Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Curator Report 2010-11 1 Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Curator Report 2010-11 Contents 1 INTRODUCTION The Norwich Curator Team in 2010-11 Meet the Curator Section 2 WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC Communicating with audiences Exhibitions Interpreting and understanding the historic and natural environment Education and outreach 3 IMPROVING THE COLLECTIONS AND DISPLAYS Acquisitions Developing our museums Using the collections 4 IMPROVING ACCESS TO COLLECTIONS Developing access to knowledge and information 5 INVESTING IN THE SECTOR Research Associates, volunteers and placements Partnerships Supporting the sector 6 THE DISPLAY DEPARTMENT 2010-11 7 THE CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT 2010-11 8 APPENDIX Communicating through publications and other media 2 3 1 INTRODUCTION The Norwich Curator Team in 2010-11 This is the fifth annual report of the Norwich Curator team; part of Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service. The year 2010-11 has been another period of change for the Service, with continued budget pressures. At the same time, it has been the goal of the team that we continue to deliver high quality and accessible services, during what has been time of cost saving. This is also at a time when there is a national trend towards reduced physical access to museums. A challenging time indeed. NMAS is now part of the larger grouping within NCC, called Community Services. This move has provided an opportunity for us to re-evaluate our priorities, in order to play our role within this newly formed Department, alongside our longer-established partners in the NRO and Libraries. We appreciate that there is a need to continue to do what we do well but, at the same time, to explore new and better ways of providing and developing our services. The Curator team recognises our principal assets, in the form of nationally pre-eminent Designated Collections, while our buildings provide a range of potentially rich and stimulating learning spaces. At this testing time we need to continue to evaluate our services and respond to what our users want. We are also currently working with a range of external partners. We need to continue to develop our existing partnerships as well as seeking productive new partnerships. We have also continued to be highly successful in attracting external funding; for projects, exhibitions and for acquisitions. All staff have played a vital and unique role in this process. This report outlines some of the work that has been achieved towards our goals, both individually and collectively, through 2010-11. It is by no means a complete listing of all that has been achieved. It is a representative round-up of our activities and what has been submitted for inclusion by members of the team; serving to illustrate the range of work undertaken. The report this year also includes contributions from the Display and Conservation Departments, who have been part of the Curatorial Department during the period. Finally, it must be stressed that the work outlined in the following pages is once again a reflection of the work of NMAS as a whole. This has all been achieved through working closely with our colleagues across NMAS on a daily basis. Dr John Davies FSA Chief Curator and Keeper of Archaeology December 2011 4 5 Meet the Curator Section Dr David Waterhouse 495883 [email protected] Staff based at Norwich Castle Study Centre, Shirehall Social History Staff based in the Norwich Museums Chief Curator and Keeper of Archaeology Dr John Davies FSA 493630 Regimental Museum [email protected] Kate Thaxton (part time) 493650 [email protected] Curatorial Assistant Lorenza Peachey 493659 Strangers Hall [email protected] Helen Renton 767138 [email protected] Norman Connections Project Officer Angela Riley 493671 Cathy Terry (part time) 667856 [email protected] [email protected] Archaeology Bridewell Dr Tim Pestell FSA 493658 Hannah Maddox 223534 [email protected] [email protected] Alan West (part time) 493631 John Renton 223533 [email protected] [email protected] Fine Art Jenny Caynes 223524 Dr Andrew Moore FSA [email protected] Keeper and Senior Curator 493633 [email protected] Fi Hitchcock 493670 [email protected] Dr Giorgia Bottinelli (part time) 493664 [email protected] Carrow House Ruth Battersby Tooke 223873 Harriet Loffler 493664 [email protected] [email protected] Senior Access Curator Decorative Art Ruth Burwood 223873 Dr Francesca Vanke 493634 [email protected] [email protected] Curatorial Assistant Rosy Gray 493627 Lisa Little 223873 [email protected] [email protected] Fi Hitchcock 493670 The Conservation Team [email protected] Based at Norwich Castle Study Centre, Shirehall Exhibitions Officer Heather Guthrie (part time) 493655 Head of Conservation [email protected] Man-Yee Liu 223387 [email protected] Natural History Dr Tony Irwin