Annual Report 2014 / 2015 Reflecting to the World, & the World to Birmingham

Contents

Birmingham Museums Trust is an independent 06 Our achievements 26 Collections educational charity formed in 2012. 27 Acquisitions 08 Audiences 27 Loans It cares for Birmingham’s internationally 09 Children and young people 28 Collections Care important collection of over 800,000 objects 09 Families which are stored and displayed in nine unique 10 Community engagement 30 Making it happen – trading & resilience venues including six Listed Buildings and one 10 Volunteers 31 Trading Scheduled Ancient Monument. 11 Marketing 31 Performance fee Birmingham Museums Trust is a company 11 Digital audiences 31 Development limited by guarantee. 12 Supporters 32 Summary of financial results 34 Board 14 Venues 34 Senior Management Team 14 Aston Hall 35 Exhibitions and display changes 15 Blakesley Hall 16 Museum & Art Gallery 18 Museum of the Jewellery Quarter 20 Sarehole Mill 21 Soho House 22 Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum 24 Museum Collections Centre 25 Weoley Castle

Registered Charity Number: 1147014 Chairman’s foreword The climate in which the Trust is operating could his was a year of two halves. We were successful in retaining hardly be more difficult. However, we end the year Arts Council Major Partner Museum status. We 2014/15 was the third with a number of positive indicators giving cause for T attracted bigger and more diverse audiences than ever before, year of operation of guarded optimism about the future. Trustees take and grew our trading income. Major achievements included the new Birmingham Museums particular heart from some of the fundamentals of Staffordshire Hoard Gallery at the Museum and Art Gallery and Trust. As this Annual the business – our improved financial position, the Spitfire Gallery at Thinktank. We remodelled the Edwardian Report sets out, it marks stronger governance arrangements and increasing Tearooms to great acclaim, rebranded ourselves with a new identity visitor numbers. to match our new, outward-facing focus, and launched a new website. a period in which the Our exhibitions on the work of Rowland Emett and Grayson Perry As well as thanking my fellow trustees, I would also Trust made progress on were particularly popular. And we laid the foundations for future work like to express gratitude to all of our friends and many fronts, helped by a through discussions with local, national and international partners supporters – organisations and individuals – who and successful funding applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund range of enthusiastic and have provided assistance to the Trust. Birmingham and DCMS Wolfson, among others. committed supporters Museums has never relied more heavily on your and stakeholders to whom help and support which we hope will continue to We also addressed substantial reductions in funding from Arts Council great thanks are due. be available in the future. England and Birmingham City Council through a radical staff restructuring. This is not an exercise anyone ever undertakes lightly, Finally, on behalf of trustees, I especially want to and it is a tribute to the professionalism of all those involved that it was thank all of our staff and volunteers who work so completed so rapidly and efficiently. The senior management team is tirelessly and with such dedication to present the confident that the new structure will enable Birmingham Museums City’s remarkable venues and collection in such an Trust to survive and thrive in this changing world. inspiring and imaginative way, reminding us all of the importance and value of the Trust’s work.

Steve Freer Dr Ellen McAdam Chairman Director, Birmingham Museums Trust

Foreword A year of change

04 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Foreword 05 18,948 people engaged with the Museum in a Box scheme 60% 25,005 of our turnover was self-generated hours from c.600 income 212,401 volunteers visitors participated in informal learning

1,208,805 299 loans seen by visits to our venues 2,275,173 people, including loans to 15,865 25% up on 2013/14 14 international pupils were venues 86,727 engaged through outreach pupils made on-site school visits

29% 121,750 visitors from socio-economic school children from groups C2DE c.1400 schools took part in 10% our schools learning visitors from BAME backgrounds visited programme us this year

