 |
 |
||||
|
 |
||||
INTRODUCTION
SMC MOVES!
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Board Development � Key to Museum Services
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Scottish Museums Leadership Development � A Celebration
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Positive Action Traineeships - Participants' Perspectives
SHOW SCOTLAND
MUSEUM DEVELOPMENT - �Who We Are�: The Redevelopment of McManus Galleries and Museum
MUSEUM DEVELOPMENT - Rosslyn � Much More Than Just A Film Set
MUSEUM DEVELOPMENT - Kelvingrove - Restoring a Great Master
UNIVERSITY MUSEUM COLLECTIONS HIT THE RIGHT NOTE WITH ACCREDITATION
THE ROLE OF VISITSCOTLAND'S RELATIONSHIP MANAGERS
PROJECTS IN ACTION Regional Museums Training Development Project Update (RDCF)
PROJECTS IN ACTION Baile an Or � From Gold to GPS
SPOTLIGHT ON: STIRLING SMITH
SMC NEWS Opportunities for Cultural Coordinator/Museum Links Increase
SMC NEWS Scottish Schools Get Connected
SMC NEWS UNESCO
OUT AND ABOUT Comann Eachdraidh Lios M�r Museum and Heritage Centre
THE PEOPLE�S MUSEUM
July 1, 2006
Welcome to our third edition of SMC�s quarterly magazine MG:Q and the first since our move to our new premises at The Stack.
This issue of the magazine focuses on developments throughout our membership � of the people, buildings, collections and services which make up Scotland�s museums and galleries.
It features Mark O�Neill, Head of Museums and Galleries for Glasgow City Council and photographed on our cover with Kelvingrove Manager Anthony McReavy, on Kelvingrove�s momentous refurbishment project, which culminated with the museum�s opening on 11 July. We have
also included guest pieces from both McManus Galleries and Rosslyn Chapel about their major refurbishment projects.
In the run-up to the launch of SMC�s Workforce Development Strategy (the third in a suite of four that will form the basis of our work in the near future) we have included examples of current initiatives promoting workforce development. Our two �positive action trainees� have submitted guest pieces on the scheme, which promotes diversity within museums and galleries. We have also included reports on both the Scottish Museums Leadership Development Programme, funded by the Strategic Change Fund and supported by the Scottish Leadership Foundation, and our Full Board Development Days, delivered by Arts & Business.
In addition, in our regular Regional Development Challenge Fund update we hear from the Regional Museums Training Development Project, an east of
Scotland partnership aiming to develop skills in the museums and galleries workforce throughout the region.
Whilst researching MG:Q we are constantly amazed by the ambitious and innovative projects our members are undertaking. In this issue we hear from Elspeth King at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum about their trip to New York and how, thanks to the Smith, Scotland did make
it to the World Cup. In addition, we report on the team at Timespan in Helmsdale, who have come up with a high-tech solution to enhancing their visitors� experiences and from Comann Eachdraidh Lios M�r Museum and Heritage Centre who have used the wealth of knowledge in their community to record and document their collection.
Finally we have included a short piece on Show Scotland �06 that proved a huge success with those taking part and with visitors. We�re very much looking forward to Show Scotland �07, details of which you can see in the next edition of MG:Q.
As always, if you have anything you would like to talk to our editorial team about including in the next edition of the magazine please contact us � we�d love to hear what you�re up to.
Joanne Orr
CEO, SMC
July 1, 2006
Following 25 years based at County House, 20-22 Torphichen Street
in the West End of Edinburgh, SMC undertook the momentous step
of moving premises on 1 June this year.
The organisation underwent quite a few changes in its time in
County House. Founded in 1964 as the Council for Museums and Galleries
in Scotland, SMC moved to County House in 1981 and shortly afterwards
took the step of formalising itself by becoming a company limited by
guarantee. The Council for Museums and Galleries in Scotland then
officially changed its name to the Scottish Museums Council in 1984.
Over recent years, there has been a gradual move from not only being
a membership body but also the lead strategic body for Scotland�s
non-national museums and galleries. SMC now works with organisations
within and outwith the sector to drive development, raise awareness
and build strategic links � all leading to the strengthening of the
museums and galleries sector in Scotland.
SMC�s new premises are �The Stack� � a grade B listed building
designed in 1899 by city engineer John Cooper as an electric light
works. It is mentioned in the Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory
as an Edinburgh Corporation Electric Light Station in the period from
1900 to 1975 after which the Edinburgh Corporation became the City of
Edinburgh Council.
During this period, the neighbouring businesses also remained
consistent tenants, with William Hunter and Sons, Hunter and Foulis and Andrew
Levy and Co (later to become the Inveresk Envelope Company Limited)
also operating out of the area.
Ordinance Survey maps show that sometime between 1931 and 1955 the
building was split, with half remaining as the Corporation Electric
Light Station and the other part of the building becoming Bowershall
Mills, home of the Inveresk Envelope Company Limited.
Although the building has changed immeasurably since its years as a
light works and is part of large amounts of development and
refurbishment underway in the area, its chimney is still a prominent
landmark on the skyline of the area.
Joanne Orr, CEO of SMC, said: �The Stack offers SMC flexible modern
office space whilst still being housed in an important heritage
building. We look forward to seeing many of you in our new
offices soon.�
Our new telephone numbers and contact details can be found on the SMC
website (www.scottishmuseums.org.uk) and our new switchboard number
is 0131 550 4100.
