24 St Paul's Square, York. YO24 4BD
Saturday 15th November 2008
at 11.00am in the Studio of the Gallery as usual
Louise Clare from the Lottery Fund will join us. I shall be able to tell you about the BAFM Conference at Penzance and planning for next year`s in York.
19th July 2008 - York Art Gallery
Apologies: Molly Kenyon (Bradford), Susan Foster (Dales), Dr Haris Livas-Dawes (Ferrens),Terry Sykes (Cannon Hall), Don Townsley (Leeds), John Cockshott (Manor House, Ilkley), Amy Titterton (Sheffield),Jenny Curtis (Swaledale), Anne Longden (Thackray), Alison Bett-Hopper(Beverley).
Matters Arising from Meeting - 8th March 2008
Carolyn Dalton, president of the FED in Yorkshire who spoke at our meeting in March wanted to make clear that her remarks about the relationship between curators and Friends reflected her personal view not that of the FED.
Insurance: John Skidmore of the NFU helpfully explained our responsibilities in respect of insurance setting out what was required by law and what in addition it might be sensible to do. He underlined the need to assess the risks our activities might present and to take measures to reduce that risk and, importantly to record the assessment and what action had been taken. There followed a lively discussion and John guided us through a number of situations, some actual and others hypothetical. He referred us to the Charity Commission guidance, CC49, available on line. Michael drew attention to MLA guidance, too. On behalf of NFU John donated a handsome hamper which when raffled went to Terry of Rotherham.
BAFM AGM & Conference - York - 2nd–4 October 2009
John Staples outlined the draft programme and arrangements.
Renaissance Review: Michael Turnpenny explained the background to the review and described some of the work achieved in the Area through Renaissance. In discussion the view was expressed that the smaller institutions had benefitted less than the larger. In two particular respects a benefit had been noticed and that was the information service and the staff training provided by MLA with Renaissance funding. The front of house training, in particular, was one programme that all of us felt should be continued and developed. It was agreed that a response on those lines should be made to the Review.
Roundup: The following issues and ideas came up in the discussion of our concerns for our institutions. Funding was becoming an increasing problem for some and in Doncaster redundancies are planned for around a fifth of museum staff. But Malton, Scarborough and the York Archives were anxious about the future. Malton Friends was finding the uncertainty affecting the recruitment and retention of members. The Archives had concerns about their future location and were threatened by a suggested move outside the City against the wishes of the Friends. The NRM is supporting the Theatre Royal in York in putting on a production of the children`s classic,”The Railway Children”. York Art Gallery had the author of the novel about Vermeer, “The Girl with the Pearl Earring”, Tracy Chevalier as writer in residence. Rotherham and York Art Gallery had had recent changes of curator. Rotherham was expanding by taking on the running of Boston Castle. Harrogate had run a study day with some success. Although not represented at the meeting on this occasion, we had been told that Leeds City Museum is re-opening in early September.
Next Meeting - Saturday 15th November 11.00am-1.00pm
Venue to be confirmed.
Saturday 8th MARCH 2008
at the National Railway Museum
Present: Sue Chicken (Harrogate), Carolyn Dalton (Federation), Susan Foster (Dales), Gill Johnson (Doncaster), Molly Kenyon (Bradford), Dr Haris Livas-Dawes (Hull), John Lowe (Malton), Paul McCabe (Scarborough), Frank Patterson (NRM), David Shipway (BAFM North West), John Staples (BAFM Yorks), Layinka Swinburne (Thackray), Terry Sykes (Cannon Hall), Don Townsley (Leeds), Fiona Turnbull (Bowes/BAFM), Michael Turnpenny (MLA Yorks), Mary Varley (South Shields).
Welcome: Frank Patterson introduced us to the splendid new Search Engine complex in the National Railway Museum overlooking the main hall and explained that the glass walled meeting and study rooms had been open only a week.
BAFM Cconference 2009: Fiona Turnbull was introduced as BAFM conference co-ordinator (a voluntary role alongside her work with Friends of the Bowes Museum). She explained that plans for the 2009 AGM and conference in Dublin had fallen through. York had been due to host the event in 2010 but was now being asked to consider hosting it in 2009. John Staples asked that those interested in helping let him know soon. He saw the event as being led by BAFM regionally and not being confined to one Friends' group in York.