103,368

social media Over 2 followers million Our achievements websites visits

06 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Our achievements 07 Children and young people response to the building; and a collaboration Birmingham is home to around 400,000 children and with Arts Connect West Midlands and community young people. Birmingham Museums Trust is proud arts organisation Quench to explore creative to achieve the highest level of school engagement approaches to curriculum development which of any arts organisation in the city. 1,400 different led to a schools’ music and film-based response. schools visited our venues this year, most more than • 427 children and young people participated in once: a total of over 121,000 school children across Arts Award opportunities. nine sites and in outreach sessions. Highlights of our education activities in 2014/15: Families • Our venues hosted a packed programme Family learning increased in 2014/15, with higher- of educational workshops, focussing on a wide capacity events and activities achieved across our range of topics, including Glittering Gold about venues. Thinktank had the busiest Whitsun half-term the Anglo-Saxons and Letter to Loved Ones ever, and the Museum and Art Gallery saw a three- about the First World War at the Museum and fold increase in family participation thanks to new Art Gallery, plant biology at Thinktank, prehistory Staffordshire Hoard activities. During the summer and rivers at Sarehole Mill, and a Tudor school holiday we hosted a Circus Academy at five sites, day at Blakesley Hall. in partnership with the Children’s University, which provided learning experiences for 1,700 children • Structured learning events for pupils were outside school hours. booked to capacity throughout the year. Home Education Days at a number of our venues The Saturday Arts Club is a chance for children provided opportunities for home-schooled aged 5-11 and their parents to work with artists children aged 5-16 and their parents to meet and craftspeople using a variety of materials one another and engage with museum learning. and techniques. 145 children took part, using School sleepovers at Thinktank enabled 620 photography, printing and craft activities to children to spend a night at the museum. work towards Explore or Discover Arts Awards. • We supported several projects to encourage young people to respond artistically to our venues. Working with Birmingham Ormiston Academy we developed performing arts activities in the Science Garden at Thinktank. Aston Hall inspired two initiatives: the Birmingham Museums’ Street Art project which enabled local pupils to create street art canvasses in

Audiences

08 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Audiences 09 Community engagement Volunteers Marketing Digital audiences We engaged with over 200 community groups and Around 600 volunteers gave us over 25,000 hours Our visitor numbers grew to over 1.2 million this In January we launched the new Birmingham individuals, more than 230 STEM professionals from of their time across the nine venues. This year, we year, helped in part by the launch in the Autumn Museums Trust website to deliver a highly-visible, universities and industry, and around 300 artists. focussed on improving the support and training of a new visual identity for Birmingham Museums coherent digital presence for our multiple venues. Highlights of our community engagement activities our volunteers receive, widening our recruitment Trust and its ‘family’ of nine venues. The result The website features information for visitors, as well in 2014/15: and increasing awareness of the programme, as of a strategic brand development exercise, our as offering images, videos and blog posts about the well as supporting external partners in delivering new approach ensures that each venue has galleries, exhibitions and behind-the-scenes work • The Spitfire project saw 21 young people carry best practice. We now offer a wide range of roles a distinctive identity within an overarching of each of our venues, their staff and volunteers. out research and work with a local artist Matt to our volunteers including conservation cleaning, Birmingham Museums brand. The impact of the new website was significant, Reeves to create an exbibit. Ignite (our forum working with archaeological finds, supporting family PR activity throughout the year secured a total with figures up considerably on previous years: for young people aged 16-24) also ran a Teen activities, gardening and being welcome hosts and there were 239,473 sessions and 169,530 users Takeover Day, with around 130 teens taking part. of over £4,784,000 media value (AVE) across guides across our sites. New partnerships with local 1,433 items of press coverage. during the final quarter of the year, a rise of 40% • 800 young people participated in the National businesses provided volunteer opportunities for and 35% respectively. Mobile use increased to 54%, Citizen Service programme at the Museum and employees of Leonard Cheshire, Asda, Cadbury, up from 39% in the same quarter the previous year, Art Gallery and Thinktank. the University of Birmingham and Lloyds. Trust Identity reflecting the improved usability of the new website. • A team of University of Birmingham postgraduate The Sarehole Millers won the Midlands Our social media audiences grew by 25% and we students created Yummie Brummie, a project to Marsh Award for Museum Learning. achieved over 100,000 followers on Facebook and promote cross-site visits between the Museum Twitter. We continued to share images online and of the Jewellery Quarter and Soho House through there were nearly 50,000 interactions with our themed events. images on Pinterest from August (when Pinterest • The Asian Women’s Textile Group, funded by began sharing analytics). The digital team produced Family of nine venues Birmingham City Council and the NHS, provided a range of media for online audiences throughout arts-based services for south Asian service users the year: 15 videos, which attracted 29,485 views on of mental health trusts. Our partnership with our YouTube channel; 27 audio clips for a BBC First them enabled 120 visitors to attend a health World War oral history project; four interviews with and wellbeing event at Soho House organised curators were added to Soundcloud. by members. The digital planetarium was very well-attended, with • 1,500 hours of Meet the Expert activities at a total of 116,904 attendees across 2,751 shows. Thinktank enabled around 8,000 visitors to meet We hosted the British Association of Planetaria STEM professionals. Thinktank also provided a conference in September, attended by 73 delegates forum for the University of Birmingham School from nine countries. of Psychology’s research into child cognitive development.