July 1, 2006
Strong leadership and the development of boards are essential in delivering world-class museum services.
Board development is explored within the forthcoming A national workforce development strategy
for Scotland�s museums with SMC committed to supporting and encouraging members to develop their boards and management committees.
The strategy advocates that effective boards:
� understand their roles and responsibilities
� work successfully together
� possess the right range of skills and experience
� fulfil legal, financial and moral obligations
� make a vital contribution to the success of their organisation.
Recently SMC has supported several museums in Scotland to undertake Full Board Development
days. These days, delivered by Arts & Business, assist the boards of museums to make best possible use of the skills and experience of their members in order to maximise the contribution each can make to the organisation. These days also help the boards to perform more effectively
as a whole.
Days are tailored to address areas specific to individual museums and focus on issues such as:
� board composition and success planning
� legal responsibilities
� employment/human resources
� advocacy
� team working and board/staff relationships
� planning and policy
� finance
� meetings and papers.
The evaluation of these days has been positive and encouraging. One participant was quoted as saying:
�Although this Board already worked well together they now have an even clearer understanding of what and how each individual can contribute, are more confident in speaking up at meetings and more confident in working together.�
SMC is supporting a further two Full Board Development days for members this year. If your museum is interested contact Jacqui Bright-Varley, Professional Development Manager, Arts & Business on 0131 220 2499 or e-mail [email protected]
July 1, 2006
On 25 May SMC held an event at Discovery Point in Dundee to celebrate the achievements of the Scottish Museums Leadership Development Programme, funded by the Strategic Change Fund.
This innovative programme, managed by SMC in association with the Scottish Leadership
Foundation (SLF), has offered participants opportunities to experience mentoring and shadowing as well as action learning and peer support networking events. The programme was designed to challenge thinking, develop leadership vision and help participants generate new responses to issues and challenges within the museum sector today.
The three-year programme is now drawing to a close and the event brought together many of the 26 participants, line managers and heads of service that were involved in supporting the programme.
As part of the event, Joanne Orr, CEO of SMC, and Zo� van Zwanenburg, Chief Executive of SLF, congratulated participants on their enthusiasm and commitment to the programme whilst those who had taken part demonstrated why we should encourage investment in this type of development work within the sector.
Evaluation of the programme to date indicates it has been highly successful with evidence of behaviour change by participants. Findings show it has provided new perspectives, improved confidence and provided the opportunity to develop practical skills such as analysis, strategic thinking
and networking.
In order to illustrate the participants� experiences of the programme, each was asked to pick an object from their museum or gallery they felt most effectively summed up their thoughts about the programme and compile a short text explaining why. Some of these can be seen below.
1. Penny Farthing from Dunfermline Museums Collections. �The programme helped me up, but it�s only me that can turn the pedals and make it go.� � Lesley Botten
2. British Hand Grenades from The McManus Galleries. �The key leadership angles that these represent for me are: always expect the unexpected and by remaining clam, with skillful leadership, you control almost any situation.� � Richard Brinklow
3. Fossilised tooth of an extinct Mackerel shark from Perth Museum and Art Gallery �The tooth is sharp and to the point. Clear thinking is always a good idea when faced by the sharp teeth of a predator.� � Mark Simmons
July 1, 2006
SMC�s Workforce Development Strategy highlights that workforce diversity is essential for museums to deliver services successfully to a wide range of users and to fully engage with local communities.
There are many opportunities available for museums to work in partnership with other organisations, including diversity organisations.
As an example of this, SMC has been helping support Glasgow and Edinburgh museums with their �Positive Action Traineeships� since last year.
The traineeships, run with the help of the Black Environment Network (BEN) and the University of
St Andrews, have enabled two trainees to undertake a placement with two of our members over two years, whilst undertaking a certificate in museum and gallery studies. They follow a varied work programme and are encouraged to make the most of training and development opportunities
including taking part in SMC training courses.
These placements are proving to be a great success with both museums. The trainees recount their experiences of the past year on these pages.
Sheila Asante � City of Edinburgh Council trainee
�I applied for the positive action traineeship as over the years I have had wonderful and lasting experiences of learning through museums and wanted to encourage others to have the same
experiences.
I divide my work for the City of Edinburgh Council with studying part-time for the post-graduate
Museums and Galleries Studies course at St. Andrews University. The course is developing my understanding of the theory and practice of working in the museum sector and I am able to bring these skills to my role with the Council.
I�ve been helping to document and store the City of Edinburgh Council Museums and Galleries
collections. My experience of working behind the scenes in the stores has been very enlightening.
I also worked on the Rainbow City exhibition at the City Art Centre (6 May-9 July), helping
volunteers to document, store and display recently donated objects.
This was a really rewarding experience through which I realised I would like to work more with
volunteer groups and the public in general. I hope to have a chance to develop this interest over the
next year of my traineeship. I have found that working in museums requires constantly balancing competing considerations of resources and ideas. I am continually surprised by how much can be achieved with the available resources.
I�ve really enjoyed the first year of my traineeship and am looking forward to the next year with excitement."
Robin Patel � Glasgow City Council trainee
"Being accepted on this traineeship has given me the opportunity of being able to work with objects that define the diverse cultures around us and creations that inspire us. This is still very exciting � a year into the traineeship.
My placement within Glasgow Museums across their sites has taken me from creating my own
exhibition, discovering hidden gems in stored collections, performing �live� interpretations and
working on outreach sessions, to assisting with valuations, interviewing politicians, constructing disaster plans and holding open days.
