Derby Museums Annual Review 2014-2015 by Derby Museums

DERBY MUSEUMS ANNUAL REVIEW 2014 – 2015

derbymuseums.org

INTRODUCTION Derby has unique cultural assets. Derby Silk Mill is the site of the world’s first factory and is in the Derwent Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Derby Museums has the finest collection of work by Joseph Wright of Derby, the 18th century artist of Enlightenment and is ‘Designated’ by Arts Council England as a collection of national significance. Derby’s identity was 300 years in the making, and the Enlightenment spirit of creativity and invention resonates today. The city confidently positions itself as one of the UK’s principle centres for manufacturing and sustainable engineering. In our museums we revere great men such as Joseph Wright, the polymath Erasmus Darwin and the clockmaker John Whitehurst. Their curiousness and desire to unlock the wonders of the universe inspired more practical men of industry such as Richard Arkwright to harness nature for manufacturing. Yet unlike the 18th century, when only those of means were able to feel the pleasure of discovery, we want all our communities to learn new things and explore their creativity.

Richard Arkwright

We believe the best museum is a place of encounters, somewhere people can look at the world differently, form new friendships and be active. Our visitors must feel they are entitled to participate. During 2014-15 Derby Museums underwent great change. We opened the Joseph Wright Study Centre and now virtually all our work by the artist is available to the public. In March 2015 we opened notice nature feel joy, a unique natural history gallery co-created with over 300 members of the public, specialists and experts. To cap off the great year we were delighted to learn of the success of our £9.4m application to the Heritage Lottery Fund to transform Derby Silk Mill. Tony Butler DERBY MUSUEMS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Whitehurst Clock

As Chair of Derby Museums Trust, I have been proud to see the great strides made by the Museums team over the three years since the Trust was established by Derby City Council. Derby is privileged to hold many precious assets, including not only the world’s largest collection of works by the painter Joseph Wright of Derby but also, in the Silk Mill, the site of the world’s first factory - part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site where the industrial revolution which changed the world was nurtured. Tony Butler and his team, motivated and forward-thinking, are making positive changes in every aspect of the museums. Virtually all of Wright’s works are now accessible to the public for the first time, the traditional galleries are being excitingly refreshed, we have an award-winning café and better shops.

Pickford’s House Museum has hosted its first visitor reception in the wonderful dining room for fifty years. Visitor numbers across the board have significantly increased and so has volunteer and public engagement. Our business is soundly managed and, through venue hire and other steps, we have begun to widen our sources of revenue. Most dramatically perhaps, we have this year secured earmarked funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to transform Derby Silk Mill into a truly innovative Museum of Making which will highlight Derby’s past and future as a city of manufacturing and technology. We know that we face major challenges, like every part of the public sector, in securing the funding we will need in coming years but I am confident that the management and staff of Derby Museums have the vision and skills, supported by the board, to continue this exciting transformation. Peter Smith CHAIR OF DERBY MUSEUMS

THE FRIENDS OF DERBY MUSEUMS Founded in 1969, Derby Museums Friends work closely with the Museums Trust. The Friends help the museum by volunteering at events, supporting museum staff with projects and by organising fundraising events. Becoming a friend is a great way of meeting new people and supporting Derby Museums in a range of activities. The Museum Friends enjoy a varied programme of talks and social events throughout the year, and visit museums and places of interest across Derbyshire and beyond. Trustees 2014-15 Peter Smith (Chair) Patricia Coleman (Vice Chair) Maxwell Craven

The Duke of Devonshire KCVO, CBE, DL

Cllr Hilary Jones

Roger Merchant

Cllr Roy Webb

Jonathan Leach

Prof Philip Plowden

Cllr John Whitby

Ray Freeman

David Ling

Nick Roper

Jacqueline Sutton

Roger Frost 3

THE DERBY MUSEUMS STORY Derby Museums operates three sites; between them they inspire us to appreciate our world, our city and our homes. At Derby Museum and Art Gallery, the works of Joseph Wright of Derby are the centrepiece of our collections. Wright’s paintings and sketches embody a spirit of discovery, stimulated by the 18th century Enlightenment. He painted scenes of science, experimentation and exploration. He painted Enlightened men, of industry and learning. Through observing nature and man-made items from the past, Enlightened people questioned received wisdom and superstition. They thirsted for knowledge of the world around them, which they used to understand their place in the universe. Derby Museum and Art Gallery should elicit pleasure and joy from curiosity. It should encourage visitors to take notice of their surroundings, to marvel at the complexity of nature and to think differently about their world.

