Report: 07/08/09R Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure
REPORT EMBARGOED
UNTIL COMMENCEMENT OF DEBATE IN PLENARY
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The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure is a Statutory Departmental Committee established in accordance with paragraphs 8 and 9 of the Belfast Agreement, Section 29 of the NI Act 1998 and under Assembly Standing Order 46. The Committee has a scrutiny, policy development and consultation role with respect to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure and has a role in the initiation of legislation.
The Committee has the power to:
The Committee has 11 members, including a Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, with a quorum of five members.
The membership of the Committee since 9 May 2007 has been as follows:
Mr Barry McElduff (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley
Mr Francie Brolly
Lord Browne
Mr Kieran McCarthy
Mr Raymond McCartney*
Mr Nelson McCausland
Mr Pat Ramsey
Mr Ken Robinson*
Mr Jim Shannon
* Mr Ken Robinson replaced Mr David Burnside with effect from 18 June 2007
* Mr Raymond McCartney replaced Mr Paul Maskey with effect from 10 March 2008
Executive Summary
List of recommendations
1. Introduction
2. The need for a museums policy
3. The relationship between independent, council and national museums
4. Strengthening the museums sector and improving cross-departmental links
5. The future of museums under the Review of Public Administration
6. The key elements of a museums policy
7. Next steps – the process for developing a museums policy
1. Minutes of Proceedings
2. Minutes of Evidence
3. List of Written Submissions to the Committee
4. Written Submissions to the Committee
5. List of Witnesses who gave evidence to the Committee
6. List of Research Papers
7. Research Papers
8. List of Additional Information considered by the Committee
9. Additional Information considered by the Committee
10. List of Abbreviations
Museums are one of the key spending areas for the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. However, at present, the Department does not have a museums policy in place. In this report, the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure has sought to establish the impact on the museum sector resulting from the lack of a museums policy, and to use this understanding as the basis for making recommendations to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure on why and how he should take forward the development of a museums policy.
The Committee came to the conclusion that a museums policy for Northern Ireland needs to be developed. There was overwhelming support from those who gave evidence to the inquiry for the creation of a museums policy, and the consensus was that without a policy in place, museums in Northern Ireland would miss opportunities to develop their potential to the maximum.
The keys themes identified by the Committee in relation to developing a museums policy include:
The Committee took great encouragement from the level of interest shown in the inquiry by a range of stakeholders across the museum sector. The Committee believes that the recommendations contained in the Report will do much to improve the cohesiveness, direction and influence of the museums sector going forward in the future.
1. We recommend that the Department develops a formal museums policy.
2. We recommend that the museums policy covers all museums in the sector – independents, local council and nationals.
3. We recommend that the policy sets out how the national, local council and independent museums can best work in partnership to maximise the potential of all museums, and to create a cohesive museums sector.
4. We recommend that a strategic body is in place, whether the Northern Ireland Museums Council or a successor body, which co-ordinates the development of museums on geographical and thematic lines, to ensure Northern Ireland has a comprehensive provision of museums.
5. We recommend that the policy recognises the requirement by museums to be able to tell the stories of their communities in an independent manner, albeit within the context of the Programme for Government commitment to the Shared Future agenda. The policy must ensure an appropriate balance between integration and self-government for museums.
6. We recommend that the Department develops a museums policy which raises the profile of museums within government and firmly places museums in a broad, cross-departmental context.
7. We recommend that the museums policy addresses how the links between museums and education can be strengthened and taken forward at a departmental level. DCAL should establish formal links with DE and DEL to do so.
8. We recommend that the museums policy addresses how the links between museums and tourism can be strengthened and taken forward at a departmental level. DCAL should establish formal links with DETI to do so.
9. We recommend that the museums policy addresses how museums can contribute to the Shared Future agenda. We recommend that the Department consults with OFMDFM on this issue.
10. We recommend that the museums policy addresses how the current functions of the Northern Ireland Museums Council will be carried out after the RPA comes into effect. There is a need for the high quality of service which is currently being provided by the Northern Ireland Museums Council to be continued, particularly for the non-national museums who often rely heavily on its support and guidance.
11. We recommend that the Northern Ireland Museums Council continues in its present form until the museums policy is implemented, and we urge the Minister to note the strong support within the museum sector for the continuation of the Northern Ireland Museums Council in its current form or as a successor body.
12. We recommend that the museums policy includes a strategy for how the accreditation scheme will be administered after the RPA comes into effect.
