Museum Identity magazine - Edition 08

M U S E U M S | G A L L E R I E S | H E R I TAG E

museum 08

identity

id museum

www.museum-id.com + www.museum-network.com

Dow

nloa

A

da

sn

free

e

bar ak cod e re pe ade e r fo k r yo ur p of hon t e-s h earc e h ‘q Sh rcod o e’ in w you ! r ap p st ore.

5 Great Reasons To Attend The Show The Museums & Heritage Show is a must do for anyone working in museums, galleries, heritage or other cultural visitor attractions – and its all FREE to attend! n 40 FREE Seminars: Focusing on Income Generation, Marketing, Design, Education and Collections Management n Social Media Lab: A NEW feature designed to help you understand your re-tweets from your dig its! n Industry’s Largest Exhibition: Source new, innovative and cost-saving products and services from 130 exhibitors n Design & Interpretation - that won’t Cost the Earth: For ideas, latest thinking or solutions that won’t damage the Earth (or your purse strings) visit this Theatre at the Show. n Keep your Finger on the Pulse: Discover the very latest industry developments, new product launches, current policies and thinking plus the very latest in case studies and practical knowledge-based sessions To register for your FREE entry pass visit www.museumsandheritage.com or contact us on info@museumsandheritage.com Tel: 01905 724734

Connect with us on @MandHShow facebook.com/MandHShow

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 11 May at Church House, Westminster.

Will you be one of them?

10

Contents - volume 08 4 Editorial museums are a pretty disparate and eclectic bunch 6 No public debate on museum disposals are museums too frightened about disposal of objects?

10 Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói one of the world’s most distinctive museums

36

14 Aesthetic Thought museums are perfect for developing creative thinking 26 The Big Society can museums provide meaning for latest political idea?

36 People’s History Museum designing a new museum for a tricky inner-city site 44 Art Fund Prize the ten museums up for the £100,000 award

44 74

54 Sustaining the Aesthetic reimagining exhibition production for an eco museum 60 Oculus: An Eye into St Paul’s compelling film making and the latest technology 70 Glasnevin Museum city of the dead at Dublin cemetery 74 ArtScience Museum new museum opens at holiday resort in Singapore 78 Robert Burns Birthplace Museum new £21m museum about poet’s life and work 98 Museums and Me Bridget Conley-Zilkic, US Holocaust Memorial Museum 3

id museum

Museum Identity T: +44 (0)1908 563 511 F: +44 (0)1908 810 244 E: info@museum-id.com

www.museum-id.com www.museum-network.com twitter: @MuseumID Publisher / Editor Gregory Chamberlain Creative Director Emma Dawes Design & Production newera media Cover image: Mostyn, Llandudno, Wales. © Hélène Binet Photography © Museum Identity Ltd 2011.

All rights reserved.

Printed in England ISSN 2040-736X Subscriptions start at £29.95 - for latest subscription offers visit www.museum-id.com

editorial Museums are a pretty disparate and eclectic bunch. And they have a rather weighty task – to document the natural world, describe the universe, select and display art, chart human history and civilisation – to illustrate our various endeavours, achievements, conflicts, cruelty and suffering. They can be celebrated leviathans in major metropolises to cherished little local landmarks in quiet side streets. The mixture is magnificent. For me, amongst all this variety, what unites them is the capacity to make a difference. Without wanting to be open to the charge of hyperbole – by reflecting the world, they can change it.

Museums allow us to witness the past through the universal and exceptional - revealed through personal stories and compelling objects. In doing so, their power resides in the ability to enable us to explore our own identity, history and ideas and share those of others.

Museums are strongest when distinctive and inventive. Extraordinary things happen when they are.

A dedicated and remarkable group of people around the world make all the above possible. Our role here at Museum-iD is to help share some of the most interesting ideas for the benefit of all museums.

It’s one we take seriously and endeavour to achieve with each edition of the magazine. But we wanted to take it a step further - to try and do something truly ambitious, influential and comprehensive. That’s why this year we’ve begun to publish The Museum World Book Collection.

The books build to become a library comprising of 10 volumes collecting essays from over 100 of the leading contemporary museum thinkers and innovators from 27 countries across 6 continents.

So, I hope you enjoy this edition of the magazine and please do take a moment to visit www.museum-id.com to discover more about the books. I think you’ll find them essential reading.

WWW.EXPONATEC.COM

Gregory Chamberlain Museum-iD is media partner for:

WWW.EXPONATEC.COM WWW.EXPONATEC.COM

FOR ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

info@museum-id.com

16 – 18 NOVEMBER 2011 INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR FOR MUSEUMS, CONSERVATION AND HERITAGE

Museum-iD is an independent think-tank, ideas exchange and publisher for the international museums community

The Federation of International Human Rights Museums - second conference International Slavery Museum, Liverpool 10 - 13 October 2011 Koelnmesse GmbH, Messeplatz 1, 50679 Köln, Germany Tel. +49 221 821-0, Fax +49 221 821-3734, exponatec@koelnmesse.com

4

EXP_Museum Identity_182x252.indd 1

09.03

MUSEUMIDENTITY

MUSEUM WORLD THE BOOK COLLECTION the essential ten book collection with insightful and inspirational essays from over 100 leading museum thinkers and innovators from around the world

Order Today www.museum-id.com 5

why no public debate on museum disposals?

There is a certain inevitability that as the issue of local authority and museum funding rises up in the public consciousness so does the issue of the disposal of objects from museum collections.

This is not a piece about the ethics of museum disposals: there is, after all, plenty of material written about the ethics of this matter that cover the subtleties of the issue far better than I can do here. This is a note expressing concern at the poor level of public debate on the subject of museum disposals.

I should define my terms first of all. Firstly, I need to define what I mean by ‘public debate’.

Here I do not include those debates that happen in public but are rarely accessed by people with no professional interest in museums. The various professional forums and conferences that exist are generally available to anybody, but rarely accessed by the ‘general’ public. By public debate I refer to those debates that take place within the generally popular media such as television or, more usually, newspapers. Secondly, by disposals I mean the disposal of objects out of the public domain usually by sale and sometimes by destruction. The reason for this slightly narrower definition of disposals is due to the fact that it is usually these types of disposal that attract the greatest amount of public interest.

Such public debate on the subject of museum disposals is usually reactive. It is usually triggered by the sale or proposed sale of an object from a public collection. A brief (and unscientific) assessment of the newspaper articles that cover such stories seems to indicate that all of the articles subscribe to one of two well worn narratives. The first narrative simply states 6

the facts of any proposed sale or decision. The Times article of 17 February 2006 covering the proposed sale of a Lowry Painting by Bury Art Gallery and Museum is a typical example: it covers the reasons for the sale, the financial impact and include a couple of quotes showing a difference of opinion on whether the sale is a good thing or not.

The second narrative is more inflammatory and either states explicitly or implies that such disposals are a bad thing. There is usually a reference somewhere to ‘the selling off of the family silver’. An article in The Guardian of 14th January 2011, triggered in part by Bolton Council’s decision to sell 41 items from its collections, is a typical example. Starting with the headline “Hands off our local museum collections” the article make such blunt statements as “History shows that the few disposals that have taken place in the past were regretted”. Such articles create an impression that the disposal of objects is an extremely rare event (untrue) and also imply that museums should continue to collect but should never dispose. Such an argument is, of course, nonsense. Museums have finite resources and cannot continue to collect indefinitely without undertaking some level of disposal after appropriate consideration. If the arguments about the impossibility of continually expanding collections were new then perhaps such a journalistic oversight could be forgiven. However, these arguments are at least twenty five years old: Lord (et al)’s book “The Cost of Collecting” was published in 1989 whilst Nick Merriman’s seminal research Museum Collections and Sustainability was published in 2004.

Nor can we blame such poor discussion of

nobody wants their name in the press associated with breaking up a museum collection. So are museums simply too frightened to have a full and frank public debate about the disposal of objects? Paul Fraser Webb investigates...

the issues on journalistic convention. Newspaper reporting of disposal issues in the United States is considerable superior to that in the UK. An article in the New York Times dated 5th December 2010 addresses disposals undertaken at the Philadelphia History Museum. The breadth of the article is impressive, covering the ethical and legal aspects, the financial impacts and the museological and collections care aspects such as the need to improve collections care, release storage space, the use of collections and, perhaps most importantly, the mission of the institution itself.

Nether of the narratives used in the UK press really help with developing the understanding of the issues that the museum professional faces when looking at collections and considering disposals or rationalisation.

The narrative that states that all disposals are bad sends out a clear negative message. The politically neutral narrative achieves nothing – it neither confronts or explains the issues and so allows the reader to place their own perceptions and attitudes within the story. Unfortunately the typical public perception of disposals is that they are bad. Research undertaken in 2007 by the Museums Association found that generally the public attitude to disposal was negative. However, the research also found that if the debate around disposals is undertaken openly with all of the issues explained and explored then public perception can change. Greater understanding by the public leads to a lower likelihood of a negative reaction.

But does this matter? Do we really need to care about the public perception of museum disposals? Yes, on two counts.

Firstly there is the clear public function of museums and the collections they hold. To quote from the Museums Association’s definition, museums “are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society.” If we are holding these collections in trust for society then the public must be confident that we are managing the collections appropriately. If they do not have this confidence then our professionalism is at stake. Clearly with such a poor quality of public debate on the issue of disposals we are failing in our ability to uphold this professionalism is weakened.

Secondly, if a museum professional, a museum or a museum governor feels that they will be perceived negatively by undertaking disposal then they are less likely to do it. Nobody wants to have their name in the local or national press associated with a perceived bad decision. When faced with doing something that will be perceived badly or doing nothing at all then many people will take the latter option. However, the decision to do nothing at all may simply compound collections management problems both now and in the future.

So, if there is a need to improve public understanding of disposals issues, why is there not a greater amount of useful engagement in the public debates that do take place? Certainly the regional and national museum bodies do get out and about and try to cover the professional aspects of the debate. However, they are somewhat hampered by the lack of convincing comment and explanation from the local museum or governing body. And since the public debates that do take place are usually reactively triggered 7

by the sale or proposed sale of an object from a public collection, it is these local museums or governing bodies that the newspapers generally turn to for comment.

It may be the case that the common lack of convincing argument from the local museum stems from a lack of confidence in the debate that is taking place. This may be a result of a systemic weakness in the way that disposals are discussed at a professional level. Certainly the current standard model acquisition and disposal policy that sits within the Museum Accreditation scheme does not help the situation. This model policy created an impression that collecting and disposing are two quite different processes that did not link together to form a collections development strategy. Not only were these two parts of collections development artificially separated within the structure of the document, the whole approach to each of the processes was quite different. Whilst collecting was described in

health; collections; and users and their experiences. The focus of the new scheme is effective management in all areas, appropriate to the size and scope of organisation. Collections are the core of museums and galleries. Presenting histories and encouraging interaction between users and those collections is fundamental.

“Collections need to be dynamically and realistically managed, led by the museum’s mission, policies and strategic vision to develop financial and environmental sustainability, encourage community involvement and interaction, and promote new and beneficial partnerships to support the development of a responsive and resilient museum.

“To support this approach the revised Standard aims to encourage museums to develop broad collections development plans and policies, where collecting and disposal are not seen as separate activities, but essential parts of managing collections effectively and responsibly.”

“the common lack of convincing argument from museums stems from a lack of confidence in the debate” narrative terms as a developmental process the disposals aspects were presented as a process checklist. It very much covered how to undertake disposals but there was no provision for explaining the why, the narrative and the strategy aims of disposals. With no strategic framework for disposals and collections development it is hardly surprising that there is a lack of cohesive argument from the local museum.

However, this disconnected approach to collections development should be a thing of the past. The revised Accreditation Standard promotes a view that all aspects of a museums activities are interlinked and derive from a need to deliver against the mission of the museum.

Samuel Rowlands, Accreditation Manager at the Museums Libraries and Archives Council has outlined the holistic nature of Accreditation saying:

“The revised Accreditation Standard will be structured around three areas: organisational 8

This is certainly a major improvement promoting the ethos of cohesive collections development strategies. However it will be down to the individual museum professional to use the tools they have been given to develop cohesive and engaging arguments on the issue of collections development that they can use in public debates.

Without a useful level of public debate the issue of disposals and collections development may well continue to be perceived negatively by those the museum is serving.

Paul Fraser Webb museum consultant e-mail: paul@paul-fraser-webb.co.uk twitter: @PaulFraserWebb

by appointment to her Majesty The Queen Display case suppliers click Netherfield Limited

SHOWCASING JUDAICA FOR THE ISRAEL MUSEUM MuseuM showcases by CLICKNETHERFIELD Tel: +44 (0) 1506 835 200 | showcases@clicknetherfield.com | www.clicknetherfield.com

9

MUSEUM

ARCHITECTURE Following our recent two-part architecture retrospective, we take a moment to look at one of the world’s most distinctive and curious museums Set atop a promontory with stunning views of Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara Bay, and Sugarloaf Mountain, the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum (Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói — MAC) is situated in the city of Niterói, Brazil. It was completed in 1996.

The uncompromising saucer-shaped modernist structure was designed by Oscar Niemeyer with the assistance of structural engineer Bruno Contarini. The building is 16 meters high, has a diameter of 50 metres and is set over three floors.

10

Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói The uncompromising and distinctive Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói (MAC) in Brazil affords stunning views of the surrounding area. Images © Sandro Silveira and Division of Architecture of the MAC-Niterói 11

The Fitzwilliam Musuem. Photography by Andrew Clarke | James Tissot, The Artists Wives, courtesy Chrysler Museum of Art

DARWIN’S EVOLUTION TESS EVOLUTION AND PRISM CASES PROVIDE A HOME FOR CHARLES DARWIN’S MANUSCRIPTS, DRAWINGS & SPECIMENS. ENDLESS FORMS: CHARLES DARWIN, NATURAL SCIENCE AND THE VISUAL ARTS. FOR A GREENER TOMORROW THE FITZWILLIAM MUSEUM, CAMBRIDGE.

FOR A GREENER TOMORROW 12

TESS advert JP.indd 1

TESS DEMOUNTABLE THE GLASSWORKS, GRANGE ROAD, HOUSTOUN IND ESTATE, LIVINGSTON, EH54 5DE, SCOTLAND T +44 (0) 1462 484444 E INFO@TESSDEMOUNTABLE.CO.UK WWW.TESSDEMOUNTABLE.CO.UK TESS DEMOUNTABLE IS A DIVSION OF CLICKNETHERFIELD

01/02/2011 18:25

AI_AD_MUSEUMId_FINAL.pdf

14/2/11

12:52:22

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

13

aesthetic Linda Duke - Director of Audience Engagement at the Indianapolis Museum of Art - talks to Grgeory Chamberlain about why museums are the perfect place to encourage people to develop open, creative ways of thinking...