Pickford’s House Morning Room

Derby Silk Mill is the site of the world’s first factory, built in the valley that changed the world. Industry brought prosperity to some and poverty and wage slavery to others. Yet it shaped Derby as a city of making and creativity. Industrial society led to the creation of civic institutions and stimulated a civil society in which people campaigned for social and political rights. Derby Silk Mill embodies this heritage, which resonates in the 21st century. It won’t just take pride in telling the story of Derby’s past but inspire young people through thinking and making to rise to the social, political and environmental challenges of the future. Pickford’s House was the home of an Enlightenment family. The home is where we have our closest relationships. We eat, sleep, find comfort and love. Behind the doors we express our most intimate feelings and gather possessions that identify us. Pickford’s House should help us reflect on our own lives - to understand the world and our city we could first try to know ourselves.

The Silk Mill

A philosopher giving that lecture on the orrery in which a lamp is put in place of the sun, Joseph Wright of Derby, 1766.

GREAT THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN 2014-15 1.

Successful in its application for a stage one Heritage Lottery Fund earmarking

9.4m

to redevelop Derby Silk Mill

We became a

Major Partner Museum supported by Arts Council England in partnership with Nottingham City Museums and Galleries

The opening of the gallery notice nature feel joy funded by £120,000 has refurbished two museum galleries and created new Natural History displays

The opening of the

Joseph Wright Institute in Derby Museum and Art Gallery; a study centre which means virtually all the artist’s work we hold is accessible to the public

7. The exhibition

The opening of

Joseph Wright Bath and Beyond.

The Derby Museum Coffee House,

The first Wright-related temporary exhibition for

17 years

Improvements to

Pickford’s House with the refurbishment of four display rooms, including the Views of the City room and a Children’s activity room 6

The exceptional Re:Make project was launched, a unique co-produced programme to develop citizen curators via communities of makers and hackers. This will inform the future content development of Derby Silk Mill

Best visitor figures for six years

a new café situated in the The Ceramics Gallery

10.

Through the Connected Cities programme Derby Silk Mill and Derby Museum and Art Gallery there is the

fastest public WiFi in a museum, anywhere in the UK

DERBY MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY Joseph Wright Study Centre The Joseph Wright Collection is Designated by Arts Council England as a collection of outstanding National significance. Launched in May 2014, the study centre houses prints, drawings and works on paper in addition to the paintings and sketches on display in The Joseph Wright Gallery. There is also a considerable reference collection of books and periodicals for the student of Wright. The centre is staffed on a daily basis by expert volunteers and curators. To coincide with the opening of the Study Centre, the museum hosted Joseph Wright of Derby Bath and Beyond in May 2014. This exhibition, curated by Amina Wright from the Holborne Museum Bath, featured works from galleries around the UK and explored Joseph Wright’s work from his time based in fashionable Bath.

Lucy Bamford Senior Keeper of Art “Supporting our visitors to learn more about Joseph Wright, his life, art, and times, is central to our wider campaign to raise the profile of the artist both locally and nationally. The Joseph Wright Institute is the banner beneath which we facilitate the study, understanding, and appreciation of his work through unprecedented access to original objects and archives; a stimulating programme of talks and events; and “in-focus” exhibitions that engage with key themes, issues, and new research around Wright. Since its opening in May 2014, The Joseph Wright Institute has played host to Derby Museums’ first Wright-inspired Erasmus Traineeship, supported by the University of La Sapienza in Rome, as well as an on-going, three-year, Collaborative Doctoral Award candidate in conjunction with the University of Nottingham, and many more academic researchers.

