesham Corporate Plan 2008/11 2.1.1 The Corporate Plan defines key aims and aspirations for the Borough; those which lie within the areas of Business and Regeneration and of Communities, provide the essential context for this Feasibility Study. Amongst other things the Plan seeks to • maximise the use of the Borough’s cultural assets for both residents and visitors • foster vibrant and cohesive communities, in part through an outdoor festival programme • secure the long-term viability of Gravesend Town Centre • maximise regeneration opportunities for the benefit of existing and new communities • raise the profile of tourism and develop a stronger tourism market, and • invest in the future of Gravesham through work with its youth, in part through inter- generational activities bringing young and old together.
2.2 Other policies and strategies 2.2.1 The Borough’s Cultural Strategy 2008-12 was prepared with the aim of building upon a 2003 Kent Thameside Cultural Strategy , agreed jointly with Dartford Borough Council, from which little seems to have emerged in heritage terms for Gravesham . The borough’s Cultural Strategy recognises “Gravesham is uniquely positioned to maximise the benefits of a truly historic heritage quarter and stunning waterfront”.
2.2.2 The Gravesham Tourism Strategy 2009-12 offers a stronger vision, confirming the significant contribution tourism is already making to the local economy (almost £100m generated in 2006) and the value of the award-winning Towncentric. It identifies as short- comings the absence of a specific, possibly commercial, attraction to draw in visitors and the lack of good quality accommodation and restaurants. It sees famous people like Pocahontas, Charles Dickens and General Gordon as having potential to attract visitors, along with the area’s significant Thames-related history but, in practice, it is not easy for an outsider visiting the area to make the local links with these individuals.
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 2.2.3 The Tourism Strategy sensibly sees the wide range of things which visitors might enjoy – rural landscapes and Gravesend’s townscape, the Thames, the scattering of attractive villages and historic buildings – as a strength to be promoted. It points to future opportunities for strengthening what Gravesham offers, including vastly improved transport links, Mark Wallinger’s White Horse sculpture at Ebbsfleet, the redevelopment of Gravesend’s heritage quarter, the potential for attracting cruise liners to the river front and a possible Dickens bicentenary celebration in 2012.
2.2.4 Gravesham Borough Council values, interprets and already promotes its heritage. It recognises that the time is now ripe to develop a strong Heritage Strategy which would consolidate and make more coherent what it offers. Such a strategy will embrace the movable (collections) and intangible (memories, stories and skills) heritage as well as buildings and landscapes. It will provide the basis for more formal agreements in regard to its work with local heritage volunteers. The adoption of such a strategy and the develop- ment of more formal partnerships would be of considerable value in positioning a new museum service in the local economy and in preparing applications for external funding.
2.2.5 An attractive and distinctive Museum for Gravesham could play a very significant role in helping fulfill the vision which would result from bringing these elements together: • it offers the potential to be the specific attraction which draws people in, contributing to both the regeneration agenda and the development of the tourism market • it would provide a long-term means of strengthening local identity for existing communities and create a sense of place for the many new residents likely to move into Thames Gateway developments • it would offer special opportunities for bringing old and young people together, and • it would also provide a strong sense of what “Gravesham Borough” comprises, building upon the success of Towncentric in the last decade.
2.2.6 Furthermore it would attract new audiences for the Borough’s heritage – and foster a new generation of volunteer supporters to share that heritage with those new audiences – by presenting dramatic and lively story-lines built around major local themes over several millennia. It has the very special potential of offering genuine inter-generational work for young and old working together on historical projects and acting as ambassadors for Gravesham’s rich heritage.
2.3 Care for and Management of Gravesham’s heritage 2.3.1 Gravesham Borough Council has been promoting the heritage of its area for some years through a series of leaflets, guided walks, information panels and a web-site, under the brand name Discover Gravesham. In addition, there has been investment in historic buildings and landscapes, such as the Gravesend High Street Heritage Quarter, the New Tavern Fort and Riverside Gardens Leisure Area, and the Darnley Mausoleum.
2.3.2 Matters relating to the Borough’s heritage are managed through several council departments, including planning (historic buildings), economic development (Towncentric, the visitor centre, and tourism) and arts and heritage (The Chantry Heritage Centre, New Tavern Fort, Civil Defence Control Centre, events, etc). In the absence of a strategic overview of Gravesham’s heritage, some local residents have not fully recognised the local
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 authority’s active engagement with the borough’s heritage. The borough has been identified by the regional office for the Heritage Lottery Fund as one from which it has received too few applications for funding, a situation which may also in part have resulted from the absence of a Heritage Strategy. HLF has defined Gravesham as one of its priority areas for the period up to 2013 and it would welcome good quality funding applications from the district.
2.3.3 Kent County Council provides library services, with a local studies collection at Gravesend Library which will be more accessible after upgrading work to the building due for completion in 2011. There is also a county archive which holds some relevant material for the history of Gravesham.
2.3.4 The County Council does not provide a museum service for the county though it has employed advisers to support museums in its area. Some time ago, probably in the 1980s, its then Museums Officer worked with the Gravesend Historical Society on a joint computer cataloguing project using MODES software. What survives from this exercise includes large manual card indexes and some object lists; the Museum Development Officer for Kent and Medway has been able to supply paper indexes of the collections by social history subject and by donors, but the digital content may no longer be complete.
2.3.5 During the last 15 years or so, major archaeological works have been undertaken across the whole of Kent in connection with the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the upgrading of major roads, especially the A2. Much of this material remains in store, for example with the archaeological units which were contracted to excavate in advance of construction works. The timbers from the Anglo-Saxon Ebbsfleet watermill are awaiting conservation treatment; currently they are in wet storage at the Chatham Dockyard Museum, at the County Council’s expense. The County has plans for a future Archaeolog- ical Archives Centre to house the bulk of the finds, but the proposals for such a Centre also envisage major finds being shown within the districts where they were discovered.
2.3.6 The County Council also owns the Old Town Hall in the Gravesend High Street and co- ordinated a major refurbishment of this historic building completed in 2010. Unfortunately this required the closure of the small local museum run by members of the Gravesend Historical Society, and this has not been reinstated in the restored building.
2.3.7 English Heritage There is a long-standing deed of guardianship by means of which English Heritage oversees the care of The Chantry which dates back at least to the early 14 th century and which is listed Grade 2*. The building belongs to Gravesham Borough Council, but the guardianship arrangement dates back to a time in the 1960s when the building was neglected and threatened with demolition by the then Gravesend Corporation. The deed of guardianship was signed in 1972. Since this time it has various usages before becoming the Chantry Heritage Centre in the late 1980s. T he lack of heating makes it extremely unsuitable for historic collections, while the many floor levels make it almost impossible to create easy access for visitors with impaired mobility.
2.3.8 Discussions between the local authority and the regional officers of English Heritage in the spring of 2010 suggested that the latter may be able to assist with some improvements. However, they expressed caution about the installation of heating because of the potential A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 structural damage which could result. This means that it is unlikely that the building could be upgraded for museum collections, but its significance means that it should remain open. The government’s Comprehensive Spending Review in October 2010 cut English Heritage’s budget severely, so they may not now be able to provide much in the way of grant funding.