Senior Curator 493642 [email protected] 6 7 Conservation Co-ordinators Alexander Norcross-Robinson 493639 2 WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC Helen Rush & Rosy Gray 223387 Alexander.norcross-robinson@norfolk. [email protected] gov.uk Communicating with audiences [email protected] Communication is perhaps the most important aspect of the curator’s role. Senior Conservator Curators transmit knowledge of the collections and their Debbie Forkes (part time) 493637 context to a wide range of audiences and in a variety of [email protected] ways. Senior Conservator Many examples of how Curators communicate are shown (also Renaissance Regional Senior throughout this report. New methods are explored and Conservator until 31st March 2011) developing our audiences, through new approaches such as social Sarah Norcross Robinson media, are actively being explored. (part time) 493637 [email protected] During 2010, a major project involvement enabled NMAS to communicate with audiences in a very large scale, through our Textile Conservator involvement in the BBC History of the World project. Deborah Phipps (maternity cover) 493622 [email protected] The flagship project, which was an involvement of the British Museum and BBC, led to a 100-part series on Radio 4, featuring Assistant Conservator objects from the British Museum collections. Associated radio David Harvey 493629 programming was developed across the country and John Davies [email protected] was appointed the lead officer for Norfolk. Assistant Conservator A successful series of events and broadcasts was achieved in Jonathan Clark 493619 partnership with BBC Radio Norfolk in late 2009 and through [email protected] 2010. An initial 10 Norfolk objects were chosen to be presented nationally on the BBC media, coming from a range of museums. Conservation Collections Technician These were followed by another five objects in late 2010. These Alice Forkes 493622 objects all have a local significance and global connections. [email protected] Outside broadcasts were achieved from NMAS museums, The Display Team including Norwich Castle, Strangers Hall, Gressenhall Museum. Based at Norwich Castle Chief Curator John Davies and Tim Pestell, Archaeology Curator, Head of Display are now undertaking a publication based on the best and most Jon Maxwell 493655 significant Norfolk objects; A History of Norfolk in 100 Objects. [email protected] Display Co-ordinators Tanya Denham/Natalie Mead 222519 [email protected] [email protected] Senior 3D Designer Lynne Avery-Johnson 495884 [email protected] 3D Designer Katie Jones 493638 [email protected] 8 9 Visitors enjoying the paintings at the Bridget Riley exhibition. Exhibitions The show was jointly paired, under a 60s theme, with Bridget Major exhibitions have been featured throughout the year at Riley: Flashback from the Southbank Centre, London. Norwich Castle, in the Norwich Union and Bernard Matthews (the ‘T’) Galleries, with works from the permanent collection Bridget Riley: Flashback being featured in other galleries. Sat 5 June – Sun 5 September 2010 Staff continue to work towards the future exhibition programme. This was one of a major new series of Hayward Touring exhibitions from the Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre. AT NORWICH CASTLE Taking as its starting point the Collection’s founding principle of supporting emerging artists through the purchase of their work, Beatles to Bowie: the 60s exposed the series showcased world-renowned British artists whose works Norwich Union and Bernard Matthews Galleries were acquired early on by the Collection. The monographic Sat 8 May – Sun 5 June 2010 exhibitions combine early Collection works with new pieces sourced from the artists, giving a unique insight into the This exhibition was organised by the National Portrait Gallery. evolution of these key figures in British art. A series of talks were Celebrating the 1960s, the show looked at some of the leading organised to coincide with the exhibition. personalities who became icons of the pop and music industry. Over 150 photographs, mainly from the NPG’s collection, were Visitor comment shown and included rare portraits of the Beatles, David Bowie, Enjoyed all the lovely photos and I also love the Bridget Riley Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones. The exhibition included a section - very in keeping with the ‘pop’ concept! variety of ephemera and was enhanced with music of the 60s, and with a selection of costume from the collection at Carrow House. ‘Sixties Summer’ The two exhibitions were programmed together to provide a Visitor comments ‘sixties summer’. The estimated number of visits was 37,589, Amazing exhibition from the point of view of someone including many first time visitors to Norwich Castle. This pairing interested in photography and music. Fascinating! of shows successfully attracted new audiences over the summer months.