South West Museum Development Programme Annual Review 2017/18

South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 Contents

4 The 2015 – 2018 Programme 5 2017/18 in numbers 7 Introduction 8 Goal 1: Excellence 12 Goal 2: Audiences 16 Goal 3: Resilience and environmental sustainability 19 Goal 4: Leadership and workforce 20 Goal 5: Children and young people 21 Cornwall 22 Devon 24 Dorset 25 Somerset 26 West of England 27 Gloucestershire 28 Wiltshire 30 Financial Overview 31 Support

2 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 3 Goal 1 Excellence is thriving and • 10,227 people actively volunteer 2015 –2018 celebrated in the arts, museums for museums. and libraries. • There is a relatively small paid * Programme Goal 2 Everyone has the staff base with around 1,588 opportunity to experience and to (856.FTE) people employed £973,628 be inspired by the arts, museums by museums. 206 and libraries. • Visits to museums help Total invested in The development The number of museums Goal 3 The arts, museums contribute approximately museums through that benefitted from support services and libraries are resilient and £92.7 million annually to the provided to museums environmentally sustainable. regional economy. our programme support during the year across the region are 1 Goal 4 The leadership and focused on delivering • 31% of the museums in the workforce in the arts, museums against Arts Council region are small independents and libraries are diverse and England’s five with half of these receiving less The number of museums appropriately skilled. strategic goals, set than 9,999 visits per annum. supported with volunteering out in their 10-year Goal 5 Every child and young *Statistical data based on development vision Great Art and 2 person has the opportunity to 2016/17 south west Annual Survey £22,061 Culture for Everyone. experience the richness of the arts, of Museums. The total awarded in grants The South West museums and libraries. to support museum projects Museum Development Our 2015 –18 programme 50 programme Museums in the • Invests over £750,000 in maximises the grant 3 South West museums per year with award provided by Arts As part of our programme we funding from the Arts Council Council England by deliver a data survey, analysis and and 23 local authorities across working in partnership reporting activity for several other the region. to align existing regions. During 2017/18 we have 125 The total • Was developed through Number of museums and new funding for continued to deliver this work for extensive consultation with supported to improve contributed by museums to meet 4 the East Midlands, East of England, 309 local authority museums about their priorities. collections care these ambitions. North East and also, for the first The total partners time, with the West Midlands. • Ensures that museums, no number of to support Further information on the South matter what their size or scope, can access professional delegates museums West Annual Museum Survey can through our be found under publications and expertise and opportunities to that attended 5 build their resilience. programme resources on our website. Museum Skills • South West Museum • Integrates Arts Council’s training Development (SWMD) supports five goals with the needs of local museums and with the strategic £113,146 212 museums within the Arts 27The total number Council Accreditation scheme. priorities of local authorities. of museums • Museums in the region attract supported to around 7,602,274 million visits develop their digital per year. engagement • 29% of Accredited museums are entirely volunteer-run. *Inc £92,910 funds from 2016/17 4 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 5 Introduction The South West is home to a vibrant museum sector from small independent, volunteer-led museums to large local authority museums. Regardless of their size or governance, museums play an important part in our communities whether in our region’s cities, towns or rural and coastal areas. This vibrancy extends to their collections; they not only document the lives of local people and their experiences, but those from across the globe, spanning the breadth of human history up to present day.

This uniqueness is to be celebrated and championed, however it is not without its challenges. Funding cuts and an overall difficult economic climate continues to place pressure on museums and they must look to new ways of working to ensure they thrive. South West Museum Development provides professional support and expertise to the region’s workforce through its local Museum Development Officers and regional specialists in audiences, collections, digital and volunteering, and through its programme to support museums in strengthening their resilience.

The final year of our 2015-18 programme has seen 206 museums supported by the programme with a further £113,146 additional investment secured from 23 local authorities over the course of 2017/18. We have brokered new partnerships and worked with sector bodies to deliver national initiatives at a local level to directly meet the needs of our region’s museums. This year saw us work with the Association of Independent Museums, the Audience Agency, Culture 24, Collections Trust, Kids in Museums and the Touring Exhibitions Group.

We have also continued to channel additional investment into the region; delivering the Ready to Borrow capital funding stream and secured additional funding to support at risk collections with Raising the Standard: Banners of Devon and Cornwall as well as funds to encourage new approaches to collections with our Muse: Makers project.

As I step down from my role as Head of Bristol Culture and Chair of the South West Museum Development Partnership I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of the region’s museums every success for the future. I have loved getting to know the sector here in the south west and I am sure that South West Museum Development’s 2018-2022 programme will not only continue to support museums during these difficult times, but will also move them forward as responsive and innovative spaces which serve our local communities and the many visitors our region receives each year.

Laura Pye Chair of South West Museum Development Board

6 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 7 Goal One: Excellence

Our aim: Work with museums to achieve and maintain high collection care and management standards and enhance collections accessibility to audiences and communities.

In 2017/18: In 2018/19 we will: • Our Conservation Development • We worked with 10 community- • Continue to support museums Officer supported 125 museums led museums across Devon and to improve their collection care in 2017/18 through a mixture of Cornwall to secure £67,500 and management. direct support including remote from the HLF as part of a • Continue to offer a central advice, site visits, training and project to conserve, interpret purchasing scheme, saving surgery sessions at county and display 15 banners and museums money on collections museum group meetings. engage local communities and care supplies and a loans service • 19 site visits supported schools with the vibrant social for essential environmental museums to assess the history and contemporary monitoring and control condition of their collections relevance of the banners. The equipment such as data loggers and provide recommendations project, Raising the Standard and dehumidifiers. for improvements. – Banners of Devon and Cornwall, engaged 3,280 • We 1 partnered with Collections visitors across 18 community Trust to deliver a suite of engagement events plus a collections care training further 53 activities in 2017/18, delivered through the South capturing the imagination of West Museum Skills local residents and audiences programme reaching from further afield. 39 delegates.