2.3.9 Local societies During summer weekends The Chantry, and New Tavern Fort are staffed by volunteers from the Gravesend Historical Society and Thames Defence Heritage. This arrangement has continued for some years, in a relatively informal fashion. In practice the local authority
Contribution of Gravesend Historical Society and Thames Defence Heritage
New Tavern Fort Restoration 6 skilled, 4 unskilled people, half a day a 5,250 skilled days work week, Sundays x 50 weeks x 35 years 3,500 unskilled days 5 additional people, half a day a week 2,750 days Tuesdays for 50 weeks over 22 years Opening to 2 people opening the magazines x half a 880 days visitors day on Saturdays and Sundays x 5 months (say 20 times) for first 22 years open 2 people opening the magazines x half a 144 days day on Saturdays and Sundays x 6 months (say 24 times) x most recent 3 years Maintenance Electrical installation (previous system) 1,000 days etc and maintenance of system x 35 years Manufacturing of cartridge cylinders and 100 days replicas in workshop (Wednesdays) Maintenance painting of magazines on 30 days Friday evenings Manufacture of replica shells and 300 days furnishings off-site over 35 years The Chantry Opening to 2 people opening the Chantry, half day on 144 days visitors Saturdays and Sundays x 6 months x 3 years Both special group openings each year for the 20 days past 12 years Project management, preparing pub- 1,050 days lications, 30 days per year for one person x 35 years 15,168 Archives Room Answering Allow one person half a day, say 50 375 days queries: local & Sundays pa for 15 years family history Total days 15,543
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 has funded most recent capital and revenue expenditure relating to these sites, covering such matters as power supplies and health and safety works to the Fort. Through an operational agreement GBC pays a fee (currently £4,200) to Thames Defence Heritage to cover the public opening hours of The Chantry Heritage Centre (April-September weekends and Bank Holidays) and to inspect and report back any issues during the closed period. The Fort magazines are also opened and staffed by Thames Defence Heritage during the same season without a fee from the Council. However, they charge for admission and retain the income received (currently £1 for adults and 50p children/concessions). In addition, the collections of Thames Defence Heritage and Gravesend Historical Society have been assembled by the volunteers in various parts of the site and they open an Archives Room informally for public enquiries almost every Sunday.
2.3.10 For the purpose of this Study the consultants asked the two heritage groups to provide some indication of their input of labour into The Chantry and The Fort over the years; these are summarised in the table which follows. It has been a substantial contribution to sustaining and presenting Gravesend’s heritage, totalling over 15,500 days’ work.
2.3.11 In addition, Thames Defence Heritage calculates the value of donated items and support services, grants, etc which they have brought to the Fort since their involvement began, as being £47,700. This covers the following:
• electrical fittings, wire and equipment plus electrical design services • timber and building materials • grants for works and donations of cash • crane and truck time donated • grants for publications and Kent County Council funding for leaflets • donations of tools and equipment, and • the gift of guns which have become the property of Gravesham Borough Council.
2.3.12 There are currently some differences of opinion between these voluntary supporters and the Borough Council about the management of these two attractions. In our opinion these have arisen in part because there is no formal agreement between the Council and the two organisations concerned, but may also, in part, have arisen through a lack of clarity in communication. Over a long time, the heritage organisations have gradually moved into a position where they behave almost as if they are owners rather than stewards of these two historic structures. Their collections, along with a portion of the Borough Council’s collections, now occupy much of the magazines and this has become a substantial responsibility. A compromise is needed as soon as practicable to enable The Chantry and The Fort to remain open to visitors and to ensure the best care of their holdings.
2.3.13 However, the two heritage organisations are not the only players in Gravesham’s history. The Borough Council is investing time and money in considering the best future for both collections and buildings; its willingness to consider the matter in some detail and to identify the best approach, particularly after the loss of Old Town Hall Museum, is significant and should be welcomed by all who care about Gravesham’s past. It is to be hoped that the various heritage bodies currently involved in discussions with the local authority can find an effective solution which is mutually agreeable.
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 2.4 Review of current heritage interpretation 2.4.1 Much has been achieved, despite limited resources, to present Gravesham’s heritage. However, for tourists arriving in Gravesend there is a strong risk of disappointment unless they find Towncentric. Armed with the background details from the information panels there and a handful of leaflets it is possible to explore on one’s own. But St George’s Church is often closed, so its Pocahontas display is not available, so the only place to identify with her is the statue. The viewing point beside the restaurant at the Town Pier offers a delightful place to observe Thames traffic, but seems to be little used. Exploring the riverfront downstream of the town centre, with a few information panels and a chance to sit close to the water, is possible but, unless you have picked up a trail leaflet, the route to the Chantry and the Fort requires persistence and, on arrival, both are likely to be closed.
2.4.2 While the villages and rural parkland are promoted, the astonishing scale of the quarries at Northfleet is barely mentioned, yet there are vantage points which reveal the past wealth of the place and the dramatic changes it has undergone which could be visited now and should be interpreted in future developments.
2.4.3 The Chantry and the Fort open on summer weekends but visitor numbers are modest. The hand-painted signboards are shabby and, despite the fact that there are usually one or two people sitting outside the front door of each, there is no sense of a buzz there. Only about half of the 400 questionnaire survey respondents had visited and more than half of them found little reason to return, while 20% said they had only just found out about it. On a fine day visitors appear more likely to be sitting on the water’s edge, using the new outdoor gym or playing quietly in the gardens with small children. The volunteer stewards are unhappy about the football games going on around the bandstand and a recent confront- ation between the volunteers and local teenagers was difficult to handle. Such problems are probably inevitable without any programme of engagement with the community on the doorstep or staff to supervise the Fort Gardens.
2.4.4 Fundamentally, Gravesham is underselling its history, yet there is a nationally significant story to tell and local achievements to celebrate. The graphic displays at The Chantry have survived the damp environment, but the objects shown there are probably deteriorating. The addition of panels of framed black and white photos to these displays has not really added much to the experience. The presentation of the Fort has been imaginatively created, but some elements could be upgraded with glazed barriers instead of the chunky wooden ones and some of the graphics also need replacement because of damage from dampness.
2.4.5 Though history society volunteers do some educational work with schools, their capacity to contribute an educational programme, while also attempting to catalogue their collections, offer guided walks and keep the two sites open, is not at the level a borough the size of Gravesham ought to be providing. The knowledge and expertise of some members of the volunteer team, as well as that of other local historians is very important. Since most of them are retired people, a means must be found to share the fruits of their research with others to ensure its transfer to a new generation who can follow in their footsteps.
2.4.6 The Residents’ Panel survey revealed enthusiasm for Towncentric amongst those who knew it existed. The very helpful staff, the range of leaflets and publications and the use of A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 the exhibition panels for topical and planning displays mean that it has made a mark. The signage from the station is confusing, however. Some spaces are cluttered with items for sale which may have been added since it was first planned. The most useful publications it offers are the free large square-format leaflet, which lists most of the places to visit in the Borough, and the simple Gravesend trail leaflet, both available without charge.
2.4.7 The Discover Gravesham web pages are packed with interesting information and provide a useful resource. The Council has recently taken over the management of the site and has plans for its expansion. With additional resources and expertise navigation could be simplified and on-line learning resources and virtual exhibitions could be added. If this were done, then information about collections and plans for special exhibitions or community history projects would form a natural part of what is offered there.
3.0 Collections and Storylines
A number of collections of historic objects and images relating to the Gravesham area have been identified as part of this Feasibility Study. The Borough Council’s collection includes significant and interesting objects, some of which are displayed at The Chantry, but most are in store and inaccessible. Others belong to a variety of owners, including museums in neighbouring districts, national museums and private collectors. Loans of objects and reproduction rights for images would have to be negotiated from their owners should they be required for future museum exhibitions.
We can confirm that good collections exist and strong storylines could be developed around them to tell the rich local story over several millennia. There is considerable potential for a successful and exciting Gravesham Museum.
3.1 “The Gravesham Collection” 3.1.1 This title has been used locally as an overall description of collections owned by Gravesham Borough Council and Gravesend Historical Society and includes some private loans. Some collections belonging to the Council are displayed at The Chantry while about 900 objects, formerly displayed at the Old Town Hall local history museum, are now stored at the Civic Centre. A few items are on long-term loan. The collection includes Roman pottery, brooches and coins from Springhead, social history items such as trade tokens, clay pipes, medals, coins, military badges, fire marks, costume, a man trap, a Ragged School banner, ship models, WW2 ration cards, a baby’s gas mask and part of a German aircraft with Swastika symbol. The Borough Council has displays of civic regalia, silver cups and medals and portraits of local notables on show in the areas by the mayor’s parlour.