T

here is a constant desire to raise educational attainment. What role do you think museums have to play? And how do museums need to change to deliver their learning objectives more effectively?

Certainly education and learning are much more than the process of receiving and retaining information.

I believe museums should constantly advocate aspects of learning that involve thinking skills and are cultivated by engaged experience: the ability to be fully present with other people and the material world, to notice and wonder, to become conscious of one’s own ways of processing, and the ability to savor the challenge of finding accurate language to describe and reflect upon experiences. As public spaces where fascinating objects can be examined and discussed, museums are naturally suited to this advocacy.

Museums also can promote useful ways of thinking about the world. Society may need to separate knowledge into categories (such as science and art) and schools may need rules (such as graduation requirements), but we urgently need ways to develop thinkers who can step outside of these social constructs to process a messier and more complex version of reality than most systems acknowledge.

Art is certainly rich territory for developing comfort and skill related to complexity and ambiguity, but so is the natural world, so is history, so are pressing cultural and social issues of our time. When people are encouraged to develop open, creative thinking about art or science in a museum, they can carry those ways of approaching complexity to problems and decisions outside the museum. Psychologist Abigail Housen calls thinking skills that allow us to fruitfully engage that ambiguity “aesthetic thought.” “Aesthetic” is a word that has traditionally been reserved for art and applied to experiences of beauty, but those limitations have fallen away over the last 100 years. Most people familiar with contemporary art would agree that art has to do with much more than beauty. Some have come to embrace an expanded sense 14

thought

Linda Duke - Director of Audience Engagement, IMA Image Š Indianapolis Museum of Art 15

of “aesthetic” that includes not only beautiful but also conceptual - and even ugly or unpleasant - experiences as meaningful in an aesthetic way. In a sense, “aesthetic” here means more open and less linear than “logical,” which is why aesthetic thought is so powerful in the face of the ambiguous or the completely unknown.

Imagine, then, the potential for bringing this way of thinking out of the field of art and the galleries of a museum and applying it to problems in science and technology, business and economics, politics and diplomacy. That isn’t a fantasy - museums can be catalysts for positive change.

What are the key strengths of the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the education programmes you run and provide?

The fact that the IMA has made an unusual investment in its in-house technology team allows it to reach further

The IMA has never been in a better position to become meaningful to its local community and, at the same time, to participate in larger discussions of the international museum community. It has made a conscious choice to develop programs tailored to the needs of the immediate city and region, while at the same time developing powerful and innovative online resources, which connect the museum and its community to the larger global community.

The IMA has outstanding collections in several areas – Japanese paintings of the Edo Period, Chinese ceramics, Pont-Aven School and Neoimpressionist paintings, design arts, and a growing Contemporary art collection. These collections are complemented by 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park with its 100 acres of woodlands, two historic house museums that are National Historic Landmarks, and additional acreage of gardens and grounds where environmentally sustainable practices can be demonstrated. These and other strong assets provide a wonderful base for programming.

Over the last few years IMA staff members 16

have helped hundreds of area school teachers learn how to become skillful facilitators of their students’ discussions of works of art using a really wonderful process called Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) (www.vtshome.org). Collectively, we call our VTS programs for teachers, their students, and pre-service teachers still at university “Viewfinders.” At their cores, Viewfinders and VTS are dedicated to the aesthetic thinking I talked about earlier. Teachers who continue the program become adept at helping their students become keen and agile observers, thinkers, and communicators. We see the changes – in teachers, in school cultures, in students. One elementary principal from a participating school was promoted a couple of years ago to the role of Director of Elementary Education for her district.

One of her first acts in her new position was to ask all elementary schools in the district to incorporate VTS and participate in Viewfinders. I believe this program is steadily making a real contribution to public school education in our city.

It’s an example of long-term commitment by the museum to the empowerment of students and teachers.

Smaller scale partnerships are also important.

Recently we screened a film, La Mission, in collaboration with two organizations that serve teens – one a leadership and arts program for Latino youth called Latino Youth Collective, and the other a resource for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students called Indiana Youth Group. The young people assisted with planning and publicizing the event, hosting filmmaker Peter Bratt, and conducting audience discussion after the screening. The event was well attended, with strong audience participation. This program wasn’t about an exhibition or an object in the IMA’s collection, but it was about the power of art and community and it exemplified the art museum’s role as a forum and catalyst for probing discussion and critical viewing.

17/2/10

17:40

Page 1

Photographs: Peter Cook, coutesy of the Trustees of the Victoria & Albert Museum.

HCadvert10

Victoria & Albert Museum Medieval + Renaissance galleries, architect: MUMA Architects

GLASBAU HAHN THE PREFERRED SUPPLIER OF DISPLAY CASES TO MUSEUMS WORLDWIDE SINCE1836

Hahn Constable Ltd Anchor House Ospringe Street Faversham ME13 8TW Tel 020 7729 3060 Website:www.glasbau-hahn.de email:info@hahn-constable.co.uk

17

Both of the programs I’ve just described – on-going work with teachers and partnerships with progressive community organizations – are place-based. They use the physical Museum, its collections and facilities. They are dedicated to serving the communities around the museum as a good citizen partner. The fact that the IMA has made an unusual investment in its in-house technology team allows it to reach further. It aims to be both a forum and a catalyst for innovative arts programming on the Web, accessible from any location. One example is ArtBabble, an IMAinitiated portal for video produced by a growing 18

number of member art museums nationally and internationally. Currently staff members are actively working with educators to determine how ArtBabble might be more useful to teachers at all levels.

These are examples of programming that aims to incentivize reflective discussion by providing experiences worth reflecting upon.

Essentially, this is the IMA’s programming mission.

Recently the Museum adopted a five-year strategic plan that recast its programming efforts, formerly called “Education,” as “Audience Engagement.”

This made sense to us because we want our

“I am tremendously optimistic about the future of museums.

I hope they will become mental and sensory gymnasiums for societies all over the world.

They can be valuable resources locally and organs for international, cross-cultural dialogue and understanding globally”

< image © Indianapolis Museum of Art

offerings to be engaging and empowering.

What do you think are the major challenges now facing museums and are you optimistic about the future of the sector?

Certainly funding is a major challenge in the future of museums. How big a concern depends on how clearly museums can define their roles in changing, increasingly global and technologydependent societies. Museums must better define their relationships with public schools –which in itself is a deep topic! Museums must articulate

the roles they aim to play in life-long learning for citizens from every portion of society. Museums must become clear about their positions on issues that matter to their communities and actively seek to become more meaningful resources for productive discourse. When museums define their roles, it will be possible for them to actively seek and justify appropriate funding.

I am tremendously optimistic about the future of museums! I hope they will become mental and sensory gymnasiums for societies all over the world. They can be valuable resources locally and organs for international, cross-cultural 19

< image © Indianapolis Museum of Art

dialogue and understanding globally.

How have museums changed since you joined the profession, and what advice would you give to those joining museums today?

Twenty-five or thirty years ago American art museums – and many visitors – assumed that art was “good for you,” like a daily vitamin pill, and that experts should tell you which works of art to admire. People who visited museums were more willing to take an expert’s word that a particular work of art was a masterpiece, whether they could argue that for themselves or not. The good news is that art museums now realize they need to create opportunities for people to find meaning 20

in experiences with art, not just tell them what’s good. That personal experience part, the “finding meaning” part, never should have been skipped.

Art museums today are less focused on teaching a canon of masterpieces and more respectful of the range of valuable perspectives visitors bring to interactions with art. Art museums where the staff is actively listening to visitors are positioned to learn anew about the wonder of art. When we don’t try to control interpretation so tightly, art can work in the wonderful ways it always has, throughout human history. None of this means that art scholarship isn’t important. In fact, direct experience and the curiosity it generates form an excellent foundation for further ventures into art. It is the role of the museum to help viewers

Performance overshadows price Since 1990 Hanwell Instruments Ltd has been and remains unrivalled in high performing, environmental monitoring systems for museums and galleries with only the best quality UK manufactured technology.

Our wide range of data acquisition products continue to perform at their best long after price is forgotten.

T: +44 (0)1462 688070 W: www.hanwell.com Another solution from the IMC Group.

Data logging Museum ID ad 14-02.indd 1

n

Radio Transmitters

n

Humidifiers

n

Dehumidifiers

n

Flood Alarms 21

08/02/2011 16:06

Images © Indianapolis Museum of Art

access art, to meet them where they are, and to encourage their curiosity. Advanced art history lessons are not the only way to access art, not the biggest doorway to art, and usually not the best first step to loving art.

All in all, I can hardly imagine a more attractive field than museums for a young person who wants to keep learning and to contribute to the quality of life in his or her community, and who values opportunities to meet and work with a wide range of highly creative people. Museums attract people with these values. They are centers of great potential energy! My advice to people coming into the museum profession today would be to take nothing for granted in considering your work.

What’s your favourite museum and why?

The Museum of Jurassic Technology of Los 22

Angeles has been my hands-down favorite since I first visited there some 10 years ago. It’s a very small museum that seems to evoke natural history or science museums from the past.

It features dimly-lit dioramas with hard-wired telephone handsets that deliver long, beautifully worded didactics. The relationship between the information and the display itself is unlike that between didactic and object in any other museum I’ve visited, yet every aspect of tone and style is familiar, even traditional. When one first visits the MJT, these retro features may make the most striking impression. However, if one lingers and opens oneself to the total sensory experience of the Museum, it reveals itself to be a holistic aesthetic work. Every aspect of the visitor experience has been carefully crafted.

For example, sound elements – the haunting tones of an Armenian duduk, soft voices from display didactics, and strains of a capella music

Linda Duke studied Chinese and Japanese art history with her graduate advisor, Kiyohiko Munakata, Japanese tea ceremony with artist Shozo Sato, ideas from the European Classical and Renaissance traditions with scholar Philipp Fehl, and the art of teaching with Philip Yenawine. She taught introductory art history courses and drawing before discovering her vocation as an art museum educator. Since that time she has worked at two university art museums (Krannert Art Museum at the University of Illinois, and the Hammer Museum at the University of California Los Angeles) before becoming director of the education division at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 2003, where she currently serves as director of Audience Engagement. Linda is especially interested in learning and thinking differences. Temple Grandin’s ideas about visual thinking and the importance of connections between language and visual experience have been especially inspirational and influential. Since the mid-1990s Linda has frequently worked with Philip Yenawine and Abigail Housen’s Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) approach to facilitating learning discussions. Housen’s research and theory related to aesthetic development and meaningmaking have been touchstones for her work with teachers, students and museum visitors.

“If one lingers and opens oneself to the total sensory experience of the Museum, it reveals itself to be a holistic aesthetic work”

by Purcell - mingle in ever changing ways as one walks through the small galleries, creating an overall mood that I can only describe as poignant: sad and beautiful at the same time.

Slowly one begins – or at least I do - to sense that the real subject of the Museum is human knowledge and the forgetting of knowledge.

What was hard-won and revered in the past, what has been superseded and is now relegated to the status of superstition or irrelevance, is displayed in these galleries not as curiosity, but with a kind of reverence. I feel that the museum expresses a love for human curiosity, creativity and ingenuity and, in treasuring discarded knowledge, suggests

an attitude of humility as we study the past and consider our present.

There’s so much one could say about the Museum of Jurassic Technology, and of course a lot has been written about it – for example Lawrence Weschler’s Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder. I highly recommend a visit to the Museum’s Georgian-style Tula Tea Room on the second level for a cup of steaming tea from the samovar!

Linda Duke in conversation with Gregory Chamberlain

23

Het PantHeon, Letterkundig MuseuM 24

o P e r a - a M s t e r da M . n L

Project: American Museum Basement Galleries Client: American Museum in Britain Location: Bath Project Value : ÂŁ7.5m Awards: Highly Commended

Architects, Planners & Project Management services tailored to deliver long term sustainable growth by assessing the specific needs of your museum, its staff and its visitors.

DDA audits, energy assessments, funding assistance and Listed Building advice.

www.nashpartnership.com E: mail@nashpartnership.com T: 01225 442424 25

The Big Society Can museums provide meaning for the latest in a long line of political big ideas? Just maybe, argues Stuart Gillis There’s a national cycle of the political big idea that comes around once in a while, letting us know that things are going to be pretty different from now on. Sometimes the idea is genuinely radical and different - a rejection from what’s preceded; sometimes there’s continuity, but with an added intention to move up through the gears; and sometimes perhaps there’s not much more than a bit of empty rhetoric (1993 and ‘Back-toBasics’ anyone?).

The big idea can turn received wisdoms on their head -Thatcherism and New Labour were products of their political parties, but were loathed by many traditionalists from their respective core support. So the big idea is informed, but not necessarily constrained, by tradition and ideology.

Political philosophy is then woven into a solution and applied to a particular local and national context. The big idea has to reach out - tapping into a much fabled middle England mindset. And 26

the big idea has to spread out - promising joinedup thinking across government policy. Often, after a period in the political wilderness, the big idea re-casts a political party in making it ready for government. The government will know that its credibility will lie in turning the rhetoric into action. It will take its own big idea very seriously.

With much of the UK museums sector heavily reliant on the public purse, understanding the way our current government thinks is essential for our future success. With an unprecedented level of funding cuts heading our way, the challenge is two fold: find the way to succeed by adapting to the latest big idea; and do so in a way that retains, or enriches, the relevance of our institutions. The issue is not to maintain the same stock of museums, the same size of collections, but to hold true to our values whilst continuing to enhance our significance and meaning to our communities.

Before we turn to the Big Society, I want to set out a little historical perspective for the political big idea, and how it has related to culture and museums in the last few decades. The intention is to provide some context, and help us to see where we can fit into the next stage of the bigger picture.

The mother of all big ideas In 1979 I was 12 years old when Thatcherism arrived as a bolt-from the blue. It wasn’t an abstract concept - it hit people directly. For more than a decade, Britain saw huge old industries shut down as the pit-prop of government support was pulled away. At the same time money markets were freed up, and the modern service sector – linchpin of our national nineties and noughties economy - began to emerge.

although some independents found relevance through embracing Manpower Services schemes for the large numbers of otherwise unemployed.

