Wirral Museums Service Forward Plan - Draft
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APPENDIX 1 Wirral Museums Service Forward Plan - Draft 1.0 Introduction 1.1 The Museums Service is part of the Regeneration Department of Wirral Council. For many years the Wirral Museums Service operated only two venues: Birkenhead Priory and the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum. 1.2 An analysis of the service provision in 1979 led to the creation of a professionally- based staff structure and radical improvements to collection records, storage and conservation. During the 1980s and 1990s there was some capital investment in both Birkenhead Priory and the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum and there was an expansion of museums sites, although these were not Registered. These included Shore Road Pumping Station, Wirral Museum in Birkenhead Town Hall and Wirral Transport Museum, also incorporating Birkenhead Tramways and Wirral Archives Service. 1.3 Now Wirral’s Museums Service is being restructured, centred on the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum and Birkenhead Priory, both of which are Registered Museums under MLA’s Museum Registration Scheme. Wirral Archives Service was transferred to the Finance Department in 2007. 1.4 The restructure was confirmed as part of a report to Council on 9 February 2009 which confirmed the decision of Cabinet, the relevant sections of which are listed below: 1.5 At this stage no decision has been made about the disposal or future of Egerton Bridge although it is no longer a visitor attraction and is currently boarded up. It is assumed that Shore Bridge and Egerton Bridge will form part of the offer with Wirral Transport Museum when the transfer of ownership is finalised. 1.6 The two remaining sites are: 1.6.1 Williamson Art Gallery and Museum The purpose-built gallery was opened in 1928 to house the collections of Birkenhead Borough Council, previously displayed in a former library building. In 1974 Wirral Borough Council was created from five local authorities and the collections expanded slightly to absorb those held by the former councils. The Gallery has permanent collection displays and a changing exhibition programme. Some rooms are available for hire for meetings and performances. The Gallery has an active ‘Friends’ society, which also has interests in the whole Museums Service, APPENDIX 1 has close links with Wirral Art School, whose annual Degree Show is held at the gallery, schools and local art societies. 1.6.2 Birkenhead Priory Birkenhead Priory includes the oldest standing building on Merseyside dating from 1150. There are a number of attractions on the site including the Cloister, the Chapter House, the Undercroft and the Refectory and the Tower. There are exhibitions relating to the history of the site and its surroundings and to the history of the Priory. From the top of the Tower there are panoramic views of Liverpool and the river. The Refectory can be hired for functions and events. The Priory Parish uses the Chapter House as a chapel and the Scriptorium is dedicated to HMS Conway as a chapel and displays memorabilia associated with the training ship. 2.0 Statement of Purpose 2.1 To make the exploration of Wirral’s life and history an interesting and entertaining experience, accessible to all sections of society. 2.2 The Council’s corporate objectives are: • To create more jobs, achieve a prosperous economy and regenerate Wirral. • To create a clean, pleasant, safe and sustainable environment. • To improve health and well being for all, ensuring people who require support are full participants in mainstream society. • To raise the aspirations of young people. • To create an excellent Council. 2.3 Although it is true that the Museums Service has the potential to contribute all the corporate objectives the Regeneration Department works predominantly ‘towards improving well being for all’. 3.0 Current Situation 3.1 Audience 3.1.1 Visitor figures: Venue 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Williamson AG&M 40070 34608 33348 35139 33897 Birkenhead Priory 13578 16115 17280 13329 13666 Wirral Museum 45725 40323 48610 75339* 37466 Transport Museum 13259 11561 11183 13432 9430 Shore Road Pump 2963 2728 2154 864 541 * collection of data provided unreliable figure APPENDIX 1 3.1.2 School visits: 2003-04 5521 2004-05 6225 2005-06 4903 2006-07 5276 2007-08 4195 The variations are partly attributed to the fluctuations in class sizes and the willingness of teachers to take children out of school in light of risk assessments and transport costs. 