13. We recommend that the museums policy considers what is an appropriate level of museums provision across the post - RPA council areas. The museums policy should work to ensure that there is a greater degree of equality in museums provision across the different council areas than exists presently.
14. We recommend that the museums policy provides local Councils with guidance on how best to develop the museum sector in their area.
15. We recommend that the museums policy sets out a strong vision of the role which museums can play in our society going forward. The policy must be clear about what museums do and who they are for, including both the needs of the local communities in which they are situated and the needs of tourists.
16. We recommend that the museums policy addresses the issue of staff training/development, including curatorial skills.
17. We recommend that the museums policy addresses the issue of access to museums and whether there is case for extending free access to more museums in Northern Ireland.
18. We recommend that the museums policy addresses how museums can contribute to education and lifelong learning.
19. We recommend that the museums policy addresses the issue of acquiring and managing collections.
20. We recommend that the museums policy addresses the issue of accreditation.
21. We recommend that the museums policy addresses the issue of how the military and maritime museum sectors can be developed.
22. We recommend that the museums policy addresses which themes are not currently being covered by museums and how these themes can be developed. In particular, the Committee noted the need for the area of sporting history to be covered in museums provision.
23. We recommend that the museums policy addresses the issue of how private sector investment in museums can be increased.
24. We recommend that the development of the museums policy is taken forward by a panel of key stakeholders, including among others, the Northern Ireland Museums Council, National Museums Northern Ireland, and a range of departments.
25. We recommend that the museums policy itself is drawn up by the Northern Ireland Museums Council, drawing on the expertise of its board members, and by the National Museums Northern Ireland.
26. We recommend that the policy process includes consultation with all stakeholders in the museums sector, as well as the Arts Council and Sport NI, and those in other fields such as education, tourism and community regeneration, who have an interest in the policy.
27. We recommend that policy making process includes an examination of the museums policies which exist in other countries. This will assist in identifying examples of best practice which could be incorporated into a museums policy for Northern Ireland.
28. We recommend that a first draft of the museums policy is produced within a six month period.
1. At its meeting of 8 May 2008, the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure agreed to conduct its first inquiry into the impact of the lack of a museums policy on Northern Ireland’s museums. The terms of reference for the inquiry were agreed at the Committee meeting on 22 May 2008.
The Committee will consider the impact on museums in Northern Ireland as a result of the lack of a formal Departmental policy on museums.
The terms of reference for the inquiry will be:
2. The Committee made the decision to hold an inquiry into the impact of a lack of a museums policy at its meeting of 8 May 2008. Advertisements requesting submissions by 10 June 2008, were placed in the local newspapers on 27 May 2008. In addition, the Committee agreed to write directly to 69 interest groups, to request submissions on each of the matters included within the terms of reference of the inquiry.
3. The Committee received 31 written submissions and considered oral evidence from 25 key stakeholders, including the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. A list of those organisations and groups that submitted written submissions is attached at Appendix 3. A list of the witnesses who provided oral evidence to the Committee is attached at Appendix 5. Transcripts of the oral evidence sessions are attached at Appendix 2. In addition, following a number of oral evidence sessions, the Committee sought and received additional information, to further inform the inquiry. Copies of these additional papers are included at Appendix 9.
4. The Committee also commissioned six research papers on museums policy. The first paper provided an overview of museums policy in general and offered an overview of the development of museums policy in England, Wales, France and Canada. The second paper supplied an examination into the levels of public sector investment in museums in Northern Ireland and included a comparison with other regions in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The third paper looked at comparative spend on museums in various countries, while the fourth examined education programmes at museums. The fifth paper provided information on visitor numbers for museums, and the sixth supplied further detail on this issue. Copies of these papers are included at Appendix 7.
5. On 6 November 2008, the Committee held a meeting to review the evidence to the inquiry, and to consider its draft recommendations.
6. The Committee considered sections of a draft report at its meetings on 27 November 2008 and 4 December 2008. On 11 December 2008 the Committee agreed its final report and ordered that the report be printed.
7. The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure would like to express and record its appreciation and thanks to all the organisations who contributed to the inquiry.
8. From the outset, the Committee focused on ascertaining the views of key stakeholders in the museum sector regarding the need for a museums policy. In particular, the Committee was keen to learn whether stakeholders believed that the current lack of a museums policy had been detrimental to particular museums and to the sector as a whole.