We were part of the Raising the Standard Project and it was amazing. We also called for professional advice with our collection especially in the area of pests. Helston Museum 8 South“ West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 9 Case study: Officer first caught sight of a members of the Toc H group beautifully painted banner, were invited. With fabulous Raising the draped awkwardly over attention paid to every detail, furniture and boxes in an the lower ground gallery of the Standard: unheated, dusty garage she museum was transformed with Banners of Devon knew something had to be Toc H bunting and small prayer and Cornwall done. Little did she anticipate it books were created, alongside would take three projects, five a wall of research and archive Raising the Standard was funders, at least six painting photographs to reignite the a project working with 10 and textile conservators, 25 memories of past Toc H community led museums banners and many miles in a activities. Most of this was across Devon and Cornwall to hire van, squeezing through the delivered by a small number of conserve, research, interpret cobbled Mevagissey streets to volunteers, whose dedication and display 15 banners transport the final, beautiful and skill contributed almost alongside a programme silk Methodist, banner back to 1500 volunteer hours at a value of vibrant community the museum four years later. of over £9,900 to the project. engagement. The project took The project is testament to place during 2017 and enabled the museums to share the local the partner museums who stories of social justice, identity delivered 18 community and comradeship that the events and 53 further activities banners represent. and workshops in the summer and autumn of 2017 Due to the fragile nature of reaching approximately 3,280 some of the banners it is participants. There are too the first time they have been many highlights to mention, on display for many years. but these range from the family The banners explore issues events at Grampound with significant to local communities Creed Village Fete to a parade and wider national campaigns through the village of Whimple and are centred on three key at which many of the village themes; political and social residents marched behind justice, the importance of local a band and both the newly charities and the role of young conserved banners alongside people in the community. one produced by an artist from This project has been a long a local school child’s winning time in coming. From early in design; to the tea party held by 2013 when our Development Saltash Museum at which

We discovered things we didn’t know and preserved something that could easily be lost. Raising the Standard, Project Participant 10 South“ West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 11 Case study: Participant museums ran a and in-person support as well series of digital marketing as small project grants. Goal Two: Audiences ‘experiments’, under the Devon Museums and Though the main objective of guidance of Culture 24 and the the programme was to learn and Digital Marketing Digital Engagement Officer, experiment, some museums ranging from running Facebook Our aim: Work with museums to develop coherent Between June 2017 and January also reported surprising adverts for the first time to using 2018, eight Devon museums successes from fairly small strategies for audience development to improve their visitor selfies to promote an (Axminster Heritage, The Bill actions. After running a modest reach and the quality of the visitor experience, focusing exhibition. Many used the project Douglas Cinema Museum, Facebook advert for the first as an opportunity to promote particularly on enhancing digital engagement. Dingles Fairground Heritage time, one museum completely events as part of the ‘Museums Centre, Kingsbridge Cookworthy sold out their event, making at Night’ festival which takes In 2017/18: in digital engagement in In 2018/19 we will: Museum, Sidmouth Museum, over £2,000. Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon part in May and October every • Our Digital Engagement Officer galleries and to share objects, • Support museums to make Life, Torre Abbey and Torquay year. The participants had the worked with 27 museums stories, archival material, audio more of their collections and Museum) took part in a digital opportunity to work with online through site visits, remote and film in an accessible stories available online, through marketing development analytics experts, museum support and digital audits, digital format to maximise direct support and through programme, delivered by Culture digital marketing professionals providing practical advice to help audience engagement. partnering with other regional 24 in partnership with South and were supported in their museums increase their online • Five training sessions were and national organisations. West Museum Development. experiments with online, phone visibility, enhance their online delivered through the South • Target support for museums presence and use digital tools West Museum Skills programme participating in audience more effectively. to support museums with data collection initiatives, • We secured £9,300 from the marketing, digital engagement including South West Museum Heritage Lottery Fund to work and audience development, Development’s Visitor Insights with six museums across reaching 60 delegates. programme developed 2Wiltshire to interpret and share • Two clusters of smaller specifically for smaller Armistice era stories from volunteer-led museums in museums in the region, and their collections as part of our Devon and Somerset were Audience Finder, to develop Digital Armistice Stories project. supported to undertake and refine their audience The project will enable the audience data collection that development planning and predominately volunteer-led provided them with consistent incorporate audience insight museums to further their skills and comparable insight. into their Forward Plans.

Our focus was very much on how best to utilise Facebook to promote our events, we ran a series of Facebook adverts in the run up to our event... with between £10 –15 being spent each time. Our best result was with our Museums at Night BBQ last year. The advert had really good responses, but that also turned into likes, shares and actual attendance at our event. Kingsbridge Cookworthy Museum