Culture – coming out of the political margins In Britain, Thatcherism is still the political yardstick that all subsequent big ideas are measured by. But once her party threw her out, the Conservative’s became divided between proclaiming Thatcher’s unfinished revolution and moderating some of the social damage presided over. However, whilst the 1990-1997 government may have lacked the focus of a big idea, this was an era in which cultural policy began to be taken seriously by those in power. Although the brand new Department of National Heritage was immediately dubbed the Ministry of Fun, this was as much in relief, as it was a media put-down. In

“With unprecedented funding cuts heading our way, the challenge is two fold: find a way to succeed by adapting to the latest big idea; and do so in a way that retains, or enriches, the relevance of our institutions”

Thatcherism set the template for the political big idea. It was powerful, and all embracing. It combined intellectual rationale (monetarism, libertarianism), with emotion (nationalism, traditional family values), as well as concepts that borrowed a bit from both (individualism). It was confrontational (trades unions) and divisive (rich versus poor, north versus south).

The scale and diversity of the cultural sector as it exists today was largely unknown in 1979. Where culture had a silent ‘high’ in front of it - the government was not to be wooed, prescribing market principles for the opera house instead. And whilst creativity in popular culture flourished, sometimes as an antidote to Thatcherism, so long as this was without state support it went largely unchecked. The eighties was not a great time for state-run museums,

fact this forerunner to the current Department of Culture, Media and Sport, with the colourful, Austin Powers-like David Mellor briefly at the helm, soon tapped into a national mood. From Gazza’s tears at Italia 90, through ‘Football’s Coming Home’ at Euro 96, the national game was re-discovered, re-invented – not merely as a sport, but as a defining, unifying (English) cultural bond. It didn’t matter that we kept going out on penalties in the quarter finals. But it probably did help that football sold newspapers and satellite subscriptions.

At this time, Britain was redeveloping a self-confident strut, and becoming re-acquainted with the idea of our national excellence and global influence. We saw this in fashion, architecture, popular music, theatre, film, sport, invention, ideas, science – oh, and museums. With the Channel Tunnel and the emergence of cheap 27

airlines, we were losing our island insularity. We visited Spanish cities, we witnessed Mitterrand’s Parisian Grand Projecs, and we began to take note of our own urban investment in culture.

We saw how Newcastle and Glasgow were reinventing themselves on the back of culture. And the influence spread. The Lottery was born, came of age, and fuelled our creativity. We combined big, signature-piece, multi-million-price-tagged buildings, with a powerful assertion that culture was about the traditions, beliefs, and ways of life of ordinary people. We looked to the time before Thatcher, mined the rich seams of our heritage, and made them sparkle.

Somewhere along the way, New Labour pronounced Cool Britannia as a cultural offshoot of its own political big idea – the Third Way. By this time we were comfortable in our national identity,

New Labour, the Third Way and Culture Through most, but not all of this period Britain had a centre left government, who pumped in the money, and - could we ever forget it - built the bureaucracy to match.

When New Labour came to power, we heard a lot about the Third Way. In its own right this initially looked like the latest powerful, political big idea. It put structure behind what was already emerging under the Conservatives.

It borrowed much from Thatcherism (such as banking deregulation, an even more presidential style, and even closer relationship to the USA), but it was unashamedly upbeat, inclusive, optimistic.

In the early days, Chris Smith, Labour’s first and most influential Culture Secretary, set out his stall by defining culture in the broadest possible terms. By instructing every local authority

“We made mistakes, we fell down, and we fell out along the way. But museums helped shape the agenda, we surfed the wave. It was a cultural golden age, underpinned by a big, long economic boom” so we could both believe in Cool Britannia and treat it with contempt. And all the time we mined the seam, underpinned with support from the Lottery, Europe, local government, Renaissance, and a host of other backers.

We made mistakes, we fell down, and we fell out along the way. But as a museum sector we helped shape the agenda, and we surfed the wave.

Look at the contrast between the city centres of Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool or Birmingham in the eighties and today. Look at how important museums are to making these places work. And the idea spread – taking a hold, not everywhere, but enough to change the landscape. We helped make that happen. Britain’s museums sector had rediscovered its relevance. It was a cultural golden age, underpinned by a big, long economic boom.

28

to produce its own cultural strategy, Labour set the agenda for the decade of continued and heightening investment in this sector. We saw the eye-catching and highly successful adoption of free entry by the nationals, and the roll out of Renaissance in the Regions (regionalism being an initially significant, but later abandoned, tenet of New Labour). During this period, culture wasn’t necessarily always valued in its own right, but it was seen as a driver of positive social, economic and political outcomes. For these pragmatic reasons, and for the feel-good factor, culture became an integral part of the New Labour project.

One of the main tenets of the Third Way was the concept of the ‘enabling’ state. This envisaged, and helped bring about, the growth of charitable or not-for-profit organisations as an alternative means of delivering public services

One of Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading exhibition designers Winner of five consecutive AHI Interpret Britain & Ireland Awards IDI, Digital Media and IDEA Award winners www.martellomedia.com | T: +353-1-2844668

Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, Dublin 2010 Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement 29

– neither state, nor private, but a genuine third sector for a Third Way. In local government this concept was enshrined in legislation that gave us Best Value, where local authorities had to challenge, compete, compare, and consult on how public services should be delivered. Thatcherism had measured public services on grounds of cost.

The Third Way changed the formula to Best Price + Best Quality = Best Value. Many museums were subject to Best Value assessments, and this helped give rise to a steady, if unspectacular trickle of local government museums moving to Trust status under each year of New Labour.

This is relevant now because the concept of a burgeoning third sector is integral to the eraspanning Conservative rallying cry to ‘roll back the state’.

Hand in hand with Best Value went the sequence of initiatives that gave rise to Local Strategic Partnerships and Sustainable Community Strategies. Again, enshrined in legislation, the significance of LSPs was to place power in the hands of an over-arching local partnership – a coalition between public, private, not-for-profit, and community interests that would set the vision and shape the development agenda for each local area.

But the Third Way big idea only went so far, and given new money to invest in itself, the hand of local government could remain stubbornly on the levers of local power. If Blair-ites wanted more outsourcing (local government, the National Health Service, schools), the government was divided and Brown-ites had the power to block.

The public sector was built up to an unprecedented extent, and the Society recruitment pages of the Guardian bulged every Wednesday, whilst the Opposition waited for the end of the economic miracle, poured scorn on the bloated state, and started to see itself as government in waiting.

During this time, where culture had flourished in the English regions, it had done so when it has been integrated into this picture of local strategic partnerships. New Labour lost most of its sheen along the way, but throughout its thirteen years, and encouraged to do so by a largely coherent adherence to a political big idea (call it Blair-ism, the Third Way or the New Labour Project) many museums established their meaning and broadened their relevance in previously un-chartered territories of inspiring learning, community engagement, place shaping 30

and regeneration. This was the substance that remained once the fluff of Cool Britannia had blown away.

Taking stock Now that the bubble has burst, and the cuts are coming, we are left to work out how much can be rescued. How much of what we have built and learnt is sustainable? Which of the gains achieved since 1990 can be maintained?

Whilst the strategic context for museums – as for so much more besides – is one of cuts, the new agenda is accompanied by something calling itself the Big Society. In responding to cuts, and in arguing the case for the relevance of museums to Britain, our sector has everything to play for by understanding and embracing the Big Society. If the cuts are inevitable, then helping to put substance behind this latest political big idea is quite possibly the only show in town.

What is the Big Society?

Here’s a quick overview of what the government said the Big Society would be when it was elected.

Things might pan out a little different to this, and I have removed a few statements that don’t hold strategic relevance to museums, but the list gives us a good guide of what we are working with.

Building the Big Society - www.cabinetoffice.gov. uk/media/407789/building-big-society 1. Give communities more powers – this includes: • We will introduce new powers to help communities save local facilities and services threatened with closure, and give communities the right to bid to take over local state-run services • We will train a new generation of community organisers and support the creation of neighbourhood groups across the UK, especially in the most deprived areas 2. Encourage people to take an active role in their communities – this includes: • We will take a range of measures to encourage volunteering and involvement in social action, including launching a national ‘Big Society Day’ and making regular community involvement a key element of civil service staff appraisals • We will take a range of measures to encourage charitable giving and philanthropy • We will introduce a National Citizen Service. The

initial flagship project will provide a programme for 16 year olds to give them a chance to develop the skills needed to be active and responsible citizens, mix with people from different backgrounds, and start getting involved in their communities

perspective to this outline charter, we can start to make sense of the trends behind the Big Society, and understand what stops, what changes, what continues and what moves to the top of the priority list.

3. Transfer power from central to local government - this includes: • We will promote the radical devolution of power and greater financial autonomy to local government, including a full review of local government finance.

• We will give councils a general power of competence.

Big Society - Runners and Riders 1) Culture The government’s list doesn’t explicitly mention culture. But nor does it explicitly mention a really big beast like the economy, so this need not unduly concern us. The reality would suggest that the new political leaders get why culture is political good news. This isn’t Thatcherism, and they like culture in the way that has been the political orthodoxy since 1990.

4. Support co-ops, mutuals, charities and social enterprises – this includes: • We will support the creation and expansion

2) Community

“New Labour lost most of its sheen along the way, but throughout its thirteen years many museums established their meaning and broadened their relevance in previously un-chartered territories” of mutuals, co-operatives, charities and social enterprises, and support these groups to have much greater involvement in the running of public services • We will give public sector workers a new right to form employee-owned co-operatives and bid to take over the services they deliver. This will empower millions of public sector workers to become their own boss and help them to deliver better services • We will use funds from dormant bank accounts to establish a Big Society Bank, which will provide new finance for neighbourhood groups, charities, social enterprises and other nongovernmental bodies.

5. Publish government data – this section has little strategic relevance to the museums sector

So, if we apply a little historical

This government genuinely likes the concept of community – the appeal of ‘we are all in this together’. And the Big Society is an especially powerful message within the Conservative party. “There is no such thing as society” is a statement often mistakenly attributed to Mrs Thatcher, but it reflects with some accuracy the emphasis of Thatcherism on the importance of individualism. Political parties have powerful selfmyths. So with a party membership where many hold Thatcherism in the highest regard, the Big Society has signals that Cameron is his own man and its adoption as flag-ship big idea has taken leadership and courage to achieve. Cameron now has extra authority within his party by achieving the position of Prime Minister, and the emphasis on community is now a winning format. The government would sound regressive without the Big Society, and the emphasis on community is a 31

politically potent antidote to a big state. This idea plays to core voters and colonises the political centre ground. It is likely to be with us for some time.

3) Rolling back the State For traditional Conservative’s this is even better.

Who knows how far some within the New Labour Project may have wished to travel along this axis, but the constraints imposed by its own party machine meant that it couldn’t pull it off.

However, this government is setting about its task with relish. The size of public sector debt is only part of the picture, and the government genuinely believes that when the state runs things it does so inefficiently and ineffectively. There are quite a few people working in the state sector who, bogged down by the system, feel the same. In the

national level • to make things work locally and to lower your costs you will need to outsource • its too early to tell if local government will do the local co-ordinating or if we will see an enhancement in local strategic partnership-type working • we expect local government to be an enabler, and play a reduced role in direct service provision • if local government won’t devolve its own powers to its own community, we will let them challenge and take powers for themselves • we don’t want to interfere much, but we might.

5) Outsourcing There is a fashion for kicking the MLA - but they have been signalling for some time that museums need to become much more commercial, and

“With the state of public finances we may well feel like we are staring into the abyss.

If that is indeed where we find ourselves, then putting meaning into the Big Society is our best chance to guide us away” 1980s rolling back the state meant privatisation.

But now we mean charities, social enterprises, mutuals, co-opertatives as well as private business. There is much common territory here for Conservatives, Liberals - and Blair-ites. And in essence, this is a re-invigoration of the Third Way. This is starting to look like another significant area of consensus politics.

4) Subsidiarity The government statement promises the “radical devolution of power” from central to local government – this could sound like Old Labour, but I don’t think it is. A lot of guess-timation here, but what this seems to mean is: • we might give you power, but we can’t (or won’t) give you much money • we have abolished the nine English regions – so we want agendas to be set at a local and 32

organisations should collaborate and merge to achieve economies of scale. This is obviously right, and can be carried out in ways that enhance the appeal of museums whilst holding to, or even enhancing, core values of public service. Achieving this winning formula is going to require the rapid enhancement of skill-sets that have been under-developed in large parts of the sector. Despite the promised ‘general power of competence’ for local authorities in the government’s statement, it is doubtful how far most museums can be commercially effective whilst overseen as part of a complex and hierarchical public sector body. Legislative reforms under New Labour provided the means to establish new forms of social enterprises. We are likely to see these powers probed and deployed in new ways to instigate an outsourcing revolution.

In a manifestation of market principles, there is

rich scope for canny consultants to establish new approaches for outsourcing. There is the scope to imagine the refinement of business planning and performance management to the extent that business takeovers occur between Museums or across the cultural sector. And in this, there is even scope for the emergence of museum chains – McMuseums perhaps? Maybe not, but outsourcing may be set to sweep through the sector.

6) Community ownership There is a high likelihood that some closed museum will re-open as a community owned venture, and so achieve outsourcing by the back door.

We are also likely to see a significant increase in volunteering in museums. In some cases this will change the power relationships within the organisation. This will often be difficult to achieve, but because volunteering can be seen as one of the top rungs in a ladder of engagement, it could have real impact in realising a Big Society museums service.

Similarly, the Big Society can be seen as part of a much wider movement towards coproduction in society and in the economy. This involves the break down of traditional distinctions between producer and user. The breadth and depth of ways in which museums become part of their community is something that has been gathering momentum for a long time, but still remains one of the most exciting areas of likely innovation in the coming years.

7) Funding • Much less subsidy • Commissioning – museums competing to win contracts to deliver packaged services with schools, social services, health providers • More ‘sweating the assets’ – especially buildings, but also collections • Museums selling specialist skills to other museums • Fewer swanky big builds / lots of small schemes • Philanthropy encouraged through tax and legislation • More relationships built by museum Directors (no longer Heads of Services) between local museums and local business • Less staff / more volunteers • Increasing moves to sell unnecessary

collections – with potential to split the profession and the sector 7) Bureaucracy Can we take the promise of smaller government and less imposed rule setting and performance management at face value? Potentially the easiest sell of them all to the UK museums sector.

Big Society = Big Opportunity?

Well it depends how you look at it. Is your glass half full – or just a little bit full - as you’re reading this?

