Civic Museums in Civil Society: an English Perspective Iain Watson Director, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums Board Member, Museums Association @iainawatson
What is the Museums Association? The Museums Association champions the values of museums to society and supports and develops the people who work in them. Oldest museums association in world formed in 1889 Over 7,600 individual members Over 600 institutional members Over 250 corporate members
Mission: Inspiring Museums to Change Lives Vision: Inclusive, participatory and socially engaged museums at the heart of their communities Values: Inclusivity, diversity and equality
Museum Taskforce
Arts Council Goals Goal 1: excellence Goal 2: for everyone Goal 3: resilience and sustainability Goal 4: diversity and skills Goal 5: children and young people
A Museums Sector in Crisis? National Museums and ACE protected in 2015 Spending Review New buildings can give impression of boom times BUT -31% in real-terms cut to cultural funding by English local authorities since 2010 Ongoing severe cuts to local authority budgets to 2020 Museums are a non-statutory service vulnerable to budget cuts
The impact of cuts 64 museums closed in UK since 2010 and more at risk Reduced opening hours Loss of expertise Less social outreach work and fewer school visits Museum collections and buildings at risk
Transformers
Museums review 1. State of the nation report 2. Local and regional museums 3. Government sponsored museums
Museum Taskforce
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
So where is Tyne & Wear? Tyne and Wear (population: c.1.1 million) North East England (population: c.2.2 million)
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums 9 museums Regional archive World Heritage Site
Our Mission 18
Creative vision Creative vision Working together to make sense of the world through compelling stories of art, science, culture and heritage 19
a few key facts www.twmuseums.org.uk
Stephenson Railway Museum Billy 'Billy' - built in Newcastle around 1826 by Robert Stephenson & Company was built three years before the more famous Rocket and it is one of the oldest locomotives in the world.
Discovery Museum Turbinia In 1894 Charles Parsons built the world s first steam turbine powered ship, Turbinia, which changed the face of maritime history and in 1897 was the fastest ship in the world. At 32 metres long, she now dominates the central hall at Discovery Museum.
Tyne & Wear Archives Mauretania at full speed on the Measured Mile, 1907 (the most famous ship built on Tyneside). Part of an important shipbuilding collection recognised as part of the UNESCO Memories of the World register.
Laing Art Gallery Laus Veneris (1873=1875) by Sir Edward Burne Jones This outstanding painting in the Laing Art Gallery s Pre- Raphaelite collection painting shows the legendary court of Venusberg (city of love). The artist, Edward Burne- Jones was the leader of the second phase of the Pre- Raphaelite movement.
Great North Museum: Hancock Building inscription from Hadrian s Wall, Milecastle 38 This inscription because proves that the Roman Wall was built on the orders of Hadrian, whilst the name Nepos dates the stone and therefore the wall to AD122-4. This work of the Emperor Caesar Trajan Hadrian Augustus (was built by) the Second Legion Augusta under Aulus Platorius Nepos, proprietorial legate
Hatton Gallery Kurt Schwitters Merz Barn Wall Kurt Schwitters Merz Barn Wall is one of the UK s international art treasures and is on permanent display at the Hatton Gallery. Created in the Lake District in 1947-48, it was the last great work of this influential 20 th century artist, and is the only surviving example of his Merzbauten series.
Christ Washing the Disciples' Feet by Jacopo Tintoretto An outstanding work is the major painting by the Venetian artist Jacopo Robusti Tintoretto (1518-1594). On display in the main gallery, Christ Washing the Disciples Feet was originally painted for the church of San Marcuolo in Venice, eventually given to St Nicholas Cathedral in Newcastle and purchased by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums in 1986.
Segedunum Roman Fort Roman stone toilet seat Segedunum is significant in itself, as excavations unearthed definitive proof that members of Rome s cavalry lived in adjacent rooms to their mounts. This is thought to be the only stone known toilet seat from Roman Britain.
South Shields Roman Fort Arbeia The Regina Tombstone This expensive tombstone found at Arbeia to Regina from husband Barates, who freed her then married her, shows Latin and Aramaic inscriptions providing evidence for the mixing of cultures 1800 years ago.
South Shields Museum & Art Gallery Jobling s Gibbet A grisly reminder of criminal punishment in the not too distant past, William Jobling was the last man in England to be gibbeted in 1832. Charged with murder, William Jobling was sentenced to death by hanging and his body to be publicly gibbeted close to the scene of the crime on Jarrow Slake.
Thank You www.museumsassociation.org Iain.watson@twmuseums.org.uk www.twmuseums.org.uk @iainawatson