9. During the process of the oral evidence sessions, it became very evident that all the stakeholders were in favour of a museums policy being developed. Witnesses argued that a policy would provide the necessary framework for the museums sector in Northern Ireland, and provide a clear and co-ordinated vision for its development.
10. The Heritage Lottery Fund in their evidence to the Committee was clear that a museums policy would benefit the sector in this way.
It would be sensible to try to develop a long-term policy — or strategy or vision — for the museum sector and to implement that strategy with resources from public funds.[1]
11. National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI) expressed the same view during oral evidence, as did Newry and Mourne District Council.
National Museums Northern Ireland believes that a museums policy will help to develop a more comprehensive framework for museums and to develop their future in Northern Ireland. (NMNI)[2]
A museums policy would provide an important strategic framework for the development of museums in Northern Ireland in future. (Newry and Mourne District Council)[3]
12. The National Trust made a similar point during their oral evidence regarding the need for a vision for the sector. However, they also pointed out that there were key risks associated with the lack of a policy.
There may have been a detrimental impact but it is sometimes hard to define something by its absence. It might be useful to think about the risks associated with not having a clear policy in place. Those risks include the lack of a clear vision for museums across Northern Ireland, a lack of development in the museums sector, and the potential for museums not covered by the accreditation standard to fall below agreed professional standards. A policy would help to guide and maintain those standards.[4]
13. This theme of untapped potential was further developed by Fermanagh District Council during their oral evidence session.
Rather than saying that x, y or z could have been achieved, it should be measured by acknowledging that museums still have a huge amount of unfulfilled potential.[5]
14. Even those museums which have been established relatively recently were interested in a museums policy being developed, such as the Apprentice Boys of Derry and the Museum of Free Derry.
We are only starting to become involved in museum circles, and to recognise the need for a policy. A co-ordinating policy must be put in place. (Museum of Free Derry)[6]
15. Some witnesses went further and stated in their oral evidence that a lack of a museums policy had been detrimental to their organisation. This was the view put forward by the Somme Association.
My answer is that it does have a detrimental impact.[7]
16. Both Craigavon Borough Council and Derry City Council pointed to the fact that without a policy it has been difficult for the museums sector to develop in a strategic manner.
The absence of a museums policy has been detrimental to our efforts, because it is difficult to make strategic plans without one. (Craigavon Borough Council)[8]
It has had a detrimental effect. The museums sector overall has developed without regard to strategy. (Derry City Council)[9]
17. Armagh City and District Council in their oral evidence took the position that the lack of a policy had led to fragmentation, lost opportunities and a lack of focus, which was a theme also developed by Strabane District Council.
The lack of an overall policy has been detrimental, in that there is fragmentation of efforts and a lack of co-ordination among museums at local, national and independent levels. That has led to a situation in which some museums are isolated from the national structures, and may be precluded from some funding opportunities. (Armagh City and District Council)[10]
We consider that lack of a formal museums policy has led to . . . uncertainty and lack of focus in the service as to where it sits in the Government’s agenda. (Strabane District Council)[11]
18. The Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC) drew on the image of a ‘route map’, emphasising that without a formal policy the museums sector lacks direction and vision.
With no formal policy in place, Government have few reference points by which they can determine the value of their investment in museums or its impact on social, cultural or economic development. With no vision for the development of the sector, and no strategic framework through which the potential of the collective effort of the sector might be unlocked, are we not bereft of a route map?[12]
19. The only witness who questioned the need for a museums policy was the Minister. He was of the view that the NMNI and the NIMC provide adequate strategic direction for the museums sector.
I do not subscribe to the view that, in the absence of a formal policy, the museums sector in Northern Ireland lacks direction or control.
The Department has governance over the two main museums bodies — National Museums Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Museums Council. Those organisations are subject to governance practices, which include corporate and business-planning processes, management statements and financial memoranda, and accountability arrangements whereby the appropriate checks and balances are made. That provides museum services with ongoing strategic direction.[13]
However, the Minister did state that he was prepared to consider the Committee’s recommendations in terms of deciding whether to take forward a museums policy.
I am not convinced by taking the policy route, but I will study any report that the Committee produces.[14]
20. On the basis of the overwhelming support from witnesses during the oral evidence sessions, the Committee came to the conclusion that the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure should develop a formal museums policy. As such the Committee makes the following recommendation:
21. The museums sector in Northern Ireland comprises three types of museums – independent, council and national museums.
22. Independent museums are those museums run by charities, voluntary groups or other types of non-governmental organisations. They can be funded in different ways – through donations, entry charges, and grants from external sources such as local councils, the Northern Ireland Museums Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
23. Local council museums are those museums which are funded and operated by local government. Local councils are empowered to operate museums under the Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, and are funded in the most part by the local rate payer.