3.1.2 Some of the Gravesend Historical Society’s collections are on display at The Chantry, including such artefacts from Springhead as a rare Roman altar and fine Roman jewellery including the famous enamelled hare brooch. The Chantry displays also include objects relating to Gravesend’s industrial history, river connections and civic life. Further objects from the Gravesham Collection are stored in the magazines at the New Tavern Fort.
3.1.3 Thames Defence Heritage owns artefacts and replicas on display at New Tavern Fort with cannon and armaments, and have installed historical tableaux depicting World War 2 bombing and air raid scenes. These have been assembled specifically to interpret the site and are unlikely to be available or required for the creation of a new museum. A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010
3.2 Archaeological finds 3.2.1 The extraordinary quantity and quality of excavated material generated by railway and road works in north Kent over the past 20 years enables the story of Gravesham to be told through several millennia. While some excavations have revealed evidence of early settlement (though few artefacts), others have revealed stunning objects. Together these contribute to the potential for developing very exciting displays telling Gravesham’s story.
3.2.2 Amongst the galaxy of finds, excavations at Ebbsfleet uncovered the skeleton of an unusual type of elephant last present in Britain 100,000 years ago and part of a rare Anglo-Saxon watermill, while the widening of the A2 revealed two very significant Roman burials with bronze vessels and gaming boards. Excavations at Springhead over many decades have shown it to be a very significant religious centre in Iron Age and Roman times.
3.2.3 The finds have been amassed over a long period and the absence of either a county museum or a fully-fledged Gravesham district museum means that most remain with the excavation units. The digital records on the Archaeological Data Service web-site indicate that excavated material remains with the Museum of London Archaeological Service, Oxford Archaeology, Wessex Archaeology, the Canterbury Archaeological Trust and Archaeology South East. The material is stored in many different places and agreements on future ownership and loans need to be finalised. A searchable database of archaeological sites, with details of who excavated them and where finds are kept, can be found on the web-site of the Archaeological Data Service at: http://tinyurl.com/37y7uo .
3.3 Private Collections 3.3.1 A number of items which might be made available to a new museum belong to private individuals. Local collectors have already shared postcards, images of objects and film clips on the Discover Gravesham web-site. One local collector has a substantial collection of General Gordon memorabilia as well as souvenir china from Rosherville Gardens for which he would like to find a long-term home and would probably bequeath these to Gravesham Borough. Another local collector has a large collection of local postcards.
3.3.2 For the purpose of this Study , there has not been time to research further private collections but the experience of other museum projects indicates that many loans or gifts are offered as gifts or loans once there is a suitable home for them.
3.4 Public collections 3.4.1 Further material of local relevance – particularly documents, photographs, prints and paintings – will be found in the archive and library collections held by Kent County Libraries. The most long-established museums in neighbouring districts will almost certainly have a small amount of relevant material and the ADS database indicates that there are finds in the collections at Rochester and Maidstone. The curator at Dartford Museum indicated that there was a small amount of material in the collection in his care and believed his local authority would be happy to lend or transfer such items to Gravesham.
3.4.2 A collection relating to HM Customs and Excise was displayed at the Custom House in Gravesend until 2006 but the most significant items have been transferred to National Museums Liverpool where they are now in the UK Border Agency Museum. Its web-site can A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 be seen here http://tinyurl.com/36c8blb . At the time of writing, The Custom House in Gravesend is being refurbished but the curator at Liverpool has offered to find a contact there who could work with the Borough Council should a museum go ahead. This material could be invaluable in displays explaining the significance of Gravesend’s role as London’s port from the middle ages until the 19 th century.
3.4.3 Preliminary research of on-line museum databases has revealed Gravesham items which may be available, such as archaeological finds, prints and drawings in The British Museum (see http://tinyurl.com/3a4pmnh and ship models, drawings and oil paintings at the National Maritime Museum (http://tinyurl.com/2vn4sqm ). The Museum of London owns a Gravesend Regatta skiff, and amongst its art collection, two fine paintings of soldiers boarding ship at Gravesend and returning at the time of the Indian Mutiny (see http://tinyurl.com/2ujxkcl ) – the paintings have recently been included in the newly- opened galleries at the Museum of London, but high quality reproductions could be obtained.
3.4.4 The Sikh Community This long-standing minority community represents about 7% of Gravesham’s population and is currently constructing the largest temple in the UK. When we consulted them, representatives of the Sikh community expressed interest in assisting with the loan or acquisition of objects to represent the history, religion and cultural and economic contribution of the Sikh community in Gravesend. As the town had links by sea to India for centuries, no Gravesham Museum could tell the local story without taking up this offer.
3.5 Stewardship and long term preservation of collections
3.5.1 Accreditation The Museum Accreditation Scheme is used as a basic standard by a number of funding bodies; some will only support Accredited Museums, while others are pleased to assist museums to reach that standard. It requires a professional and comprehensive approach to managing museum collections. This includes clarity of ownership and governance, access to professional curatorial and conservation expertise, secure housing for collections in an appropriate environment and documentation to accepted standards. At present none of these requirements can be met by Gravesham Borough Council and for this reason it ought not to be accepting new acquisitions until collections care has been improved.
3.5.2 Environmental conditions The conditions for objects on display in The Chantry Heritage Centre and stored in the magazines in the Old Tavern Fort are highly unsuitable. Both premises are without heating and little environmental control apart from dehumidifiers. The Chantry has exceptionally high humidity in the winter months. The Borough collections removed from the Old Town Hall Museum have been carefully packed and are stored in the Civic Centre; the temper- ature and humidity there should now be monitored and recorded. All the local collections need improved storage in the long-term. And in the next decade, excavations in advance of future development in Gravesend and Northfleet will reveal more finds needing a home.
3.5.3 Documentation We have obtained lists and indexes from the Museums Development Officer for Kent and Medway at Kent County Council and from the Gravesend Historical Society which indicate A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 that the core of a documentation system survives. The computerised catalogue (including the collections of the Gravesend Historical Society and the Borough) created by KCC some years ago was stored on floppy disks. There are also incomplete card indexes and inventories. Gravesham BC officers have recently been considering the standards required for achieving Museum Accreditation and researching software for a collections database. Gravesham is a long way from reaching the Accreditation standard, but with the right expertise it would be possible to update the existing database into a very useful resource.
3.5.4 Access to collections Whether a museum comes into being or not, improved public access to the Council’s collections should be a priority – they are a wasted publicly-owned asset otherwise. The Discover Gravesham web-site includes some images of objects, including both the Borough’s own and some from private collections. This is not a substitute for a museum, but can be built upon to increase awareness of Gravesham-related objects, eventually providing an online database of the whole of the council’s collection, and links to other museums with relevant items. Without curatorial expertise, however, it would be unwise to try and offer handling sessions or exhibitions using these collections; a careful balance between preservation and use has to be maintained.
3.6 Improving the management of the Borough’s collection 3.6.1 The approach which would be likely to have most impact would be the creation of a community history project. Using external funding to pay for a fixed-term curatorial/ developmental post such a project would create a trained team of volunteers to check the existing documentation and update it, numbering the objects and re-packing them. Ideally the same documentation system should be used for all local collections, to create a common local database, regardless of ownership. Such a project would enable existing local historians to help train new participants, ensuring their knowledge had a long term legacy. Nearly 10% of the Residents’ Panel respondents indicated that they would like to be actively involved and such a project would make this possible in a new way.
3.6.2 Research into the local context of the objects would make possible small temporary exhibitions on popular themes, to be shown in appropriate venues in the borough, while the creation of digital images would enable the development of on-line learning resources for teachers and students. Accessible storage with work space for sorting and cataloguing collections and preparing exhibitions would enable the collections to be studied and used with ease and provide an ideal base from which to plan a new museum.
3.7 Storylines 3.7.1 These collections relating to Gravesham have the potential to tell fascinating stories which would strengthen the sense of community identity and foster pride in Gravesham’s past. The stories are of wider interest and, as those involved in telling Pocahontas’ story realise, would also bring visitors from outside the area.