Staff here have been positive towards the traineeship, never shy to get me involved with varied projects and always there to lend a helping hand. I have learned to keep an open mind, listen to people and understand what museums are all about � helping people use and understand the
collections we hold for them.
What�s really exciting about working in museums is that we are constantly evolving and diverging
to meet the interests of the public we serve. Our audience is more demanding than ever, keeping
us on our toes and allowing us to be as creative as possible. I am glad to be able to see this change, to grasp it, to experience it and to help it along � something I would not be able to do without the traineeship.
It�s important to realise that the traineeship is not about lip service � it�s not a passport into the
museum world. Instead, it arms the trainee with the experience and knowledge required to work
in what is a vibrant, exciting and highly competitive sector.
I hope that in the future I can be part of the process that brings collections to people. I want people to walk away from our collections discussing, challenging and above all inspired by what they have just seen � this is my ultimate goal.�
July 1, 2006
Museums and galleries across the whole of Scotland pulled out all the stops over the May Day bank holiday weekend when they took part in Show Scotland 06; a brand new creative events weekend
especially designed to celebrate the sector.
This was the first event of its kind in Scotland. All across the country new and exciting events were staged using museum spaces and facilities in unusual ways, showcasing collections, encouraging extended opening hours, targeting new audiences and holding events not usually associated with museums and galleries.
In total, over 50 museums and galleries took part putting on over 120 events. From a muckle supper at Corrigall Farm Museum in Orkney to folk music at the Scottish Mining Museum and from star gazing in Stranraer to a singles night at the National Gallery of Scotland, the events made a big impact in Scotland and helped to map out plans for future Show Scotland events.
Joanne Orr, CEO of SMC, said:
�SMC has been overwhelmed by the terrific response to this new initiative. It was a great challenge to undertake such a big project but given the early findings of the evaluation and the feedback from both museum staff and visitors, it is one that has been incredibly worthwhile. Show Scotland has made a big impact in the sector by attracting new audiences, and helping to realise the tourism potential. We look forward to even bigger and better events for Show Scotland 07�.
The evaluation report will be produced in July and further details of Show Scotland 07 will be released. In the meantime, if you have any queries email [email protected]
Read more about Show Scotland�s evaluation results in the next issue of MG:Q.
Some comments received about Show Scotland '06:
�Show Scotland has given us the focus to develop this event. The volunteers will have the opportunity
to develop their skills and support each other.�
Janet Butterworth, Business Manager, The Whithorn Trust
�Show Scotland is an ideal opportunity to showcase the wonderful array of material in our collections and put on a series of events which will display these objects and our facilities in a
unique and exciting way.�
John Pressly, Observatory Officer, Renfrewshire Museums Service
�Show Scotland is a great opportunity to attract new audiences to museums and galleries and gives
us a chance to show something completely different to our existing audience.�
Jaime Enstone, Museums Education Officer, Stranraer Museum
�What a wonderful way to celebrate Scotland�s museums, collections and facilities� let�s hope that
the event will be on the museum calendar for many years to come.�
Molly Duckett, Curator/Manager, Grantown Museum
�Get ready for Show Scotland �07: 4-7 May 2007
July 1, 2006
Written by John Stewart-Young, Project Director, Dundee City Council
"McManus Galleries, Dundee, was founded as the Albert Institute in 1867 and takes its current name in remembrance of Lord Provost McManus OBE.
Originally conceived as �rooms of delight� � beautiful open spaces containing wonderful exhibits � the galleries have been compromised over the years by the addition of services. Visitors found it difficult to navigate around the building and many elements had become outdated.
The redevelopment, entitled �Who We Are�, will transform McManus into an open, welcoming, light and easily accessible museum and enable visitors to engage with our collections. A new entrance will be created on the south side of the building, opening directly into a caf� and shop area and a new lift, stair and atrium created to allow easy access to all the new gallery spaces.
The new galleries and multidisciplinary displays will be based on Dundee�s multiple identities using key items from the city�s 150,000 objects held.
The new layout will include:
� Landscapes and Lives Gallery
� Making of Modern Dundee Gallery
� Victoria Gallery: Scottish Art 1750-1914
� 20th Century Gallery
� Here and Now � 21st Century Gallery
� The Long Gallery
� The Albert Hall � Dundee in the World
A Lifelong Learning Centre will host a lively programme of events for schools and communities and develop complementing programmes within the building as a whole. The new McManus Collections Unit at nearby Barrack Street allows our collections to be housed with full documentation, technical and research facilities.
We are very grateful to our funders on this �8.5m project � the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland, the European Regional Development Fund and Dundee City Council � and are planning to re-open the museum in March 2008."
For further information please contact John Stewart-Young at [email protected] or visit www.mcmanus.co.uk
July 1, 2006
Written by Stuart Beattie, Director, Rosslyn Chapel
Rosslyn is a living church built by William Sinclair in 1446. However, the chapel is also classified as an Associate Member of SMC. Here Stuart Beattie, Director of Rosslyn, relays his experiences of juggling the Chapel�s many �lives�.
"In spite of the recent �hype� surrounding Rosslyn Chapel, and its links with the Da Vinci Code, Rosslyn has been a popular destination for centuries. At the turn of the last century, 30,000 visitors a year would come and see this mysterious and enigmatic building. In 2003, 38,000 people visited which swelled to 117,000 in 2005 with the increasing popularity of Dan Brown�s bestseller.