As part of a much wider shift in the socioeconomic context, the UK museums sector is at the point of major change. The agenda is being set by government and fuelled by impending cuts across the public sector. But the cuts are accompanied by a genuine belief in the potential of communities to make better decisions, and in this it is an alternative re-visiting of New Labour’s Third Way thinking. This time the emphasis is on communities, where once it was on the state (traditional Labour and the last years of New Labour) and the individual (Thatcherism).

The Big Society concept is embryonic, and it is there to be moulded – not just by politicians, but by those that deliver community services.

The concept is a progression of the museums sector’s own community values. And these values, that have been nourished, with support from successive governments of different hues, over the last two decades.

However, the experiment requires a significant dismantling of the state to test the hypothesis. This is high risk stuff, and where Mrs Thatcher once said ‘there is no alternative’, this time it might be ‘there is no safety net’.

With the state of public finances we may well feel like we are staring into the abyss. If that is indeed where we find ourselves, then putting meaning into the Big Society is our best chance to guide us away. We have the advantage that, through the gains achieved over the last twenty years, culture sits in the political mainstream.

And after all the analysis - it’s time for action.

Its time to continue our sector’s track record of putting meaning into the political big idea.

Stuart Gillis Head of Derby Museums, and former Director of the National Waterways Museum 33

id

media partner

museum

34

www.acoustiguide.com

Acoustiguide Acoustiguide provide innovative and intuitive multimedia guiding equipment for the museums and heritage market.

Our award-winning creative team specialises in creating dynamic and exciting multimedia tours including, themed tours, visually impaired and British sign language tours.

Audio

Video

CMS

Apps

Group Guiding

For more information visit www.acoustiguide.com email us at info@acoustiguide.co.uk or call +44 (0)207 269 5150

35

< image © Austin-Smith:Lord

People’s History Museum With a place on the 2011 Art Fund Prize long-list, we take a closer look at the multimillion pound re-development of the People’s History Museum in Manchester The People’s History Museum in Manchester focuses on an internationally important collection which includes the Labour Party archive, along with collections of the Trades Union Congress, Communist party of Great Britain, Suffragists and Suffragettes and the co-operative movement.

The museum’s charter is to “explore the world changing events led by the working people of Britain” and this is achieved through, “collecting, conserving and safe guarding archives and the material culture of working people and their organisations” and “interpreting the collection for the education and entertainment of as many people as possible through galleries, temporary exhibitions and events programmes and an education service for children and adults.”

The Museum re-opened in February 2010

after being completely refurbished and extended to provide a fitting new home for a unique and nationally important collection. The museum has one of the largest and most important banner collections in the world supported by in-house textile conservation expertise.

The Project In January 2004 Austin-Smith:Lord were appointed to lead a multi-disciplinary design team to explore the possibilities for consolidation of the People’s History Museum’s two operational sites in Manchester into one location through an expansion of the existing Pump House Museum.

Occupying the only one of three Edwardian hydraulic power stations to survive in the city, the Pump House is situated to the north west of the 37

The new museum consolidates all public facing activities onto one site. The new extension takes the form of a five-storey building, built into the site’s sloping, riverbank location and the site’s potential has been exploited by a bold and dramatic new presence on this important city centre artery and gateway location < image © Austin-Smith:Lord

city centre bordered by the River Irwell, Bridge Street West and the new multi-storey Civil Justice Centre on Gartside Street.

This area forms the northern tip of the extensive redevelopment area in the city known as ‘Spinningfields’. This is an area of the city that has undergone a significant change of scale and importance which over the last few years has created over 2.5m sq.ft. of new commerce, retail and residential space.

The availability of an area of city council owned land adjacent to the Pump House provided the opportunity for consolidating all the museum’s public facing activities onto one site through the provision of a new extension which would allow the expansion of permanent galleries and new 21st century facilities for the public.

The site benefitted from a prominent riverside location at the Manchester/Salford border and, afforded space by both the river and the public piazza in front of the new Civil Justice Centre, had the potential for a dramatic ‘object’ building which could significantly improve the Museum’s presence in this key new area of the city.

The Design The new museum consolidates all public facing activities onto one site. The new extension takes the form of a five-storey building, built into the 38

site’s sloping, riverbank location and the site’s potential has been exploited by a bold and dramatic new presence on this important city centre artery and gateway location.

A fully glazed ground floor concourse provides a welcoming new main entrance, allowing deep views across the building and providing activity and interest at street level, an impression reinforced by a café terrace overlooking the river.

The new concourse provides a generous space for new café, bar and dining facilities along with a new shop, reception and toilet facilities and most importantly encourages access via a dramatic new glazed link towards the original Pump House building.

Two levels of climate-controlled permanent galleries are provided at high level, accessed by a new lift and stair tower that celebrates the museum’s waterside setting. The top floor provides a large Conservation Studio for banners and textiles.

Under the concourse a lower level faces onto a riverside walkway and accommodates a new archive (to BS5454:2000 standards) and a new Reading Room with river views.

In developing a masterplan for the expanded museum the successful balance of use between new and old buildings was a key aim. Providing the majority of close conditioned space and visitor facilities in the new extension

“ I HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED BY THEIR GENUINE WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN TO AND INTERACT WITH US; AND I’M IMPRESSED

BY THEIR UP TO THE MINUTE EXPERIENCE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO TRANSFORM THE MUSEUM EXPERIENCE AND BROADEN ITS APPEAL TO A WIDER AUDIENCE” ALAN WATKIN CHIEF OFFICER FOR LIBRARIES, LEISURE, CULTURE AND HERITAGE WREXHAM COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL

BRIGHT 3D 8TH FLOOR THE SUGARBOND 2 ANDERSON PLACE EDINBURGH EH6 5NP

CREATING INSPIRATIONAL EXPERIENCES

+44 (0) 131 553 0920 ENJOYOURVIEW@BRIGHT3D.COM WWW.BRIGHT3D.COM

39

WWW.EXPONATEC.COM

16 – 18 NOVEMBER 2011 INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR FOR MUSEUMS, CONSERVATION AND HERITAGE

Koelnmesse GmbH, Messeplatz 1, 50679 Köln, Germany Tel. +49 221 821-0, Fax +49 221 821-3734, exponatec@koelnmesse.com 40 EXP_Museum Identity_182x252.indd 1

09.03.11 15:38

has allowed the sensitive restoration of the key spaces within the historic building.

The Engine Hall has been stripped of its original shop and café intrusions to recover its dramatic volume and now provides a multipurpose space for daylight tolerant exhibitions, education and conference events.

A new expanded changing exhibition gallery has been provided at ground floor level, which can be linked flexibly with the Engine Hall and this has allowed the original form of the first floor ‘coal store’ to be recovered and used as a conference facility.

The basement of the Pump House has been converted from gallery use to provide offices and the big windows to the river have been opened up to flood this space with daylight again.

The need for close controlled, light-proof galleries has been exploited visually to mark the refurbished museum’s presence through strong sculptural form-making. The design has achieved prominence without overbearing the original Pump House building.

The extension is unmistakably a new building yet it establishes a sympathetic relationship with the maturity of the Pump House through the tonality of the COR-ten rainscreen cladding and bold massing that echoes the industrial forms of the existing building.

Architect - Personal Statement Chris Pritchett writes: This is our second cultural project in Manchester’s huge Spinningfield development area. Our previous scheme to ‘Unlock the Rylands’ saw the re-opening of Basil Champneys’ Neo-Gothic masterpiece in 2007 after a programme of sensitive repairs and alterations and the design of a new landmark entrance and archive building.

The creation of the new People’s History Museum has shared many design challenges with the project to ‘Unlock the Rylands’ including a new ‘landmark’ extension, and, as at the Rylands, an important role for this new building was to reinvigorate the Client’s public presence in the city which again required balancing an appropriate level of assertiveness and personality with a sensitivity to the context of the existing historic building.

The brief called for a new extension that

The need for close controlled, light-proof galleries has been exploited visually to mark the refurbished museum’s presence through strong sculptural form-making image © Austin-Smith:Lord

would be welcoming and open enough to become the new entrance but that would also provide a series of ‘closed’ spaces for sensitive collections reducing the exclusion of daylight and close environmental control.

Providing large windowless volumes in a prominent city context is always an architectural challenge, with tight city sites the most viable solution appears to be to push the big, closed volumes up into the air, leaving the ground floor available for entrance, circulation and amenity spaces which can be celebrated through highly glazed facades.

This natural division of closed and open spaces seems to create naturally dramatic architectural compositions which perhaps achieve more visual impact than the building might otherwise deliver.

At the People’s History Museum this effect is reinforced by a simple sculptural approach to the main volume of the building and a careful 41

handling of external materials.

The connectivity between new and old buildings is always important. The concourse linking new and old buildings is deliberately kept wide to preserve views into the historic building and the link is given drama through its double height space and high level linking bridge to provide a variety of routes and a sense of promenading through the building.

The distinctive colour and texture of the Corten cladding was also chosen to reflect the Museum’s connection with Working People and the impact of industrialisation on the development of the county’s political history; as there is a deliberate element of narrative in the choice of the building’s façade treatment.

The natural layer of oxidisation that forms on the steel’s surface also forms a suitably sympathetic foil to the red brick of the original 42

Pumphouse, yet is rich enough to contrast with the predominantly silver and glass ‘corporate’ architecture that otherwise dominates Spinningfields.

The new building is a strongly contextual response; it works with the much loved historic building to make a successful and sustainable museum; it dramatically reinforces the presence of the Museum in the city; it celebrates a key landmark site and riverside setting; it contributes to the commercial and cultural diversity of a new city quarter and the boldness of the building’s colour and form aims to reflect the independence and spirit of the people whose stories are told within the Museum.

Chris Pritchett Austin-Smith:Lord

images © Austin-Smith:Lord

People’s History Museum Project cost: £12.5 million Completed: Feb 2010 Exhibition space: 1384 sq metres Visitors: 60,000+ Architects Austin-Smith:Lord Exhibition Designers Headland Design Associates

2011 Art Fund Prize - Director’s comment:

Project Management Paul Cleworth Project Management

“Being long listed for the 2011 Art Fund Prize is testimony to the success and achievements of the museum since reopening our new building in 2010. The transformation of the People’s History Museum is due to the team effort that went into the project from our staff, project team, contractors, funders, supporters and audiences. We are very pleased to be included on the long list and very proud of our museum.

This announcement further inspires our ambition and plans for the museum’s future success and growth.”

Construction Wates Construction

Katy Archer Director of the People’s History Museum

Digital Agency Reading Room

Structural Engineers Curtins Consulting Mechanical & Electrical Engineers Buro Happold Quantity Surveyors Simon Fenton Partnership Brand Consultants True North

Access Consultants Full Circle Arts 43

Art Fund Prize ten museums in running for £100,000 award The long list of ten museums that are in the running for the UK’s largest arts prize – the Art Fund Prize 2011 – have been revealed. The long list of museums competing for the ‘Museum of the Year’ accolade has been selected by an independent panel of judges, chaired this year by broadcaster and former cabinet minister Michael Portillo.

The Art Fund Prize 2011 rewards excellence and innovation in museums and galleries in the UK for a project completed or undertaken in 2010. Following a short list of four museums to be announced on 19 May, the £100,000 cash prize will be awarded to the ‘Museum of the Year’ at a ceremony on 15 June.

This is the fourth year that the Prize has been sponsored by the Art Fund, the national fundraising charity for works of art that plays a major part in enriching the range and quality of art on public display in the UK.

The ten museums projects selected for the 2011 long-list are: 44

• The British Museum, London A History of the World • Hertford Museum, Hertfordshire Hertford Museum’s Development Project • Leighton House, London Closer To Home: The Restoration and Reopening of Leighton House Museum • Mostyn, Llandudno, Wales Refurbishment and extension of Mostyn gallery • People’s History Museum, Manchester The new People’s History Museum 2010 • Polar Museum, University of Cambridge Promoting Britain’s Polar Heritage • Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Alloway, Scotland • Roman Baths Museum, Bath Roman Baths Development • V&A, London Ceramics Study Galleries • Yorkshire Museum, York Letting in the Light - Revitalising the Yorkshire Museum for the 21st century

45

Opposite page: Ceramics Study Galleries, V&A, London image © OPERA Amsterdam Right: Yorkshire Museum, York Letting in the Light - Revitalising the Yorkshire Museum for the 21st century image © Yorkshire Museum Below: The central circulation area of Mostyn, Llandudno, Wales image © Hélène Binet Photography

Michael Portillo, Chair of the Judges, said: “Making the selection was far from easy, out of an extensive list of strong entries. The result shows a wide geographical spread with museums from Scotland, Wales and a strong representation in the North of England. Equally remarkable is the variety of institutions included from the tiny Hertford Museum to the V&A and British Museum.

Subject matter is equally diverse, ranging from contemporary art spaces to the history of polar exploration. We now look forward to visiting these outstanding examples of excellence and innovation in the museum world with a view to announcing the short list on 19 May. We also look forward to taking account of the public vote in which people can participate online.”

Stephen Deuchar, Director of the Art Fund, said: “The Art Fund Prize annually champions the most fascinating, challenging and engaging new museum projects in the UK. As ever, our panel of judges had a tough job selecting a long list from a strong set of applications, but they finally came to the unanimous decision in favour of these ten museums and galleries, each encapsulating excellence and innovation, albeit all in very different ways. From Llandudno to Hertford, London to Alloway, we hope people will go and be inspired by these spectacular projects, and that they’ll come back and let us know their thoughts via our online poll. The coming weeks will be crucial for the judges in assessing which

museums make it onto the short list. The public’s participation has an important part to play.”

Michael Portillo chairs the expert judging panel comprising Professor Jim Al-Khalili OBE, theoretical physicist, author and broadcaster; Jeremy Deller, artist; Kathy Gee, museums and heritage consultant; Charlotte Higgins, Guardian journalist and author; Lars Tharp, Foundling Museum curator, broadcaster and Antiques Roadshow expert and Lola Young, Baroness Young of Hornsey, Independent Cross Bench peer and writer, cultural critic, public speaker and broadcaster.