3.7.2 Important themes include:
• The local landscape o natural resources - chalk, natural woodland and water for power, moving goods/wharves, growing watercress o the impact of the topography on the pattern of towns and villages o rural prosperity, farming, parkland and the big landowners in the past A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 o 16 th & 17 th century prosperity: growing towns o 18 th /19 th century grand houses, new suburbs of Gravesend
• The Thames: o food: fishing and wildfowl o defence: blockhouses, forts o Gravesend as London’s port: trade, customs, smuggling and modern shipping o ferries and watermen
• The wider world: o close to mainland Europe – invasions but also valuable trade o Watling Street from Romans through highwaymen & stagecoaches to the A2 o the East India Company – links to Wapping and London and India and beyond o the first Chinese junk in England o expeditions and exploration o migration and transportation
• “Made in Gravesham” o chalk quarries and Portland cement o ship building o locomotive works o paper making o cable manufacture o power supplies o loss of industry with C20 globalisation
• Spare times: a pleasure resort for Londoners o river swimming o regattas o tilt boats and steamers o Windmill Hill o Rosherville Gardens
• Defence and conflict o early invaders o the Thames forts and the link to Tilbury o the military connection and the barracks o two World Wars, airfields, the bunker etc
• Gravesham people o invaders – Romans, Jutes and Saxons, Normans etc o Royalty – a palace in the 14 th century, many journeys through Gravesend o people of the port: travellers, merchants, sailors and Pocahontas o collectors and historians eg, George Matthews Arnold o landowners like the Darnleys o General Gordon and the military connection o Charles Dickens at Gads Hill o Sikhs and other minority communities o The art school and Sir Peter Blake o contemporary celebrities like Gemma Arterton
3.7.3 These themes lend themselves to a lively, almost theatrical treatment, using both original artefacts and reconstructions or models. They span the long period of human settlement in A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 the area, from prehistoric times to the present. They offer stories which will appeal to all ages and interests. Even those who know something of the local story would be impressed and astonished once the whole story is presented in this way.
4.00 Location
A town centre location with good transport links is most desirable and our careful exploration of Gravesend and Northfleet confirms that Gravesend town centre offers the best location for a museum. Several sites are considered in detail below in relation to accessibility, identity and sustainability.
Our recommendation is that Gravesham Borough Council should explore the possibility of incorporating a museum, possibly combined with Towncentric, in the Heritage Quarter development.
4.1 We considered first The Chantry, already used as the heritage centre. The location, although adjacent to the New Tavern Fort and the Riverside park land is not sufficiently close to the centre of town to fulfill the purpose of attracting tourists as well as local residents. Though the listed building is an important historic structure with an interesting history, potential alterations to the structure and fabric would be complex and limited. The fact that the internal environment cannot easily be adapted for housing museum objects, and the difficulty of providing appropriate internal access with so many levels, confirm that it is unsuitable for use as a museum. There would be no need for a heritage centre as well as a museum so a different use would need to be found for the building.
4.2 The Chantry stands within the fort where the grass is used for football kick-abouts and the bandstand has occasional performances. However, from time to time there have been episodes of anti-social behaviour, which might be discouraged if it became a well-managed and more popular site for visitors, which also engaged local people, especially the young in its care. An effective approach might be to re-present the whole of the Fort and The Chantry as one historic experience, with appropriate interpretation externally as well as internally. The offer of a visitor attraction here in its own right would enable visitors to make a day out embracing both Tilbury and New Tavern Forts, linked by the Ferry. In addition, this approach would enhance the riverside area as whole, where recent improvements have been made to the landscaping, riverside walk and a new outdoor gym installed.
4.3 The new Channel Tunnel Rail Link means that the journey to Gravesend from St Pancras International takes a little more than 20 minutes. Gravesend Station is due to be extended and upgraded and is now the focus of the Borough Council’s Transport Quarter, with regeneration proposed for the surrounding area. With the advantages of swift and easy public transport from London, Kent and beyond, Gravesend has the potential to attract more visitors and needs to develop its attractions. This supports a location for a museum, possibly combined with tourist information, close to the station and in the town centre.
4.4 We have considered the option of housing a museum in an existing building as well as opportunities for creating a museum as part of a new development. We have looked at a range of existing buildings in the town centre which need a new use as a sustainable A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 solution. The Old Town Hall and The Courthouse were discounted as they are already earmarked for other uses. The Factory Club in Northfleet was also proposed for consideration, but is in private ownership and is in an unsuitable location, with little else nearby to encourage visits .The opportunities offered by new developments on the old industrial riverside sites at Northfleet could prove interesting but may be many years ahead and have therefore been discounted for the purpose of this study.
4.5 We appraised the five town centre options described below:
• The Civic Centre : Several council officers and members suggested that it might be effective to find space for a museum at the Civic Centre where it could join other services such as Kent Police and the CAB under the Gateway initiative. Options included a basement lobby, but this is already designated to become an art gallery space and which is too small for museum use. The area under the Woodville Halls is not usable because of the adjustable floor/ ceiling above. Another proposal envisaged converting part of the basement car park but there are no plans yet to take this space out of its present use. It is possible that putting a museum together with other Gateway services could make it a less attractive destination; those needing help from various public services may have little in common for those coming for an outing.
• The Railway Tavern: This disused pub in the Transport Quarter might have been a good site for a museum in the context of the proposed scheme to rationalise the road system and provide a new public plaza in front of the Civic Centre. This will extend the open space up to the rear wall of the pub, where gravestones from the disused burial ground are currently placed. However, the road in front of the pub, currently a relatively quiet one with wide paving, is likely to become much busier under the scheme. Funding to support these proposals had been expected from Network Rail and depends in part upon successful residential development on the present station car park but the recession makes this less certain. At the time of our research Punch Taverns, who own the Railway Inn, were not willing to dispose of it, but in the autumn of 2010 it has been converted into a lounge bar, so is not available in the short-term.
• High Street and the Town Pier: The refurbishment of High Street properties, the Old Town Hall and the Town Pier suggested that a new Museum here would fit the heritage context. However, the Old Town Hall is to be used in different ways and would not have room for a fully-developed museum service, while the High Street shop units, even if amalgamated for the purpose offer limited space with only street front access. The Town Pier square at the bottom of the High Street might provide an interesting location for presenting Gravesend’s history, and the premises on the upstream side are vacant, but again the space appears to be too limited.
• The Heritage Quarter Development: Major new developments are proposed by Edinburgh House in the area around the historic St George’s Church, which will include a new church hall and community facilities and a new home will be required for Towncentric as a result of the current proposals. We feel that the most effective solution would be a combined tourist information centre and museum within the Heritage Quarter development. This would operate as a “Gravesham Encyclopaedia”, opening visitors’ eyes to past and present Gravesham. There was
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 considerable awareness and recognition of the value of Towncentric in the results of the Residents’ Panel survey and the combined operation would benefit from this.
The Borough Council should explore as soon as practicable the possibility of providing a purpose-built museum within the Heritage Quarter development under a s106 planning agreement or similar arrangement. Given the current financial climate and the fact that funding is going to be limited for some years, this may offer the only practical way of creating a way to present local stories and collections to a wide audience. There would be mutual benefits, with a new museum providing a destination in its own right within the development, drawing in visitors alongside shoppers and reinforcing the concept of the Heritage Quarter.
5.0 Defining a Museum for Gravesham
To succeed this Museum should cover Gravesham not just Gravesend, it should be sufficiently large to draw in visitors from outside the area and, alongside core displays, it should offer a programme of changing exhibitions, events and learning opportunities. It will need sufficient flexibly planned space, within its own control, to do this effectively and to make it possible to earn a reasonable income to support its work.
The Museum could be a beautiful and distinctive building, which draws people to it, but which also provides the security and environmental conditions which protect the local collections and enable it to take loans from national museums. A purpose-built museum can be planned from the start to be environmentally stable, economical to run and to demonstrate state of the art green technology.