Yorkshire Federation of Museums and Art Galleries: Carolyn Dalton, president of the FED, said her organisation had been founded in 1931 and had a regional structure unlike the Museums Association. Her executive committee in Yorkshire and Humberside comprised mostly professionals in the museum world. Membership was open to all museum staff and volunteers, with an individual subscription of £10 per annum. Friends who were interested in joining should check to see if their institution was already a member. There is a quarterly newsletter and a training programme, just in its first year. The FED included in its role speaking publicly on behalf of its members on issues that affected the sector. As regards the relationship between Friends and curators on which Carolyn was asked to express a view. She had much of interest to say, speaking in her capacity as Curatorial Manager not as FED President, both positive and otherwise.
Advantages: Interest, encouragement and long-term commitment offered by Friends. Knowledge of local area and specific skills available from Friends. Friends running a programme of events complementing museum activities. Practical help on tasks such as cataloguing (thousands of items in storage being a nightmare for many museum staff). Friends having a clear identity as a 'working part of what the museum is about'. Availability of Friends as representatives, e.g. on local cultural consortium. In some situations Friends are able to speak out when professionals may not.
Disadvantages: Conversations/planning activities with Friends can take staff away from essential work. A Friends group can become a social club with little real connection to the museum. Fundraising can dominate, with results not worth the huge efforts put in. A Friends group can become moribund, with very few active members. Occasionally a painful disagreement can arise between Friends and staff (good communication is essential). Carolyn's observations are based upon her work with a variety of Friends` groups in Dorset, Norfolk, Lancashire and Yorkshire. Overall her experience has been positive.
The current scene: Michael Turnpenny took us through some significant developments in the world of museums, galleries, archives and libraries. The government review known as the McMaster Review is pushing the sector towards excellence as a criterion and challenging the simple measures of numbers through the door. It raises the question of how excellence is to be measured and suggests one way forward may be through peer review. The sector is accused of being unaware of good practice abroad and that needs to be changed. Artists should be welcomed on governing bodies. Funders should be less risk averse so as to encourage innovative work. Diversity should be at the core of what museums do. MLA has produced a national museums strategy for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Publication is expected soon after Easter. The priorities it will set will be linked to notions of cultural entitlement, sustainability, inclusivity and evidence based measures. A national action plan will follow. There has been a fundamental re-think about the partnership structure of MLA. The Centre has decided to move quickly away from partnership to an hierarchical model with much slimmer regional offices and the Centre relocated to Birmingham. Yorkshire MLA will cease to function in its present form by the end of the calendar year. There will be an extraordinary meeting for all member s of MLA Yorkshire to announce and explain the winding up plan.
Next Meeting of BAFM Yorks and Humberside chairmen will be on Saturday 19th July from 11.00am to 1.00pm in the York Art Gallery Studio. I have in mind speakers on insurance, lottery funding and reviewing arrangements for annual conference 2009.
John Staples and Molly Kenyon
Saturday 8th March 2008
11.00am to 1.00pm
in the Search Engine at the National Railway Museum
1) Welcome
Mrs Mary Varley of South Shields Museum is starting a Friends Group so I have invited her to meet you.
2) Carolyn Dalton - President of Yorkshire and Humberside Federation of Museums and Art Galleries
Most members of the FED are museum professionals. I attend their meetings on your behalf but I thought you would like to meet Carolyn and hear from her how professionals see the work of Friends` groups and what makes for a good relationship between the two.
3) Michael Turnpenny of Museums, Libraries and Archives Council for Yorkshire.
I had asked Michael, who is a regular attender at our meetings, to talk about the national Museums Review drafted by MLA on behalf of the government. It was due to be published in March but may not be out in time for our meeting. However MLA has announced a radical re-organisation and that is worth hearing about. In addition there has been a report on the cultural sector commissioned by the government, McMaster Review, and it would be interesting to hear how that may affect the region.
