Royal Pavilion & Museums Foundation Annual Review 2015-16 Royal Pavilion & Museums and Royal Pavilion & Museums Foundation, Brighton & Hove 1 Director’s review Chair’s review The 2015/16 Annual Review which this year Arts Council England for their continued world-class cultural destination for heritage, The Royal Pavilion & Museums Foundation materials for the Learning team and continue combines the Royal Pavilion & Museums funding and support, which makes possible culture and the performing arts in the heart has had a very good year. We believe, with the restoration of the Saloon. The Royal and the Royal Pavilion & Museums our vibrant programme of activities. of the city. like you I’m sure, that museums are for Pavilion & I hope you will continue to support us so Foundation, highlights some of the many everyone and if if we can create positive Museums continue At the start of this year, we were delighted to I hope that you will enjoy reading about some that together we can continue to delight and achievements that have been made first experiences for our younger visitors, to play a major learn that Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival of the highlights of the past year, and thank inspire all our visitors and provide a very possible over the past year by members we can nurture a life-long long love of part in attracting had been awarded nearly £5million from you all for your support. memorable experience. and patrons of the Royal Pavilion & museums. Our 2015 annual appeal, which the 10 million plus the Heritage Lottery Fund towards Brighton Museums Foundation, our many partners, so many of you generously supported, Thank you all. visitors that come & Hove City Council, the Royal Pavilion & collaborators and funders. raised funds to inspire our children. to the city each year, Museums, and Brighton Dome & Brighton contributing millions of pounds to We would like to thank you all for working Festival’s joint vision to revitalise the Royal The Learning team here at the Royal Pavilion our economy, as well as providing Brighton with us to realise such a wealth of diverse Pavilion Estate. & Museums, gives children the opportunity & Hove residents, schools and colleges and exciting projects, ranging from the to take part in a wide range of learning This award makes possible the with a unique source of education in their opening of a brand-new, hands-on space, experiences and to participate in hands-on refurbishment of the Corn Exchange and home city.” Museum Lab, in Brighton Museum & Art sessions. Whether handling artefacts or Studio Theatre – the Prince Regent’s former Gallery, to exhibitions as varied as Exotic taking inspiration from the collections and Councillor Alan Robins stables and riding schools. It is the first Creatures in the Royal Pavilion and Wildlife Janita Bagshawe painting their own masterpiece, the work Chair of the Economic Development phase of the ambitious redevelopment Photographer of the Year at Brighton Museum Director of the Royal Pavilion the team delivers is a vital part of our future, Professor Julian Crampton CBE DL and Culture Committee, project, which will reconnect and revitalise & Art Gallery. These events and activities and Head of Museums, Brighton & Hove engaging our supporters of tomorrow. Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Brighton & Hove City Council the historic buildings and gardens as one. across the museum sites have continued to Royal Pavilion & Museums Foundation Breath-taking and previously hidden heritage I would like to take this opportunity to bring alive the city’s wonderful collections spaces will be restored for public viewing, welcome David Burgess to the team as the and the heritage buildings in which they are and new interpretation and an activity new Head of Development. I’m sure many of housed. plan for the Estate will reveal inspirational you will welcome him personally at one of the On behalf of everyone at the Royal Pavilion & stories, unfolding layers of history. We look events we hold over the year. Museums, I would particularly like to thank forward over the coming years to creating a As ever, your support is essential. It is with your help that we have been able to provide 2 3 I have been A hands-on experience fascinated by the variety of people Museum Lab opened in the Spring as a new Open days, drop-in sessions and special Museum Lab is also used by staff and who come to see interactive space at Brighton Museum & Art events give the public and partners volunteers for the on-going digital the skeletons and Gallery, in the site of the Victorian reference opportunities to work alongside museum documentation of over a million artefacts learn how we find library. The aim of this innovative space is staff to investigate, conserve and document in the museums’ collections. This is an things out from them. to provide new opportunities for visitors, objects from the