3.1.3 Customer satisfaction In the first quarter of 2006 Wirral Council’s Citizen’s Panel responding to a series of questions, some of which related directly to museums. Below is an extract of the report analysing the responses: Wirral has a great wealth of local heritage, respondents were asked how satisfied they were with the heritage attractions in the area and how often they visited them. Respondents were given the opportunity to give their personal opinions of their experiences at the attractions. Respondents were also asked where would be most convenient to find information on local attractions and what other attractions, other than what is already offered that should be provided in Wirral. Just over one in ten (10.7% of) respondents stated they visited the Lady Lever Art Gallery regularly, four in ten (40.6% of) respondents said they visited the Williamson Art Galley occasionally. Four in ten (40.9%) respondents had never heard of Wirral Archives and also well over four in ten (45.6%) had never heard of Flaybrick Memorial Gardens. Over nine tenths (91.6%) of respondents were very or fairly satisfied with the Lady Lever Art Gallery and nearly nine tenths (88.4%) of respondents were very or fairly satisfied with the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum. Approximately one in six (16.3% of) respondents were very or fairly disappointed with Flaybrick Memorial Gardens and over one in ten (11.7%) respondents were very or fairly disappointed with Fort Perch Rock. Respondents were asked where they look for information about the heritage attractions in Wirral the majority of respondents (93.7%) stated they would look in the Wirral Globe for information on local heritage services and attractions, almost nine in ten (89.9%) of respondents would look in the Wirral News and just over three quarters (76.8%) of respondents stated they would look at websites. When asked what other heritage attractions/facilities respondents would like to see, just over one in eleven (8.9%) respondents would like to see improved promotion of attractions listed and relevant information APPENDIX 1 needed, over one in twenty (6.2%) of respondents would like to see a new home for historic warships in Wirral. 3.1.4 Wirral has the highest satisfaction rates for sports and recreation, which includes Museums, within the Merseyside boroughs. 3.1.5 The satisfaction levels demonstrate the commitment and professionalism of the staff in their ability to deliver a high quality service within limited resources. 3.1.6 The National Indicator NI10 (visit to museums and galleries) puts Wirral with the highest participation rates of any unitary authority and the highest participation of any council outside London. 3.17 This would indicate that there is the potential to significantly increase visitor numbers to Wirral Council’s Museums with appropriate levels of investment. 3.2 Collection 3.2.1 At present historically and educationally significant collections are on show to varying degrees in each building. Further details are given in Appendix 1. 3.2.2 Wirral Museum opened in 2001 to show local history and civic collections, permanent displays of civic silver, Cammell Laird history and a model of the Woodside area of Birkenhead in 1934. The impending closure of Wirral Museum will necessitate the withdrawal of these collections. 3.2.3 Similarly, Wirral Transport Museum was created to act as the new depot for the operational heritage tramway (begun 1995), which has also developed into a transport museum which traces the development of public road transport in Wirral, from the first tramway in 1860, to bus deregulation in 1986. Particularly significant are the historic trams from the former Birkenhead, Wallasey, and Liverpool tramways, restored by the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society, but included are cars, motorbikes and models, several on long-term loan. Vehicles are maintained in working order and some are operated to facilitate visits by local schools. Transfer of the operation of the Transport Museum will require renegotiation and transferral of loans to another body, and arrangement to loan those vehicles belonging to Wirral Museums Service, as no alternative garaging facilities are readily available. 3.2.4 At Birkenhead Priory the archaeological finds from the site are on display in the Undercroft. There is also display space in the Refectory for views of the buildings at various times in the past. The HMS Conway collections in the Scriptorium belong to the Friends of HMS Conway and are not formally loaned to Wirral Museums Service. 3.2.5 The Williamson Art Gallery collection largely comprises: • Fine and decorative art, particularly 18 th and 19 th century watercolour paintings and drawings, and a representative collection of local artists; • Ceramics – most noteworthy are the local collections: Della Robbia Pottery, which was made in Birkenhead, Liverpool Porcelain and Seacombe Pottery; APPENDIX 1 • Maritime models, particularly the Mersey Ferries, and vessels linked with the Cammell Laird shipyard; • Social history artefacts, together with some military, archaeological and geological