Rosslyn however has many �lives�. As well as being a film set and a must-see destination for those with a broad spectrum of interests from Templar and Freemasons, paganists, esoterics, architects to those interested in Rosslyn as a working church, it is also a major conservation project.
Balancing the needs of the visitor with the needs of the building as we prepare it to last well into this millennium can be challenging. We need to offer a high level of enhanced experience to visitors with ever-growing expectations and yet may need at times to deny access to areas of the Chapel where work is underway.
The Rosslyn Chapel Trust feels that the conservation project will be an attraction in itself and may also be an educational opportunity, both in the specialised field of conservation and the more general public awareness areas. The work we intend to carry out will involve repairs to the roofs, windows and stonework, heating, lighting and interpretation and a full record of the stonework using laser
technology.
The stone conservation itself is the single most time consuming piece of work running, we estimate, for around five years. We are advised that only four stones in the entire Chapel require replacing and are able to sound fairly confident about the project, having carried out small �sample� pieces of work to check the feasibility.
Over the past ten years we have established links with our main partners in this project � Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund. We have also established links with our local Midlothian Council, The Eastern Scotland European Partnership, WREN and many others and have a worldwide membership of people interested in this wonderful building who recognise Rosslyn�s importance as a part of world history."
For further information about Rosslyn, please visit our website at www.rosslynchapel.org.uk
July 1, 2006
Written by Mark O'Neill, Head of Museums and Galleries, Glasgow City Council
"The �30m redevelopment of Kelvingrove has been a huge undertaking � the culmination of 15 years of work by hundreds of council staff.
When the museum opened in 1901 as the last and greatest achievement of the civic museum movement in Britain, it aimed to encompass the entire world of art, history, archaeology and natural history � the equivalent of the combination of London�s National Gallery, British Museum and Natural History Museum. It was also, as the Lord Provost emphasised at the opening, a committed adult education institution, providing services for �lads and lasses� who had finished school but wanted to develop themselves further.
By the time Kelvingrove closed for refurbishment just over 100 years later, it was attracting over one million visitors a year. It has also added wonderful objects to those the city owned in 1901 with 4,000 on show from the most important areas of the collection when it closed � one of the greatest civic collections in Europe.
The architectural strategy for Kelvingrove was simple: to restore it to its Victorian condition whilst modernising all the services for 21st century visitors and incorporating 21st century technology (the building hadn�t been rewired since 1899!). Over the years various areas of the galleries had been partitioned off to create offices, meeting rooms and education spaces.
These functions have been moved to new public areas on the lower ground floor, restoring the original vistas and circulation patterns of the building. This also allowed more light into the building, enhanced further by a new lighting scheme designed to highlight the architectural features. Perhaps the most striking change, however, was achieved by cleaning the blond sandstone, meaning the building�s original colour scheme can now be appreciated.
To ensure that not only the building itself was given an overhaul, but also that the experience of visiting Kelvingrove was as effective and engaging as possible required a complete re-think of the philosophy of the museum. The new displays are based on an assessment of the most interesting objects or groups of objects amongst the entire 1.4 million in the City�s vast collection. Curators proposed over 200 stories, which were eventually whittled down to 100 to be used. Each of the 8,000 objects on display in the refurbished museum had to be cleaned and if necessary restored, and each had a
new display mount designed and made.
Keeping track of the objects as they were processed and then installed was a mammoth task in itself. Each object forms part of a story that needed to be written to rigorous standards of research and accessibility and in total, the displays now involve nearly 250,000 words.
To put the objects in their cultural or natural contexts nearly 10,000 photographs were selected and ordered from museums and libraries all over the world. No single display method was chosen � every story used the communication method that worked best for its content and its envisioned audience.
Perhaps the greatest challenge was organising the vast range of material and display approaches into a coherent whole, ensuring the museum has a sense of unity. This was the task of the core Project Team. As well as coordinating the work of the architects, builders, external designers and many specialist consultants with the input of Council staff, they ensured that every dimension of the new displays has reflected an overall vision for Kelvingrove.
The key elements of this vision are that thedisplays are:
� Object based � using the best modern display methods but not at the expense of the objects.
� Visitor centred � no matter what their background, the museum aims to welcome everyone.
� Storytelling � telling the most interesting stories about the most interesting objects and accessible to all.
� Flexible � because each of the 22 galleries shows four to eight separate stories under a broad theme. This means individual stories can be changed without having to redisplay entire galleries. By changing three of four stories a year the museum will be able to evolve over time, remain up-to-date and respond to new discoveries and public interests.
Everyone who contributed to the restoration and redisplay of Kelvingrove is deeply aware of the privilege it has been to work on such a wonderful project. We hope we have done something approaching justice to not just the fabulous building and the amazing collection, but to the special place this greatly loved museum plays in the life of the city."
Kelvingrove re-opened on 11 July this year. For more information, visit www.glasgowmuseums.com
July 1, 2006
Written by Jacky MacBeath, Collections Support Officer, University of Edinburgh
In May this year, the Reid Concert Hall Museum of Instruments and the St Cecilia�s Hall Museum of Instruments (both operated by the University of Edinburgh) were the first Scottish University Museums to achieve Accreditation. Below Jacky MacBeath talks a little about how this was achieved:
"In working towards Accreditation, we were encouraged to consider our audience and how this could be developed. Following the decision in 2004 to bring our two musical instrument museums into a single management structure (as the Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical
Instruments) within the University Collections Division, possibilities for imaginative developments for the collections and their audiences were opened up.