10 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Audiences 11 All our supporters play a key role in the work of the Trust.

We owe a special debt of gratitude to: • The Friends of Birmingham Museums Trust • City of Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Development Trust • Public Picture Gallery Fund • Patrons of Birmingham Museums Trust • Our Staffordshire Hoard Guardians

Thank you to all funders and supporters of Birmingham Museums Trust.

Association of Independent Museums / Arts Council PRISM Fund / The Art Fund / Birmingham Business Forward / Birmingham City Council Community Chest / Birmingham City Council Joint Commissioning / British Museum (Portable Antiquities Scheme) / BMW Plant Hams Hall / Butcher Woods Ltd / The Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity / DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund / Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) / Edward and Dorothy Cadbury Charitable Trust / The English Companions / Esmée Fairbairn Effective Collections / European Paintings Research Bursary Scheme / The Grimmitt Trust / Henry Moore Foundation / Historic England / History West Midlands / The MacRobert Trust / Museums Association / National Historic Ships Register / The Newcomen Society / No.5 Chambers / Opus Restaurant / The Pilgrim Trust / Turner and Townsend / Turning Point West Midlands / The RAF Charitable Trust / Rolls-Royce / Rotary of Edgbaston Convention / Spectrum Fine Arts / The Wakefield Trust / West Midlands Arts Connect / The Wolverhampton Women’s Luncheon Club.

We are very grateful for a legacy donation from the estate of Clara Janet Smith. And thank you to the public and our visitors for their generous donations.

Supporters

12 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Supporters 13 Our high quality staff and volunteers, combined Blakesley continued to forge close connections with its with increased event bookings, delivered a community, through an exhibition exploring the local successful year for Aston Hall. impact of the First World War and an arts festival.

Aston Hall welcomed 35,916 visitors The event attracted 628 visitors in four hours Blakesley Hall welcomed 18,866 visitors, Both summer holiday and Christmas activities through its doors. Income was £87,016 from and the feedback received was very positive, and income was £53,081, up 10% on the for families were extremely popular at admissions, events, retail, catering, corporate with long dwell times. previous year. Blakesley Hall and the venue also hosted the hire and Aston Villa parking. Civil ceremony Yardley Arts Weekend, which brought local In October, the museum achieved accreditation Our exhibition to mark the centenary of bookings increased on previous years and arts organisations and artists together for a by Visit England as part of their Visitor the start of the First World War was very we created a new event space to expand free community arts festival. Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS). successful. Tom, Frank and May: One Family’s the options the venue can offer clients. Aston Hall achieved the highest mark among Story explored the personal experiences of One of the most popular highlights of the the Trust’s venues (83%), with the excellent the Merry family who lived at the Hall through 2014 season was a daytime Halloween event quality of the interpretation, and the friendly the conflict. The exhibition was funded by the when the staff dressed in spooky costumes and knowledgeable guides being commended. Heritage Lottery Fund and featured archive and family activities were available material from the Imperial War Museum. Aston Hall was the backdrop for television throughout the day. It was well attended and generated excellent programmes Doctors and Bargain Hunt, visitor feedback. bringing media attention as well as income.