Image courtesy of Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life 12 South“ West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 13 Case study: • Wells and Mendip Museum During Somerset Art Weeks worked with Sean Harris and Devon Open Studios new Muse: Makers in (Powys), visual artist, and audiences were attracted to the film maker Museums museums to view the artists’ • Chard and District Museum work. Over half of local visitors Muse: Makers in Museums was worked with Caitlin Heffernan to the museums were first a year-long pilot project which (Brighton), installation artist time visitors. explored how small and • Axminster Heritage Centre Workshops provided a unique primarily volunteer-run worked with Emma Molony environment to connect with community museums can create (Devon), artist and printmaker others in shared activity. mutually beneficial • Axbridge and District Museum Families appreciated the collaborations with artists. worked with Andrea Oke opportunity that they gave to The project gave eight small (Axbridge), artist connect the youngest residents community led museums across • Teign Heritage Centre worked to local history and place. Over Devon and Somerset their first with Jacky Oliver (London), 80% of participants in artist-led experience of working with local metalwork and blacksmithing activities at the museums were arts organisations and more likely to visit the museum • Kingsbridge Cookworthy collaborating with contemporary after their experience, and Museum worked with Taja artists. It aimed to make their nearly 100% were likely to take (Devon), ceramics historic collections more part in further activities. accessible to artists, to create Each of the artists spent 20 days Participant museums also new opportunities for with the museums and the experienced economic benefits community groups to engage artists’ final works were placed from taking part in the project; with the collections, and to on public display at the Teign Heritage Centre received engage new audiences with what museums during Devon Open a grant from Teignbridge the collections offered. Studios and Somerset Art District Council for further Weeks, plus the artists’ works project activity at the museum Muse was led by the Museum were featured in a special group Development Officer for and Axminster Heritage Centre exhibition at the Museum of have held more artist-led Somerset at South West Somerset in Taunton. Heritage Trust, in partnership workshops generating income with the Museum Development Working with artists brought for the museum. Officer for Devon at Royal unique benefits to the museums Albert Memorial Museum, and and their collections. Sometimes two arts organisations, Devon this was about bringing a new, Guild of Craftsmen and emotional layer to encountering Somerset Art Works. collections or simply about looking at collections in fresh Participant museums and ways and from surprising Art can change the way you artists were: angles. It brought imagination look at the whole museum • Bruton Museum worked with and poetry to the visitor’s collection and the museum Dorcas Casey (Bristol), mixed encounter with collections and media sculptor heritage and enabled museum collection can change the • Museum of Dartmoor Life audiences to appreciate the way you look at the art. worked with Jess Davies living stories behind individual Museum Visitor (Devon), printmaker objects in the collections. “ Image courtesy of Jacky Oliver

14 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 15 In 2017/18: Somerset Rural Life Museum – Development is commissioned by Goal Three: Resilience and • 25 museum projects were £29,000 the Arts Council to: awarded £22,061 in grant funding The Castle, Bude Heritage Centre • Provide support and guidance environmental sustainability with £23,938 leveraged by – £22,500 to museums to meet the Wiltshire Museum – £37,415 Our aim: Support museums to become more resilient museums in match funding. Accreditation standard – • We worked with the Touring both new entrants and organisations, encourage them to explore new ways Development Fund Exhibitions Group to host a existing participants of working and promote more entrepreneurial and In 2018/19 we will: seminar on Preparing to Borrow. • Support a network of business-like approaches. We also worked in partnership Museum Mentors. Mentors • We will be launching our new with the British Museum and are experienced museum development fund, available • Work in partnership with the museums that we work with the region’s Major Partner professionals who help smaller In 2017/18: to those museums that have Cornwall Museum Partnership, to report on the health of the Museums to deliver a six part museums without access • We continued to work with participated in our Business following the securement of sector, advocate for the value of training programme targeted at to appropriately qualified our local authority funders Diagnostic. This fund can be £241,800 in funding from the museums and enable museums museums which have benefited professional staff to achieve and to advocate the social and drawn upon to support Heritage Lottery Fund to to benchmark their performance. from Ready to Borrow funding. retain Accreditation. economic impact of museums significant step changes within support 16 rural museums in During 2017/18 we also worked and value to their communities, their museum. In 2018/19 we will: In 2017/18: sustaining an investment of over Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and in partnership with Museum • Work with Bristol Culture to host • We hosted a Museums and £110,000 per year from local Somerset to improve their Development providers in the Ready to Borrow – the Touring Exhibitions Group Mentoring conference in authorities through the Museum resilience. The project Rural- East Midlands, East of England, Small Scale Capital annual Marketplace and pre- February 2018, in partnership Development programme. Proofing Resilience will provide North East and West Midlands to Development scheme museums with dedicated apply this shared approach to data Marketplace Seminar in Bristol. with the South East Museum • Our Museum Development In 2016/17 Arts Council announced support, training and mentoring collection. The survey now reaches • We will develop a network for Development programme Officer network provided a second round of Ready to Borrow. over two years to enable them to over 702 Accredited museums, those involved in exhibition and the Inspiring a Culture of significant funding advice to 23 The small capital funding scheme future-proof their organisations providing valuable insight into development, particularly those Philanthropy programme. museums and helped secure supports smaller museums to 3 national sector changes. in receipt of loans and/ or touring The event in Reading provided £562,601 in external funding. in challenging times. borrow from nationals and Major an opportunity for those involved This funding has enabled many • Launch our Good Business exhibitions in the south west to Small Grant, Big Partner Museums, by helping in mentoring programmes museums to make step changes Planning Campaign and facilitate greater partnership Improvement them upgrade exhibition spaces across the museum sector to towards greater sustainability Business Diagnostic tool to working within the region and Our small grants scheme offers to meet standards required by network, share experiences and and in some cases facilitated provide museums with firm beyond creating a lasting legacy funding to museums to address a lenders loaning objects for display. exchange good practice. major organisational change. foundations in order to make for Ready to Borrow. broad range of development needs a strategic step change across In 2017/18: • Four new Museum Mentors to improve their medium and Accreditation In 2018/19 we will: their organisation. • Following our allocation of were recruited for the region long term sustainability. Projects • Continue to advocate for the £362,400 by Arts Council to The Accreditation scheme sets and three were matched range from commissioning retail social and economic contribution Gathering museum distribute to museums in the nationally agreed standards for with museums. consultants and governance of museums to funders and sector data south west, £174,070 was museums across three key areas: • We worked with Arts Council to reviews to purchasing essential stakeholders and the continued In order to develop and maintain awarded in 16/17 and the balance organisational health, collections inform the Accreditation Review conservation materials that value that ongoing strategic a sector-wide overview, each year £188,330 was awarded to the care and management and users to refresh the scheme for its ensure collections care meets investment in museums can have we undertake an Annual Survey following museums in 2017/18: and their experiences. upcoming 30th anniversary in national standards. in creating thriving and vibrant of Museums collecting core Museum of Bath Architecture – The scheme supports museums November 2018. local communities. statistical data from museums £35,000 to focus on standards, identify • Develop a baseline to establish about their audiences, educational Museum of Barnstaple and areas for improvement and develop In 2018/19 we will: a targeted offer of support to engagement, volunteers, staff and North Devon – £37,415 their resilience through forward • Support museums with their help museums identify and grow financial operations. We collect, Padstow Museum – £27,000 planning. South West Museum Accreditation returns following income generation opportunities. analyse and share this data from