A little work was needed in order to meet the requirements to achieve the Accreditation standard. We applied for and received various SMC grants towards improving the internal orientation and interpretation of the collections and in particular to undertake a major project to provide improved access to our stringed instruments.
The Stringed Instrument Access Project, completed earlier this year, created access to guitars, lutes, harps and other plucked stringed instruments previously in store or on display at the Reid Concert Hall. These were relocated to St Cecilia�s Hall Museum of Instruments and were displayed in new purpose-built �Click Netherfield� cases with accompanying interpretation.
The result is not only a glittering display of some of the oldest and most important items in our collections but also a new audience for the early keyboards already on show at St Cecilia�s.
The new displays significantly add to our visitor experience by providing an attractive and interesting exhibition � very popular with those waiting for scheduled tours of the early keyboard collections in the galleries above.
SMC part funded this �60,000 project through a grant of �20,000, with further support from Dr G and Dr J Sypert and The Russell Trust. We�d like to thank our supporters and especially SMC for making the project, and subsequently our Accreditation, possible."
July 1, 2006
Written by Heather Akroyd, Sector Development Manager, VisitScotland
"VisitScotland is working with the Scottish Museums Council and other members of the Museums and Galleries Tourism Focus Group, looking at opportunities to help museums realise their tourism potential. Read on to find out how VisitScotland Business Relationship Managers can assist museums and galleries wishing to work with VisitScotland.
Relationship managers have been identified at VisitScotland to provide tourism businesses with advice and guidance on what Scotland�s national tourism agency has to offer. These relationship managers provide one point of contact for all tourism businesses in every sector, to discuss all of their business requirements.
Because museums are important visitor attractions, playing a vital role in attracting visitors to and from Scotland, a relationship manager exists for every museum in each region of the country.
These key VisitScotland contacts can provide information on a range of marketing opportunities from
local area guides to national seasonal campaigns as well as additional services that museums
can benefit from. Business Relationship Managers and Business Relationship and Marketing Managers are based at VisitScotland offices located throughout the country and exist to help all museums in their local area choose which marketing opportunities are suitable for their needs. In most cases business relationship managers are already a familiar face to museums in the region and have an existing relationship with them through their work for the former area tourist boards."
If you don�t know who your local Business Relationship Manager for VisitScotland is, the list below will give you their name, location and contact details.
YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP MANAGER CONTACT DETAILS
BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP & MARKETING MANAGERS
Aberdeen - Maureen Gorshkov
[email protected] 01224 288809
Dumfries - Anne Massey
[email protected] 01387 245561
Edinburgh - Catherine Brodie
[email protected] 0131 473 3801
Glasgow - Keith Paterson
[email protected] 0141 566 4009
Highland - Robin Murray
[email protected] 01997 423027
Outer Hebrides - Maryann MacIver
[email protected] 01851 701818
Perth - Jennifer Moran
[email protected] 01738 450611
Prestwick - Annique Armstrong
[email protected] 01292 673755
Selkirk - Helene Sinclair
[email protected] 01750 23802
Stirling - Neil Macfarlane
[email protected] 01786 459228
BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP MANAGERS
Aberdeen - Gillian Smith
[email protected] 01224 288827
Aberdeen - Laura Wilson
[email protected] 01224 288811
Dumfries Caroline Robertson
[email protected] 01387 245562
Dundee Dennis McFarlane
[email protected] 01382 527549
Dunoon Donald Hoy
[email protected] 01369 703221
Edinburgh Ann Jones
[email protected] 0131 473 3628
Edinburgh Diana Bulfon
[email protected] 0131 473 3635
Fife James Sinclair
[email protected] 01592 750066
Fife Tina Ogilvie
[email protected] 01592 750066
Glasgow Gordon Smith
[email protected] 0141 566 4010
Highland Helen Tolmie
[email protected] 01997 423022
Highland Linda Hall
[email protected] 01997 423014
Highland Pat Thow
[email protected] 01997 423023
Highland Scott Christie
[email protected] 01997 423025
Kirkwall Lee Seator
[email protected] 01856 872001
Lerwick Nikki Sellens
[email protected] 01595 693 434/
0777 587 4560
Oban Alison Feaks
[email protected] 01631 563059
Oban Fiona Morrison
[email protected] 01631 563059
Perth Gayle A Wilson
[email protected] 01738 450616
Prestwick Irene Noble
[email protected] 01292 673749
Prestwick Sarah Alexander
[email protected] 01292 673751
Selkirk Cathie Brown
[email protected] 01750 23813
Stirling Valerie Fraser
[email protected] 01786 459211
Please check www.visitscotland.org regularly to ensure your information is always up to date.
July 1, 2006
Written by Mary Lewis, Project Co-ordinator, Scottish Borders Council
"The key objective of the Regional Museums Training Development Project is to build capacity through forming and supporting partnerships across national, local and independent organisations through the development of their workforce.
The project encompasses all museums, galleries, historic houses, university collections and friends groups within Fife, Scottish Borders, Edinburgh City, Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian.
In January, the project launched its 2006 training and development programme and all events have been well attended and positively received. Events have included �Behind the Scenes� visits to the
Scottish Mining Museum, Scottish Fisheries Museum, Royal Scottish Academy and Museum of
Scotland and �Storage of Textiles in Museums� at Drumlanrig Tower, Hawick.
