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Posts Tagged ‘Museum [Insider]’

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Lots happening in 2012

In Museum [Insider], Museums, new content on January 25, 2012 at 2:58 pm

Economic forecasts might not look great, but there are some things in the heritage sector to be positive about when it comes to thinking about the short-term future.

The UK museum building sector is still doing pretty well, despite the economic downturn – this is mostly due to the funds for new museums which are to be completed in 2012 having been agreed, commited and often paid up, well before the recession started.

I have a new article on Museum [Insider] today about the various projects that are set to open to the public this year. The massive Titanic Signature Building in Belfast will open in March and after that there’ll be opening parties in Preston, Chichester, Porthmeor, Birmingham and London amongst others. (I really do hope you’ve remembered to put me on the guest list – my new year’s resolution for 2012 is not to eat standing up, but I make an exception for canapes.)

And there are more celebrations set to come when more and more new museums open in the coming years. We’re presently putting the research together for a third e-book about the future of the museum and heritage sector in the UK and Ireland and it’s astonishing how many projects we’ve managed to include in it. If you’re working on a project set to open between now and 2019 and would like to get a write up in the book, then just email me: steve@steveslack.co.uk.

 

 

 

 

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Preserving Pottery in Stoke

In Museum [Insider], new content on June 28, 2011 at 10:22 am

There’s an interesting new project taking place at Middleport Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent.

Facing financial difficulties in a tough economic climate as a working factory making specialist goods, the pottery has ended up entering into a deal with the Prince’s Regeneration Trust, a major charity which cares for the built heritage of the nation. In a bold economic move they have secured funding which has enabled them (or their subsidary at least) to purchase the site of the Pottery.

Over the next few years they will refurbish the parts of the site that are in need of attention, meanwhile leasing part of the factory back to the pottery. Some of the vacant buildings will become a new visitor centre, while others will house commercial operations.

This all means that the factory gets to stay open; the workers get to keep their jobs; new jobs get created; the buildings are preserved and the whole area gets an economic boost. Oh, and we get a new museum/visitor centre as well!

Clever, eh? Win win for everyone. So in, fact it’s more than preserving pottery – it’s promoting growth. There’s an article all about it on Museum [Insider] now, of course.

There are a few interesting project funding models like this around in the heritage sector at the moment. I’m sure there’ll be an article out about that before too long. Watch this space …..

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Museum [Insider] Looking Ahead: Handbook of Future Museum and Heritage Projects 2012 to 2017

In Museum [Insider], Museums, new content on May 25, 2011 at 11:20 am

I’m pleased to announce the publication of my new book with Heritage Solution Ltd, the publishers of the online magazine Museum [Insider].

It’s got a snappy title -

Museum [Insider] Looking Ahead: Handbook of Future Museum and Heritage Projects 2012 to 2017 is a look at over 100 projects taking place in the museum, gallery and heritage sector over the next five years. Each entry has a write up detailing what the project entails and what contracts are likely to be offered in the future, along with project data and the all important names and contact details of the key people to speak to.

There are also five introductory articles detailing where I think the museum sector is right now in terms of private business. It’s true that times are tough for the heritage sector right now – jobs are being cut, as are annual budgets. But this book lists the staggering £1.8 billion worth of work that’s out there and gives you the knowhow to go about securing some of it for yourself. It’s the word from inside the museums – the Museum [Insider].

As a market intelligence publication about a specialised industry this isn’t perhaps a book that you’ll buy for the bedside table, but if you’re interested in obtaining a copy, then take a look at the M[I] website.

In the meantime, I want to say a big thank you to the lovely people at Museum [Insider] for publishing a second title with me. Cheers, guys.

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Another refurb for Torre Abbey

In Museum [Insider], Museums, new content on March 10, 2011 at 7:33 pm

Did you know the seaside resort of Torquay gets its name from a 12th-century monastic institution? Torre Abbey is over 800 years old – and do they know it. Hot on the heels of a refurbishment project there a few years ago, they are now planning another huge investment in the site.

They’re about to make some renovations to the physical structure of the site and overhaul the learning and exhibition spaces. It’s a long-haul project, taking until probably 2015. But the great news is that they don’t have to close the entire site while they do the works.

There’s more information about the site and the refurbishment in an article on Museum [Insider].

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2010 – the year in review

In Museum [Insider], new content on January 10, 2011 at 9:06 am

The start of a new year is an ideal time to look back and take stock of what’s happened over the last twelve months. In terms of the British arts sector and the way in which it is funded, 2010 saw some pretty big changes.