16 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 17 the launch of the revised Accreditation standard. • Work with identified museums to complete their Accreditation Goal Four: Leadership eligibility questionnaire and support them to begin formally and workforce working towards Accreditation. Our aim: Support the museum workforce to build • Develop a new suite of training skills and self-reliance, promoting diversity and for Museum Mentors to equip them with the knowledge, skills effective leadership focusing particularly on and confidence to continue to volunteering development. work with their museums. In 2017/18: In 2018/19 we will: • We launched our enhanced management systems and • Work with individual museums South West Museum Skills succession planning. and clusters of museums to programme, a tiered training • Participants of our Copyright develop their volunteering offer delivering bite size sessions Forum explored and discussed a programmes through a through local museum groups, a variety of topics including micro-consultancy approach. package of Essentials providing contracts and commissioning, • Continue to use regional training in core museum skills copyright and volunteers, moral intelligence to actively broker and and Museum Skills Plus offering rights and ethics and managing signpost museums to nationally more in depth training. 20 rights within the Collections Trust funded programmes, supporting full-day sessions were delivered SPECTRUM standard. increased development of new with 278 delegates attending • Our network of Museum approaches to volunteering for from 139 different organisations Development Officers continued resilience and diversity. 4under our Essentials strand and to support local and regional • Support museums to think 31 delegates attending from 24 networks as a means of sharing about the representation of organisations under our good practice, channelling their workforce through the Plus strand. funding and fostering development of Equality • A volunteering advice service collaborative working. Action Plans. was delivered through museum • We developed a Young Devon • We will continue to support network groups, and ‘Question Museum Volunteers project workforce development through Time’ peer advice sessions. which supported three museums regional forums in copyright and In-depth support was provided to to work with secondary schools volunteering, and establish a 50 museums advising on issues and colleges to develop volunteer network to support exhibition Support and advice from the such as governance, diversity in programmes specifically targeted development in the south west. County Museums Advisor, recruitment, volunteer at young people. which is excellent and worth its weight in gold. The Young Devon [Museum] Volunteers project gave valuable Priest’s House Museum safeguarding training to our volunteers and [has] given us the and Garden “ confidence to work with more young volunteers. 18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 “ South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 19 Goal Five: Children and Cornwall highlights

In recognition of the particular challenges faced young people Accredited Museums 35 by rural community museums around long-term Our aim: Support museums to improve the quality of Volunteer run Accredited Museums 10 resilience; rurality and seasonality, South West experience for children and young people, increasing Museums received support 38 Museum Development working with Cornwall reach and levels of participation. Awarded in small grants £3,283 Museums Partnership have developed a programme of activity to support museum resilience. It includes Museums supported to improve collection care 21 layered levels of access around the fundamental Awarded in Small Scale Capital Grants £49,500 skills in understanding finances, fundraising, In 2017/18: In 2018/19 we will: Participated in externally funded projects 6 business planning, leadership and governance and • We continued to work in • Deliver work in partnership marketing and audience intelligence. The Museum This year saw the launch of Cornwall Heritage partnership with Real Ideas with Kids in Museums through Development Officer for Cornwall wrote a successful Awards; an initiative designed to raise the profile Organisation (RIO), the Arts training and signposting, to application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £241,800. of museums and heritage organisations, to Council Bridge Organisation support children and young The project will support a wide cohort of museums celebrate and share the innovative projects and for the south west that works people’s participation in across the south west region to build skills and activities that take place, inspire and promote with schools, youth settings and museums, in particular Takeover capacity towards better management of heritage ambition in the sector. 39 organisations took part cultural organisations to connect Day in November 2018. assets and address long term stability. and award categories were aligned to national and young people with great art Key • Provide training on safeguarding local strategic priorities: Innovation, Project on a and culture. to ensure essential frameworks Budget, Audience Initiative, Family Friendly, Cornish MDO provision • Our Museum Development are in place to build engagement Heritage and Heritage Heroes. There was an open, Thematic Development services Officers promoted take up of with children and young people public vote for Object of the Year that ran online Small Grant Big Improvement Artsmark and Arts Award and through our South West Museum through Cornwall and Devon Media. Best practice 5supported the recruitment of Skills programme. case studies will be shared to inspire Museum Skills Essentials (delegate places) Artsmark Partners across future projects. Local Authority investment the region. The Castle Heritage Centre, Bude and Padstow Small Scale Capital invesment • We worked in partnership with Museum were awarded grants towards developing Kids in Museums to deliver ambitious exhibition programmes that include two briefing sessions reaching national and regional loans under the Ready to 30 participants to encourage Borrow scheme. This will see a significant step- museums to run a Takeover Day change in their provision and be the catalyst towards in November 2017. attracting wider and more diverse audiences. £30,000 Visitor experience continued to be a priority for Total value of TheA colleague support andwe haveI are benefittedboth extremely from, es- local museum networks and museums were £49,500 support 2017/18 offered formal training on identifying audiences and peciallykeen to takefrom part our inMDO, Takeover has been Day amazing this coming November. developing their offer. Cornwall Regimental Museum £119,507 £9,432 and we would not have made such sub- took advantage of a small grant towards exploring a stantialSouth West progress Museum without Skills it. destination marketing partnership project, working £3,283 programme, Attendee with other attractions and tourist providers in Bodmin Secretary to the Trustees, £26,000 to promote the area at a national tourism convention. ““Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre £1,292