Future events will include �Creating a Positive Customer Experience�, �Care of Collections: Paper and Photographs�, �Introduction to Environmental Monitoring� and further �Behind the Scenes� visits.
Starting in June, the project starts its research looking at existing staff development processes with the aim of developing a workforce performance and development framework.
In 2007, the programme will focus on further support and development of the sector�s workforce through seminars, master classes and learning days based around Accreditation, Training Strategies and Planning, Leadership Development and Interpretation.
In addition, the project has set up a Training Support Fund to cover travel and staff expenses and to assist organisations in attending or developing training activities that will help build
their capacity.
A key outcome of the project so far has been the development of a website (www.trainingmages.org) holding information on the project�s training programme, updates on events and courses within the East of Scotland, a skills bank and information resources. Over the course of the coming year, the website will be developed to include case studies from project partners and a forum where individuals will be able to discuss and share ideas on best practice.
For further information, please contact [email protected] or telephone 01896 833837.
July 1, 2006
One of SMC�s core aims is the promotion of the use of ICT in our member museums to help with museum development. One of our members, Timespan in Helmsdale, Sutherland, has introduced a
highly original and novel example of how ICT can truly enhance the visitor experience.
East Sutherland was home to one of the more remarkable episodes of the history of the Highlands � Scotland�s very own gold rush. Over a period of six months in 1869 more than 300 prospectors tried their luck panning for gold, many of them living in a settlement of wooden huts known as Baile an Or (Town of Gold) near the mouth of the Kildonan Burn.
Baile an Or today is largely as it was left when the prospectors� huts were cleared away and Timespan in nearby Helmsdale has struck upon a highly technical and innovative idea to bring this story to the region�s visitors.
The museum has launched the Sutherland Explorer� � a dynamic interactive hand-held device using GPS or Global Positioning System technology. The hand-held device is operated via satellite, and is triggered by the visitor reaching certain points in the landscape. The device then tells the visitor the story of the area, narrated by actress Isla Blair. Any section can be repeated at the touch of a button
or the device can be switched off entirely to enable the visitor to simply enjoy the scenery.
This is the first time such technology has been used in such a remote area but the flexibility and interactivity of the device makes it ideal to enhance the visitor experience to such a large and rural area.
Rachel Skene, Director of Timespan, commented:
"The programme brings to life in a way no other experience can just what it must have felt like to
be a gold prospector in the 19th century. The landscape, its geology and wildlife have not changed since then and the Sutherland Explorer� will enhance this immediacy with illustrations, video, music, voices and birdsong."
For more information on the Sutherland Explorer� or on Timespan, please contact
01431 821327 or visit www.timespan.org.uk
July 1, 2006
Written by Dr. Elspeth King, Director of the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum
Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum has had a particularly busy and exciting time over the past couple of months. As well as the normal day-to-day running of the museum and the wealth of activities and programmes underway, the museum was involved in two particular events which you may have seen gracing the pages of the national press.
Scotland�s World Cup Representative
"Scotland�s disappointment at not being included in the World Cup this year can be tempered by the
presence of an object pivotal to the history, and perhaps the invention, of the �beautiful game�.
The world�s oldest football, in the collections of the Stirling Smith, has pride of place in the exhibition
�Fascination Football� mounted by the Museum f�r V�lkerkunde, Hamburg�s Ethnographical Museum.
Discovered during renovation works in the 1970s in the rafters of the Queen�s Chamber in Stirling Castle, the pig�s bladder ball is one of the star items in the Smith�s collections. The ball may even have been played with by Mary Queen of Scots and her courtiers.
The ball was given a farewell in Stirling by the German Consul General and a young football team from Allan�s Primary School and was accompanied on its journey to Hamburg by Provost Colin
O�Brien, Councillor Gerry Power (Chairman of the Smith Trustees) and Curator Michael McGinnes.
After special receptions at both Prestwick and L�beck Airports, and its very own seat on the plane (under the name A. Football), the football was piped into the Hamburg museum where it was received by Herr Ole von Beust, the city�s Mayor.
The story of the ball�s journey was the subject of great press excitement and found its way into many mainstream papers and on to numerous websites throughout the world. At the Smith we printed off 67 different web stories for the museum�s press cuttings book. Some of the languages were difficult to recognise, but did include Vietnamese and Japanese. In terms of blanket worldwide coverage, the Smith has had nothing like this in terms of quality and quantity.
Curated by the Director of the Museum f�r V�lkerkunde, Dr Wulf K�pke, the �Fascination Football� exhibition deals with the development of football worldwide and is aimed at those visiting Germany for the World Cup. The ball will remain the centrepiece of the exhibition until November."
From Central Scotland to Grand Central Station
"Building on the success of Tartan Week 2005 when the appearance of the Wallace Sword in New York generated huge interest, Provost O�Brien of Stirling Council this year raised funds to take part of the Stirling Smith�s Wallace exhibition to the event. Sponsorship was provided by Prudential, with support from VisitScotland and the Scottish Executive.
The exhibition was set up in the �Scottish Village� situated in the Vanderbilt Hall of Grand Central Station in New York. Many thousands of travellers and commuters pass through the Hall every day
and a large number stopped to look, pick up leaflets and talk.