The arrival of the new coalition government in the late spring heralded a raft of changes and amendments not only to the way in which the museum and heritage sector is funded, but also how some of the bodies which represent and provide for it are organised.

The changes introduced by the Government have affected the many bodies sponsored directly by the Treasury. And they have also had implications for local and regional museums across the country.

At first sight, it might seem that these changes are most likely to affect people working in the museum sector. But if money is drying up, then suppliers to the sector are likely to be affected as well. And it’s worth considering whether the bad news that the nation’s museums have received in the last year is indeed all bad news. In some cases money is no longer available for large-scale building projects. In others, redundancies for permanent staff mean that opportunities for consultancy have opened up. Someone needs to do the work!

There’s a large review article, live on Museum [Insider] now, detailing the breadth and depth of the cuts and the impact they are likely to have on the museum and heritage sector, and also the private sector which supplies them. It’s perhaps not all such bad news.

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A portrait of Scotland

In Museum [Insider], Museums, new content on August 11, 2010 at 5:40 pm

Opened in 1899, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery is a magnificent example of Arts and Crafts architecture. But now, the world’s first purpose-built portrait gallery is undergoing a £17.6 million refurbishment and redevelopment. The gallery is closed to the public and is due to reopen to the public in November 2011.

Behind-the-scenes photographs and information about the development of the project – including details of the redevelopment of the building, the works in progress, fundraising and ideas about interpretation – are available in a new article on Museum [Insider] today.

This piece is going into the next version of the new Museum [Insider] ebook, the second volume of which is published in early September.

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Preston Hall gets spending

In Museum [Insider], Museums, new content on April 26, 2010 at 4:17 pm

Preston Hall Museum in Stockton-on-Tees has been awarded £7 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a major redevelopment project. And they’ve been quick off the mark, spending plenty of their cash on new and exciting things. The museum’s site is home to a street of Victorian shops, which have been preserved as a living history centre and these are already being redisplayed.  There’ll be loads more happening on site this summer – the final reopening of the museum will be in 2012.

If you want to know more, there’s a piece on Museum [Insider] today.

And on the theme of M[I], there’s exciting news afoot. Can’t say much about it now, but I’m working on a new project with them that’s going to be brilliant. More to follow soon …

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My own column!

In Museum [Insider], Museums, new content on March 27, 2010 at 2:12 pm

I’ve had two new pieces published on Museum [Insider] in the last week or so.

The first is about the Bletchley Park Trust, who are at the start of a major redevelopment of the visitor experience at their site after receiving development funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The money is there to help them develop plans and submit a full HLF bid in the next two years. The article describes their plans and outlines the funding news on the project. There are also some contracts up for grabs at the moment, which M[I] subscribers can see using the Project Tracker tool.

The other article is a commentary piece about cross-cultural collaboration, inspired by a recent visit to the newly opened Enchanted Palace exhibition at Kensington Palace. They’ve achieved wonderful things there and created a very special exhibition through working in collaboration with a theatre company and group of fashion designers. The piece calls for more of this kind of collaboration. Working with unlikely partners can yield fantastic results.

The commentary piece is the first in a new stream of articles I’ll be writing for M[I] about heritage trends. I’ve got my own column – and there’s a picture of me on the homepage. Very exciting!

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Spotting a trend in heritage planning

In Museum [Insider], Museums, new content on October 26, 2009 at 11:07 am

I’ve been writing quite a few pieces for the online magazine Museum [Insider]. The articles are usually about huge development projects taking place in the heritage sector – often around the construction or renovation of museum buildings. Museum [Insider] tries to get the inside word on what’s going on and give its readers an edge in the competitive world of tenders and contracts.

Some trends have started to become apparent in the way in which some of these projects are managed. Something that has struck me of late is the way many ambitious building projects don’t get planning permission approved when they are first submitted to their local authority. Someone always comes along and voices opposition to the scheme. But after a small redesign and resubmission, the plans often get waved through.

It’s happened quite a few times on various different projects. I’ve picked it up and explained my theory on how it happens in the most recent article about the plans behind the relocation of the Design Museum’s headquarters.

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Robert Burns on Museum [Insider]

In Museum [Insider], Museums, new content on February 5, 2009 at 7:37 pm

I’ve just started writing articles for the new online magazine Museum [Insider]. The aim is to provide online information for suppliers to the museum and heritage industry about what’s going on inside our nation’s museums. From tenders and contracts to features articles and inside news, the idea is to give access to news about developments in museums to those in the private sector. Anyone can read the bulk of the content on the site for free, but only those paying for the subscription service get access to the juiciest details.

My first piece about the developments at the new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum has just gone live on the site.

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