20 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 21 Devon highlights

Accredited Museums 50 Fairlynch Museum and Art Gallery secured a loan Director to oversee its continuing development. Torbay from Tate Britain of Millais’ famous painting ‘The This includes new investment in learning and Volunteer run Accredited Museums The three museums in Torbay continued to implement 16 Boyhood of Raleigh’ as part of their commemoration exhibition programmes. the Arts Council Museum Resilience funded Growing Museums received support 49 of the 400th anniversary of the execution of Sir Walter Several museums, including Ilfracombe Museum and Museums programme with a clear focus on Awarded in small grants £4,096 Raleigh. A successful fundraising campaign by the Torrington Museum, have made the transition to collaboration across key themes such as programming Museums supported to improve collection care team to make improvements to the museum enabled 32 incorporated status as Community Interest and volunteering. This project culminated in external this high profile loan. Awarded in Small Scale Capital Grants £37,415 Organisations. Braunton and District Museum, evaluation which provided useful insights into the Holsworthy Museum and Lyn and Exmoor Museum Participated in externally funded projects 12 West Devon benefit and investment required to make partnership achieved Full Accreditation, while South Molton working effective across the bay. In West Devon Fairground Heritage Museum installed East Devon, West Devon, Torbay, Teignbridge and received Provisional Accreditation for six months. the Moonrocket, purchased with the support of a A key opportunity for Torre Abbey was provided South Hams museums participated in a project A new manager has taken the reins here, and the grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund. through their engagement in the Getting Loan Ready supported by Culture 24 and South West Museum town council are beginning to look at options for the They received a Heritage Lottery Fund ‘Then and Now’ programme that South West Museum Development Development to develop and improve digital museum to capitalise on the reinvigorated Pannier grant to research and develop an exhibition to show delivered in collaboration with the British Museum. marketing skills. Participant museums organised Market, with which the museum shares a building. the part that showmen played in World War One. A programme of in depth training ‘home and away’ an event for Museums at Night, with many taking The museum also achieved Full Accreditation. South Molton Museum participated in the Raising the provided vital links with the British Museum team but part in this national programme for the first time. Standard: Banners of Devon and Cornwall project, also provided opportunities to spend more time with South Hams while Ilfracombe Museum and The Museum of Major Partner Museums; Bristol Museum and Art Teignbridge Barnstaple and North Devon took part in the John Totnes Elizabethan House Museum in South Hams Gallery, Falmouth Art Gallery, Penlee House, Gallery Teign Heritage, in partnership with South West Ellerman Foundation funded South West Area Natural introduced free admission and a programme of and Museum, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Heritage Trust, created a very successful exhibition Sciences collections project. Ilfracombe Museum has changing temporary exhibitions and had a successful Royal Cornwall Museum as well as Poole Museum. about Pike Ward, a Teignmouth resident celebrated been working with the South West Heritage Trust to 2017 season with visitor numbers increasing from Six sessions ranging from insurance, security and for his role in the development of Iceland and create a new exhibition about World War One, based 2,000 to over 9,000. planning for loans provided a vital contribution to featured in the national museum. The exhibition was on their remarkable photographic collection of Torre Abbey as they strive to raise their ambitions in opened by the Icelandic ambassador. Kingsbridge Cookworthy Museum used their Ilfracombe soldiers. delivering high quality programming for both Torbay Small Grant Big Improvement funding to commission Newton Abbot Town and GWR museum received a Combe Martin Museum continues to work closely and the surrounding areas. a consultant review and proposal to inform a grant Stage 1 HLF project development grant of £150,000 with Exmoor National Park and the North Devon Area application to Heritage Lottery Fund for the phased for ‘Newton’s Place’ the move to the St Leonard’s of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with investment in redevelopment of the museum. Church building, purchased by the town council. new equipment for seashore safaris. They were also As part of the development they delivered a wide North Devon and Torridge voted best small visitor attraction in the local business range of community engagement activities which awards, and participated in the Natural History £37,415 The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon is now helped to inform their Stage 2 application. Museum’s Dippy on Tour programme. £35,100 closed for its extension project. During its closure the Total value of East and West Devon museum’s Project Coordinator will be running a Key pop-up museum to collect stories for the new social support 2017/18 Axminster Heritage received a stage 2 HLF grant of MDO provision history gallery and two new teams of volunteers – £520,000 to complete the redevelopment and story collectors and object carers – have been trained Thematic Development services £124,907 refurbishment of Thomas Witty House, the original £3,196 to support this activity. Small Grant Big Improvement Axminster carpet factory which now houses the £16,000 museum and achieved Full Accreditation. The Burton Art Gallery and Museum in Bideford Museum Skills Essentials (delegate places)

became part of Arts Council’s National Portfolio in £4,096 Local Authority investment £3,196 April 2018, and appointed a new Executive Small Scale Capital invesment £29,100

22 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 23 Dorset highlights Somerset highlights