14 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Blakesley Hall 15 Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery The gallery has been very successful, and welcomed 823,424 visitors and a number contributed strongly to the rise in our schools of significant initiatives during the year engagement figures to 27,973 children and contributed to a transformed visitor 3,577 adults. experience at the venue. The Edwardian Tearooms were relaunched in The Gas Hall exhibition Marvellous Machines July. The striking refurbishment combined with The new Staffordshire Hoard Gallery, was popular with all audiences and took new menus proved so popular that the Bridge £113,450 in ticket sales, attracting 36,774 Café was subsequently opened to provide a successful summer exhibition and the visitors. It showcased the wonderful machines additional capacity at peak periods. In October, and cartoons by the eccentric inventor Rowland the museum achieved accreditation by Visit refurbished tearooms created an exciting Emett and was the largest ever display of his England as part of their Visitor Attraction extraordinary creations. Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS), with the catering staff of the new tearooms particularly new visitor experience at Birmingham The new Staffordshire Hoard Gallery opened praised for their proactive and welcoming in October, creating a dedicated space to approach. Museum & Art Gallery. showcase this ever popular collection and to provide information about its discovery and its Anglo Saxon origins.

16 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery 17 The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter school working with our learning team. To welcomed 29,923 visitors in 2014/15, complement the exhibition, and with funding and achieved £109,701 in income via from Heritage Lottery Fund, we commissioned admissions, events, retail, catering and local theatre company Pattern 23 to write corporate hire. Our income from corporate and perform A Family Concern, a series of bookings and café sales increased, and our promenade dramas performed within the New commercial and arts initiatives event space served as a local polling station. historic setting of the Smith & Pepper factory. We commemorated the First World War New jewellery-making workshops for adults, exploring the history of the local area centenary with an exhibition focussing on and an increased number of walking tours of three family-run factories in the Quarter and the Quarter proved extremely popular and expanded the activities we offer our the devastating effect of the conflict on the provided a new source of revenue for the site. lives of local people. visitors and proved very popular. The Exhibition: An Adaptable Trade; The Jewellery Quarter at War featured objects and stories gathered through community engagement and artwork created by a local

18 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Museum of the Jewellery Quarter 19 The renovated mill with its dedicated team of volunteers Innovative community engagement projects continued to be popular with visitors, and well as using the arts to celebrate local history brought generated commercial revenue from its flour milling. new audiences to Soho House.

Sarehole Mill welcomed 19,704 visitors Our regular events remained popular. Soho House received 10,430 visitors, and Soho mint. The competition, run by local and achieved £33,884 in income from The Origins of Middle Earth walks continued achieved £23,328 in income via admissions, artists, invited people to design coins for admissions and retail, a 5% increase on the each month and the summer craft events events, retail, catering and corporate hire, a minting and distributing. previous year, partly due to sales of flour. were well attended. New events such as pond rise of around 15%, partly driven by increased We hosted a Community Arts Day in dipping, and a Halloween pumpkin flotilla, corporate bookings and café income. In April, just one year after the renovation partnership with Ladywood Arts Forum, which a first for Birmingham, were tremendously works were completed, the mill began The venue is located in one of the most embraced a wide range of arts and music by successful. selling wholemeal flour, both in the shop culturally diverse areas in the UK, and local people. A Modern Day Lunar Men event and wholesale to Michelin-starred restaurant Sarehole Mill featured largely on the we successfully strengthened our local gave local leaders a platform to inspire young Carters of Moseley and bakery cooperative BBC programme Ian Hislop’s Olden Days, partnerships and community engagement people, and attracted 75 local residents, most Loaf of Stirchley. Our millers also used the broadcast in April, with a focus on the this year. of whom had never visited the site before. outdoor bread oven to engage with visitors venue’s Tolkien links. A New Expressions 3 project , funded by Arts Soho House staff participated in events to about baking bread. The winter saw the repair Council England, was held for local Handsworth mark the dedication of a new memorial to of the waterwheel, which was rebuilt by the residents. Called Good Money, it celebrated Matthew Boulton at Westminster Abbey, volunteers in weekly sessions. the technical innovation of Matthew Boulton’s raising our profile.