5.1 Our brief made clear the Borough Council’s hope that any recommendations we made would be for a “living museum”. Elsewhere in England this expression is used to describe a museum which uses costumed interpreters, re-enactments and practical demonstrations, for example, of traditional skills. This would be an expensive option because it depends upon high levels of staffing, whether to provide the live interpretation or to co-ordinate the numbers of volunteers on which it would depend. Because we believe museums can “live” in other ways, we have tailored our recommendations to ensure that they would be affordable.
5.2 The Residents’ Panel Survey asked respondents to suggest museums which they had visited which might provide a model for what they would like to see in Gravesham. While many did not complete this question at all, 62 different museums were mentioned. Several respondents liked the narrative approach of the Museum of London, telling the story of a place, and one museum, the Guildhall at Rochester, was mentioned by 20 respondents as being a good model; one wrote, “if the museum was half as good as Rochester it would be excellent.” This long-established, fully developed museum service occupies a pair of historic buildings, with good quality displays on the locality and a lively education programme. It is currently being refurbished with grants including one from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
5.3 Comparator museums in Kent
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 Local authority museums in Kent
Council Museum Visitor numbers year Canterbury Museum of Canterbury 20,448 2008/9 Dartford Dartford Museum 8,620 2008 Dover Dover Museum & Bronze Age Boat Gallery 30,616 2007/8 Folkestone History Resource Centre 16,000 2003/4 Maidstone Museum & Art Gallery 66,207 2007/8 Rochester Guildhall Museum 59,476 2008/9 Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery + outreach 57,773 2007/8
5.3.1 For the purpose of the Study we have looked at local history museums run by other Kent local authorities. These are listed in the table below with their most recently reported visitor numbers. Of the towns listed, Canterbury has the most developed tourist market and Rochester draws in visits for Dickens-related events. The Museum of Canterbury is one of several local authority museums in the town and was refurbished about 5 years ago; a major HLF-funded art gallery will open in the Beaney Institute in the near future but the Westgate Tower has recently been closed by the local authority and is being transferred to a private operator. The Museum at Dartford is small and has only two staff while the Dover Museum replaced the White Cliffs Experience, a commercially-run attraction which was not successful. The figures for Folkestone are estimated and date from before its change to a different model where objects are in what might best be described as open storage. Maidstone and Rochester are currently undergoing major refurbishment supported by external funding.
5.3.2 Levels of museum visiting or use can be affected by many factors. At Dartford, for example, a change in opening hours has led to fewer school visits, which used to take place when the museum was closed in the mornings, but more adults are now visiting throughout the day. At Tunbridge Wells, an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund to support a joint project between the museum and the KCC library (with which it shares a building) did not succeed. However, as a result of the considerable work done for the project, to define how they wished to work in the future, the 7 museum staff have worked hard on outreach projects and small temporary displays which have significantly boosted visitor numbers – they are hoping for almost 60,000 this year.
5.3.3 Our conclusion from these figures is that the kind of Gravesham Museum which we have defined below ought to be able to attract an annual audience of at least 15,000 and possibly 20,000. Future business planning should be based on these figures.
5.4 Services and facilities required for an effective Museum for Gravesham 5.4.1 Set out below are recommendations for the requirements for a modern, profess-sional local museum service. The scale of the new museum needs to be carefully considered; it must offer the right content and experience to attract residents and visitors and meet their expectations both in terms of value for money. In addition, it should not be so ambitious that it is not sustainable in terms of its maintenance and operation. We have referred through to “the Museum”, but we have assumed that a tourist information service would be integral, with information sheets and brochures encouraging visits elsewhere in the Borough at appropriate points in the displays as well as direct information at reception.
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 5.4.2 Entrance, reception, tourist information A welcoming style and a strong identity are critical to success. On a town-centre site and in a modern building, a museum can offer glimpses inside, both of its collections and of its shop. The fully accessible entrance must be clearly labelled and prices advertised. The entrance area should include adequate space for groups to assemble, allowing for up to 6 60 children (2 classes) or 50 adults on a coach trip. A ticket and sales desk can be combined with museum and tourist information and shop sales to maximise use of staff resources. There should be secure storage for spare information leaflets, sales stock and packaging conveniently close by. There should be seating and, given the town centre site, lockers for shopping and a store for children’s buggies or wheelie shopping bags will be welcomed. Toilets should be provided and are often most logically sited off the reception area; these are particularly important for school groups.
5.4.3 Shop The museum shop should be an extension of the presentation of Gravesham’s story and will also support the tourist information service which may share the operation. The shop will be an outlet for information/education material relating to the collections and the locality and contribute towards visitors’ enjoyment by offering souvenirs of their visit. Appropriate sales stock will ensure that it provides a healthy income as well. The shop must be a professional operation, with attractive displays and packaging; it must have proper stock control and cash management systems. In a town centre a museum shop must compete in style and quality with other local businesses and in visibility and it should be accessible without shoppers having to pay for admission.
5.4.4 “Permanent” exhibition galleries These will provide a core display telling the Gravesham story through innovative approaches which use the best objects available. Provision must be made for showing loans of important material in a small number of high security cases with a managed environment which can comply with the Government Indemnity Scheme (this covers insurance costs for such loans to smaller museums). The space allocated for these galleries should be sufficiently accessible and spacious to accommodate large showcases and objects, with good access from stores or from a secure delivery bay for loans. An imaginative museum designer can transform a big empty space in a purpose-built museum into one which provides visitors with unexpected delights as they explore, and can incorp- orate some object storage into the structures to make economical use of the volume of space available.
5.4.5 Special or “temporary” exhibition galleries Here a changing programme of exhibitions on varied themes, celebrating special anniversaries or exploring topical subjects, will attract different audiences and encourage return visits. Part of the space should be allocated as a community gallery for local groups to mount their own exhibitions with the help of museum staff. Small museums often find themselves on a treadmill of too-frequent small exhibitions which are hugely demanding of staff time, with the result that their shows are not particularly exciting and reach only a limited audience. Providing one or two special exhibitions a year at most makes better use of limited resources and ensures they are given time to reach target audiences.
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 5.4.6 Learning and activity spaces A practical space will be needed to house learning sessions for groups of 30 children; it will also be used for school holiday activities, family and adult learning. The area should be attractive and adaptable to allow for both teaching sessions with object handling and role play and messy art/craft activities. It needs spaces for coats to be stored during a visit and an area for eating packed lunches. Adjacent storage will house folding tables, stacking chairs, art/craft materials and equipment, replica costume and handling collections. Excellent advice can be found in Space for Learning (download the booklet at http://tinyurl.com/39l6x4t.)
5.4.7 Ideally an additional space should be provided for lectures, presentations, meetings, adult learning events and lettings, able to seat at least 50 theatre-style. Having two spaces allows for different activities to be scheduled at the same time, encourages more use of the facilities and maximises opportunities for income generation. It also allows one to be kept smart while the other can take paint, glue and water. In the smarter room, catering may be needed, so space to should be allowed to store basic crockery and glasses and for delivery and preparation of external caterers’ equipment and supplies.
5.4.8 Discovery/study space Gravesham already has residents who are enthusiastic about local history; many will wish to discover more about the museum artefacts which provide evidence for local history. A study area will be needed for this purpose as well as digitised images with an online collections database and sessions for both children and adults to handle original items. Such a space will not compete with the local studies collections in local libraries, though it should house a range of essential publications and images which provide the local history context for the objects. Resources should include access on paper or online to catalogues and links to other collections, including Kent County Archives.
5.4.9 Collections Storage To ensure their preservation, museum objects must be appropriately packaged and housed in areas which are secure and environmentally stable. Secure storage for history files and contextual material, effectively the museum’s archive, should also be allocated. We assume that objects from a variety of collections will be included in the main displays, but items unsuitable for this purpose, those awaiting conservation or on loan, must be accommodated. A small quarantine area for new acquisitions should also be identified.