On 30 June 2014, we co-organised the British Subject Specialist Network Seminar, on Single Artist Collections, with our partners at Tate, to which we welcomed delegates from across the world. In addition, increasing numbers of education providers are utilising the resources of the Institute and introducing new generations to the wonder of Wright’s work. The Wright collection has the potential for significant positive impact locally. Research generated and shared through the Joseph Wright Institute will eventually feed into the development of a major retrospective exhibition on the artist, to be originated by, and held, in Derby Museums before travelling to two international venues. This exhibition will not only cement Derby Museums’ reputation as the home of Wright; it will share the story of Derby’s amazing history of creativity and innovation with the world.” 7

NOTICE NATURE FEEL JOY Following an award of £120,000 from DCMS Wolfson, two galleries were redeveloped to focus on the natural world. The project drew heavily on audience research and the co-production techniques developed during the Re:Make programme at Derby Silk Mill (see page 10) The project involved a phalanx of specialists and experts such as zoologists, entomologists, taxidemists, psychologists and musicians as well as a large group of public volunteers. The results were a beautiful melange of specimen, stories and details of the wonders of the natural world, enriched by the voices of many individuals. Never has the maxim that ‘no one of us is smarter than all of us’ been so true.

Tricia Howlett – Volunteer, shares her highlights of the project “In the wings: An enthusiastic cast of curators, experts, students and volunteers. I recall meeting the co-production team and the Kakapo for the first time and realising it was where I belonged. Highlights were the curious smell of the insect store, the delicate beauty of butterflies and the fun banter whilst cleaning bird and mammal taxidermy. Painting the set: The mad dash to get the gallery open; including sewing fossils onto boards with 8

fishing line; getting cramp inside the hippo case; cleaning a sun bear; delving into archives for the collectors’ booklet, and harpsichord harmony from the Joseph Wright gallery whilst wielding a drill. Opening night: My first radio interview and the thrill of hearing the evocative soundscape for the first time. Curtain call: A new role as a Nature Ambassador and learning facilitator, and enjoying visitors’ responses to the new gallery. Thanking Chris Packham in person for his support for our pangolin mascot. Encore: Holding the ‘Inspiration Award for the Best Special Project’ at the Derbyshire Heritage Awards at Cromford Mill.

Andrea Hadley-Johnson Co-production and Engagement Manager “notice nature feel joy is the beautiful result of an energetic eleven month experiment to co-produce a bespoke home for our natural history collection. We aimed to excite and inspire people to take notice of our collection in new ways, and in the process we surprised ourselves at what could be achieved with a desire to do things differently. Openly experimenting with possibilities and revealing the process attracted a huge swell of support; inviting visitors and volunteers to test prototypes in the space and to inform the emerging design gave them a ‘behind the scenes’ understanding and encouraged ownership. It became natural to challenge, intrigue and enthuse one another in the space and barriers between ‘organisation’ and audience faded. Our approach throughout was playful and emotive. Pinning a child’s drawing of a beetle into a case of specimens illustrates that visitor contribution is valued and gives people ‘permission’ to use the collection as a creative resource. By sharing our collection as a resource for creative and emotional response in addition to scientific and historic interrogation we have created a space that is conducive to interesting encounters, elicits wonder and curiosity and the desire to ‘find out more’ Removing the ‘visual noise’ and interpretive clutter has prompted new ways of thinking, looking and doing and we now see people immersed in the gallery, captivated by the specimens and the small surprising details. I love that people are delighted with the aesthetics; getting that right has increased dwell time and by allowing the collection to shine we reinforce the diverse experience that visitors bring to the point of engagement. Watching small ideas develop in unexpected ways has been one of the most rewarding aspects of leading a coproduced project and I’m keenly aware that the co-production process has produced something far richer than anything we could have delivered alone.”

DERBY SILK MILL Re:Make the Museum Since early 2014 Derby Museums has carried out a ground breaking programme, Re:Make the Museum. At Derby Silk Mill the site of the world’s first factory we are creating a Museum of Making, illuminating a 300 year old story of creativity in Derby. Since 2013 we have worked with Makers in Residence, artists, makers, hackers, tinkerers and members of the public to shape and design a new museum. People can learn new skills in our workshop, make new friends and be creative in a way unconstrained by formal learning.

Trent XWB exhibition. Derby Museums was commissioned by Rolls-Royce to produce the exhibition Trent XWB 100 years in the making. This told the story of the company’s history of air engine manufacture from Alcock and Brown’s first transatlantic flight in 1919 to the Trent XWB engines which will power the new Airbus A380 Jumbo Jets.

Derby Maker Faire Maker Faire is “the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth” – a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker Movement. It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning. Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters and from scientists to garage tinkerers. They are of all ages and backgrounds. The aim of Maker Faire is to entertain, inform, connect and grow this community. Derby Mini Maker Faire is a key regional event with over 2500 people attending in 2014. It secured financial and in-kind sponsorship notably from Rolls-Royce who brought the Bloodhound Supersonic Car to both days of the event.

