SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE 14 JUNE 2017 HERITAGE AND ARCHAEOLOGY UPDATE Report by Director of Development PURPOSE OF REPORT To update the Comhairle on the activities of the Heritage Service including strategies for Heritage and Archaeology, the Udal project, and the Year of History Heritage and Archaeology. COMPETENCE 1.1 There are no legal, financial, equalities or other constraints to the recommendations being implemented. SUMMARY 2.1 The Heritage Service is actively engaged in the development of the sector and its economic impact in a variety of ways including supporting new initiatives, consultation on strategies and plans, and managing the new Museum nan Eilean at Lews Castle. Major challenges which face the service include the need to develop new museum storage facilities and meeting resource intensive challenges with limited staff. 2.2 A strategy for the heritage sector is being developed through consultation with a variety of organisations including Comainn Eachdriadh, other heritage bodies operating regionally, national partners and funders at a local, regional and national level. Draft documents concerning the strategy are detailed in Appendix 1 to the Report. 2.3 The economic impact of archaeology is being assessed in a report commissioned by the Comhairle from EKOS consultants. A number of workshops have been previously undertaken in Uist and a workshop will be held in Stornoway on 21 June 2017. An update Report will be submitted to the September committee series. 2.4 The Heritage Service continues to work with Lews Castle College UHI to find funding for the development of an academic research agenda for archaeology. 2.5 The research project on the RUX6 assemblage from the Udal peninsular formally ended on 31 March 2017. The research outcome of the project – a monograph by Beverley Ballin Smith – will be published this summer. An app to provide a guided tour of the peninsular, informed by the research, is being produced by Comann Eachdraidh Uibhist a Tuath with funding from Economic Development budgets. 2.6 The Heritage Service has supported several key activities under the banner of the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology with further plans for the rest of 2017. 2.7 Visitor numbers to the new Museum nan Eilean at Lews Castle have exceeded the upper estimates for the first year of opening set out in the museum business plan. RECOMMENDATION 3.1 It is recommended that the Comhairle note the Report. Contact Officer: Nick Smith, Heritage Manager, [email protected] Appendix: 1. Draft Analysis of the Heritage Sector Background Papers: Report to Sustainable Development Committee, 1 March 2017 HERITAGE SERVICE 4.1 The Comhairle’s Heritage Service encompasses Tasglann nan Eilean Siar (archives), two Museum nan Eilean sites at Lews Castle and Lionacleit, archaeology services and Hebridean Connections. Over the last year the priority of the service has been to ensure the successful opening and operation of the new museum at Lews Castle. 4.2 Against an upper target of 37,000 visitors in the first year of operation (14 July 2016 – 13 July 2017) the new museum has achieved 42,094 visitors as of 30 April 2017. Visitor numbers for the entire first year are therefore expected to exceed 50,000, a 35% increase on expectations. 4.3 With the museum now up and running and visitor accommodation opened in Lews Castle itself, consideration must be given through 2017/18 as to how this new facility and the wider service can efficiently operate while meeting all its obligations. 4.4 The Heritage Service has been active in making progress on the many competing priorities facing both the Comhairle’s own services and those which face the sector as a whole. 4.5 However, with only a single member of professional staff in every area of operation – archaeology, collections, conservation, archives, education and visitor services – the Service must balance its responsibilities to the Comhairle’s collections and museums with the need to support other heritage organisations with their own development ambitions. 4.6 A major challenge at present and in the years to come is the issue of storage of the Comhairle’s museum collections. Present stores are no longer fit for purpose, place objects in the collection at some risk, and are practically full or overcrowded, restricting collecting activity at a time when objects are more likely to be offered for donation. 4.7 Despite these challenges, the Service continues to work to develop the sector as explained in this report. HERITAGE STRATEGY 5.1 A strategy for the heritage sector is being developed through consultation with a variety of organisations including Comainn Eachdraidh, other heritage bodies operating regionally, national partners and funders at a local, regional and national level. 5.2 The development of a strategy follows on from the Activity Plan delivered as part of the Lews Castle project, from steps to encourage “networked” activity among heritage organisations in the Outer Hebrides (rather than a traditional hub/spoke model with the local authority at the centre), and conferences held for heritage bodies over the course of the Museum nan Eilean development. 