47

Above: The Memorial Hall at The Polar Museum image © Scott Polar Research Institute / R.D. Smith Left: People’s History Museum, Manchester image © Austin-Smith: Lord

Clore Award for Museum Learning Under the umbrella of The Art Fund Prize, a new award has been introduced this year: the Clore Award for Museum Learning. Supported by the Clore Duffield Foundation, the £10,000 award will recognise and celebrate quality, impact and innovation in using museums and galleries for learning activities and initiatives. The Clore long list comprises: • Discovery Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne Culture Shock – digital storytelling project in the North East • Edward Jenner Museum, Gloucestershire Ghosts in the Attic – From Smallpox to MMR: an attic room exhibition/installation uniting contemporary art & science • Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow Touching Lives – exploring access to collections for visually impaired young people • Keats House, London Stories of the World – young people exploring world cultures at Keats House and Garden • Museums Sheffield, Sheffield With Sheba and Arwa (Belonging) – Engaging 48

communities and young people in a programme of learning and co-curation inspired by the legacy of two great Yemeni queens and modern day experiences of UK-Arabic women • National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth Face to Face: Documenting experiences of conflict • South London Gallery, London Making Play – Adventures in creative play through contemporary art • The Courtauld Gallery, London Animating Art History – an ongoing project which combines art history & animation for 6th Form & BTEC students from families with no prior engagement in higher education • The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh Air lomlaid / On Exchange – artist-led exhibition/ education project, involving children from Skye & Edinburgh exploring their language, culture and environment • The Pitt Rivers Museum and the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford Making Museums – children design and make their own museums, from acquisition to exhibition, celebrating their identities

Spiral INTERACTIVE MEDIA 路 MOVING IMAGE 路 WEB

Recent clients include: Science Museum Robert Burns Birthplace Museum Tate Modern Imperial War Museum Dundee Heritage Trust

www.spiral.co.uk

info@spiral.co.uk

0207 428 9948 49

Exclusive podcast interviews with Art Fund Prize judges Michael Portillo and Jeremy Deller are available on the Art Fund Prize website: www.artfundprize.org.uk. Plus Jeremy Deller is recording an audio diary series for BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, telling stories and personal reflections as he visits the long listed museums alongside his fellow judges.

The Art Fund Prize The Art Fund Prize is administered by The Museum Prize, a charitable company created in 2001 by representatives of National Heritage, the Museums Association, the Art Fund and the Campaign for Museums and chaired by Lady Cobham. These organisations agreed to put aside award schemes they formerly ran (including National Heritage’s Museum of the Year) and lend their support to this single major prize.

The Art Fund has sponsored The Museum Prize since 2008. The Art Fund is the national fundraising charity for works of art and plays a

major part in enriching the range, quality and understanding of art in the UK. It campaigns, fundraises and gives money to museums and galleries to buy and show art, and promotes its enjoyment through its events and membership scheme. Current initiatives include sponsoring the UK tour of the ARTIST ROOMS collection, and the recent successful campaign in partnership with the National Trust to raise £2.7 million to save Brueghel’s The Procession to Calvary for Nostell Priory. The Art Fund is funded by its art-loving and museum-going members and supporters who believe that great art should be for everyone to enjoy. Find out more at www.artfund.org.

Above: Leighton House, London image © Purcell Miller Tritton Opposite page: Roman Baths Museum, Bath image © Bath & North East Somerset Council Heritage Services 51

52

53

Sustaining the Aesthetic;

reimagining exhibition production for an eco museum by Carole Hammond Most of a museum exhibition professional’s work-time is spent developing and delivering exhibitions with a distinct focus on deadlines, budgets and quality. It is such a unique field – layering a contemporary ‘visual-narrative’ across the precious, the rare, and the authentic – that mechanisms to deliver this mix have emerged that are completely unique to the cultural industries.

Graphic production, specialised cases, e-media display, temporary walls, lighting, plinths and the online environment – all these elements, and many more, play a role in transporting and explaining the world in all its complexity, to ourselves.

In the same way as contemporary product and retail design has evolved, exhibition design has also flouted a growing understanding of a fragile environment, in its quest for easy perfection. Graphics containing PVC and toxic inks are dumped in landfill; cheap visual display units are purchased regardless of their colossal energy ingestion, less expensive lights and projectors desired even though their globes burn out in a fraction of the time of other brands.

Many of us vaguely imagine environmental sustainability as something approximating object 54

cases and temporary walls manufactured from a raw, hairy cardboard substance. Naturally the immediate questions that arise focus on the protection of objects and the nature of exhibition aesthetics. We are all in agreement that it is impossible to protect our heritage in an ugly papier-mâché box, and doing so is to entertain no hope of executing the organisational visions that demand we capture the imagination of an eager audience.

Contrary to this inconvenient vision of how environmental sustainability fails the cultural sector, an holistic idea of what environmental sustainability actually is, and how to address it within the context of exhibitions, demands further exploration. The first way to do this is to recognise that the concept of an exhibition being ‘carbon neutral’ is somewhat unrealistic.

The moment we develop something we make an environmental impact. Whilst it feels great to talk to the carbon neutral status of our exhibition after dutifully paying out our carbon credits, can we actually forget that the richly coloured, mounted graphics, for instance, are printed and then mounted on Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)? Can we truly wash our hands of the fact that

the vinyl chloride monomer used to make PVC is a human carcinogen, while it’s incineration results in toxic dioxin emissions, which are known through epidemiologic evidence to increase the risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma? Museums, galleries, performance halls, and festivals are but a few of those worldwide contributing to PVC in landfill and its incineration into the atmosphere.

And this is just one fraction of one category of our impact.

However, though we may experience conflict between role and environment, the solution lies in first deciding what’s actually realistic and attainable. One of the biggest difficulties museums and galleries, and in fact society faces, indisputably lies within the human psyche. Motherhood statements like ‘minimise your resource consumption’ epitomise the meaning of the word ‘frustration’ to exhibition staff and contractors. Unless they can clearly

exhibition rolls into the gallery, you are wasting the museum’s investment. Choose carefully what you choose to go up, and in what manner it could be disassembled for reconfiguration elsewhere.

Can you go through your galleries now and see any exhibition furniture from ten years ago still with a role? If not, your organisation has ultimately wasted money and effort, and that money and effort is probably leeching into the earth amongst a pile of toxic landfill, or been burned and living out a significantly extended life in our atmosphere.

Also falling under management’s umbrella, the second step is to design a strategy of change. This strategy will take into account the organisational mandate to be free of known eco-villains, like toxic paints, adhesives and particleboards. It will also include a commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle, with designs enabling easy disassembly and reassembly, along with the all-important evaluation of the ‘life-

“like all change, eco-change must be carefully and incrementally managed” see why and how it should happen, then the eco museum will just be a dream, for it cannot possibly be achieved through the efforts of only a few.

Activating and smoothing the difficult process of change in your museum or gallery can be concentrated into to a four step process that – crucially – engages all levels of the organisational hierarchy in different ways.

For management, recognise where your weaknesses lie, or as William McDonough and Michael Braungart stated in their seminal publication Cradle to Cradle in 2002: recognise the design faults. In an exhibition context, there is one standout thing to look for – waste. Waste is not just bits of wood that go into the skip. Recognising where you waste money, effort, time, and power is an effective methodology to use in order for the organisation to move forward on the sustainability issue. Where exhibitions are concerned, what goes up eventually comes down. If you choose to have your builders build fresh temporary walls with their nail guns and glues every time a new

cost’ of exhibition elements such as e-product, graphics and built structures. Eco targets and benchmarks should become part and parcel of the everyday evaluations of project success, playing companion to budgets, schedules, publicity and stakeholder engagement. Critically, a strategy will include information and targets that illuminate the significant positive effects of ‘reduction and reuse’ upon budgets, schedules and human effort – if not initially, certainly for many years post-implementation.

Like all change, eco-change must be carefully and incrementally managed when designing a strategy. Colleagues will need to be inducted into the strategy and targets, and given clear insights into the impact of the organisation’s activities. Motherhood statements belong elsewhere in this process. The induction process must adopt a somewhat technical and scientific approach into health effects, the impacts of waste, and the complex process of making resources into products the museum 55

commonly uses. Such an induction not only offers opportunities to understand why a strategy is required and what the advantages will be, but activates the investigational human element that an organisation undergoing innovative change so desperately requires.

The strategy of sustainable change is a major organisational activity. It involves reimagining every single thing we do, and has the potential to be an extraordinarily exhilarating and transformative process for everyone involved.

If conducted sensitively using trustworthy data, individuals will find themselves affected on a personal level, unable to ignore information that informs how they live – not just decisions made in work-time.

The next step, which will in effect make or break the ability to accomplish your environmental strategies, is to locate the tools of the trade. There is a plethora of tools for product designers, architects and so on, which can be interpreted to your cultural needs. They range from polished online measurement tools, to simple checklists. There are online product databases, numerous wiki’s and blogs, and a wealth of information fed through local, state, county, federal and international government websites and committees. In addition, since green is the new black, take advantage of design magazines, trade shows, funding opportunities and conferences.

Soak up the information and encourage innovation within the organisation. Programming wizards will surprise you with their insights into the development of tools that measure the good, the bad, and the ugly. Museum Victoria in Melbourne, Australia has done just this, developing an easy to use tool that calculates the three crucial elements of ‘initial’, ‘eco’, and ‘ongoing’ costs of museum electrical products used in each exhibition development. Lighting, projectors and visual display units all feature heavily. Information is gathered from the manufacturer’s data sheets, Victoria’s various electricity tariffs, as well as the product and consumables’ lifespan – knowledge that is gathered through the museum’s experience. This is then output graphically as tonnage of greenhouse gas emissions, kilograms of e-waste, dollars per m2 of operating costs, and the daily power consumption – with kilowatts separated into lighting and multimedia usage.

The result is an easy to use and insightful tool 56

that compares products against one another allowing the project team and venue to weigh up those costs, and so make their final, informed choice.

One of the most important tools an organisation can create and participate in is the development of tools that disseminate knowledge, research, and activities to internal, local, national, and international colleagues.

This ensures that cultural organisations no matter their size or annual budget will benefit, and creates an ever-evolving network of specific and collective benchmarks. Without benchmarks and measurement practices, the organisation’s strategies, checklists and guidelines will begin and end as conjecture, and ultimately find no purchase internally. Without in-house collaboration, cultural establishments will be doomed to flounder as they strive to meet organisational and political key eco targets. The way ahead is to communicate – internally and externally – an easy feat in the age of global communications.

The last guide is to create and activate the green, grey and black list. The green list contains products and materials that are known as positive for the environment, and importantly work well in the context of your organisation’s cultural activities. The easiest way to discover environmental credentials is to look for certification and endorsement by professional eco organisations. Their role is to stay abreast of changing industry standards, upstream and downstream implications, and of course sourcing and testing eco products. Our job is to notice these endorsements and being brave enough to trial them. Bringing the individual pieces together using techniques that will not destroy or nullify their positive effects is the real challenge in terms of environmental success. For example, you wouldn’t contaminate your precious emission zero MDF with toxic adhesives, and then attack it with a nail gun, would you?

The grey list contains, as McDonough and Braungart affirm, problematic substances – those materials and products that cannot be subjected to a phase-out ... yet. They may have nominal toxicity and waste issues, or no alternatives have yet been created to replace them. In an exhibition context this list might include ‘grey’ materials such as toughened glass (as it cannot be recycled but is irreplaceable in an exhibition), or products like lights that exhaust a higher rate of globes than

57

Intelligent interactivity for The Chopin Museum, Warsaw.

Over 60 exhibits in multiple languages.

RFID tickets individualising the experience.

Content management system enabling full client control.

InteractIve IntellIgence

MObIle InTeRPReTATIOn

InTeRACTIVe MUlTIMeDIA

FIlM PRODUCTIOn

AV InsTAllATIOns

www.centrescreen.co.uk

other brands, but no other brand can currently produce the exact colour temperature you require.

If you have to use items from the grey list, at least the exhibition team will be aware of its ambiguous eco-status, and understand that their agreement to use them may mean an exhibition outcome below the desired eco-benchmark. Importantly, the grey list should be reviewed regularly and cross-matched to the green-list when comparable product and material alternatives appear on the market and are found to perform well.

The black list is more straightforward than the grey and pinpoints substances that are known or highly suspected to be harmful to human and ecological health. The World Health Organisation offers current information on substances that are teratogenic, mutagenic, carcinogenic and so on, and includes basic analytical toxicology for hundreds of substances – from caffeine to phosphorus.

Though the green, grey and black lists may assist in streamlining and offering a quickreference to those on the ground working on exhibition developments, there is no downhill ride without an uphill climb. There must be a commitment to a constant search for alternatives to items on the grey list, and this commitment means more than waiting around for manufacturers to invent something. There are opportunities to conceive new products yourself, and there are many opportunities to partner with designers, manufacturers, and other producers to create what you require. Whilst the organisation will acknowledge that its mainstay is collecting, research and display and not the invention of eco-product, as a consumer its support of the eco-efforts of its suppliers through ideas, advice, testing and so on, is crucial. The advantages of doing so will be far more than a mere feeling of moral righteousness.

Four guidelines doesn’t seem a lot considering the enormity of the changes facing cultural organisations that adopt an environmentally sustainable philosophy. In essence these guidelines are designed to begin a self-perpetuating process of individual and organisational interest in financial, environmental and social health.

An exhibition where these interests are in process is at Melbourne’s Immigration Museum where a permanent gallery, Identity: Yours Mine Ours is readying to launch in 2011. Although it 58

encompasses a mere 250m2, as a graphically and technically rich display, it has the potential to utilise vast energy and material resources initially, and across its ten-year life.

Communication and interactivity are key features of the exhibition and the online environment figures prominently, with visitors offered the ability to use personal devices at home or in the museum to communicate their experiences, and to gain deeper insights into the exhibition’s stories. Making use of a virtual environment may seem to offer a solution to the exhibition’s material and energy usage, however the museum is painfully aware of the growing research surrounding virtualisation and cloud computing, the term for services that store online information such as images, emails, music, movies and so on. With cloud computing now more common major companies who host online services – like Google, Apple and Yahoo, are using more and more energy for their data centers.

According to Greenpeace, at current growth rates data centers and telecommunication networks will consume about 1,963 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2020 - more than triple their current consumption and more than the electricity consumption of France, Germany, Canada and Brazil combined.

This of course poses the question of where the energy comes from. Is it dirty coal power or sourced from renewable energy, like hydroelectricity? Coal is the largest contributor to the human-made increase of CO2 in the air and generates hundreds of millions of tonnes of waste products, including fly ash, bottom ash, flue gas and desulfurization sludge, which contain mercury, uranium, thorium, arsenic, and other heavy metals. Identity: Yours Mine Ours will largely utilise the museum’s own network, but link into networks such as Facebook and Twitter to complete it’s communication aims. Although there is little it can do to force international networks to base their data centres in locations that offer renewable energy, the museum can elect to increase its investment in renewable energy through the state of Victoria’s GreenPower initiative.