Derby’s Museum of Making In May 2015 we were delighted to be awarded a stage one pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund which earmarked £9.4m toward the £16.4m development of Derby Silk Mill as the Museum of Making. Derby City Council has also pledged £4m towards the project and Rolls-Royce have committed a 21st century jet engine! The new development will transform the building. It will explore 300 years of making in the city, from the opening of the world’s first factory in 1720, to the Midland Railway in the 19th century to the modern age pioneering aeronautics of Rolls-Royce of the modern era. It will also illustrate how making has created the multi-cultural Derby of today, attracting workers and their families from all around the world. Perhaps most importantly the new museum will inspire the makers of tomorrow, with participation projects encouraging young people to develop skills.

Patricia Coleman, Vice Chair of Derby Museums Trustees; Cllr Ranjit Banwait, Leader of Derby City Council; Gill Fennell, Community Investment Manager at Rolls-Royce.

Daniel Martin, Curator of Making “The broadened conceptual understanding of industrial history collections as collections of making was one of the principle reasons I joined Derby Museums. This redefinition allows us to engage not only with the collections but with the act of physical making and the intangible skills, wellbeing and communities that result from industry. This has the effect of making the experience of the museum and the collections more inclusive. Equally, by engaging with the social movements around making we’ve ensured we’re part of the global conversation which is now affecting the way commercial industry is behaving.

Making itself can be a key to unlocking collections. As a curator of a predominantly industrial collection I find there’s often no substitute for making when it comes to understanding. The great thing about this way of working is that as well as sharing my knowledge with audiences, I’m always learning from the people who made or used these objects too. Once we have that knowledge, that’s when we can get creative and look to see how these historic skills can be reapplied today and for the future. Most importantly for me has been the profound impact I’ve seen making have on the wellbeing of our volunteers. On the exhibitions I’ve co-produced I’ve seen a marked improvement in confidence and communication in our volunteers over the course of the projects. This social impact is why making is so important to Derby Museums.”

Georgian bedroom at Pickfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House

PICKFORD’S HOUSE The house of Joseph Pickford and his family has been a museum of domestic life for over 35 years. In recent years it has been a little neglected but since 2014 considerable improvements have been made. Janine Derbyshire Visitor Services Manager “Pickford’s House Museum, described by many as Derby’s little gem, became even more charming this year. The visitor experience has been greatly enhanced by the removal of large glass vitrines which encased the period room settings. Now visitors can step inside and absorb the atmosphere of the dining, drawing and morning rooms. Costume guided tours have also been developed by the Visitor Services Assistants who provide an engaging narrative about the house and its occupants. The house also played host to its first intimate fundraising event where guests enjoyed an evening with celebrity TV auctioneer Charles Hanson. Presented in the dining room, this was the first visitor

reception to be held in the space for over 50 years. Its success was preceded by two further fine dining experiences marking a new direction in the history of the house.

Pickford’s House

Rooms on the first floor of the building have also been redeveloped to showcase high quality exhibitions. The first of these looked at Georgian childhood and displayed paintings by Joseph Wright, his contemporary George Romney and his pupil William Tate. Accompanying this work was a selection of 18th century toys and games as well as embroidered textiles and costume. For me personally, playing a part in these changes has brought about a huge amount of pride in my role as Visitor Services Manager. Not only has it enriched the interaction of our audiences, but it has breathed new life into this wonderful home.”

Toy theatre

I Saw Three Ships, Maxwell Ashby Armfield, 1930

Portrait Study for Head of Moses, John Singer Sargent, 1890-95

DEVELOPING DERBY MUSEUMSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; COLLECTIONS Derby Museums manages collections of cultural heritage on behalf of Derby City Council. The collections are rich and varied including: fine and decorative arts, Derbyshire archaeology, natural history and industrial and social history. The collection of work by Joseph Wright of Derby is recognised under Arts Council England Designation scheme as an outstanding collection of national significance. The fine art collection includes work by artists such as Thomas Smith of Derby, Benjamin West, James Whistler, Allan Ramsey, LS Lowry, John Singer Sargent, Marion Adnams, Derek Jarman, Arthur Rackham, Stanley Royal, Jacob Epstein, Michael Porter, Tomas Harris and Erich Wolfsfeld.

Derbyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collections have been nearly 200 years in the making. Although Derby Museum was founded in 1879, in the many years prior significant collections of art and antiquities were amassed by members of the Derby Philosophical Society. Today we continue to collect, albeit with somewhat less ardour. Many items are donations from local people, others are purchased. When items are purchased they are done so via grant aid, public fundraising or through support bodies such as The Friends of Derby Museums. The most recent significant purchases were portraits of the Hurt family by Joseph Wright funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and The Friends of the Derby Museums, and the Roman Amber Valley coin hoard funded by the Headley Trust and the V&A purchase fund.

Carausius coin, AD 286-93

Houses near a Mill, Laurence Stephen Lowry, 1942

Mantel Clock, 1806, George Vulliamy

PARTICIPATION An aspect of Derby Museums’ approach is to involve the public in everything we do. Both the new nature gallery, notice nature feel joy, and Derby Silk Mill development have involved the public as citizen curators, advising, shaping and at times making new displays. This approach enables people not just to discover more about Derby’s heritage but to learn new skills, be more active through making and give their time to a community endeavour.

What is Human Centred Design?

What is a Project Lab?

Derby Museums uses a human-centred design methodology in project development. This process analyses the needs of users and therefore how they are likely to use or experience our spaces, products or programmes. It also enables us to explore and test the validity of our assumptions of needs and behaviours in real world prototyping with actual users – supported by our co-production approaches with citizen curators and stakeholders. This way of working has attracted interest from other museums, who have sought our advice, including the Museum of Science and Industry, the National Maritime Museum and the National Trust.

We start our projects with a Project Lab. The Project Lab can happen at the beginning of a project, or it can pop-up in different forms throughout, dependant on the parameters e.g. timeframes, different project stages etc. Project Labs provide an essential space in our human-centred design process, for questions to be asked, ideas to be shared and strong connections to be made. They take many different forms - large and small, tangible and digital, short or long - but all are designed to encourage dialogue and new understandings between ourselves and our audiences, partners and even each other.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP Derby Museums builds mutual relationships with a host of community, business, cultural and education partners. Here are a few examples: Community We regularly work with a wide variety of community groups across our sites to plan and deliver events and activities. In addition to developing and exchanging skills and knowledge, these co-production partnerships feed into and greatly enhance our public programmes and development projects.

Business Rolls-Royce have a vibrant community with over 12,000 employees in Derby. Through a series of projects with graduates and apprentices; the design of joint exhibitions; and collaborations on programmes like Maker Faire; Rolls-Royce and their staff have become key partners in the Derby Silk Mill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Museum of Making project.

Cultural Derby Museums is one of four key partners in The Grand Tour project (with Nottingham Contemporary, The Harley Gallery and Chatsworth) in a two year programme supported by Arts Council England

and Visit England. Featuring exhibitions of work by contemporary artists inspired by historic collections relating to the 18th century grand tour. In 2016 Derby Museum and Art Gallery will present Joseph Wright and Italy, in dialogue with 2005 Turner Prize winner Simon Starling.

Education We work closely with students studying art, design and creative courses at two local Further Education colleges in Derby and Burton upon Trent. We co-produce projects, taking inspiration from the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collections, and provide an annual fine art prize awarded to one of the students at Burton College. Derby Museums are working in partnership with the Universities of Derby and Nottingham, the Paul Mellon Foundation and the Yale Centre for British Art to develop our work around Joseph Wright. An on-going partnership with the University of Sheffield examines Derby Silk Mill as an example of industrial re-use and sustainable making.

Vesuvius in Eruption, Joseph Wright of Derby, 1774

LEARNING IN DERBY MUSEUMS Derby Museums offers a wealth of life-long learning opportunities from early years to late adulthood, which engage the head, heart and hands in meaningful and relevant learning experiences.

“My sons have done coding at school, but both said they learned more in one hour than they have done at school!” PARENT OF CODE CLUB PARTICIPANT

Schools

Public Programming

In 2014-15 we revamped our schools programme linking it more clearly with the aims of the new National curriculum. We have focused on primary Key Stages 1 and 2, providing guided sessions in areas from English to History and Art and Design to Science. Income from school visits has almost doubled this year.

For preschool children Tots Make and Do at the Museum and Art Gallery provides weekly fun and engaging activities for pre-school children and their carers. Our after school Code Clubs aimed at 9-11 year olds has flourished over the past year. Our initial cohort has now progressed into the 2nd term making way for a new beginners term.