Our presence helped engage public interest in Scotland and the Stirling area. Following the success
of the film �Braveheart�, many were fascinated to see the Scottish mediaeval source of the script,
Blind Harry�s �Wallace�, put back into print by Luath Press and the Smith in 1998.
We had a varied interest, from Scots with US-citizenship who praised the Scottish presence in Tartan
Week, to a significant number of African Americans, some with Scottish ancestry. For the latter
audience the team felt the painting �The Pipe of Freedom�, by Smith�s founder Thomas Stuart Smith
may be of interest. The picture was painted in 1869 to celebrate the abolition of slavery in Scotland
and postcards of the image proved a great conversation piece.
The origin of the Tartan Week celebration is the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of
Arbroath in 1320. Although still in its infancy, the event has a great capacity to grow and there is
a keen hunger for history in the USA waiting to be fed. Our presence there, from 1 � 8 April, proved
a wonderful marketing opportunity for the museum, prompting interest and satisfying curiosities in
many aspects of Scottish history and culture."
For more information on Stirling Smith, please contact 01786 471917 or visit
www.smithartgallery.demon.co.uk
July 1, 2006
On the 19 and 22 June this year, SMC held events aimed at celebrating the successes of Cultural Coordinator projects in museums. At these events, held in Inverness and Glasgow respectively, case studies of past projects were presented which covered a broad range of curriculum areas such as citizenship, people in the past, art and design and drama.
The outcomes of these projects have been equally varied, leading to lasting resources for museums including learning packs, films, backpacks, loan boxes and interpretation cards.
In one case, the result of the project is a broch � built for the children of Keiss Primary School in Caithness as part of a Cultural Coordinator project with Dunbeath Heritage Centre.
The broch � a circular fortified dwelling originally built by the Picts � will be used to stage shared activities between Keiss and Canisbay Primary Schools which share a head teacher, and with Dunbeath Heritage Centre.
Cultural Coordinators or Creative Links Officers can bring their skills in creative learning and their contacts with learning providers to a project, helping to widen access to collections and work towards inspiring creativity, learning and enjoyment for all.
In light of the success of these past projects, SMC has extended its Small Grants scheme, enabling Cultural Coordinators and Cultural Links Officers to apply for funding for projects undertaken with any museum with full SMC membership. The grants provide up to �2000 to cover up to 50% of project costs. This August, however, we will be offering 100% grants of up to �2000 to Cultural Coordinators and Creative Links Officers developing innovative projects that use museums as a source of learning and inspiration.
For further information, please visit our website at www.scottishmuseums.org.uk
If you are thinking of developing new projects or working with new audiences and want to get in touch with your nearest Cultural Coordinator or Creative Links Officer please contact Rhona Hamilton, Learning and Access Manager, on [email protected] or 0131 550 4132.
July 1, 2006
Learning and Teaching Scotland (LT Scotland) is coordinating a new computer network that will revolutionise Scotland�s education system.
The Scottish Schools Digital Network (SSDN) will link Scotland�s 800,000 educators and pupils and include all 32 education authorities and other key stakeholders.
SSDN will offer pupils and teachers access to a range of electronic learning and teaching resources including communication tools, multimedia and e-learning material to support classroom learning.
Information will be delivered to schools across the SSDN broadband interconnect and will make use
of the SSDN Content Delivery Infrastructure (CDI).
Potentially the largest system of its type in the world, it will enable access to �rich content� such
as videos, audio and interactive games, which will engage children in learning. In addition the SSDN intranet will provide a national �virtual learning� environment, allowing teachers to assign, assess, mark and return work to pupils entirely online.
The overall aims of the SSDN will be to support the development of the curriculum. Museums will be able to play an important role in providing e-learning resources for the emerging SSDN. Throughout this year, SMC has been working with LT Scotland and Glasgow Museums to pilot potential museums involvement. This pilot is being used to develop a template to help other museums become involved in this initiative.
As part of the pilot we are working with an established suite of software tools that have been specially developed by LT Scotland to enhance the online learning experience for children. These include storyboards, quizzes and multimedia applications that all have the potential to be used
and adapted by museums. One of the main aims of the pilot was to work with these tools and make
use of Glasgow Museums as a basis for creating learning resources.
We anticipate that the learning resources that have resulted from the pilot will be launched later this year.
More details about the SSDN can be found on the LT Scotland website:
www.ltscotland.org.uk/ssdn
July 1, 2006
SMC CEO Joanne Orr is a member of the UK National Commission for UNESCO�s Culture Committee. On 17 June she attended the UK National Commission�s Inaugural Annual Conference for the UK and UNESCO � the first since the National Commission was re-established by the Secretary for State for International Development, the Rt. Hon. Hilary Benn MP, in March 2004.
Since then, the Commission has and is developing rapidly with a dynamic programme of Committees
and Working Groups liaising productively with the UK Permanent Delegation to UNESCO. As part
of this work, Scotland is in the process of setting up a UNESCO Committee and developing a programme of cooperation and work.
The main objectives of the conference were to inform on progress, to network and to identify ways in which the profile of UNESCO and its mission may be raised within government and civil society in the UK.
As part of the day, Joanne participated in two themed discussion groups: �World Heritage�and �Intangible Heritage�*, ensuring a Scottish perspective was included in both sessions. Specific issues raised included how World Heritage sites in the UK can share their work on providing educational resources and how they can work together to develop new resources.
The UNESCO convention on Intangible Heritage has been ratified but as yet the UK has not signed
up to it. This would be of particular interest to Scotland with our strong Gaelic culture and examples of the work of the Comann Eachdraidh that include much intangible culture.