24. National museums are those museums which come under the auspices of the National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI). NMNI holds collections at four sites: the Ulster Museum, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, the Ulster-American Folk Park, and Armagh County Museum. NMNI also has responsibility for the W5 Science Centre at the Odyssey, Belfast. The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is responsible for NMNI, which operates under the legislative umbrella of the Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998.
25. All three types of museums play an important role in any museums sector. A research paper commissioned by the Committee revealed that in Wales during the period 2003-2005, local authority and independent museums accounted for over half of all museum visits.[15] During oral evidence, Derry City Council made the point that the non-national museums share of the visitor market in Northern Ireland had grown considerable since the 1990s.
A museums policy must reflect the diversity of museums today. Central Government’s approach to museums tends to reflect the situation in the early 1990s, when four national museums accounted for around 90% of all museum visitors. Nowadays, the national museums account for about 55% of visitors.
We only have to look at the situation. In the early 1990s, there were four national museums and a handful of other museums. Now, there are four national museums and 38 other registered museums. The situation has changed completely.[16]
26. The majority of witnesses were of the view that there is a lack of integration between the independent, local council and national museums. This was succinctly put by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
An overall strategy for museums in Northern Ireland must be developed. That strategy should address the lack of cohesion between National Museums Northern Ireland and regional museums and should also recognise the role of the independent sector.[17]
27. National Museums Northern Ireland itself acknowledged that relationships within the museums sector could be improved.
On a macro scale, because there are no clearly laid-out principles for a coherent and co-ordinated approach to museum relationships in Northern Ireland, the policy has developed, to some extent, on an ad hoc basis.[18]
28. A principal concern is the fact that some independent museums feel themselves to be on the periphery of the museums sector. In some cases, they do not know where to obtain guidance and support in order to develop their museum. Other independent museums rely on the Northern Ireland Museums Council for advice, rather than having direct contact with national or local authority museums. When independent museums do have contact with other museums, it tends to be on an ad hoc basis, rather than being co-ordinated by any central body. There is a feeling among the independent museums that central government is not concerned with their development.
29. This was a view put forward by Milford Building Preservation Trust, an independent museums, who felt that the contribution made by local museums can sometimes be undervalued.
There should also be more support, if only moral support, for independent museums. There seems to be a great deal of emphasis placed on county museums and state-owned museums such as the Ulster Museum. Local museums play an important part in the tourism industry and promote business and culture. [19]
30. Another independent museum, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, shared this opinion, stating that the Department’s current approach to independent museums left them very much on the outside.
I have yet to find anyone to tell me that there is a departmental policy on museums. Independent groups such as ours are certainly not ranking. We are not under any consideration.[20]
31. The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group has also found itself on the outskirts of the museums sector.
Given that regimental museums in Northern Ireland have been funded mostly from outside Northern Ireland, we have been left to operate on our own initiative and to find our own sources of funding. We have the use of the Northern Ireland Museums Council, which is absolutely fantastic and an excellent organisation. However, we are not an integral part of the museums structure in Northern Ireland, or at least we do not feel to be.[21]
32. The Somme Association, another independent museum, stated that the most detrimental effect of the Department not having a museums policy has been the isolation of the national museums from other museums. They were of the view that the current museums legislation has not succeeded in creating an integrated museums sector.
Those guidelines have been insufficient to force the National Museums out of what amounts to years of navel gazing — looking inward. The guidelines only hint broadly at helping, vis-à-vis support for district-council museums, etc. However, there is no directive that stems from a policy to stop that inward looking. The guidelines are merely an operating manual for National Museums, not a policy document that covers the provision of Northern Ireland’s heritage through its material culture.[22]
33. With regards to the creation of a museums policy, the Somme Association were clear that the policy must cover all museums.
. . . the policy must cover the governance of all museums, not just the national museums but also the local government museums and independent museums of which we are one.[23]
34. North Down Borough Council developed this theme of the lack of formal integration between independent museums and the national museums in particular, as did Armagh City and District Council.