Continuing with the thematic of e-media, the Identity exhibition also features a 6-metre touch table, and a large number of interactive touch screens. With not a lot of alternatives in the e-media market when it comes to eco-touch

screens, the Identity project team focused on the cost of life issues of a range of product they considered best suited for their purpose. Using the Museum Victoria Cost of Life tool (MVCOL) the team input statistics collated from product data sheets, power usage, and the expected product and consumable lifespan. They compared all-inone touch screens to the alternative screen-tocomputer model, and found that overall, the all-inone model would utilise far less energy than the alternative. Not only that, the impact of e-waste is also reduced through using a more streamlined e-product, and the initial and on-going costs to the museum in terms of power consumption significantly reduced. Similar comparisons will inform the choices of projectors and lighting.

The exploration of identity in Australia primarily through ethnicity, spirituality, language, citizenship and ancestry in a 250m2 space demands a dynamic visual approach and a bold graphic design. Modern museums and galleries

of contemporary tools in order to gain the fresh, polished finish that the project team is loath to give up. Projectors and stencils will play a role in this, and of course no-VOC paint is a feature.

As with the e-media, the ongoing savings of signwriting far outweigh the alternative, with repairs requiring a quick lick of paint as opposed to a time-consuming and expensive reprint of a 6m2 panel that might have a miserable two-centimetre scratch. Care will be taken to retain the paint specifications across the 10-year life of Identity.

Maybe artists and their brushes will have a place in the museum workshops of the future.

To reduce the unnecessary layering of the laminate-on-print-on-substrate-on-wall-scenario, the museum is also trialing the less expensive alternative of direct printing onto emission zero mdf. Once the inks have cured they are extremely hardwearing. Recent display trials by the Immigration Museum found colours and texture highly comparable, and marks are generally

“without collaboration, cultural establishments will be doomed to flounder as they strive to meet eco targets” utilise a range of graphic outputs to create the slick, crisp finish they desire. In recent years industrial sized printers have been relied upon to do this, but the inks, paper, substrates and laminates utilised are highly toxic to the environment, and cannot be reused or even recycled. PVC is a key component of many graphic treatments in museums and galleries. In addition, the delicate nature of expensive printers leaves little room for eco-paper and ink substitutes.

The Identity exhibition will require 70m2 of its surfaces to be treated graphically. A further 150 m2 of text panels and labels will also be required. The project team, after acknowledging that this would eventually equate to some 1½ tonnes of toxic landfill or incinerated airborne particulates, has decided to look into the past to gain insights to an eco-graphic future. At least half of the graphics will be output with the help of professional sign-writers, who utilise a range

easily removed with the help of a common eraser.

From these examples it is evident that the contemporary reality of ‘green’ exhibitions consists of far more than wooden structures, papier-mâché and hairy cardboard. The explosion of these misunderstandings and the antiquated, negative rhetoric around change, cost, time and energy, gives project teams the freedom and support to achieve meaningful sustainable goals.

In time, the term ‘eco-exhibition’ will hopefully become redundant as cultural organisations and their networks transform ‘environmentally sustainable’ practice into ‘common’ practice.

Carole Hammond Exhibition Manager, Immigration Museum, Australia

59

Oculus: An Eye into St Paul’s with compelling film making and the latest technology, St Paul’s ground-breaking exhibition Oculus: An Eye into St Paul’s brings 1400 years of history alive...

The innovative new exhibition at St Paul’s Cathedral - Oculus: an eye into St Paul’s - uses state-of-the-art projection technology to immerse visitors in the fascinating stories and history of this iconic London landmark.

The first project of its kind in a cathedral, Oculus is a 270° film experience that brings 1400 years of history to life. Located in the atmospheric former Treasury in the crypt, Oculus takes visitors to Saxon London amidst the construction of the first St Paul’s in 604AD, through the buildings on the site that have fallen to fire and disrepair, before showing them the Great Fire of 1666 and the devastation of London during the Blitz when St Paul’s became a lasting symbol of strength, survival and hope. In Oculus visitors also discover the life of the cathedral; experiencing St Paul’s as a vibrant church in the heart of a cosmopolitan city.

Two virtual access films open up areas of the cathedral that visitors with mobility issues might not otherwise reach. The first film flies visitors through the world-famous dome; whisking them up to the Whispering Gallery before enjoying panoramic views across London from the Golden Gallery. A second film reveals Wren’s room-sized Great Model; 4 metre-high projections take visitors into the interior of the model and reveal its beauty in close-up detail.

60

image © St Paul’s Cathedral

Moving?

We turn heads around. museum relocation

Harrow Green specialises in handling complex and challenging moves for museums, galleries and archives. Proven methodologies, quality control, project management expertise, team building skills and a wealth of experience ensure the safe and successful relocation of every collection.

To learn more about how we can help you, call Ian Studd, Executive Director, Harrow Green.

07818 047 957 ian.studd@harrowgreen.com

www.harrowgreen.com

HG_Museum_Ad_10_09_10+line.indd 3

61

06/01/2011 13:25

Oculus: An Eye into St Paul’s image © St Paul’s Cathedral

Oculus is set within a timeline spanning 1400 years of history and interspersed between the films are timeline sequences in which images and dates float across the screens - encouraging moments of stillness and reflection.

The Right Reverend Graeme Knowles, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral said: “We are immensely proud of this new project which communicates the cathedral’s story in such imaginative and creative ways. We hope that through this experience our visitors will learn more about the cathedral’s history and also discover more about the daily life of a vibrant working church.”

Martin Stancliffe, Surveyor to the Fabric of St Paul’s Cathedral said: “Now all our visitors - including those who cannot manage the stairs – can see the view from the top of the dome. And to penetrate the interior of the Great Model gives a spectacular insight into Wren’s original vision for the cathedral”

62

Oculus Project Team Interpretation Strategy Anne Fletcher on behalf of Fletcher Teckman Consulting Ltd Designers Ralph Appelbaum Associates Project Management and fabrication Scena Film makers Centre Screen and ISO design Technology Sysco AV Multimedia Guide Antenna International

The Art of Creation: Making a Multimedia Guide for St Paul’s Cathedral St. Paul’s has become the world’s largest mass operation of handheld multimedia guides in a cultural setting. Michelle Penn, Creative Manager / Producer and Lead Writer with Antenna International on creating the new multimedia guide...

Sir Christopher Wren built St. Paul’s Cathedral between 1675 and 1708, employing a huge team of carpenters, masons, painters, woodcarvers, and other artisans. When St. Paul’s asked Antenna International to create a new multimedia guide, it required perhaps not quite that level of coordination, teamwork, preparation, planning, and flexibility. But it was close. It called upon all of Antenna International’s specialisms - from creative to technology to operations. And a prayer or two.

The background Antenna International and St. Paul’s Cathedral have had a productive partnership since 2005.

That year, Antenna International created a brand new audio guide for the Cathedral that consistently achieved high take-up rates. At the end of 2009, we entered into a new phase in our relationship by planning a handheld multimedia experience on a cutting-edge touch-screen device.

Every ticket holder receives a player, and as of September 2010, St. Paul’s has become the world’s largest mass operation of handheld multimedia guides in a cultural setting. Servicing such a massive operation involves managing a team of dedicated staff at the site and distributing up to 2000 players at peak times.

Why we chose multimedia Because devices for mobile interpretation are changing rapidly, we felt strongly that a highend, touch-screen, portable multimedia player was the right platform for this particular site. A touch-screen interface was essential - perfect for interactive maps and games - and a playlist structure supplied the flexibility we envisioned for visitors. In addition, an excellent screen quality was ideal for photographs, historical images, diagrams, and other visuals in the tour, while the device’s ‘pinch-zoom’ function would perfectly showcase the Cathedral’s remarkable ceiling 63

Visitors to St Paul’s Cathedral with the new multimedia guide image © Antenna International

mosaics and dome paintings. The player could also easily handle video content specifically requested by St. Paul’s, including fly-throughs of the upper galleries and a brief narrated film exploring Wren’s Great Model. Since the Great Model isn’t currently open to the public, the device made it possible for visitors to take a virtual ‘walk’ through the 30-foot high model - an experience they would otherwise have missed.

Challenges and solutions Our first challenge was the obvious one: St Paul’s is a vast space, rich in history, religious significance, architectural detail, and cultural importance.

Between 900 and 4300 people visit each day. The tour had to direct visitors through the site, keep traffic flow constant and avoid bottlenecks - while capturing the Cathedral’s unique atmosphere and stories. Together, Antenna International and St Paul’s created a bespoke solution, offering two general audience tours – an in-depth 100-minute experience and a 30-minute highlight tour to be used by visitors who have only limited time or when the site is especially busy.

The tour: access, languages and triggering Antenna International built the entire tour content as an app using its Pentimento software. Not only could we design an on-site experience specifically for the Cathedral space but we could leave open the possibility of re-purposing some or all of the content for a downloadable app to be released at a later date. This strategy could help St Paul’s reach an even wider audience and have the 64

potential to create an additional revenue stream.

Visitors can access content in two different ways: either through zoomable interactive maps or by selecting individual tracks from the playlist.

All visitors, regardless of the way they choose to access content, can access maps at any time.

Thumbnail images on both the map and the playlist help visitors orient themselves. The tour covers the famous Cathedral Floor, with the Dome and Wren’s airy architecture, and the Crypt, where some of Britain’s most well-known figures - from Admiral Lord Nelson to William Blake - are buried.

Because the majority of St Paul’s visitors aren’t native English speakers, we created versions of the tours in 11 languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean), plus British Sign Language. While Antenna regularly produces multi-language tours on a vast scale, we faced the challenge of fitting 24 applications (one app for each of the 11 languages in 100and 30- minute versions + a BSL app + an app for an interactive family tour in English) onto each multimedia player while not slowing the machine with too many heavy assets. We found that the ideal size for such a content-rich application was about 245 MB for the 100-minute app and about 80 MB for the 30-minute version.

The tour’s languages posed a second challenge, as well. St Paul’s has developed an innovative space in its crypt called Oculus.

Here, short films on the history and daily life of the Cathedral play on a loop. Antenna International provided an intelligent triggering

vernonCMS A fully-featured and modular system that makes managing your collection simpler, easier and faster.

eHive.com is a visionary web-based collections management system that is an affordable hosted solution for showcasing your collection online.

Vernon Systems Ltd â&#x20AC;˘ Collection Management Software Provider www.vernonsystems.com info@vernonsystems.com New Zealand +64 9 8155599 United Kingdom +44 79 49979976 South Africa +27 72 5785241 65 389527_Vernon_Ad 182x252 (final).indd 1

23/08/10 10:55 AM

Visitors to St Paul’s Cathedral with the new multimedia guide image © Antenna International

solution that automatically loaded audio in the visitor’s language and synched it with each film.

Antenna’s technical team used a triangulated wi-fi that didn’t penetrate beyond boundaries of the Oculus space. When visitors entered Oculus, an on-screen message appeared, asking if they wanted to access the content. By simply touching ‘Yes,’ the visitor picked up the audio at the exact point in the film currently showing.

Creative approach Of course, it didn’t really matter how well we moved visitors through the Cathedral or how many translations we provided if the content itself wasn’t compelling. Luckily, the story of St Paul’s is a writer’s dream. It has it all: 1400 years of religious history on the site, inspiring architecture, exquisite woodwork and mosaics, historical statuary, famous people buried in its crypt, the 66

Royal Family, the Great Fire, the Blitz…But with an embarrassment of riches comes the challenge of condensing it into engaging, evocative stops.

We also had to convey some vital information: what exactly is St Paul’s? The majority of the Cathedral’s visitors are from overseas, and most of them have no idea that the famous Anglican Cathedral is…an Anglican Cathedral.

Many think it’s a museum or a Catholic church.

We had to find a friendly way to introduce religious concepts to an international, multi-faith audience and underscore the fact that the Cathedral is a working church.

To do this, we created a twenty-minute linear tour of the Cathedral Floor, which leads the visitor on a spiritual journey. This journey covers the Cathedral’s most sacred areas, beginning with the baptismal font then moving along the nave, beneath the dome, to the quire, and ending at

the high altar. The journey explores the hows and whys – how Anglicans pray and what some of the most important rites are in Christianity, including baptism and the Eucharist. This linear tour also helps visitors understand the Cathedral’s role as ‘Britain’s Church,’ the venue for a variety of national occasions, from the Queen’s Jubilees to the memorial ceremony after the 2005 London bombings. The spiritual journey is followed by numerous random access segments on the Cathedral Floor, giving visitors the freedom to choose the subjects that interest them most: the American Chapel, the memorial to John Howard, etc.

The Crypt is devoted to the theme of St Paul’s as the Nation’s Church. The entire area is random access, with an introduction to help visitors understand why the Cathedral houses so many war memorials and tombs of luminaries, from Nelson to Blake to Wren himself.

The tour is rich with archive audio and visual material, extracts from services, music and sound effects. It also includes interviews with numerous people on the St Paul’s staff, including the Dean and three canons. These passionate excerpts reveal an insider’s view of Cathedral life: the musical director describes the spiritual power of music, even for non-believers; the Deputy Clerk of Works explains the Cathedral’s extensive cleaning and conservation projects; one of the virgers remembers the moment he opened the Great West Doors to greet mourners after 9/11.

The interviews are often surprising: who knew that St Paul’s commissions art pieces from artists like Antony Gormley and Bill Viola as a way of stirring faith?

branded lanyards and sleek customised plastic cases to protect the players during hours of daily use. St Paul’s and Antenna International chose to make the player appear more neutral – so that the central focus of the tour would always be the Cathedral, rather than the device. Even though players aren’t readily identifiable as commercial devices, the Cathedral needed a solution for preventing loss. Antenna provided an alarm system, including tags embedded in the player cases and sensors in various parts of the Cathedral.

St Paul’s Cathedral is the largest yearround, multimedia operation in the world – even bigger than the Louvre. Antenna International provides full staffing, with a team of up to 18 people depending on time of day and peak or low season. These staff are all multi-lingual and trained to help visitors with players and additional orientation questions.

Conclusion I think the tour created by St Paul’s and Antenna International accomplished something Wren would have appreciated: a mix of the intellectual and the practical — with just the right amount of the spiritual for good measure.

Operations and staffing Because Antenna International had worked with commercial multimedia devices on a variety of tours over the past few years, we could build on our expertise with this consumer device.

Antenna created bespoke technical and logistical solutions for mass uploading and mass charging for up to 2000 players. We commissioned six modular oak desks specifically for St Paul’s that fit discreetly into their surroundings, respecting the Cathedral’s role as a working church. Each desk is equipped with bespoke charging racks and rests on casters, so it can be quickly and quietly moved to accommodate special events.