5.4.10 Some visible storage can be provided for small objects in glazed drawer units below display cases in the galleries, increasing access to these collections in a manner which makes discovering them enjoyable. However, it is likely that in the longer-term substantial off-site storage will be required to house the growing collections in environmentally stable and secure conditions, with work-space for collections care and documentation. Object stores should be easily accessible internally from display and study areas and an off-street loading bay, for safe entry by large vehicles with direct access to the museum, is essential.
5.4.11 Staff areas Offices, a rest room, lockers and toilets will be needed for staff, whether paid or volunteers. A clean workshop for the preparation of displays and for minor repair work is essential if the museum is to have a changing programme, as well as space to store tools,
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 materials, display equipment and disaster kit. Storage should also be allocated for cleaning equipment, materials and supplies like toilet rolls, paper towels and spare lamps.
5.4.12 Services If the museum is located in a major new building development it essential that services such as heating, lighting, environmental control and fire and intruder alarm systems can be controlled and monitored independently by the museum itself. For the safety of the collections relatively stable internal temperatures and humidity matter, as extremes can cause damage which is sometimes not reversible or which can be very expensive to put right. The creation of a purpose-built museum offers an opportunity to design a structure which is environmentally stable, easy to maintain and cheap to run.
5.4.13 Expertise and capacity Museum work is not always recognised as one which needs professional expertise. To succeed the Museum for Gravesham must have a dynamic and energetic curator with directly relevant experience and a real understanding of working with a local community. A person new to the place and the collections would bring a fresh approach and new ideas. Making partnerships with those who already have detailed local history and collections knowledge will make it possible to train a new generation to support the Museum’s work. An advisory panel could be created to provide a forum of people who can advise upon good curatorial practice, project planning and grant funding bids. The Museum will need at the very least a Curator and an Audience Development/Education Officer, who can work alongside the Tourism Officer. Grant applications should always include an element to pay for the cost of buying in appropriate expertise and skills, including project management for creating the Museum and other specialisms such as conservation, design and preparing funding applications.
5.5 Size and allocation of space
Museum function area in sq m
Permanent Exhibition Gallery 500 Temporary & Community Exhibitions 80 Education and meeting rooms 100 Study Space 35 Reception/ Shop/Tourist Information and public toilets 80 Collections Storage 80 Offices, workshop, staff facilities and toilets 125 Total 1,000
The table above outlines how the space might be allocated. As a guide to the accommodation needed for the Museum for Gravesham described above, we recommend accommodation of a minimum size of 1,000 square metres plus circulation space and plant room. Tourist information will need additional space, but an information /reception/ticketing desk could serve both this function and the museum.
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 6.0 Likely costs and sources of funds
This Feasibility Study has defined the potential and the requirements for an effective Museum for Gravesham. If the museum premises were provided as part of a redevelop- ment scheme, the remaining capital funding stands a good chance of being obtained from charitable and lottery funding bodies despite the current economic situation. To succeed, the long-term vision must be distinctive and imaginative with a well-planned, robust and sustainable business plan.
The structure must be designed to be inexpensive to manage and maintain. A combination of experienced staff supported by a team of trained volunteers, project grants to develop services, help in kind and sponsorship from local businesses, and an imaginative approach to earning income should enable the museum to succeed.
6.1 Defining the exact cost of creating a Museum for Gravesham is difficult without concrete proposals. We have used the range of activities/services and the suggested size for such a museum outlined above as a basis for the rough costings which follow. We have consulted museum designers who have been working on comparable projects recently to obtain figures for costs per square metre.
6.2 Capital Costs
6.2.1 Using a purpose-built structure created within the development, the main expenditure for which new funds will have to be found relates to exhibition design and production. This will depend upon the complexity and quality of the design. The inclusion of computer inter- actives and audio-visual content and can add to the costs. Using a figure of £1,500 - £2,000 per square metre for the permanent exhibition space of 500 per square metres this is likely to cost £750,000 - £1,000,000.
6.2.2 The sum of £1,000 per square metre has been allowed for other spaces within the Museum, totalling 500 square metres, giving a cost for these of £500,000. This may be an over-estimate given that some areas will need minimal fitting out but sums for the tourist information service need also to be identified. In total our estimated cost for fitting out/equipping the building is in the region of £1,500,000.
6.3 Capital Grants 6.3.1 It is likely to be possible to obtain grants to support much of these capital costs. The project would be eligible for HLF support and most likely to obtain a grant of just under £1 million (details below). This would leave a further £500,000 to find. Applications are more likely to succeed if they are to support a well planned project with a robust business plan. However, by packaging specific elements of the project to create bids which fulfill the criteria of different funding bodies – for example, the educational space and equipment or collections storage and access – separate grants can be assembled to fund the whole. In the planning stages smaller grants could support conservation and cataloguing costs.
6.3.2 A few funders, like HLF, are prepared to support fixed-term employment contracts within a capital grant, such as a project manager for the implementation of the scheme or an audience development officer. Few other grant-giving bodies will provide revenue costs but, once established, the Museum will be well placed to bid for project funding to support A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 fixed-term programmes or the development of resources with social and educational benefits. These will enhance what it offers and add to its potential. Identifying those parts of the museum and its work which exactly meet funders’ criteria is the key to success. Set out below are funding bodies which are most likely to be supportive of a Gravesham Museum project.
6.4 The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) www.hlf.org.uk 6.4.1 Since 1994 the HLF has been the largest single source of capital funding for heritage projects in the UK, despite the top-slicing of the lottery distributors’ funding to support the 2012 Olympic Games, with a consequent reduction in funding for HLF over the last few years. In recent months, more people have been playing the Lottery with the result that more funding has been allocated for heritage projects. The increased allocation of funding has been confirmed in the recent Comprehensive Spending Review. In addition, each HLF regional committee has defined priority local authority areas which have received little or no funding from them and Gravesham is one of these. The HLF are therefore keen to encourage applications and held funding surgeries in the town in autumn 2009. This is therefore an opportune moment to make an application for funding towards a local museum project in the £1 million to £5 million programme. Advice from the HLF South East Regional Office confirms that applications under the present priority status would be accepted up to 2013, even for completion after that date.
6.4.2 To be successful a project must help people to learn about their own and other’s heritage. It must also do either or both of the following: • conserve the UK’s diverse heritage for present and future generations to experience and enjoy, • help more people and a wider range of people, to take an active part in and make decisions about heritage. HLF does not usually fund the creation of new museums, but in this case the proposals are for replacement of the Old Town Hall Museum and the heritage centre in The Chantry.
6.4.3 HLF’s Your Heritage grants provide funding up to a maximum of £50,000. Local authority applicants are expected to contribute 10%, making possible projects of at least £55,000 under this scheme. Applicants hear the result of their bids within three months. This would be a good source of funding for a fixed-term community history project in Gravesham.
6.4.4 The Heritage Grants scheme is for projects costing over £50,000. Grants are awarded for both the development and delivery phases of a project. Those of under £1 million are decided by the regional committees who meet four times a year and applicants are required to provide at least 10% in partnership funding. Grants of over £1 million and under £5 million are assessed by the Board six times a year and require a contribution of 25% from the applicant. Grants of over £5 million are assessed by the Board in a competitive batch once a year – very few grants are made at this level and successful projects are of national importance.
6.5 Charitable foundations and trusts 6.5.1 These funds have carefully defined criteria; if a project matches their criteria it may still fail in the face of many other applications. Small grants from this source are most likely to support specific elements of a museum project, like cataloguing and conserving collections, or developing learning and community projects. A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010
6.5.2 Esmée Fairbairn Foundation www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation aims to improve the quality of life for people and communities in the UK. The Trust likes to consider work which others may find hard to fund for example a project which breaks new ground, appears too risky, requires core funding or needs a loan. Its grants in 2008 ranged £12,000 and £91,500. There is a two- stage application, with full details of the criteria and the process on their website. Decisions are made within 5 months from receipt of application. Their current Museum and Heritage Collections strand focusses on time-limited (up to 3 years) collections work including research, documentation and conservation that is difficult to fund from core or other sources, or is in need of partnership funding. They will support work at an early stage of development, where wider programmes such as education and exhibitions cannot yet be fully developed and where it may be difficult to guarantee tangible outcomes. They are prepared support proposals that have the potential to share knowledge with other organisations through partnership working. This funding is being transferred to the Museums Association in 2011, which will run the scheme on behalf of the Foundation.