Derby Museums has also led the ArtScience Prize UK programme, in partnership with Ignite! (an offshoot of National Endowment for Science, Technology & Arts, NESTA). The programme links with an international network of ArtScience Labs in USA, France, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. Its purpose is to stimulate young peoplesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; creativity and develop the skills, knowledge and thinking abilities to engage with artistic disciplines and complex scientific concepts. It also helps them to confront societal needs and problems.

Our audience research told us that teenagers had been underrepresented in our previous programming. New initiatives have been implemented including; Art Hub, a pop-up artist led studio taking place out of term time; Young Makers and Maker Camp both of which aim to inspire and encourage young people of varying backgrounds, interests and skill levels to design and make projects that develop their confidence, knowledge, skills and creativity. Our adult learning programme includes regular curator talks, guided tours and specialist hands-on, creative workshops aimed at inspiring creativity and developing new skills. We have developed a range of events aimed at our family audience during the holidays and at weekends including our major annual Derby Mini Maker Faire, a festival celebrating making in all its forms. We have also offered store tours and collections and exhibition themed events, as well as open days focused on the model railway.

DEVELOPING THE BUSINESS Derby Museums is enterprising and keen to exploit more of its assets. In 2014-15 earned income increased considerably. The trust has developed its corporate offer as a venue for events, conferencing and special hires at all its sites. 20

CONSOLILDATED INCOME AND EXPENDITURE YEAR TO MARCH 2015 INCOME

EXPENDITURE

Arts Council England

£500,000

Fixed Assets

£97,000

Derby City Council

£1,402,000

Commercial Trading Costs

£104,000

Donations

£20,000

Governance Cost

£10,000

Income from Trading

£144,000

Staff Costs

£1,107,000

Learning

£16,000

Depreciation (non cash)

£32,000

Grants, Trusts & Foundations

£130,000

Premises

£206,000

Other

£44,000

Supplies & Services

£16,000

£2,256,000

DCC Support Services

£82,000

Marketing

£36,000

Development

£244,000

Exhibitions

£66,000

Professional Fees

£15,000

Learning

£20,000

£9,000

Bank Charges

£1,000

Training & Travel

£43,000 £2,088,000 21

Nicola Raybone, Retail Manager “Over the past year and across all sites the retail package has been through a number of changes. We have developed clear product plans inspired by our collections, exhibitions, and local makers. We’ve worked with up and coming artists, designers, volunteers and students and have selected a unique range of gifts. We work alongside other teams such as exhibitions to ensure all commercial opportunities are maximised. This year working with the co-production team on notice nature feel joy helped us understand the importance of engaging with the project volunteers and visitors in order to develop a product range to be proud of.”

RETAIL AND CATERING In June 2014 The Coffee House at Derby Museum and Art Gallery opened and refreshments are available for the first time in the Museum’s 136 year old history. The impact of The Coffee House was instantaneous as within a month it was voted by Derby Telegraph readers to be in the top 10 best cafes in Derby. This was followed up with a nomination in the 2014 Derby Food & Drinks Awards in the best café category. The trading result for Derby Museums for the year was a profit of £40,675.

Christine Waterhouse, Office Manager â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three independent corporate hires for local SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) networking events in Autumn 2014 helped to spread the word that we were open for business at Derby Silk Mill. It also quickly became apparent that there were limited spaces available in Derby offering venues of this size. We had barely dipped our toe below the surface. Little did we know just how much opportunity lay beneath. Our willingness to be flexible allowed us to host board meetings, training seminars, workshops, breakfast meetings, conferences, forums, a hen party, a Christmas Fayre, music events and comedy nights. Making each customer feel special, along with attention to detail at every event, gathering feedback and accumulating a testimonial list, coupled with investment in AV equipment, boosted our confidence to talk to more businesses and groups about venue hire at any given opportunity!â&#x20AC;? 23

TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL HERITAGE Derby sees itself as the UK’s number one high tech city. Its museums have explored new ways for the public to engage with cultural heritage. It is also encouraging young people to use technology to become the next generation of makers. Super Connected Cities As part of the Derby wide Super Connected Cities project, a large number of Derby shops, cafés and venues, including Derby Museum and Art Gallery and Derby Silk Mill, now have super-fast free WiFi access. This facility has enabled us to experiment with a range of new technology and interactive exhibits in our galleries, including e-paper, Near Field Communications technology, on-line interpretations and social media integration. The ‘#teeth’ e-paper in notice nature feel joy has proved very popular.