20 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Soho House 21 Thinktank welcomed 260,059 visitors, prebooked group, 16% above the attendance generating over £1.5 million in income, a forecast for the year. Our learning team revenue stream that continues to rise each delivered workshops and shows to 26,850 year. A Groupon promotion delivered in of these visitors, as well as facilitating an the final quarter contributed £31,587 in informal learning programme of science shows, additional admissions. storytelling sessions, object handling and arts and craft activities which achieved over 70,000 Our new Spitfire Gallery opened in March, the instances of participation. culmination of substantial fundraising, research and development. The gallery forms a lasting Six young people aged 16-17 from local schools tribute to this outstanding aircraft and inspires and colleges, joined the museum enabler visitors to understand the science of flight, team to take part in the Science and Heritage connect with their industrial heritage, and Career Ladder Summer Traineeship. They spent The new Spitfire Gallery, combined with a encourages future generations of six weeks working with the team, delivering aeronautical workers. activities to the public and learning about museum careers. packed learning programme, delivered a year The exhibition Come Create provided an opportunity to showcase over one hundred In October, the museum achieved accreditation of exceptional engagement opportunities for objects from our collection including world by Visit England as part of their Visitor cultures, science and industry, natural sciences Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS). children and young people. and applied arts, together with loans from The quality of the fixed interpretation, excellent five lenders, including artworks produced appearance of the site and overall performance by local students. of our staff were commended. We delivered an exceptional level of engagement for children and young people: 49,656 school children visited as part of a

22 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Thinktank 23 The MCC built upon its strong local and international Seasonal events brought local relationships and continued to be a popular resource families to Weoley Castle to enjoy for both specialist and general visitors. this unique community resource.

The MCC received 1,665 visitors, seventeen We forged new links with Birmingham City We welcomed 8,818 visitors to Weoley visits by schools and higher education University’s Engineering and Built Environment Castle, of which nearly half were children establishments and 86 visits by general department and the School of Jewellery and and young people. groups. Nearly 500 people visited during Gemmology department, and welcomed A programme of events to mark the seasons the open day in September and the monthly 27 specialist researchers to use the collections. provided opportunities for the local community open afternoon was always fully booked. Professional colleagues visited from both to enjoy the site. These included a spring local and international institutions, such The centre continued to be well-used by Easter Egg Hunt, a Bat Walk in the autumn and as the Otago Settlers Museum, Dunedin, school, college and university programmes. a Christmas Festival of Angels featuring craft New Zealand, the Museum of Victoria, Birmingham City University BA Hons Art activities and art made by local school children. Australia, Aberdeen Museum and Art Gallery, and Design students visited for the third A Living History Day and Knight School in July Transport Museum, Spode Museum year as part of their coursework, with a and a Falconry Day in September brought the Trustees, Helsinki Museums, Worcester view to building the visit permanently into medieval ruins to life. Archaeological Society and the Canadian their curriculum. Conservation Institute.

24 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Weoley Castle 25 Acquisitions Loans The Trust acquired 423 objects this year, of We lent 299 objects to 44 venues, where they were which 422 were gifts and one was purchased. seen by 2,275,173 visitors, a rise of 18% from the Highlights included: previous year. Of these 1,308,448 were UK visitors and 966,725 international visitors. Loans were made • Items relating to Birmingham experiences of to thirty UK venues outside the West Midlands the First and Second World Wars, including and fourteen countries, including Japan, Canada, objects belonging to former workers at the USA and Australia. Objects lent ranged from Pre- Castle Bromwich Spitfire Factory, collected Raphaelite paintings, prints, drawings and textiles, through community engagement and now on to contemporary art, numismatics and items from display in the new Spitfire Gallery. our world cultures collection. • The Stanley Sellers Bequest, a significant collection This was the third and final year of our Arts Council of fine and decorative artworks by 20th century England funded regional loans programme which British artists. Stanley Sellers was a Birmingham- has delivered 900,743 visitors to eleven regional born architect with a passion for art, who knew museums to see items from our collection. We many of the leading St Ives artists including also supported two touring exhibitions based on Barbara Hepworth and Bernard Leach. He was a our collection to regional venues: Secret Egypt and lifelong supporter of the Museum and Art Gallery, Exposed: the Body in Art. volunteering as a Friend for several years. As part of the Museum in a Box programme, which • The sculpture Land of Milk and Honey II by loans curriculum-related items to schools, we lent Birmingham-born artist Donald Rodney, acquired 265 boxes to 67 venues across the city, enabling as a gift via the Contemporary Art Society. Rodney 18,948 people to engage with their history. was a leading figure in Britain’s BLK Art Group of the 1980s whose work became famous for Reviewing and refreshing our loans programme exploring issues of racial identity and racism. continued to be an important priority. The long loans programme upgraded documentation and • Finally thanks to the Contemporary Art Society renewed a variety of loans, whilst our lending Omega Fund, we were given four contemporary guidelines and terms of reference were updated brooches by Mirjam Hiller and Soizig Marie Carey, and placed on the new website. We were able to which complement the metropolis-themed facilitate 21 new loan requests, around half of international contemporary art in our collection. those made throughout the year. This year also saw the launch of a programme to revalue the collection to inform its insurance cover, with three experts from Christie’s assessing objects from the Fine Art and Applied Art collections.