Antenna International also provided 67

360 MALL KUWAIT

NASCAR HALL OF FAME (USA)

MUSEUM OF LONDON SHANGHAI EXPO 2010

AUDIO

VISUAL SYSTEMS Delivering creative solutions wherever our customers need them through:

UNDERSTAND REQUIREMENT

Systems Design TECHNOLOGY REFRESH

Systems Supply

DESIGN CONSULTANCY

CUSTOMER

MAINTAIN SUPPORT

Service Solutions

SYSTEM SUPPLY

ELECTROSONIC www.electrosonic.com Electrosonic is an international audio-visual company with a strong reputation for working on complex projects, both large and small, and has through its 46 year history developed lasting partnerships with customers and suppliers.

Electrosonic Ltd, Hawley Mill, Hawley Road, Dartford, Kent, DA2 7SY London

68

Los Angeles

Dubai

Hong Kong

New York

Tel: +44 (0) 1322 222211 Orlando

Shanghai

Email: info@electrosonic.com

Minneapolis

Stockholm

Edinburgh

69

City of the Dead Glasnevin Museum

Martello Media (www.martellomedia.com) were the exhibition designers for the Glasnevin Cemetery Museum in Dublin.

The project won a 2010 Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement. The annual Thea Awards, presented by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), recognize and honour excellence in the creation of extraordinary visitor experiences, attractions, exhibits and places. Image Š Martello Media

70

Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin is Ireland’s national necropolis. It combines the roles of Paris’s Pere Lachais and Washington’s Arlington Cemetery. Many of Ireland’s greatest artists, writers, soldiers, patriots and leaders lie amongst the 1.2 million ordinary people buried here.

Under the anti-catholic Penal Laws, only the established Anglican Church had the right to operate burial grounds in Ireland. Catholics paid punitive taxes for the privilege of burial. The founding of Glasnevin as a non-denominational cemetery by Daniel O’Connell in 1832 was a milestone for civil rights in Ireland.

The centerpiece of Glasnevin Cemertery is the towering O’Connell monument, housing the ‘Liberator’s’ tomb. In the 19th Century Daniel O’Connell was a global colossus involved in causes such as national independence in Europe and South America, the abolition of slavery in America, and civil rights for the Irish, Jews and peasants in India. As a rebuke to the government O’Connell insisted that Glasnevin would not be a Catholic Cemetery but open to people of ‘all religions and none’.

The diversity and importance of national figures buried at Glasnevin makes it a place of pilgrimage. The popularity of organised guided tours, and the numbers searching out the locations of significant graves, convinced the Glasnevin Trust that a visitor centre was needed.

In 2010 the Glasnevin Museum opened in a striking new building adjacent to the O’Connell monument.

Glasnevin has kept meticulous multiple entry records of every single burial, from the lowliest pauper to the greatest statesman. Visitors can discover the medical, economic, social and historical value of these records in the Archive Vault. This information is a gold mine of social, medical and demographic information. Pull-out books reveal interesting facts about cemeteries and death, while an interactive blotting pad shows how the archive system works.

Glasnevin is a pioneering cemetery museum which uses modern database technology to bring to life the burial records of seven generations and 1.2 million people. In doing so it traces whole the social, historical, political and artistic development of Ireland as a modern country.

71

Above: Martello Media (www.martellomedia.com) designed ‘Grave Matters’ which presents a cross section of the ground, illuminating burial practices in the 19th Century. Issues such as grave digging, ‘bodysnatching’ for medical schools, multiple burials in single plots and cholera control can all be explored on interactive screens built into the top of grave slabs. Image © Martello Media Left The Archive Vault.

Glasnevin has kept meticulous multiple entry records of every single burial, from the lowliest pauper to the greatest statesman. Visitors can discover the medical, economic, social and historical value of these records in the Archive Vault. This information is a gold mine of social, medical and demographic information. Pull-out books reveal interesting facts about cemeteries and death, while an interactive blotting pad shows how the archive system works.

Image © Martello Media

72

73

New ArtScience Museum opens at the Marina Bay Sands holiday resort in singapore The new museum’s design features both breathtaking form and environmentally-friendly function. Its dish-like roof channels rainwater through the central atrium of the building, creating a 35-meter water drop into a small, reflecting pool. The rainwater is then recycled for use in the building’s restrooms. With its lotusinspired design and ten “fingers” symbolizing the “Welcoming Hand of Singapore”, the new 50,000 square-foot Museum features 21 galleries.

Mr. Moshe Safdie, Marina Bay Sands’ design architect, said, “From the inside out, every element in the design of the ArtScience Museum reinforces the institution’s philosophy of creating a bridge between the arts and sciences. The building combines the aesthetic and functional, the visual and the technological, and for me, really represents the forward looking spirit of Singapore.”

Above: With its lotus-inspired design and ten “fingers” symbolizing the “Welcoming Hand of Singapore”, the new 50,000 squarefoot Museum features 21 galleries.

Image © ArtScience Museum Left: View of the roof Image © ArtScience Museum

74

ArtScience Museum, Singapore 75

Collegiate Church of Xanten, Germany

... the art of keeping art

Kenilworth, Gravel Hill. Chalfont St Peter SL9 9QP phone/fax +44 7809760546/+44 1753880749 LH@reiershowcases.com_www.reiershowcases.com

76

Project:

Central Station > Creative Social Media Network > Web 2.0 publishing platform > User generated content > Curated galleries > Online editorial > Community building > Crowd sourced projects > 120,000+ users in 4000 cities worldwide > Conceived, designed & produced by ISO Client: Channel 4 / Creative Scotland Join us: thisiscentralstation.com

________________________________________

ISO Digital Experience Design

________________________________________ isodesign.co.uk E: hello@isodesign.co.uk T: +44 [0]141 572 915

ISO ADVERT CENSTA 2.indd 1

77

27/01/2011 13:38

Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

78

The new £21m Robert Burns Birthplace Museum (RBBM) opened in December – the first major museum to open in Scotland in three years.

The museum replaces what was formerly known as the Burns National Heritage Park to bring together all of the Alloway sites with a connection to Burns including the new 1,600m2 museum, the Burns Monument, and Burns Cottage.

The museum, which is the largest and most ambitious project the National Trust for Scotland has undertaken, includes a 500m2 exhibition space which has four distinct areas – ‘Identity’, ‘Inspiration’, ‘Fame’ and ‘Creative Works’ - addressing different aspects of Burns’ life through some innovative and thought-provoking interpretation.

Highlights from a collection of over 5,000 artifacts, original manuscripts and pieces of memorabilia are presented in a fresh way while engaging interactive multimedia features and newly commissioned works from leading Scottish artists are interspersed throughout the site.

Upon entering the exhibition area, visitors see a timeline of important dates in Burns’ life and events taking place in Scotland that would have affected his work; but that’s where the traditional museum experience ends. A theatrically lit corridor then serves as the entrance to the main exhibition area and sets the scene as voices of gossips talking about Burns quietly echo through the hall while words such as ‘exciseman’, ‘lover’, ‘poet’, ‘ploughman’, ‘icon’ inscribed on the floor open visitor’s minds to the idea of Burns as a man through the different stages of his life.

The lead designers on the project were Event Communications.

Spiral Productions created 17 interactive features for the new museum and worked closely with interpretation manager Mary Stones to create unique interactive elements that complement the artifacts on show and encourage visitors to actively participate in learning about Burns.

One of the aims of the project was to create a modern and ecologically responsible and sustainable building that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability to adapt to fit the needs of future generations and the museum. As such the museum has a unique sedum roof that naturally insulates the building while heating and cooling is provided by 12 earth energy ground-source heat pumps. http://www.burnsmuseum.org.uk/ 79

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Leading industry event, The Museums & Heritage Show (Earls Court, 11 & 12 May), will be offering its visitors a chance to unravel the mysteries of online marketing in its new Social Media Lab. Gone are the days of slapping a banner ad on a site, instead social media campaigns take full advantage of the web’s unique properties such as interactivity, community-building, and the ability to specialise local offers. The Social Media Lab will enable marketers and non-marketers alike to explore the world of ‘re-tweets’ and ‘dig its’ empowering museums and other cultural visitor attractions to more successfully engage with their audiences.

This year’s Museums & Heritage Show is presenting its most ambitious and extensive programme ever. With 40 free seminars offering real solutions for these challenging times, enabling anyone working in museums or cultural heritage attractions to ensure financial success as well as sustainability for the long-term future.

The Museums & Heritage Show is taking place at Earls Court, London, on 11 & 12 May. With more than 130 exhibitors expected and with 2000 museum, cultural and heritage professionals attending, a visit to the Show will be of direct benefit to anyone working in this sector.

For further information and to register for your free pass: www.museumsandheritage.com

Make the most of the Rugby World Cup 2011 with eHive and Rugby Moments

The Rugby World Cup 2011 is just around the corner and museums and collectors now have the opportunity to share their rugby collections online using eHive and Rugby Moments. eHive is the world’s first web-based collection management system and has a unique Community feature that allows users to connect on the basis of a theme or shared interest. Rugby Moments is eHive’s newest community and provides community members with an excellent opportunity to showcase their collections of rugby memorabilia in time for the Rugby World Cup 2011 and beyond. The Rugby Moments website is built using the eHive Toolkit, a feature that enables users to create their own branded website integrating collection content from eHive.

eHive is developed by Vernon Systems Ltd, who have been dedicated to creating software for the museum and gallery market since 1985. Vernon Systems’ collection management systems are used around the world by institutions with diverse collections and needs.

For more information, or to find out how to join the Rugby Moments community, see www. ehive.com or www.rugbymoments.net

80

5 Great

The Museums working in mu attractions – a

n 40 FREE Se Marketing,

n Social Med understand

n Industry’s cost-saving

n Design & I ideas, lates Earth (or y

n Keep your industry de policies an practical k

To register for www.museum or contact us Tel: 01905 724

81

Kentish Delights Touring Exhibition >>> TESS Demountable recently provided showcases for Kentish Delights, a touring exhibition with a difference. Currently touring non-traditional venues across Kent, this innovative project, funded by MLA Renaissance South East, was originated by Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery. The exhibition consists of 9 showcases displaying objects from more than 30 museums across Kent in venues as diverse as pubs and supermarkets. The concept was simple. If the people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come to the museum, take the museum to the people. Put museum displays onto the high street where the majority of people spend their leisure time. Whilst the concept was simple, the practicalities and logistics for this project were complex. All of the venues had to be vetted for their environmental suitability and security arrangements. Museum quality, bandit proof, demountable display cases were ordered from TESS

82

<< Grand Reopening of the Israel Museum The long anticipated opening of the completely revamped Israel Museum took place on a warm summer evening in 2010.

The $100 million revamp, which doubled the exhibition space, is the largest single philanthropic effort ever undertaken by a single museum in Israel.

The Jewish Art and Life Wing, a cultural focal point of the museum, was design by Chanan de Lange and called for over 200 custom designed showcases to be developed, prototyped, manufactured and installed within a very tight timeframe.

ClickNetherfield are proud to have been chosen to provide some delightful new pieces of glass showcase engineering throughout the eight galleries we worked in, along with innovative LED lighting solutions.

ClickNetherfield became an integral part of the client team delivering this highly challenging and transformational project on time, and to the highest international standards. Museum Director James Snyder acknowledged the commitment and professionalism of the ClickNetherfield team and in particular the site installation team were praised for their performance.

For further nformation visit: www.clicknetherfield.com

to ensure that the objects would be stable and secure in their new environments.

The project team realised that traditional museum interpretation wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to grab peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention, particularly in supermarkets where the visitors have limited time. And so the TESS display cases were covered in eye-catching colours, and objects were visually striking.

To find out more visit: www.kentishdelights.co.uk

83

Collection & Space Surveys ~ Design Layouts ~ Feasibility Studies ~ Installation & Project ManagementÂ

84

Storage systems for Museums, Galleries, Archives and Libraries • Mobile, static and library shelving • Picture racking (pull out and mobile) • A wide range of accessories to facilitate storage of virtually every type of object • Comprehensive services for planning, layout design and installation • ‘Specials’ manufactured to meet specific project design needs • Completed projects include:

The National Museum of Wales Wolverhampton Art Gallery The Jewish Museum Hull History Centre

Jersey Museum Bedford Museum Ashmolean Museum BBC London

Tel.: 01869 278002 Fax: 01869 278003 E-mail: sales@ecospace.co uk www.ecospace.co uk 85

AI_AD_MUSEUMId_FINAL.pdf

14/2/11

12:52:22

Antenna International >>

Since taking the reins as CEO of Antenna last October, Janet Lewis Matricciani has had one of the busiest schedules in the industry! One of her first moves was to change the company’s name: “Antenna has an incredible list of famous and marquee clients in all four corners of the globe and including ‘International’ in our name more accurately reflects this. Audio continues to drive the media rich content we produce for multi-platform delivery and we’re bringing that heritage with us as the company moves forward into a new and exciting phase.” As well as introducing a brand new identity for the global organisation, Antenna is investing heavily in the development of a new range of products and services coming soon!

For more information visit: www.antennainternational.com

86

Environmental Monitoring System

Manchester Art Gallery has harnessed the power of energy monitoring to improve both its financial performance and its environmental policies.

The landmark gallery, which is run by Manchester City Council, called upon monitoring and control specialist Hanwell to establish a system that would measure gas, electricity and water usage.

Having already installed Hanwell’s environmental monitoring system to check on temperature, humidity and lighting around sensitive exhibits, Manchester Art Gallery was well aware of Hanwell’s superior technology, service and expertise.

Adding to the existing system, Hanwell’s wireless energy monitoring solution allowed the gallery to gather valuable data on the utility usage of the catering functions, which enabled managers to review running costs, reduce energy consumption and strengthen its overall environmental position.

As a result of the monitoring programme, the gallery’s management team was able to fully recover the additional costs of commercial activities and events outside of normal opening hours. With an average of 90 events running annually, this immediately accounted for around 440 hours each year.

The data was also used as part of the tendering process for the renewal of the catering contract, as a means of identifying waste and inefficiency and as a public demonstration of the gallery’s environmental commitments.

For more information visit: www.hanwell.com

Blists Hill Victorian Town

Bath-based multi disciplinary regeneration practice, Nash Partnership, are celebrating the success at the Royal Town Planning Institutes National Planning Awards.

The expansion of the Blists Hill Victorian Town in the Ironbridge Gorge was Commended, finishing second in the RTPI’s Heritage Category with the judges commenting that ‘Joint working between a developer and a local authority has delivered excellent design and conservation outcomes’.