4) Fiona Turnbull - Bowes Museum and BAFM
Fiona is responsible for the annual BAFM Conferences. The one in 2010 is to be in York and it will fall to us to arrange it. I hope I can persuade some of you to join me, Fiona and Molly Kenyon of Bradford in the arrangements. I should like to invite those who come to the conference to see more of Yorkshire than York.
5) Aany Other Business
I have had no items from you but I should like to know of any issues you would want to discuss at future meetings.
Dates for the next two meetings are Saturday 19th July and Saturday 15th November. Both will be held in the York Art Gallery.
Saturday 8th March
Saturday 19th July
Saturday 15th November
The March meeting will be in the National Railway Museum thanks to Frank Patterson of the Friends of NRM. The two other meetings will be in the York Art Gallery where we usually meet. The meetings will begin at 11.00am and finish at 1.00pm. It is not practical to arrange lunch in the room in which we meet at NRM but you will find facilities in the museum. I am interested in what you want to discuss, please let me know.
By the time of the first meeting the national museums` strategy, being prepared by MLA, should be public and that might make for an interesting discussion and I am sure Michael Turnpenny of MLA who comes to our meetings would lead the discussion.
York is to host the BAFM annual conference in 2010 and I have in mind asking Fiona Turnbull of Bowes, the BAFM conference organiser, to join us to talk about running a conference.
Some of you will know the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries in Yorkshire and Humberside. I thought it would be useful to invite someone from the Federation to tell us more about their organisation and to say something about the current concerns of museum professionals who make up the body of their membership.
Please let me know whether or not you can come or will send a representative.And let me have any ideas you have for the agenda. Nearer the time I shall send you an agenda.
Looking forward to seeing you all again with, I hope, some new faces as well.
Courtesy of the York Art Gallery, I held the third meeting of chairmen or representatives of Friends` groups in the area in September last year in the Gallery`s studio. An even larger group attended than previously. I am grateful to Molly Kenyon for making a note of our discussions.
To start, we shared ideas, experiences and matters of current concern. One of those concerns was the trend for local authorities to hand over the running of their museums to a trust. And that was the subject of our first guest, Robin Guthrie. He had been tasked some six years ago by York City Council to set up a trust to run its two museums, St Mary`s, a centre for installation art, and the York Art Gallery. The Council has retained ownership and the Trust has a lease that is proof against inflation and an agreement for financial help with any major repairs. The new arrangement has allowed the Trust to seek funding from charities and a substantial grant was obtained from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The Trust set out its objectives:-
To protect and conserve the collections.
To create an organisation, competent for its purposes and financially secure.
To promote access to the collections and create learning opportunities for all.
To develop innovative programmes springing from the collections.
To raise substantial funds to realise these objectives.
To play an active part in the development of the economic and cultural life of the region.
In discussion it was suggested that some museums felt impelled towards Trust status because of a lack of interest by their local authority. The talk was especially helpful to those like Scarborough Friends where the move towards Trust status is underway and has now become a reality.
Michael Turnpenny from Yorkshire MLA addressed another of the concerns expressed by Friends` groups, the arcane workings of gift aid. With a useful handout he took us through some of the complexities and referred us to websites such as www.giftaidvisitor.co.uk and emphasised the importance of record keeping. This contribution was welcomed by the smaller groups, particularly, some of which have no financial expertise amongst their committee.
I sit on the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council for Yorkshire. The Council has done much to highlight the impact of the flooding on museums and galleries in Hull, Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham, Pickering and York. Over 25 sites were affected. Margaret Hodge, Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism came to see for herself and was accompanied by MLA representatives.
One of the innovations introduced by MLA is the Regional Knowledge Bank, primarily a resource for museum professionals especially those new to the region, offering information and expertise on collection care, security, acquisition and disposal policies and documentation.
Sadly, although the comprehensive spending review did not do badly by the cultural sector, MLAs are to be squeezed of funds and the work they do to raise the profile of our work in the corridors of power may be diminished.
I attended the Master Cutler`s Conference on Arts and Regeneration in Sheffield last Autumn. John Merry, leader of the Salford City Council, claimed the Lowry Centre and the relocated parts of the BBC in his city had made a huge impact in enhancing the public image, drawing new business to the area and raising educational attainments. His view that the cultural sector could have a massive influence on inner city areas by attracting people to otherwise decaying neighbourhoods and giving new life to rundown areas was echoed by several speakers.