Collections

26 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Collections 27 Staffordshire Hoard research Conservation Collections management and conservation The conservation department enjoyed a busy We created new policies and strategies to guide The Staffordshire Hoard is the subject of one of the year, supporting 31 exhibitions, conducting the development, management, conservation UK’s largest publicly-funded archaeological artefact research and delivering an integrated pest and display of the collection over the coming five projects. This year saw the completion of the first management programme across eight sites years. Work on the new Collections Management phase and the start of the second, which is due to (with other Trust staff). System (KE EMu) continued following the major data complete in 2017. The project brings Birmingham This activity was ably supported by our successful transfer in 2013, and new documentation standards Museums Trust into partnership with a wide range volunteer ‘conservation club’, which grew to forty for acquisitions and object records were introduced, of academic and public institutions, including members, and provided an important dimension alongside our continuing audit and monitoring Historic England, the British Museum, the University to the conservation team. We also delivered a programmes. of Birmingham and Birmingham City University. significant engagement programme, through public Dust and vibration monitoring were conducted in The project delivered results of international tours at the conservation studios, open talks and collaboration with National Museums Liverpool, significance in 2014, and continues to do so. social media activity, which raised the profile of our University of Liverpool and Birmingham City Birmingham leads on the conservation programme, conservation work. Laboratories in relation to the potential impact which won the American Institute of Archaeology’s Collaborations with national and international of HS2. Conservation and Heritage Management Award research projects developed professional practice in 2014, as well as being shortlisted for the and deepened knowledge about our own HS2 Keck award, Current Archaeology and Museums collections. A pigment analysis research project with The planned developments for the High Speed Rail Association awards. We also acquired an Esmée the Sorbonne University analysed Frederick Sandys’ Link (HS2) generated a substantial strand of work for Fairbairn grant of £87,000 to allow two material painting Morgan-le-Fay, whilst the Department of the Trust in 2014. In May, we submitted a petition to scientists to study the collection in 2015. Sustainable Heritage, UCL analysed plastics in our the House of Commons, stating that the proposed contemporary art objects. A UCL research project work posed an unacceptable risk and significant Heritage Smells undertook an experiment in the impact to our collections at the MCC and to users at Birmingham History Galleries to understand how Thinktank. The petition was prepared and submitted smell can enhance visitor experience. by Pinsent Masons LLP on our behalf, following Scientific equipment within the conservation close dialogue and consultation with both HS2 and department, including a new X-ray system, X-ray Birmingham City Council. Fluorescence and Fourier Transform Infra-Red We were invited to present our case to the House of Spectroscopy, was used to assess a wide range of Commons Select Committee on HS2 in September, objects and packaging from our own collections and a detailed argument was prepared, backed by to assist with their management, and to support research on potential environmental and security commercial activity. Conservation Contracted impact and compensation. Following detailed Services exceeded their target revenue, achieving negotiations between the Trust, the City Council £20,907 in income from a variety of clients, including and HS2 up to, and on, the day of the Select work for Museum of London to identify arsenic Committee hearing, the petition was withdrawn and in their fur collections, identification of alloys in an agreement reached between all three parties sculptural pieces for Tate, and X-ray analysis for in January. The Trust and City Council believe this archaeological units. agreement best addresses the concerns raised in the petition, and we will resume dialogue with HS2 as plans for the development progress.