Accredited Museums 28 Dorset Museums Association, which is actively Accredited Museums 23 supported by the Museum Development Officer, Volunteer run Accredited Museums Volunteer run Accredited Museums 8 achieved the highest membership in its history with 9 Museums received support 21 33 museums represented, and many regularly Museums received support 34 Awarded in small grants £3,550 participating in initiatives and activities. Awarded in small grants £3,225 Museums supported to improve collection care 12 As a result of museum development guidance, Museums supported to improve collection care 21 Sturminster Newton Museum and Mill Society have Awarded in Small Scale Capital Grants £29,000 This year saw the completion of some landmark secured Heritage Lottery Fund funding to undertake Participated in externally funded projects 4 museum projects within the county. Bridport full structural survey work, a comprehensive Museum opened its refurbished galleries in May to governance review and audience development Two inspirational partnerships in Somerset were Key widespread acclaim and just a couple of months planning. Weymouth Museum has been supported seed-funded through the Museums Universities later Lyme Regis Museum unveiled its new to create a clear strategy and business plan for its Partnership Initiative. Our Town, Our Museum, MDO provision extension and geology gallery, providing both new quayside home, with significant project Our Place was led by the Museum Development Thematic Development services museums with a strong platform for future funding levered from the district council. Sherborne Officer and engaged six local history museums Small Grant Big Improvement sustainability. The museum advisory service Steam and Waterwheel Centre have successfully with the history department of the University of the provided targeted support on fundraising and entered the Accreditation scheme. Highcliffe Castle West of England (UWE). The partnership explored Museum Skills Essentials (delegate places) organisational goals during project delivery and will has benefitted from multifaceted capital project the concepts ‘What is history?’, ‘What is sense of Local Authority investment be working with both museums over the coming support relating to national museum loans, place?’, and ideas on how to engage audiences with Small Scale Capital invesment year as major local government reorganisation in governance and conservation standards. Blandford collections. Complementing this was ‘Remember Dorset begins to take shape. Museum have been supported to access European the Floods’ which engaged museums in Somerset Following investment from the Ready to Borrow funds from LEADER to support vital facilities and and Gloucestershire with UWE and the University of scheme, the Russell Cotes Museum and Art Gallery display improvements. Gloucestershire. The partners visited museums to completed a major conservation project on their Museum development has also supported Poole explore what collections are held on floods and why, over time, floods fall out of our collective memory. historic skylights, facilitating the safe and effective Museum Service with collections auditing and £29,000 display of nationally significant artworks. The significance assessment work, which can be The Museum Development Officer has continued to Museum Development Officer also played a primary used to support interpretation and underpin co-ordinate the Somerset Learning Forum which role in securing £35,000 of Heritage Lottery Fund funding applications. provides a space in which staff and volunteers leading investment for a resilience project at the museum on learning activities within Somerset museums £23,000 which will assess options for future governance and can share practice and hear from external speakers. Total value of business models. Recent meetings focussed on ideas for providing support 2017/18 learning activities for people with special needs or Collaboration and partnership working continues to dementia, and experiences of providing learning £77,785 play an important role in project work, skills £9,000 activities in charging and free-entry museums. development and networking opportunities across £5,384 the sub-region. The Museum Development Officer The Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury £3,225

supplied professional museum expertise to facilitate and Weston Museum were awarded Arts Council £2,176 £15,000 appointments to new curatorial posts at Hengistbury Total value of £4,136 Ready to Borrow funding. Both museums have Head Visitor Centre and Swanage Railway Museum. support 2017/18 now completed their projects and will shortly be £35,577 embarking on a series of high profile loans to support The North Dorset Museums Network continued to £3,550 grow and flourish with plans for an application to £53,827 the development of new audiences. Arts Council Project Grants in the pipeline and the £1,564

24 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 25 West of England highlights Gloucestershire highlights

Bristol It has been a busy year with three new Accredited Museums 34 Accredited Museums 25 museums opening; Aerospace Bristol, home to Volunteer run Accredited Museums 5 Concorde; The New Room, the world’s oldest Volunteer run Accredited Museums 4 Museums received support 32 Methodist building built by the religion’s founder Museums received support 18 Awarded in small grants £5,109 John Wesley and Being Brunel, a museum dedicated Awarded in small grants £2,359 to the life and legacy of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Museums supported to improve collection care 23 Museums supported to improve collection care 11 Elsewhere Glenside Hospital Museum received Awarded in Small Scale Capital Grants £35,000 support on their digital strategy and the University Key of Bristol Theatre Collection received collections MDO provision B&NES Key successes have been as a result of Arts 2017/18 saw Dunkirk Mill Museum achieve Full care support. Thematic Development services Council’s Ready to Borrow funding. The Museum Accreditation for the first time and John Moore of Bath at Work recreated the Rennie Macintosh South Gloucestershire Thornbury and District Museum also achieved Full Accreditation. Small Grant Big Improvement Museum received a Small Grant Big Improvement bedroom made for Bath businessman, Sydney The regional Conservation Development Officer Museum Skills Essentials (delegate places) award for their project Voices: Bringing the Past Horstman with loans from the Victoria and Albert supported Wotton Heritage Centre to apply for an Local Authority investment to Life to increase audience accessibility to their Museum working in partnership with Bath Spa Association of Independent Museums grant for collection through the introduction of audio stations University students on the design of the room. The storage materials and provided advice and support in their museum. Museum of Bath Architecture has used their Ready on collections and conservation matters to Corinium to Borrow grant as part of their wider programme of Key Museum and the Museum in the Park. strategic development with a new programme of loan activity imminent. MDO provision Gloucestershire’s Archaeological Archives Thematic Development services Standards funded under 2016/17’s Small Grant Following the ‘Somerset Coalfield Life at Radstock Big Improvement were promoted to museums and Small Grant Big Improvement Museum’ rebranding, the museum was awarded archaeological contractors from across the south funding under Small Grant Big Improvement. The Museum Skills Essentials (delegate places) west though two workshops under the Seeing the focus was around enhancing the coal mine to give Local Authority investment Light of Day project this year. The standard sets out £5,000 it a ‘wow’ factor. Working with students studying for Small Scale Capital invesment how museum and heritage sites across the county of Foundation Degree in Applied Computing at Bath Gloucestershire manage and accept archaeological College a virtual reality experience was created. The finds from contractors. Following its publication it students built the experience and following its launch has set an example for other counties in the region received coverage by a number of media outlets. and beyond against a backdrop of growing storage £1,972 Total value of support 2017/18 Swindon In Swindon the Museum Development £10,322 issues for museums and heritage sites which accept £14,680 Officer successfully supported a Heritage Lottery archaeological finds. Fund application called World War One Centenary £27,155 £8,064 £2,359 Programme for Swindon Museum and Art Gallery. Total value of This project explores and commemorates the impact support 2017/18 of World War One on Swindon and Wiltshire through £5,109 £35,000 a programme of community engagement, public £83,867 £3,144 events and social media, the conservation and display £5,372 of key objects, creating a new learning session for schools and a series of free public exhibitions. £20,000