6.5.3 The Pilgrim Trust www.pilgrimtrust.org.uk The Pilgrim Trust gives grants for conservation and for increasing awareness of collections. It supports the promotion of knowledge through academic research and its dissemination such as cataloguing collections. Grants are on a rolling programme and applications are decided after a quarterly trust meeting. The average size of a grant in 2009 was £18,000.
6.5.4 Clore Duffield Foundation www.cloreduffield.org.uk The Foundation welcomes submissions to the Main Grants Programme for projects from museums, galleries and heritage sites, especially for learning spaces. Clore Duffield grants can be used to match lottery funding, support capital redevelopment and learning space initiatives, and provide project, programme and revenue funding. Application procedures are straightforward and grants range from about £5,000 to over £1m. Grants are awarded twice a year, but applications can be submitted at any time.
6.5.5 Fidelity UK Foundation www.fidelityukfoundation.org Founded in 1988, its principal donor being Fidelity International Asset Manage-ment, this fund is interested in London, Kent and Surrey projects. These must relate to arts & culture, including the visual and performing arts, heritage and museums, community development , including projects which help the young and/or disadvantaged achieve their potential, and education - including special educational needs. It can fund capital improvements such as new construction, renovations, expansions and equipment which increase an organisation’s effectiveness and sustainability. This fund may be a potential supporter for a charitable body set up to run the museum but is unlikely to fund a council-run project which oversees its creation.
6.5.6 The PRISM Fund www.mla.gov.uk/what/support/grants/PRISM The fund for the PReservation of Industrial and Scientific Material supports the acquisition and/or conservation of any object or group of objects illustrating the history of any branch of science industry or technology. Acquisition can mean a grant towards the purchase cost but has sometimes included the process of acquisition, for example, with specialist transport for a large item. The fund is administered by the MLA (Museums Libraries &
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 Archives Council) and in 2008/09 awarded a total of £231,021 to 34 different projects, averaging £6,794 per project.
6.5.7 Landfill Communities Fund www.biffaward.org Biffa, the national waste management company, runs one of the Landfill grant schemes called Biffaward. Projects must be based within 25 miles of a Biffa operation and 10 miles of an active landfill site, a criterion on which Gravesham qualifies. There are several schemes, ranging from a Small Grants programme for sums between £250 and £5,000 to an annual Flagship programme, which supports projects including cultural facilities with grants between £150,000 and £500,000. They look to fund projects that have something unique and exciting that no other project in the region has. Full details of how to apply can be seen on the web-site; details of the 2010 scheme were announced recently.
6.6 Revenue costs and sources of income 6.6.1 As Gravesham Borough Council is unlikely to be able to fund an entirely new Museum from existing budgets, throughout this study we have worked on the basis that a Museum for Gravesham was most likely to be managed through an independent charitable trust and as a small business. Through a combination of earned income, project grants and voluntary support we believe that a well-planned Museum could be sustainable.
6.6.2 Running costs Predicting the cost of running the museum premises will depend upon their size and the nature of the finished building. Service charges will need to cover all the usual fuel and maintenance costs, together with high quality fire and intruder alarm systems. The greatest cost will relate to staffing and to production of the Museum’s annual programme of events and exhibitions. The annual budget for two experienced staff (curator and education officer) is likely to be in the region of £65,000-£70,000 allowing for on-costs) with the Tourism Officer and her staff transferring from Towncentric if the suggested partnership goes ahead. A team of well-trained volunteers can support many aspects of the Museum’s work at low cost. A budget of £10,000 could support the production of simple temporary displays and events, but more would be required if a designer were to be employed for more stylish and imaginative displays.
6.6.3 Admission charges Though the small museum in the Old Town Hall was free and The Chantry Heritage Centre makes no charge for admission, a fully-fledged Museum for Gravesham will depend upon admission fees as a significant source of income. Though existing visitors are often very put off visiting when a charge is imposed on a free admission museum, experience has shown that the introduction of a charge for a new and much more exciting museum does not usually deter visitors. Indeed, if the Museum is open all the year round and for most of each week, and if what it offers has been developed carefully to reach both a local audience and to draw in visitors from outside the Borough, it is likely to attract more visitors than before.
6.6.4 The admission fee should be set at a reasonable figure from the start (it could be damaging to raise it quickly if it has been set too low) but a range of options should be considered specifically to welcome local people. The offer of six months’ or a year’s visits on payment of one admission fee means that those on the door-step benefit more than tourists coming from further afield, and family tickets, offering a good deal for two adults and two children, A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 are also usually popular. For special occasions, a free day or a free event can prove very successful.
6.6.5 Fees for services and activities There will be a range of opportunities for earning income from the provision of services, even if some of them are provided by volunteer workers. These will range from events and activities in school holidays to assistance with research into local and family history. The aim with charges for activities should be to cover costs of staff time and materials and make a modest profit. Fees are not usually charged for those doing their own research but it is increasingly the practice in museums and record offices to have a small team of helpers whose paid services can be offered to those unable to come in person. Charges should also be made for good quality copies of old photographs or works of art.
6.6.6 Trading It should be possible to raise a healthy income through a museum shop and sales on-line. Sales stock should relate to the place and the collections and should be of high quality, with the aim of getting a reasonable average income per visitor. The usual items include books and pamphlets, cards and postcards, replicas of museum objects, souvenirs, including small pocket money items for children, and sometimes local products. Buying in relevant goods from other producers avoids the risk of high initial costs involved in production of items unique to the museum. Bought-in items can, however, be given added value – for example, a replica Roman pot is an attractive object in its own right, but by providing a card with information about where similar items have been excavated locally it gains immeasurably in significance to a potential local purchaser. By using reception and information staff (or volunteers), the cost of running the shop can be kept low to maximise profits.
6.6.7 Local authority support Gravesham Borough Council may wish to make a formal relationship with the Museum which will take on responsibility for managing and interpreting the local authority’s own museum collections. This could take the form of a service level agreement which would define the services GBC expected in return for an annual payment towards costs. Should the Council wish to commission specific additional services or work in partnership with the Museum in order, for example, to celebrate a significant anniversary or event, then the agreement could be varied for that purpose. This approach would ensure that the Museum had a regular sum of core funding alongside its earned income and project grant funding.
7.0 Practical Partnerships
The success of a new museum development will depend upon fostering strong partnerships; this fits well with Goal 6 of the Borough’s Corporate Plan, which seeks to use strategic partnership working to improve the delivery of service. Many groups large and small will be able to provide knowledge and support as well as ideas for what people want from the museum service. Partnerships developed at county and national level would raise awareness of Gravesham’s important history, enabling the Museum to play a greater role as a county and regional attraction. Partnerships with other museums will
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 bring loans of significant objects, strengthening the narrative of the exhibitions and further raising the Museum’s profile.
If the Borough Council decides to go ahead with the proposed museum, the development of these partnerships should begin at the earliest opportunity.
7. 1 Partnerships within Gravesham The first priority will be to create a formal partnership between the local authority and the body that will run the Museum. This is essential because the Museum will be caring for the Borough’s collection and working alongside the tourist information team. Secondly, because of their strong support for the proposal to create the Museum, local heritage groups must be involved. They own important collections, provide volunteer support to run the existing heritage attractions in Gravesend and lead a programme of heritage walks around Gravesend.
7.2 The development of a new museum service will only be sustainable with the support of a team of committed and effective volunteers with a range of usable skills. The knowledge and experience of existing volunteers will be invaluable but this base needs to be augmented by an additional team of carefully-recruited people who can bring new skills and experience from the wider community.
7.3 The consultation exercise with schools in Gravesham revealed strong support for a local museum. It was clear that teachers would use it as resource for studies in local history, other historical topics and other subject areas. Working partnerships with local schools at the museum’s planning stage, plus the provision of advice and resources for teachers as the museum project develops, would encourage strong long-term involvement.