8,330 objects audited including items from Aston Hall and the Judges’ Lodgings as part of the rolling collections audit 5,725 programme. objects checked for asbestos and other hazards. 3,096 3,501 objects catalogued (target object records (target 2,000) – 2,078 from the 2,000) updated, and Natural Science collection – 235 object history files Collections Care with the aid of volunteers. created or updated.

28 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Collections Care 29 We successfully grew our corporate support, with sponsorship and in- Trading Performance fee kind assistance helping to deliver new displays, exhibitions and learning The commercial and trading arms of the Trust The performance fees totalled £2,011,581 across launched a number of substantial and successful all sites, with Thinktank delivering £1,605,512 in programmes. Generous donations from individuals and community initiatives during the year to improve the quality combined performance fee income and strongly organisations have supported improvement across our venues, including of the experience offered to customers across outperforming the previous year. our venues. This achieved a considerable rise in the refurbishment of Sarehole Mill’s waterwheel and a play-area at Schools continue to provide our standout source of bookings, income and visitor satisfaction. In addition, income and this supports the management of the Weoley Castle, as well as contributing to our collections care programme, we implemented a new business model for the collection. Total income from schools was £437,298, such as provision of specialist storage and the continuing Staffordshire heritage sites. The team moved to a clearer focus with Thinktank delivering the largest proportion on income growth and expenditure and tighter at £339,142. Hoard research. monitoring to ensure a targeted performance to allow us to develop our business more effectively. Development The new Spitfire Gallery was one of our primary development projects We achieved a 10% increase in sales (outlet by The Trust secured awards of over £1.5 million from outlet) across all departments, our turnover was this year, with major funding acquired from both Heritage Lottery a range of grant-makers, including: Fund and DCMS/ Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement £1,961,000 and trading surplus £441,000. Our retail sales increased to £563,000 in total. • Heritage Lottery Fund Collecting Cultures; support for our Collecting Birmingham project, which Fund. We filled a £40,000 funding gap with a campaign that targeted Highlights of our trading activities in 2014/15 uses community engagement to develop areas of individual donors, trusts, and corporate sponsorship. The Spitfire Club include: the collection that reflect growing up, living and was a highlight of the campaign donors became ‘oppos’ (RAF slang for • Refurbishment of the Edwardian Tearooms at working in Birmingham. the Museum and Art Gallery to provide a fresh, • Department of Business, Innovation and Skills; friend), receiving gallery updates and an invitation to a special launch modern design accompanied by staff retraining, funding for a programme to engage Brownies and event. Many shared their personal stories about the Spitfire, helping to new menus and service standards. This achieved Girl Guides in science. Around 400 girls took part in an increase in gross profit margin (over 5%) and persuade other funders to support the gallery. activities including computer coding. accolades for customer and food service. We also invested in a second café at the Museum and • Arts Council PRISM Fund and the Edward and Art Gallery, a new coffee station at Thinktank, Dorothy Cadbury Trust; funding for research, and began a project to enhance the layout and conservation and scientific analysis of a Jurassic furniture at the Thinktank café. Ichthyosaur skull. Excavated in Warwickshire in 1955, the new research suggests that this • We refurbished the event suite at Thinktank and important object in our paleontological collections created a new event hire space at Aston Hall. may be a previously-unknown species. These initiatives were accompanied by a new wedding brochure and sales drive, and our venue hire increased on previous years. • New visual merchandising was generated for the Thinktank and Museum and Art Gallery shops, and a pop-up Staffordshire Hoard shop was created to complement the new gallery. Sales at both shops increased, with the Museum and Art Gallery sales Trading & up by 20%. resilience

Making it happen

30 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Making it happen 31 Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities Consolidated Balance Sheet For the year ended 31 March 2015 As at 31 March 2015

Unrestricted Designated Restricted As restated As restated As restated Total 2015 2015 2015 funds funds funds Total 2014 2014 2014

