Agenda item

The Director of Tourism - Culture and Inward Investment submits a report on the new Museums Service Vision and Strategic Priorities for 2025-29, which is to be implemented on 1^st May 2025.

The Chair agreed an agenda variance.  The item on Museum Service Vision and Strategic Priorities was taken first.

The Director of Tourism - Culture and Inward Investment submitted a report on the new Museums Service Vision and Strategic Priorities for 2025-29, to be implemented on 1st May 2025.

The Assistant City Mayor for Health, Culture, Libraries and Community Centres introduced the item. It was hoped that the report would address and alleviate concerns raised. Points to note were as follows:

• Investment was ongoing.
• The success of the service was reflected in the funding secured from avenues such as Arts Council England
• A mixed model was being developed which meant that some venues would be accessed free of charge, and some would require payment.
• Museum venues would remain open, some sites would be open at different times across the year.
• There was a strong commitment to the Hub and Spoke model whereby Leicester Museum and Art Gallery (LMAG) remained as the Hub.

The Head of Arts and Museums provided an overview of the report noting that:

• In terms of capital investment, there had been significant investment at both LMAG and Jewry Wall Museum.
• A need to change delivery of services was recognised.
• Eight buildings were in operation, some of which were costly to maintain, impacting on the visitor experience.
• There was scope to reduce costs by changing visiting hours at some sites.
• The opening of Jewry Wall meant that operational staff could transfer over from the other sites, so there would not be cause for redundancies.
• The ambitious strategy aimed to continue to deliver a thriving museum service.
• The Hub and Spoke Model reduced the entire reliance on buildings-based work and made collections more accessible.
• There was a focus on relevance for the diverse community and supporting the development of future generations.
• The vision was to connect people and communities with the story of Leicester.
• Global collections could help to address matters of climate crisis.
• Financial sustainability would be developed through the mixed model of paid and free museums.
• Strategic priorities and key areas of focus consisted of the improvements at LMAG and New Café and Art Galleries. Stage One National Lottery Heritage Funding of £411k had been secured to develop The Story of Leicester and Environment Galleries.
• The target was for visitor numbers at LMAG to have increased annually to 300,000 by 2029.
• Phase 3, The Leicester Stories Gallery, had been completed at LMAG.
• Funding for phase 4 coming from Arts Council England’s MEND Fund, (Museum Estate and Development funding), had enabled improvements and access to the LMAG building.
• Phase 5 would be  funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund.
• Designs for the LMAG art gallery aimed to make art more accessible to the public.
• Jewry Wall – A Real Roman Experience would open in 2025, playing an integral part in the Leicester Old Town visitor economy, alongside the Richard III Visitor Centre, Leicester Cathedral and Leicester Guildhall.
• New access routes, a shop and café were incorporated within the Jewry Wall improvements.
• Income Generation was an important aspect of work. There was a target to increase commercial, learning and collections income to £480k at the free museum sites by 2026/2027.
• A further £350k of external funding needed to be secured by 2026 to qualify for the stage two National Lottery Heritage Grant Fund for LMAG.
• The Richard III Visitor Centre café would be situated in front of the pay barrier and could attract more customers and visitors.
• The Hub and Spoke model had generated pop-up museums and Popping to the Shops exhibitions throughout the city. Content had been created with local people and businesses. Collections had been taken out to different locations to develop audiences, e.g. to Libraries and Neighbourhood Centres, festivals and shopping centres.
• There had been a 28% increase in off-site engagement since 2018/2019 which was forecast to increase over the following year with more of the Arts Council England, National Portfolio organisation funded work funding the activities.
• The Young Leicester work aimed to support future generations. LMAG developments would create a family friendly museum.
• As a Holiday Activities and Food Programme Provider, 720 participation sessions would be delivered by 2026. Free nutritious meals would be provided within the museum setting during school holidays, to those entitled to free school meals.
• The cost per user at the different sites ranged from £2.68 at LMAG to £12.22 at Belgrave Hall.
• There would be a reduction of opening times at Abbey Pumping Station to peak visitor times as of 1^st May 2025. The total number of public access days, including school visit days, would be 48. Volunteer access and work programme would equal 37 days. This would lead to a revenue saving of £112K.
• Some events could be transferred from Belgrave Hall creating another 5000 visitors. It was thought that 20% of Abbey Pumping Station visitors from non-event days would transfer to event days, leading to a further 5500 visitors.  School visits would continue.
• The total access numbers for Abbey Pumping Station was predicted to be 27,823 which was 67.9% of existing visitor numbers.
• The reduction of site opening hours at Newarke Houses Museum would allow continued access on Saturdays between May and August. The total number of public access including school visits would be 84.
• Visitor figures were forecast to reduce from 41,000 to 3,000 with other forms of public access being provided. A revenue budget saving of £134k was expected.
• Work with other organisations could result in the Newarke Houses site being opened for commercial events. The assumption that 20% of existing non-event days visitors would transfer to event days would mean a total of 14,357 visitors which would be 35% of existing visitor numbers.
• There would be improved access to Leicester’s social history collection with new Story of Leicester galleries being developed at LMAG. This would increase access to these collections.
• Belgrave Hall had not been a museum since 2012 and was currently open for 32 days of the year. This heritage venue site would be suspended from 1^st May. It was the site with the lowest visitor numbers at c9,000 per year and with the highest cost per user at £12.22.  With transfer of events to Abbey Pumping Station A revenue saving of £42k was predicted. The Estates and Building Services team is looking at alternative uses which provide a more cost-effective use of the site. The grounds would continue to be maintained.
• The total saving across the 3 sites was estimated at £288k.
• On completion of the improvements, total visitor numbers across the sites were expected to rise from 515,241 to 560,140.
• To mitigate the impact on staff, posts had been left open as staff had left. An organisational review would take place, but as an interim measure, staff from the 3 affected sites would relocate to Jewry Wall as of 1^st May 2025.

The commission were invited to comment and raise questions. Key points to note were as follows:

• A visit to Jewry Wall would be arranged for the commission prior to the reopening.
• Reservations were raised by the commission relating to the reduction of opening days at Newarke Houses and the lack of provision for school holidays. In response it was noted that:
• Investment was being made in the purpose-built museums. Other sites presented problems with access and layout, but new proposals could come from external investors.
• Funding for the King Richard III Visitor Centre Café came from a capital investment loan. There would be a saving on operational costs and an increase on income.
• A benefit of sites remaining open, with less opening times, was that a re-examination of opening days could take place further along. 
• Investments at Abbey Pumping Station had included moving the main entrance and making improvements including fire escapes which had increased the capacity of the building. This had enabled more visitors to be inside the building at any one time since it is very busy on event days with visitors wanting to see the beam engines in steam.  Increased access and work was continuing with a Changing Places facility which enables everyone to enjoy the site and makes it more accessible.

AGREED:

1)    That the report be noted.

2)    That comments made by members of this commission to be

3)    Taken into account.

4)    That an update would come back to the commission in 12 months.

Cllr Aldred joined the meeting during the consideration of this item.