Agenda item

The Director of Tourism, Culture and Inward Investment submits a presentation updating the Commission on development projects throughout the Museum Service.

The Director of Tourism, Culture and Inward Investment submitted a presentation updating the Commission on development projects throughout the Museum Service. A copy of the presentation is attached at the end of these minutes.

Councillor Clair, Deputy City Mayor for Culture, introduced the item. It was noted that development work on the Abbey Pumping Station was due to be completed in Spring 2022. The Head of Arts and Museums and the Audience Development and Engagement Manager lead the presentation.

During the presentation, particular attention was drawn to the following points:

·       Funding – The museums service was currently an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation which provides annual funding of £407k between 2018-22. The service had recently secured a further year of this funding for 2022/23. Further bid had been submitted for the Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND) for £766,000. A decision was expected in February 2022.

·       A new Leicester Stories Gallery was being developed for Leicester Museum and Art Gallery. This was being co-curated with different communities and faiths across Leicester and was designed to be a fully accessible and inclusive space. Floor plans for the museum were included in the presentation and the layout was depicted as being circular in design.

·       Gallery space would be changing every three months to represent the experiences, growth, and changes of the different communities in Leicester, including personal stories of Leicester residents, with over 300 Leicester residents contributing to the project proposal. Conceptual drawings were included in the presentation as an example of the different potential themes.

·       The Dinosaur Galley Interactives were noted as a distinctive feature to the museum. An Augmented Reality feature was being added to the dinosaur gallery to put the flesh on the bones of the dinosaurs using digital technology. A Mobile Application was also included, which provided Augmented Reality (AR) education for children and adults inside and outside the museum. The technology was noted to be kept updated and relevant.

·       Future steps for development included significant upgrades, potential to relocate the Café and shop, altering opening times to maximise revenue and facilitate public access.

·       The Egyptian gallery was moved to the first floor to better make use of the original space it had occupied.

·       The ground floor was intended to be linked together as a gallery and art related space, with increased focus on modern social history.

·       For Abbey Pumping Station, it was noted that the museum was ideally intended to a be a car free location to improve the visitor experience.

·       The museum was focusing on health and wellbeing, including the addition of Sound Chairs, which allowed an individual to sit and listen to information, music similar to an interactive radio show.

·       At Leicester Museum and Art Gallery, local artists in Leicester would be attending the museum and providing art mentorship and portfolio reviews for members of the public interested.

·       The museum would be exploring modern day issues with the work presented in the galleries, reflecting the younger generations growing passion for social issues, such as climate change.

·       A potential project was being explored, through collection of items that represented jobs of modern society.

·       The original contractor for the Jewry Wall Museum had gone into administration and a new tender process was underway and nearing conclusion.

·       The King Richard III Visitor Centre required a refresh to be potentially funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund

Members expressed concern about the past Jewry Wall contractor going into administration and its impact on the cost and timeline of the developments being undertaken. It was noted that a new timeline was being prepared and that, due to a contingency plan, the costs were not affected.

Members enquired about the Women in Textiles project proposal for the museum and which areas of the community were contributing. It was noted that the specific wards with the highest deprivations levels, were targeted but further information will be provided to the Commission.

Members queried the sensory accessibility of the museum, to which it was noted that the museum had been fully designed with sensory and stimulation areas in mind.

The Commission discussed the inclusion of the latest Rutland found dinosaur fossil in the museum, the Ichthyosaur. It was reported that there was an ongoing process to decide where the fossil would be displayed, with the preference being to keep it in the local area.

Members expressed concern with the Carer targeted initiative, which aimed to provide days out to Leicester Museums for carers, as it had not covered the key concern around the patient being cared for should the Carer be given time out for enjoyment. It was recommended that the issue be evaluated in further detail.

After Members stated worries about inclusivity of the technological aspects of the museum, it was noted that in-Museum IPads would be provided for those who didn’t have technology access, that would be kept secure and tethered in a display case. 

Members highlighted the renovation of the existing Conservation Studio and asked for the status of the existing staff of the studio. They were informed that the Conservation studio had not been in use for a considerable period of time and was a wasted space, so there were no concerns regarding relocation.

It was additionally noted that the German Impressionist Art Catalogue in production would be made available in Easter 2023, after thorough professional design and development.

The Chair thanked the officers for the report.

AGREED:

1.    That the report be noted.

2.    That a list of the wards involved in the Women in Textiles project be submitted to a future meeting.

3.    That the Commission be kept up to date on the progression of the projects.

4.    That a timeline of the development and its funding opportunities be presented to the Commission in a future meeting.