Royal Pavilion & Museums’ essential part of the Royal Pavilion & School children love the schools and community groups to engage rich and wide-ranging collections. Museums’ work to care for and manage its experience, often seeing a real skeleton more closely with collections from across collections as part of its Accredited status, for the first time. We too are benefitting We have welcomed over 1000 people to the Royal Pavilion & Museums’ five sites. awarded by Arts Council England, and an from seeing how much new data we are monthly Discovery Days since since Museum The current emphasis is on archaeology important part of providing public access to able to discover using proven research Lab opened in February 2016. They provide and the nationally-designated Natural the collection. methods. Brighton & Hove Archaeological the chance for the public to meet museum Sciences collections, amongst a wide range Society bring in other objects that visitors staff as well as getting really close to of collections material. can handle, as well as carrying out post- museum collections. excavation work in the space, documenting tools, pottery and bones in front of visitors. Museum Lab It is fantastic to give people the opportunity to see this kind of work going on, providing a complete experience for anyone interested in archaeology and in museums. Museum Lab is a truly innovative space, something that I have not seen anywhere else during my research.” Dawn Cansfield, a PhD archaeology researcher who is working with the museums’ collection, the Royal Pavilion & Museums and University College London. 4 Dawn Cansfield in Museum Lab 5 I am extremely proud of the An enterprising scheme Lead partner support to regional museums that We’ve found an innovative way to share The Royal Pavilion & Museums’ The South East Museums Development SEMDP has been the many and diverse skills of staff at team was vital and instrumental Programme partnership (SEMDP) is a able to provide in the the Royal Pavilion & Museums with in securing our Heritage Lottery Fund bid, consortium of Hampshire Cultural Trust, last year. We welcomed organisations needing specialist support. without which the project simply couldn’t Oxfordshire County Museums Service, 236 delegates to our training Be it providing advice to Kew Gardens about happen. Their experience was critical – Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust and the sessions and supported 87 museums to the dragon restoration of the Great Pagoda they had experience we just didn’t have Royal Pavilion & Museums, with us as the improve the care and management of or formulating a fundraising strategy for and which fast-tracked our skill base. leading partner. With a strong training their collections; 160 museums received other museums, this scheme is a very We aspire to be like the Royal Pavilion & programme and commitment to sharing advice and guidance in business planning rewarding way of sharing the immense Museums, more than an operational railway skills and advice, it helps museums to and strategy, and a further 126 museums expertise of the people who work here. but providing for a wide audience including achieve the highest standards and to reach were supported to improve their visitor In return for sharing our knowledge we and inspire more people than ever. experience. It is only with the ongoing learning for schools and they are helping Volk’s Electric Railway generate much needed income which helps us make this possible. It feels right too, that support of the Royal Pavilion & Museums secure our future. the fees we pay are reinvested back into as lead partner that we are able to achieve In 2015/16 the fundraising team shared heritage and back into Brighton for us all to such impact. benefit from.” their experience with the Russell-Cotes Art We are fortunate to be able to draw on the Gallery & Museum in Bournemouth and Toni Manuel, Project Manager Royal Pavilion & Museums’ team members also with Poole Museum, helping both to for Volk’s Electric Railway who are always willing and able to share develop their fundraising plans and provide their knowledge and expertise. This mentoring to their fundraising teams. leadership role is particularly pertinent In addition, the team worked with Volk’s in terms of digital support, learning Electric Railway and continues to support and education advice and diversity and them on their major redevelopment project. workforce development.” Sarah Corn, Programme Leader, South East Museum Development Programme Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum 6 7 Recreating the Saloon Saloon carpet is one of Axminster developments Carpet’s most Over the complicated and in- years George The circular Saloon is one of the oldest depth projects. IV reinterpreted the parts of the Royal Pavilion, yet it was the The original carpet was Saloon using different last room to be decorated for George IV.