26 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 27 Wiltshire highlights

Accredited Museums 20 the purchase of items relating to Wiltshire’s artists, musicians, designers and many others. Exhibitions Volunteer run Accredited Museums 5 of new acquisitions from the project have been held Museums received support 14 in Chippenham and Swindon, with another planned Awarded in small grants £439 in 2018/2019. Museums supported to improve collection care 5 In October 2017, the Seeing the Light of Day project Awarded in Small Scale Capital Grants £37,415 published its report and recommendations relating Participated in externally funded projects 6 to sustainable solutions to the management, accessibility and long-term preservation of South West Museum Development has continued to archaeological archives in the south west. The project work closely with Wiltshire Council’s Conservation has been led by Wiltshire Museum, with funding from and Museum Advisory Service to support museums the Arts Council’s Museum Resilience Fund. and heritage organisations across the county. Wiltshire Museum in Devizes secured Arts Council

Ready to Borrow funding and successfully upgraded £439 their exhibition space, joining Chippenham Museum and The Young Gallery in increasing the profile £3,424 of the venues, allowing the exploration of new income generation models and creating exciting £2,856 opportunities for the future. Total value of The Digital Armistice Stories project has seen support 2017/18 the Wiltshire Museum Development Officer and £37,415 the Digital Engagement Officer working with six £44,134 museums in the county to create simple digital interactives to celebrate the centenary of the end of the First World War. South West Museum Development secured £9,300 for the project from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which will fund the acquisition of touch-screens for the museums and the commissioning of a digital developer, who has been Museum Development working with the participants to create interactives Officer costs are directly that will be launched in November 2018. The project funded by Wiltshire will help museums to develop their skills in digital Council and therefore in addition to the financial engagement in galleries that can be used again for calculations shown. future exhibitions. Key Creative Wiltshire, a Heritage Lottery Fund Collecting Thematic Development services Cultures project led by Wiltshire Council’s Local Small Grant Big Improvement Studies at Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, has Museum Skills Essentials (delegate places) been helping museums fill gaps in their collections relating to the county’s creative community through Small Scale Capital invesment

28 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 29 South Hams District Council Financial Overview Support South Somerset District Council Sidmouth Town Council 1 April 2017 – 31 March 2018 We are grateful to the following for their financial and Stroud Council other contributions to the programme 2017/18: Swindon Borough Council Arts Council England Income £ Teignbridge District Council Bristol City Council Torbay Council Arts Council Museum Development Grant 481,475 Exeter City Council Torridge District Council Gloucestershire County Council Local Authorities 38,940 West Devon Borough Council Heritage Lottery Fund Wiltshire Council Museum Development provider Annual Sector Data Contract 9,200* We are grateful to the following partners with whom We are grateful to the following organisations which Other grants and contract income 77,896 we have collaborated to ensure national expertise and made in-kind contributions towards the South West Arts Council Ready to Borrow: Small Scale Capital Development Grant 419,070 support has been brought into the region: Museum Skills programme including venues and Total income 1,026,581 Association of Independent Museums speakers in 2017/18: British Museum Alfred Gillet Trust * £26,500 paid in advance in 16/17 Collections Trust Bath and North East Somerset Council Culture 24 Bridport Museum Notes: Other grants and contract income: externally funded projects – Digital Armistice Stories; Raising the Julie’s Bicycle Bristol Culture, inc. Bristol Record Office Standard: Banners of Devon & Cornwall, Towards a Sustainable Conservation Service, plus contract income. Kids in Museums Combe Martin Museum National Alliance for Museums, Health and Cornwall Regimental Museum Expenditure £ Wellbeing Museum in the Park £268,233 was invested in our network of MDOs including £113,146 contributed by Real Ideas Organisation Royal Albert Memorial Museum local authorities. MDO provision in mid-Devon and Wiltshire is directly funded by The Audience Agency South West Heritage Trust the local authorities and not included in this figure. 155,087 Touring Exhibitions Group SS Great Britain Swindon and Wiltshire History Centre Audience Development and Advocacy 50,777 We would like to thank the following Local Authorities The American Museum in Britain with whom we have established Memorandums Conservation and Collection Care 46,828 The Holburne Museum of Agreements and which support Museum The Keep Military Museum Digital Engagement 27,969 Development provision at a local level either directly The Salisbury Museum or through a financial contribution to the programme: Programme Management and Accreditation support 127,504 Torquay Museum Bath and North East Somerset Council Regional Communications 5,000 Borough of Poole Council We are extremely grateful to all those who work Workforce, Volunteering Development and Skills 72,729 Bournemouth Borough Council in and run the hundreds of museums across the Small Grant Big Improvement Scheme 22,061 Bristol City Council south west for engaging with the programme in Budleigh – Salterton Town Council 2017/18. We would also like to pay tribute to all Small Scale Capital Development Grant 413,980 Cornwall Council the volunteers who contribute their skills, time External Projects 51,693 Dorset County Council and passion which underpin the vitality of many East Devon District Council Total Expenditure 1,026,581 museums across the region. Gloucester City Council Balances carried forward 52,953** Mid Devon District Council North Devon District Council ** External project funding for expenditure in 2018/19, plus Ready to Borrow: Small Scale Capital Development Somerset County Council Grant, of which the remaining balance will be distributed in 2018/19 in line with the current grant holder’s South Gloucestershire Council payment schedule and Arts Council Museum Development Grant.