7.4 The Customs House Museum in Gravesend has been closed for several years and though part of its collection has been transferred to the UK Border Agency Museum in Liverpool many more items have not. The curator in Liverpool keeps an eye on heritage material held by all Customs and Excise offices and will be happy to help a future museum make contact with the right person. However, he will not recommend transferring or lending material to the local authority at present because it has no curator and cannot meet the Accreditation standards.
7.5 Regional and County partnerships 7.5.1 There are several opportunities for partnerships at county level. Kent County Council is responsible for libraries, archives and education services in the area, with the potential for a Museum of Gravesham to benefit from joint initiatives, information sharing, publicity and funding. Of utmost importance to Gravesham is the potential for borrowing or acquiring important archaeological material from recent excavations for the CTRL and the A2 upgrades. Regular contact and expressions of interest need to be discussed with key players including the Heritage Conservation Department at Kent County Council, the CTRL rail companies, the Highways Agency and the archaeology units involved, especially Wessex Archaeology and Oxford Archaeology.
7.5.2 Developing partnerships with museums in neighbouring boroughs, for example Dartford Museum, which has similar river and industrial heritage and holds some Gravesham material, would bring the benefits of shared knowledge and inform-ation. Gravesham A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 officers are already aware of the Kent Museums Group and while they can benefit from shared expertise, publicity and training they need to be aware that there is no substitute for professional expertise.
7.5.3 The regional Museum Hubs can also provide support – these are consortia of museums which have been chosen for their complementary areas of knowledge and expertise in each region. Chatham Dockyard is the hub member nearest to Gravesham and is already housing the timbers from the Ebbsfleet Anglo-Saxon watermill in a special tank, for which KCC is paying rental. Through the South-East Museum Hub, the MLA (Museums Libraries and Archives Council) has funded Museum Development Officers. The MDO for Kent and Medway at the time of writing is Sarah Corn who can be contacted by phone on 01622 605298.
7.6 National bodies There are opportunities to explore partnerships with national institutions which hold material relating to Gravesham’s history, including The British Museum and The National Maritime Museum. Other Gravesham-related items will be found in the Museum of Docklands (part of the Museum of London), the UK Border Agency Museum at Liverpool and at The National Archives. Since English Heritage runs Tilbury Fort as a heritage attraction, and given its strong historic links with Gravesend in cross-river defence, there should be opportunities for shared projects and joint publicity, perhaps in collaboration with the ferry operators.
8.0 Governance: management and ownership
The Museum for Gravesham will be independent and will have charitable status. It will take time to create such a body and since it will be new, its lack of any track record could make it a weak applicant in the eyes of funding bodies. The local authority does not wish to run the Museum directly, but does have long-established relevant experience and would be the best body to submit funding applications and oversee implementation of the project.
For this reason, we recommend a hybrid process, with the Borough Council developing and creating the Museum and handing it over to the new body over a transitional period. A formal agreement between these two bodies should be established from the start.
8.1 The Museum building is likely to be created as a result of a s106 agreement between the local authority and a development company. Ownership of the premises may lie with either of these bodies; a clear lease must be created which does not in any way restrict the Museum’s (and tourism information centre’s) ability to identify and promote itself and to operate as an independent body. HLF in particular will wish to see a long lease to ensure that any investment of its funds will have a long-term benefit and cannot be undermined.
8.2 The Museum’s governing body will oversee its operations, agreeing over-arching strategies and monitoring performance, but devolving day-to-day management to the paid professional staff. Many independent museums are run by companies limited by guarantee which are also registered charities. Some have subsidiary trading companies. The Charity Commission web-site provides model constitutions and other advice. The small board of A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 trustees/directors must take their roles seriously because taking on responsibility for historic collections, either as owners or borrowers, is a long term commitment. The board should develop and maintain strong links with appropriate stakeholders and support the Curator in his/her work with them. It would be wise to appoint a chairman who understands the culture and ethos of museums and board members who bring a range of different expertise – in financial management, marketing, HR, education and so on.
8.3 The local authority will play a strong role in the creation of the Museum. Its members’ and officers’ experience of negotiation, regeneration, tendering processes, financial management and community services will be invaluable in ensuring that the Museum gets off to a strong start. Its financial reserves will enable large payments to be made for contract works in advance of reclaiming funds from grant givers, and its ability to reclaim VAT will enable the project to run more smoothly than it might if overseen by a small new organisation.
8.4 Any agreement made between the local authority and the Museum governing body should include provision for the future care of the collections, should the Museum fail.
9.0 Next steps
Should Gravesham Borough Council decide to proceed with developing a museum it will have to take responsibility for all of the early stages of the scheme – negotiations with potential developers, devising a detailed brief for a museum, raising the necessary funding and project management once funding is obtained.
Alongside this work, a new governing body will have to be established, trustees recruited and training implemented, ready for it to take on operational management. A long-term partnership agreement should be signed.
This represents a substantial amount of work over several years. Current staff do not have the capacity to add this to their work programme, but should a fixed- term contract development curator be appointed (see 3.6 above) s/he can make a significant contribution. Additional expertise and support will be needed to create the operations and business plans, to work with the architects and designers and to write the “script” for the exhibition.
9.1 The work programme will cover the following:
short term: • develop/consult upon/adopt GBC Heritage Strategy, covering all existing provision (including Chantry and Fort, etc) as well as museum proposals • clarify how the museum can tourism components will work together and bring tourism officers into the planning process • devise a 2-year community history project o identify a base for collections work/storage o prepare and submit funding bid with external support – to cover co-ordinator’s salary and on-costs, purchase of materials and equipment, expenses for
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 premises, volunteers etc. Perhaps by December 2010, decision within 3 months of submission o if successful, appoint community history officer, work underway within 3 months of grant approval, then for two years from, say, summer of 2011
9.2 In the longer term, the local authority will need to take responsibility for
• negotiation/agreement with developer – if successful this will help define the timescale for project (GBC)
• preparing the brief for architects and exhibition designers (museum/tourism consultancy with GBC and developers)
• preparing necessary policies and drafting the business plan (museum/tourism consultancy, for approval by GBC and then operating organisation)
• providing outline designs to support large funding applications (needs input from a specialist architect and design consultant with museum experience)
• meeting HLF/other potential funders to obtain advice about the best approach – HLF can provide development funding in Phase 1 of a project, followed by
o preparing grant applications – HLF decision likely to take 6 months
o appointment of project manager, tendering for specialist consultants
o if successful, using Phase I HLF funding to develop project and submit application for Phase 2 (must be before 2013 while Gravesham is still an HLF priority area); if unsuccessful deciding on revised scheme
o exploring commercial sponsorship/support for operational costs
o creating a buzz with local fund-raising (Glasgow found 900 donors whose names are all on the walls of the main hall of its refurbished Kelvingrove Museum & Art Gallery)
o implementation process (construction/fit-out/employment of short-term posts etc) – 2014/5 at the latest
• establishing the new governing body
o obtaining independent legal advice from a charity specialist, then registration as a company limited by guarantee and a charity
o recruitment of high quality trustees with fixed terms of office, using list of skills required –charity board membership/finance/fund-raising are more important than local knowledge (GBC with external advisers)
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010 o development/training programme for trust members on independent museums and tourism services
o supporting them on appointment of director/curator before it opens
o deciding whether to have an advisory committee with collections/ archive/local history expertise, setting one up under the new body
o transferring the operation to charitable company once Museum is nearing completion, with a formal agreement
• Running the promotional campaign to launch the Museum and putting on a shared formal opening event
• Carrying out annual review of effectiveness and deciding on funding or help in kind from GBC
Val Bott & Pat Astley-Cooper, museum consultants
25 Hartington Road, London W4 3TL 020 8995 7413 www.valbott.co.uk
A museum for Gravesham? a feasibility study Pat Astley-Cooper & Val Bott, October 2010