The conference was a great success bringing a diverse range of people together to discuss how culture, education and science can make a contribution to world issues such as peace and security, climate change, clean water, reducing childhood mortality and poverty.
*Intangible Cultural Heritage is defined as:
�the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills � as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts, and cultural spaces associated therewith � that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage.�
July 1, 2006
Written by Cait McCullagh, Museum Development Officer, CELM
Just as the physical foundations for a new museum and heritage centre � scheduled to be completed in October � have been dug, Lismore islanders are also securing the foundations of a community owned collections management programme, every bit as essential as those that will support the new centre�s walls.
By collecting and sharing the heritage that accompanies the artifacts and archives collected since first exhibited in the schoolteacher�s house in 1995, Comann Eachdraidh Lios M�r (CELM) hopes to encourage the island�s estimated 12,000 annual visitors to move out beyond those walls to experience an island buzzing with memories and traditions that enliven the material collection, uniting it
with the community.
Knowing that detailed objectbiographies were still residing within those who have cradled in their own hands the flat and gas irons and Lismore-woven linens that were passed down, CELM began a process of �listening� to the objects with a two-day ceilidh in the island�s hall. Islanders were invited to �visit with� the collection, whilst � charged with pens and a clipboard full of preentry forms, designed to garner every intimated association � �recorders� moved among their fellow islanders ready to note down their comments as they explored both the objects and their own memories.
From this unconventional beginning, CELM�s documentation programme has ensured that local knowledge and expertise is fully honoured and integrated into the collection. CELM�s success, thus far, in calling islanders to continue to interact with their artefacts and archives looks set to ensure that the new centre will be a dynamic gathering place for visitors and islanders alike.
By envisaging their collections management programme not as a hurdle, but as a confluence for cultural transmission, identity strengthening, and stretching, and, via a skills-building programme, enabling the community to curate its own material cultural and oral heritage, CELM has founded more than a roofed collection space; it has begun the rooting of a life-long learning base from which future economic development and sustainability can grow.
For more information please contact Tony Perkins, CELM�s Project Manager, at [email protected] or 01631 760286.
July 1, 2006
In the months of May and June, BBC TWO screened �The People�s Museum�, a programme aimed at unearthing hidden treasures from collections in museums around the UK.
Following an appeal to SMC in September 2005 from the production company requesting ideas, a
form was distributed to all our members asking that they submit suggestions of important objects
in their collections. From this, SMC compiled and submitted a full list in December 2005.
This, together with submissions made independently by museums in Scotland meant a huge response
from Scottish museums as a whole.
Out of the many objects submitted, 73 made the �short list� to appear on the television series, eight of which were from Scottish collections.
These included:
� First edition of Rudyard Kipling�s �Just So Stories� � Museum of Childhood, Edinburgh
� Mackintosh Chair � Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow
� Model of the Queen Mary I Ship � Museum of Transport, Glasgow
� Lister�s Carbolic Spray � Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians, Glasgow
� Logie Baird�s �Televisor� � Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
� Simpson�s Brandy Decanter � Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh
� Zumpe Piano � Reid Museum of Musical Instruments, Edinburgh
� Marianne Grant�s Bergen-Belson Painting � Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow
Each day, Monday to Thursday, four artefacts went up for vote to enter �The People�s Museum� virtual museum, with three artefacts every Friday, plus a recap of voting over the week. The programme was screened at 3.30pm and presented by �Flog It� presenter Paul Martin.
The public were encouraged to vote via phone, with the winner of the previous day�s vote announced on the next day programme and on the website (www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/peoplesmuseum).
The objects were up against stiff competition with the inclusion of the likes of the first radio,
the Bouncing Bomb, the Titanic design drawings, a Dodo skeleton, the Enigma machine and even
Bagpuss!
Finally, on 9 June, the 20 top items had been picked and amongst them were three from Scottish collections (see below).
Congratulations to all those objects that made the short list and thanks to all the museums that
submitted items for consideration.
Lister�s Carbolic Spray
Joseph Lister worked on Louis Pasteur�s ideas about bacteria, using carbolic acid as an antiseptic. At first Lister used carbolic acid directly on the patient�s wounds, but later devised a spray to provide an antiseptic atmosphere during the operation. The spray was placed about six feet away from the patient and the surgeon�s hands were constantly in the spray while he operated.
This innovation saved countless lives on the operating table and changed the face of medical history.
Queen Mary I Ship Model
In the early part of the 20th century Glasgow was the centre of shipbuilding, which brought great wealth and prosperity. Thousands of Glaswegians were involved in building the Queen Mary in 1930, but work drew to a halt when the Great Depression hit. When work did finally restart, it was seen as a momentous day in Glasgow�s history.
The Queen Mary led a long and happy life, serving in wars and carrying the world�s most famous
passengers across the Atlantic.
Bergen-Belsen Painting
Painted by Marianne Grant, who survived three concentration camps during WWII including Auschwitz. Marianne, who was just 17 at the time of her captivity, used her skills to keep her alive in the camps and was even commissioned to sketch the results of the infamous Dr Josef Mengele�s experiments. Upon her request she was also able to paint the walls of the children�s infirmary bringing a sense of fun and normality to the lives of the young inmates at Bergen-Belsen.
This disturbing scene, and her other works, are a unique and chilling record of the Holocaust.