5.3 The purpose of the strategy consultation is to identify the key challenges and opportunities facing the sector in the short and medium term. From these a set of aims and objectives will be drawn up for agreement by the sector. 5.4 The publication of a document which has the substantial agreement of the sector will therefore assist individual organisations in planning activities and creating partnerships for the mutual benefit of the sector as a whole. Where applications to funders reference the strategy, decision makers will understand the wider benefit of making grants to particular activities. 5.5 A draft version of the analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the sector and an initial discussion document on potential aims and objectives can be found in Appendix 1 to the Report. 5.6 The initial analysis suggests that there are four key areas in which the sector would benefit from development. These areas are likely to be refined and may be joined by others as the consultation proceeds. Joint marketing, communications and developing shared themes The development of staff and volunteer skills The use of technology Increased advocacy and public profile ARCHAEOLOGY STRATEGY 6.1 With just one archaeologist in post with the Comhairle to cover the whole of the Outer Hebrides the service must work hard to balance planning responses and development control issues with the provision of research and interpretation support both within the Comhairle and to outside bodies. 6.2 In order to advance the economic benefit of the rich archaeological heritage of the Outer Hebrides two pieces of work are being carried out which will inform strategic direction for archaeology: Developing an Economic Impact Assessment and a Research Agenda. 6.3 The Economic Impact Assessment of Archaeology was a key recommendation of a piece of work concluded in 2016 which examined the potential for a Hebridean Archaeology and Environment Research Centre (HAERC). It is being carried out by EKOS consultants. The major elements of work forming the assessment are: Establishing the volume and value of expenditure related to archaeology in the Outer Hebrides. Taking evidence from key individuals and organisations to understand the potential opportunities in archaeology and the actions needed to maximise them. Reviewing archaeological assets which could form a trail and marketing campaign for the Outer Hebrides and identifying those which offer greatest potential for visitor interest. This follows on from work conducted in the HAERC study which identified sites in the Uists. Identifying the most beneficial activities in terms of marketing, interpretation and access. Identify the potential increase in economic value should the activities be followed through. 6.4 The research and consultation will be carried out through telephone conversations and a half-day workshop in Stornoway on 21 June. An action plan will then be published and presented to the Comhairle at the September Committee series. 6.5 A Research Agenda for archaeology in the Outer Hebrides will be produced by Lews Castle College UHI and will be published as part of a wider regional agenda for the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. 6.6 UHI and Heritage Service staff attended a symposium at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in March as part of the ScARF (Scottish Archaeological Research Framework) programme in order to understand how local authorities and academic institutions can best work together to drive such agendas forward. 6.7 Funding to produce the agenda was sought by UHI from Historic Environment Scotland. Although the application was supported by the Comhairle it was not successful and alternative funding streams are being investigated. THE UDAL PROJECT 7.1 The research project on the RUX6 archaeological assemblage from the Udal peninsular formally came to an end on 31 March 2017 per the grant agreement for this work between the Comhairle and Historic Environment Scotland (HES). The full grant has now been drawn down from HES. The Comairle funded 30% of the project which in total cost £85,000. 7.2 Mark Hall (Assistant Archaeologist - Udal Project) was seconded to the Comhairle from Perth Museum and Art Gallery for the purposes of the project and successfully managed the process of overseeing the research process. Mark also contributed to the feasibility study on a proposed Hebridean Archaeology and Environment Research Centre, ran a series of well attended public engagement sessions and educational programmes, and developed and maintained a popular Facebook page for the project. 7.3 The manuscript of the forthcoming publication on the research conducted on the assemblage was completed and submitted in draft form to Historic Environment Scotland by the author, Beverley Ballin Smith, meeting the funding deadline of 31 March 2017.