On a somewhat different note, John Holden of the think tank, Demos, argued that we should be less concerned to demonstrate the side effects of cultural activities but to assert their importance for themselves alone. He pointed out just how many people chose to spend time and money visiting museums, galleries, theatres and concert halls not because they thought they were doing something for the community but because they enjoyed doing so. Was not that enough to draw state and private interest and funding without the need to look for uplifting consequences?
Friends of the York Art Gallery are celebrating their diamond jubilee this year. Along with a civic reception, gala dinner, river trip it is intended to entertain representatives of Friends` groups of places visited by York Art Gallery Friends in recent times. The programme of events for this jubilee year has been put together by one of our most loyal and respected Friends, Dr Corita Myerscough. Tragically she died just before Christmas. She will be missed not only by her family and friends but the York Art Gallery Friends, the Georgian Society and the WEA. She gave unstintingly to these and other organisations and she will be remembered for that work for many years to come.
John Staples
The deluge this summer, for want of a better word, has caused huge damage to heritage buildings and collections in this region. The heaviest rain of the season fell on Hull, too far from London to attract the media, but Doncaster and Sheffield suffered badly, too. Priority for the emergency services had to be given to homes but it is to be hoped that when the assessments are made our sector will not be forgotten. To that end the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council of Yorkshire is collating the effect of the floods to press the authorities for aid. In the absence of the emergency services, one resourceful museum called upon an ancient appliance in its collection and found the pump still to be functional and promptly set it to work in the museum.
In York the Art Gallery suffered damage to the roof: one gallery room and the shop have had to be closed. This somewhat dampened the enthusiasm of the Friends in launching their new dedicated website, www.friendsofyorkartgallery.co.uk There is some good news to report. Malton museum has re-opened fully with a tourist information office within thus enabling the museum to be open throughout the year and, although not members of BAFM, yet, it is heartening that the museum at Burnby Hall in Pocklington, East Yorkshire has moved into purpose built premises showing off to great effect their interesting collection.
In my role as member of the MLA Council of Yorkshire I attended both the 2007 Gulbenkian prize-giving for museums and galleries at RIBA in London and the launch of the annual report of the Acceptance in Lieu panel at Somerset House. Well, someone has to do it ! Pallant House gallery won the prize with Kew Palace in London, Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow, and Weston Park Museum in Sheffield in the short list of four. Places for interesting outings for Friends ? The prize is to be awarded by the Art Fund in future.
At both these events there was much talk about institutions working in partnership. Not in a " wagons in a circle" mental set but as a way of drawing in those who might go to one museum and seeing a link with another go to that one as well when otherwise they might not have done so. York has taken a step in this direction with the formation of a trust distanced from the local authority and giving an overarching management of the group. Scarborough Art Gallery is to be part of a trust in the new year and I can see this trend developing. Scarborough celebrates its 60th anniversary since the Gallery was opened and has used the occasion to do some successful fund raising.
AGMs are vital but are not always the most riveting of events but I was delighted to attend the Green Howard`s Museum meeting which was followed by an interesting talk by a serving soldier and a good meal. The Thackeray Museum Friends in Leeds concluded their AGM with a wine tasting. I am not sure whether attendances were up as a consequence of these additions to the AGMs but those that did go had a good time.
On behalf of Museums Libraries and Archives Council of Yorkshire I attended the reception for the launch of the annual report of this scheme at Somerset House on Wednesday 25th July. During the past year around £25 million worth of heritage objects have been acquired and placed in public ownership through this scheme. Of those acquisitions only one has come to our region: Leeds City Art Gallery gained a painting by Evelyn de Morgan, "The Valley of the Shadows".
The financial value of items acquired in this way exceeds that by all other means, however, the high prices at auctions and new methods of tax avoidance threaten to diminish significantly the attraction of the AIL scheme. In the margins of the reception, the talk was of partnerships. The curator of the Imperial War Museum told me of work he was doing with The National Maritime Museum and others and said he saw partnership as the way forward. This seems to read across to MLA's encouragement of Subject Specialist Networks.