Derby Silk Mill Workshop During the Phase One Silk Mill development a fully equipped workshop was opened, including laser cutters, CNC machines and 3D printers. This supports public making activity. A new 3D scanner will also enable us to record and digitise objects during the decant of the collection when Derby Silk Mill is refurbished. Once available on-line the public will be able to access the collection or 3D print models of objects if they visit the museum.

Encode Using the Joseph Wright Collection and themes of Enlightenment, Year 5 students programmed and coded animations using SCRATCH â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an open source coding programme developed by MIT media lab in Boston. This project has now become a weekly code club for children and young people.

A new 3D scanner will also enable us to record and digitise objects during the decant of the collection when Derby Silk Mill is refurbished

LINKS TO HIGHER EDUCATION There are many fine universities on Derby’s doorstep. We have collaborated with a number of institutions to further opportunities for students and to increase our knowledge of our collections and locality.

Self portrait, c. 1754, Joseph Wright of Derby

Joseph Wright Steering Group Our work around Wright is guided by a small but influential group of advisers from internationally significant organisations, each with a passionate interest in realising the potential of Wright’s legacy. These are drawn from Tate, the University of Nottingham, the University of Derby, and the British Museum, with additional support from the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art. Established in 2011, the steering group has aided Derby Museums with advice concerning the formation of a new Joseph Wright Gallery (opened in 2012), the development of the Joseph Wright Institute (2014), and the development of a programme of ‘in-focus’ exhibitions around Wright which are designed to test and channel research and ideas into the larger planned retrospective exhibition.

Our connections with these individual members of the steering group has been a springboard for the formation of further relationships with institutions, such as the University of Nottingham, with whom we share an AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council) funded Collaborative Doctoral Award candidate working on Wright’s legacy.

More recently, we have been working with the University of Derby on the development of a new BA course in the Liberal Arts, within which Wright and his Enlightenment context will be a central feature and Derby Museums an important additional ‘classroom’. With just 13 other such courses available in the UK, the University of Derby is utilising local resources and the rich story of Derby’s world-changing creative past as its unique selling point.

Stories of Change Derby Museums (Derby Silk Mill) is involved in a major new Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project; Stories of Change within the Connected Communities Programme. This three year research project is uncovering accounts of the relationship between energy, industry and landscape in the English Midlands; it is also looking at how energy resources such as coal and wind have shaped life in South Wales; and will bring together existing communities of interest around energy policy. The project is exploring the changing nature of communities in their historical 26

and cultural contexts and the role of communities in sustaining and enhancing our quality of life. The programme seeks not only to connect research on communities, but also to connect communities with research, bringing together community-engaged research across a number of core themes, including environment and sustainability.

University of Derby A number of live brief projects have been developed with the University of Derby, including: the physiological evaluation of Re:Make, clinically analysing the impact of the experience on participantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wellbeing; the design of concepts for Derby Silk Mill by Architect and Venue Design students; the development of printed and digital interpretation for notice nature feel joy and live briefs for product design and games design, psychology and conservation students.

We have provided museum inductions for University of Derby teacher trainers. This involved activities at Derby Silk Mill that encouraged the undergraduates to consider their preconceptions about museums, then to find out about recent developments at Derby Museums (and notions of co-production and engaging with artefacts in new ways).

DERBY MUSEUMS IN NUMBERS

3 sites

540

works by Joseph Wright of Derby

250,000 objects

136

years since Derby Museum was opened

295

years since Derby Silk Mill was built

9,917 hours donated in total by volunteers

8000+ volunteer hours during Re:Make programme

22,299 children visited all three museums

97,558 visitors to all three museums

ÂŁ12,545 donations from the public visiting the museum

12,119 likes & friends on social media 30

artist commissions

ÂŁ144,497 commercial sales generated by Derby Museums Enterprises Ltd

ÂŁ40,675 profit made by Derby Museums Enterprises and donated to Derby Museums

103,283 website hits

OUR PRINCIPAL FUNDERS ARE:

The Strand | Derby | DE1 1BS www.derbymuseums.org @derbymuseums facebook.com/derbymuseums

Other supporters include DCMS/Wolfson Fund & Alan Evans Memorial Trust