30 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 31

With thanks to all of the museums and heritage organisations who we have worked with in 2017-18: Aldbourne Community Heritage Group, Alfred Gillett Trust, Allhallows Museum, Amesbury History Centre, Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust, Arundells, Ashburton Museum, Athelstan Museum, Axminster Heritage, Bampton Heritage and Visitor Centre, Bath Abbey, Bath Medical Museum, Bath Postal Museum, Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, Beaminster Museum, Bishopsteignton Museum Charitable Trust, Blake Museum, Blandford Fashion Museum, Blue Anchor GWR Railway Museum, Bodmin Town Museum, Bournemouth Natural Science Society, Bovey Tracey Heritage Trust, Braunton and District Museum, Bridport Museum, Bristol Aerospace Centre, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Britannia Royal Naval College Museum, British Library, Brixham Heritage Museum, Bruton Museum, Buckland Abbey, Budleigh Salterton Arts Centre and Museum, Burton Art Gallery and Museum, Camelford History and Archive Trust, Chard and District Museum, Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre, Clark’s Shoe Museum, Clevedon Pier, Coldharbour Mill Working Wool Museum, Combe Down Stone Legacy Trust, Combe Martin Museum, Community Heritage Access Centre, Corinium Museum, Cornwall’s Regimental Museum, Cotswold Motoring Museum, Crediton Area History & Museum Society, Crewkerne and District Museum, Dartmouth Museum, Dawe’s Twine Works, Dawlish Museum, Dean Heritage Museum, Devon and Cornwall Police Resource, Devon Guild of Craftsmen, Devonport Collection, Devonshire Collection of Period Costume, Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre, Dorset County Museum, Dorset Heritage Railway Trust, Dr Jenner’s House, Museum and Garden, Dunkirk Mill Museum, Dunster Dolls Museum, Edwin Young Collection, Elliott’s Shop, Fairfield House, Falmouth Art Gallery, Fashion Museum, Fowey Museum, Frenchay Village Museum, Frome Heritage Museum, Geevor Tin Mine, Glastonbury Abbey, Glenside Hospital Museum Gloucester City Museum and Art Gallery, Gloucester Life Museum, Gloucester Waterways Museum, Gloucestershire Archives, Gold Hill Museum and Garden, Grampound with Creed Heritage Centre, Great Torrington Museum, Harvey’s Foundry Trust, Haynes International Motor Museum, Helicopter Museum, Helston Museum, Highcliffe Castle, Holburne Museum, Holst Birthplace Museum, Holsworthy Museum, Ilfracombe Museum, Isles of Scilly Museum, Jet Age Museum, John Creasey Museum, John Moore Museum, Keep Military Museum, Kelmscott Manor, King Edward Mine, King John’s Hunting Lodge, Kingsbridge Cookworthy Museum, Lawrence House Museum, Liskeard and District Museum, Lostwithiel Museum Association, Lydiard House, Lyme Regis Philpot Museum, Lyn and Exmoor Museum, Market Lavington Museum, Mevagissey Folk Museum, Milverton Village Archive, Minehead Museum, Mortehoe Museum, Mount Edgcumbe House, M Shed, Museum In The Park, Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon, Museum of Bath Architecture, Museum of Bath At Work, Museum of British Surfing, Museum of Computing @ Swindon, Museum of Dartmoor Life, Museum of East Asian Art, Museum of Somerset, Museum of Witchcraft, National Maritime Museum Cornwall, National Trust – Killerton House, National Trust – Lanhydrock House, National Trust – Trelissick, Nature in Art, Newquay Old Cornwall Society, Newton Abbot Town and Great Western Railway Museum, No 1 The Royal Crescent, North Devon Maritime Museum, Old Guildhall Museum and Gaol, Padstow museum, Penlee House Gallery and Museum, Penryn Museum, Perranzabuloe Folk Museum, Pewsey Heritage Centre, Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery, Portland Museum, Radstock Museum, Ralph Allen CornerStone, Redruth Old Cornwall Society Museum, REME Museum, Richard Jefferies Museum, RNLI Robey Trust, Roman Baths Museum, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Royal Cornwall Museum, Royal West of England Academy, Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Saltash Heritage, Sherborne Museum, Sidmouth Museum, Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust, Somerset and Dorset Heritage Railway Trust, Somerset Military Museum, Somerset Rural Life Museum, South Devon Railway Museum, South Molton and District Museum, South West Airfields Heritage Trust, South West Heritage Trust, SS Great Britain St Agnes Parish Museum, St Michael’s Mount, STEAM: Museum of the Great Western Railway, Stuart House Heritage, Sturminster Newton Museum and Mill, Swanage Railway Trust, Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, Tank Museum, Tavistock Museum, Teign Heritage, Tewkesbury Museum, The American Museum in Britain, The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, The Bishop’s Palace Trust, The Castle Heritage Centre Bude, The Leach Pottery, The New Room, The Priest’s House Museum and Garden, The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment Museum, Thornbury and District Museum, Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life, Topsham Museum, Torquay Museum, Torre Abbey Historic House and Gallery, Totnes Elizabethan House Museum, Trenance Cottages Newquay, Trowbridge Museum, University of Bristol Theatre Collection, Valiant soldier, Victoria Art Gallery, Wadebridge and District Museum, Wareham Town Museum, Watchet Boat Museum, Watchet Museum, Wells and Mendip Museum, West Somerset Railway, Weston Museum, Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum, Weymouth Museum, Wheal Martyn Museum, Whimple Heritage Centre, William Pengelly Cave Studies Trust, Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Winchcombe Folk and Police Museum, Wotton Heritage Centre, Yate & District Heritage Centre. 34 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 South West Museum Development Annual Report 2017/18 35 For more information contact: Victoria Harding, Programme Manager [email protected] South West Museum Development Programme Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1RL 0117 922 4653 www.southwestmuseums.org.uk @swmuseums

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