Blists Hill has received a number of awards since the new visitor centre and developed site were unveiled in 2009 including Runner Up for the prestigious Art Fund Prize. The project is recognised as having helped deliver both an increase in visitor numbers for the museum and define the museum as the gateway to the Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust’s other attractions.

Nash Partnership was also shortlisted for the Small Planning Consultancy of the Year award at the same ceremony and their project to redevelop the Kingston Mills site in Bradford on Avon for Linden Homes and Galliford Try was recognised by the RTPI as winner in the category of Local Regeneration and Renewal.

For further information please visit www.nashpartnership.com

87

EXPONATEC COLOGNE

The leading International Trade Fair for Museums, Conservation and Heritage is held every two years and has become an important European meeting place for museum professionals.

The event brings together industry, service providers, museums, galleries and private collectors and offers a top-class supporting programme that fosters forward-looking dialogue between professionals.

The previous EXPONATEC COLOGNE attracted 4,200 visitors from 34 countries who took advantage of the opportunity to gain a wealth of information about trends and new products presented by 237 suppliers from 24 countries. The 2011 event takes place between 16-18 November in Cologne, Germany. For more information visit: www.exponatec.com

Rackline >>

For the past 26 years, Rackline has been working with curators and museum managers to assist with the storage of their collections, developing specific products and providing bespoke designs. We have an impressive list of clients including: Museum of London; Dacorum Heritage Museum; National Museum of Scotland; Victoria and Albert Museum; The Discovery Museum; Tank Museum; Natural History Museum; Imperial War Museum; and Kirkleatham Museum.

For more information visit: www.rackline.co.uk

88

Touch and Discover Systems

Touch and Discover Systems has developed a

revolutionary, interactive computer system that harnesses virtual touch, or haptics. Our new SensaBox is just as at home in galleries, schools and colleges as it is in outreach learning programmes or corporate training environments.

Our SensaBox uses haptic technology to tap into our natural drive to explore through touch. When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve touched something, you truly understand it. SensaBox users can explore virtual objects, learning programs or even whole digital environments through touch, thanks to the handheld haptics stylus. SensaBox supplies the sensory dimension that was always missing from computer interaction, persuasively and believably.

SensaBox delivers a powerful, memorable experience whatever the application. Please get in touch now!

www.touch-and-discover-systems.co.uk

enquiry@touch-and-discover-systems.co.uk

CREATIVE

New Services 3D Digital Production Handling Materials Restoration Interpretation Portraits New Products Consultancy Traditional Production

HERITAGE

DIGITAL

Freeform Studios combines innovative digital 3D technologies with the touch, craft and the aesthetic training of a traditional sculptor. Specialising in heritage artefacts, we make accurate replicas and develop new high quality products without touching or risking the original artefact, wherever it is situated. We access a variety of laser scanners to capture the detail required from objects, large or small. We then develop your ideas into high quality digital or physical products using the most appropriate technologies. We help you to generate income through the development of value added products. We help to improve access to your collection by making interpretation and handling objects which can be made in real materials enhancing the quality and value of your visitor experience.

Freeform Studios has over 10 years experience in the digital creative industries as a service provider and software trainer. This is combined with over 4 years in the museum and heritage sector working as a product development consultant at a national museum.

Joe Wiliams Portrait sculpted using laser scan data Digital rendering for real bronze product

www.freeformstudios.co.uk

We would be delighted to help you realise your new product ideas.

See our website for more information or contact us now to discuss your new project or specific product requirements in more detail. enquiry@freeformstudios.co.uk 89

The Book of the Dead exhibition at The British Museum follows the ancient

Egyptians’ journey from death to the afterlife.

The ‘Book’ was not a single text but a compilation of spells designed to guide the deceased through the dangers of the underworld, ultimately ensuring eternal life.

Many of the examples of the Book of the Dead in the exhibition have never been seen before, and many are from the British Museum’s unparalleled collection. These beautifully illustrated spells on papyrus and linen were used for over 1000 years, and the oldest examples are over 3500 years old.

This is a unique opportunity to see these fascinating and fragile objects on display. In addition to the unique works on papyrus and linen, superbly crafted funerary figurines (shabtis), amulets, jewellery, statues and coffins illustrate the many stages of the journey from death to the afterlife, including the day of burial, protection in the tomb, judgement, and entering the hereafter.

Digital media is used to interactively interpret the Book of the Dead. AV overview: The AV system uses a total of 13 DLP Projectors, Dataton Watchout playback, Cue Control. The majority are using the existing Barco H250, but Sysco AV also supplied 4 new Christie DHD700 units to make up for some of the older Barco units that have been retired. The Judgement exhibit is a made up of two high level projection areas, using 4 Barco HD250 projectors with edge blend.

Each of the two walls are 4.8m x 2.7m Hunifer is the large projection at the last exhibit. This uses two new Christie DHD700 units, edge blended. The screen is 4.5m x 2.5m. The system is running from Dataton Watchout to keep everything in sync and to allow geometry correction and blending.

For more information about Sysco AV visit: www.syscoav.co.uk

all images © Trustees of the British Museum

90

91

Heritage Deserves Intelligent Storage

• • • • • • •

Each Qubiqa mobile storage solution is unique and designed especially for your organisation’s specic requirements.

Qubiqa’s unique Air Filter extracts the surrounding air, cleans it of dust particles and then circulates the cleaned air back into the environment—ideal for keeping artefacts in optimum condition.

Shelf support bars (rather than clips) enable quick and easy adjustment of shelf heights thus giving maximum usage of every square metre of storage.

Qubiqa’s unique air circulation carriage parking feature (electronic system) keeps your valuable collection in a healthier environment.

The ultimate system in terms of exibility and sustainability – it’s easy to relocate, re-congure, add to or upgrade.

Protect your delicate collections - with the electronic system, smooth running carriages glide in a cascade fashion. Unlike a mechanical system they are not in contact with adjacent moving units. They will not jolt suddenly when starting, and come to a gradual halt without bumping into the next bays.

A range of shelves, drawers and accessories, along with static shelving, widespan shelving and pallet racking to full your requirements (inc. painting storage, plan chests, map drawers, textile roll storage, garment hanging rails)

Don’t just take our word for it – here are some quotes from our satised customers: “The product is reliable, robust and very user friendly, so good that we are pleased to recommend it to anyone who is looking for such a product.”

“The system has consistently lived up to our expectations.”

“Many thanks for providing a rst class shelving system. It does everything you said it would.” “….we were extremely impressed with the quality of the product which looks very contemporary and stylish.”

“I am very impressed and the space you have saved us is fantastic.”

Glasgow Museums Resource Centre * Preston Hall Museum * National Railway Museum * Northumberland Museums Service * Wedgwood Museum * East Riding of Yorkshire Archives & Museum Service * Glasgow School of Art

Qubiqa is the result of a merger between NORDPLAN and UNIVEYOR 01444 237220 salesuk@qubiqa.com www.qubiqa.com 92

Nordplan_heritage_A4_12/8/10.indd 1

12/08/2010 16:32

Rackline design storage solutions with your collections in mind

If you would like to talk to us about how we can help you with your collection.

Please call us on

01782 770144

For the past 26 years, Rackline has been working with curators and museum managers to assist with the storage of their collections, developing specific products and providing bespoke designs.

We have an impressive list of clients including: Museum of London Dacorum Heritage Museum National Museum of Scotland

Victoria and Albert Museum The Discovery Museum Tank Museum

Natural History Museum Imperial War Museum Kirkleatham Museum

e: now@rackline.co.uk www.rackline.co.uk Rackline Limited, Oaktree Lane, Talke, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST7 1RX

Project:

Central Station > Creative Social Media Network > Web 2.0 publishing platform > User generated content > Curated galleries > Online editorial > Community building > Crowd sourced projects > 120,000+ users in 4000 cities worldwide > Conceived, designed & produced by ISO Client: Channel 4 / Creative Scotland Join us: thisiscentralstation.com

________________________________________

ISO Digital Experience Design

________________________________________ isodesign.co.uk E: hello@isodesign.co.uk T: +44 [0]141 572 915

ISO ADVERT CENSTA 2.indd 1

27/01/2011 13:38

93

advertiser index Acoustiguide..................................35 All Signs .........................................97 Antenna Audio ..............................13 ATS Heritage..................................53 Beck Interiors..............................OBC Ben Gammon Consulting..............97 Bright3D.........................................39 Centre Screen................................57 Click Netherfield............................09 Collections Mobility 2.0................95 Dataton..........................................96 Ecospace.......................................85 Electrosonic...................................68 Exhibition Factory..........................45 Exponatec Cologne.......................40 Freeform Studios...........................89 Hahn Constable.............................17 Hanwell Instruments.....................21 Harrow Green.................................61 ISO..................................................77 Machineshop.................................73

Martello Media..............................29 Meaco............................................69 MuseumNext.................................34 Museums & Heritage Show..........IFC Nash Partnership..........................25 Newangle.......................................81 Ocean Design................................84 Oh Design......................................97 Opera Amsterdam.........................24 Paragon.........................................52 Preservation Equipment...............99 Protean..........................................93 Qubiqa...........................................92 Rackline.........................................93 Reier Showcases...........................76 Small Back Room..........................93 Spiral Productions.........................49 Surface Impressions.....................97 Tess Demountable........................12 Touch and Discover Systems........89 Vernon Systems.............................65

advertise in museum-id

94

Museum-iD is a leading publishing house providing high-quality content to the international museums and heritage sector. Read by thousands of decision-makers and budget-holders in museums around the world, each editon of the magazine provides an inspirational and provocative mix of ideas and opinions from prominent and influential professionals working in leading organisations. Museum-iD is the centre of a global network of like-minded peers who work together to provide exclusive access to the latest thinking and developments in museums. Join us in helping to shape the future of museums. To discuss how we can help you reach the international museum community - and how we deliver unbeatable value and quality - please contact us for further details: info@museum-id.com

JUST LAUNCHED: www.lending-for-europe.eu Where you can find up to date information about the â&#x20AC;&#x153;mobilityâ&#x20AC;? of museum collections - the borrowing and lending of cultural objects - within the European Union.

On this website you can find relevant information about aspects of: lending, borrowing, non-insurance, indemnity, insuance and immunity from seizure in general, as well as various guidelines, standards, publications, contract templates, legislation and more.

95

simple creative effective Philip Simpson Design specialise in graphic design for the arts, cultural, museum and heritage sectors.

We have a track record for delivering award-winning interpretations in stimulating and accessible ways.

Working across literature, brand development, web design and creative graphic communications, we build strong client relationships and deliver on their aspirations.

Tate Modern Temporary Galleries

Philip Simpson Design Unit 1.1 11-29 Fashion Street London E1 6PX Telephone 0044 (0)207 422 7501 Mobile 0044 (0)788 771 4306 email philip@philipsimpson.eu

www.philipsimpson.eu Museum Id advert182x252.indd 1

Dataton PICKUPâ&#x201E;˘ The most intuitive audio guide around A trim 45 g, packed with features. Top quality audio.

Built-in loudspeaker or headphones. Multiple tours and seamless updates.

Point, click and simply enjoy the tourâ&#x20AC;Ś www.dataton.com/pickup

96

MUSEUM graphic dESign 15/10/09 11:50:56

Ben Gammon Interpretation & Evaluation Helping you create amazing exhibitions, events and websites for your visitors Interpretation planning, training and visitor research

www.bengammon.com

Does your website belong to a bygone age?

visipix.com / istockphoto.com

If you need a new website, talk to us

SURFACE IMPRESSION Developers of online resources for cultural organisations

Contact Peter: 01273 683000/info@surfaceimpression.com

www.surfaceimpression.com

97

MUSEUMS AND ME Bridget Conley-Zilkic, Director of Research and Projects, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to educating and empowering new audiences.

Many museum professionals are rising to this challenge, as a result, the field is vibrant and rich with innovation. Endless creativity, high professional standards and a commitment to public service will hopefully allow museums to thrive even through lean financial years.

What made you want to work in museums?

Even when I began working for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on issues related to contemporary genocide, I didn’t imagine that I was working “in” museums, but rather working as a human rights professional at a museum. What I learned in the years of my career at the USHMM, was that the storytelling capacity, public platform, and reputation of the Museum endowed it with unique potential to make an impact on the issues I care about. It is not just our Museum that has this potential, but all museums contain it as institutions of authority in times when so many other public voices are distrusted. I have also developed a passion for the creative process behind museum exhibitions. The collegiality and magic of creating museum projects is enticing!

Are you optimistic for the future of museums?

The future of museums depends on the extent to which they continue to respond to real and evolving social needs. Museums have established reputations for doing this; they must build on their reputations, expanding into different ways of touching audiences with creative approaches

What do you want your museum to achieve?

The central challenge that we face at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum – one shared by any museum that decides to explore avenues of connecting their core story to evolving situations in the world -- is to balance singularity, depth of knowledge, and authenticity with a bold vision for how we can change the world today. But even more than that balancing, we must demonstrate the deep connections between the past, our present, and the shape our future will take. In the particular case of my work, I hope that the USHMM continues to mobilize its audiences and resources to show people that genocide did not end with the Holocaust, it is preventable, and we can all play a part in protecting entire civilian groups today.

What can other museums learn from you?

The USHMM was conceived from its foundational document to be a living memorial. This has implications throughout the Museum’s work, but it also set a brave and lofty goal for its impact in the world in terms of preventing and responding to new threats of genocide. I hope that more museums can make their voices heard on today’s difficult social justice issues. This work has not always been easy for the institution, but its courage to speak out on this important issue fundamentally enrichens its core mission.

In the next edition...

Contribute to Museum Identity magazine. Please get in touch with your ideas and suggestions for articles and features in the next edition. email: greg@museum-id.com subscribe today www.museum-id.com

98

Over 10,000 items ready for dispatch.

As the leading specialist, we have Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest choice of conservation and archival supplies ready for dispatch, ensuring a prompt and efficient delivery service; backed by 25 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience and unbeatable customer care.

Browse our full range of products and latest developments online.

T +44 (0)1379 647400

W www.pel.eu

E info@pel.eu

F +44 (0)1379 650582

Preservation Equipment Ltd, Vinces Road, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4HQ, UK

MUSEUM FABRICATION, INSTALLATION & PROJECT MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS VICTORY HOUSE, COX LANE, CHESSINGTON, SURREY, KT9 1SG +44 (0)20 8974 0500

WWW.BECKINTERIORS.COM