£000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000

Incoming Resources Fixed Assets Incoming Resources from Generated Funds

Income from trading activities of subsidiary 1,961 1,961 2,039 Tangible Assets 5,076 4,492

Investment Income Current Assets

Rental income 23 23 13 Stock 154 132 Interest receivable 1 1 2

Debtors 1,732 1,472 Incoming Resources from Charitable Activities

Visitor admissions and outreach income 1,948 1,948 1,875 Cash at bank and in hand 1,428 1,776

Grants receivable and other income 4,721 1,634 2,952 9,307 8,989 3,314 3,380

Total Incoming Resources 8,654 1,634 2,952 13,240 12,918 Current Liabilities

Resources Expended Costs of Generating Funds Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (2,746) (2,607)

Expenses from trading activities of subsidiary 1,520 1,520 1,616 Net Current Assets/(Liabilities) 568 773

Fundraising costs 64 110 174 16 Total assets less current liabilities 5,644 5,265 Charitable Activities Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year (1,146) (1,262) Museum costs 6,737 1,504 2,707 10,948 11,437

Interest payable – loan 60 60 65 NET ASSETS 4,498 4,003

Governance costs 43 43 2 Funds Total Resources Expended 8,424 1,614 2,707 12,745 13,136

Restricted funds 3,626 3,381 Net Incoming/(Outgoing) Resources for the Year 230 20 245 495 (218) Unrestricted funds – designated 352 332 Fund balances brought forward 66 332 3,381 3,779 4,389

Prior period restatements 224 224 (168) Unrestricted funds – general 500 270

Fund Balances Brought Forward Restated 290 332 3,381 4,003 4,221 Trading Reserves 20 20

Fund Balances Carried Forward 520 352 3,626 4,498 4,003 TOTAL 4,498 4,003 Finances

32 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Finances 33 Board of Trustees Senior Management Team Exhibitions and display changes

Steve Freer Dr Ellen McAdam Blakesley Hall Other Galleries Chairman Director Tom, Frank and May: One Family’s Story Grayson Perry, The Vanity 12 April–2 November 2014 of Small Differences Councillor Muhammad Afzal Simon Cane closed 11 May 2014 Director of Museum Operations Museum and Art Gallery – Gas Hall Graham Allen and Deputy Director (until December 2014) Marvellous Machines: the Wonderful Symmetry in Sculpture: Councillor Randal Brew World of Rowland Emett Recent work by Zarah Hussain Rachel Cockett 10 May–21 September 2014 24 May 2014–26 January 2015 Len Clark Director of Development West Midlands Open New Art West Midlands Penelope, Viscountess Cobham Janine Eason 25 October 2014–15 February 2015 (multi-site exhibition) Director of Engagement Professor Ian Grosvenor closed 18 May 2014 Waterhall Robert Hayes Deborah de Haes For the Record After the Gold Rush Commercial Director closed 29 June 2014 7 September 2014–11 January 2015 Sir Mark Jones (from January 2015) Static: Still Life Reconsidered Soldiers’ Stories: Birmingham and the David Lewis Toby Watley 26 July–31 December 2014 Royal Warwickshire Regiment 1914-1918 Director of Collections Mohammed Rahman 19 July 2014–31 August 2015 Art From Elsewhere: International Judith Wilson Jan Teo Contemporary Art from UK Collections Faith and Action: Quaker Aspects Director of Finance and 14 February–31 May 2015 of the First World War Company Secretary 17 January–17 June 2015 Community Gallery Home Away From Home Staffordshire Hoard Gallery 29 March–3 August 2014 opened 17 October 2014 Sound and Silence: Prayer and Museum of the Jewellery Quarter Contemplation at the Heart of An Adaptable Trade: the Jewellery the City of Birmingham Quarter During the First World War 13 September–13 December 2014 14 June 2014–27 June 2015 Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum Come Create 24 May–7 September 2014 Spitfire Gallery opened 28 March 2015

34 Birmingham Museums Trust / Annual Report 14/15 Exhibitions and display changes 35 For more information and for our full price list please get in touch: 0121 348 8000 [email protected] For more details about our venues visit: birminghammuseums.org.uk