There is no formal link between National Museums and smaller museums. There might be a feeling of responsibility among its staff, who are always helpful. However, there is no formal pastoral connection between National Museums — as regards its conservation resources, for example — and the needs of smaller museums. (North Down District Council)[24]
. . . the lack of an overall policy has been detrimental, in that there is fragmentation of efforts and a lack of co-ordination among museums at local, national and independent levels. That has led to a situation in which some museums are isolated from the national structures, and may be precluded from some funding opportunities. (Armagh City and District Council)[25]
35. However, while independent museums, and indeed local council museums, want to become more fully integrated into the museums sector, there is a desire to maintain ‘editorial’ independence. Museums want to be able to tell the stories and histories of their own communities in their own way.
36. Both the Apprentice Boys of Derry and the Museum of Free Derry made this point during their oral evidence sessions.
It is important that small museums such as the Museum of Free Derry and the Apprentice Boys museum retain their own identities. We should work collectively to promote Derry as a tourist venue and to promote and market our museums. It is vital that we collaborate so that we are working with one aim, which is to promote our city and our museums, while still retaining that degree of independence. (The Apprentice Boys of Derry)[26]
Our museum is an important way of helping the Free Derry community to tell its own story. The creation of museums such as ours should be encouraged to let other communities in the North tell their own stories rather than having their stories told for them. The different perceptions of history should not be brought together into a single history. Everyone has a right to their own perception of their own history and the right to tell that story. They should be encouraged to tell their story, regardless of whether other people agree with it.
Any policy should recognise that we have a right to tell our story, and the Apprentice Boys have that same right. We do not have to opt for a compromised agreed history, regardless of whether we are dealing with recent history or older history. Any future policy must recognise that there are different perceptions of history that need to be told. (The Museums of Free Derry)[27]
37. The need for independence was also expressed by some witnesses from the local council sector. Mid-Antrim Museum Service emphasised the need for self-government.
The policy should not be overly prescriptive because local communities and — in my case — local councils must have the freedom to make their own decisions.[28]
38. The Committee came to the view that a museums policy would need to recognise that museums are linked to local communities in many instances, and that those communities will wish to reflect their own stories in their own ways. At the same time, the Committee recognises the potential for museums to contribute to the Shared Future agenda as set down in the Programme for Government 2008 -2011. Therefore, the Committee is of the opinion that a museums policy must be developed in such a way as to balance the need for independence with the need for contributing to the Shared Future agenda.
39. Witnesses expressed the view that the lack of cohesion between national museums and the other museums has resulted in the nationals not being in a position to formally share their expertise in terms of curatorship, collections, marketing and other professional skills. This opportunity for a greater degree of sharing of resources, skills and expertise was recognised by a range of witnesses.
40. The Heritage Lottery Fund was clear that there was the potential for national museums to work with other museums in this regard.
The first matter that you asked me about was the linkages between the national and local museum structures. There is no policy, so the connections are informal, as opposed to formal. A policy would integrate that in a much more sensible way and pull together the resources of the sector as a whole in a way that is not always achieved — that is achieved only sometimes.
The independent sector is extremely important. Stories can and are being told about, for example, the Somme Heritage Centre or the Museum of Free Derry. In a more integrated sector — and that does not necessarily mean that it is managed functionally — museums such as those could benefit greatly from the understanding and curatorial capabilities of national museums and other local museums. I am not necessarily saying that that is not happening. However, a sensible policy and good, well-resourced training throughout the sector would ensure that those independent organisations have the full strength of Northern Ireland’s capability.[29]
41. The National Trust also talked about the need for a greater pooling of resources and expertise between museums.
It should help to create a strong network in Northern Ireland that will link the national, local and independent special-interest museums, so that we can take advantage of such things as shared expertise, emergency procedures, plans and marketing.[30]
42. Likewise, Craigavon Borough Council spoke of the need for more integration between museums to avoid the duplication of resources, and to maximise the sharing of skills.
It is important for local museums to be part of a bigger picture, so that they can plan strategically, avoid overlapping and duplicating services, and make the most of the services available.
. . . the nature of the museums service means that skills in several areas, such as collections development and management, could be shared. Certain museums may be good in particular areas — they might have good learning programmes or workforce-development programmes — so it might benefit local museums to share best practice with others.[31]
43. Currently, museums can find themselves working in isolation, and missing out on opportunities for working effectively with others, a point made by Mid-Antrim Museums Service.
There are many organisations that are interested in history, heritage and cultural identity. Part of the challenge is to consider all of those elements in an integrated way. A museums policy, in that sense, should encourage creative collaboration between the various players. There is a tendency in organisations to work in splendid isolation from one another. That is neither cost efficient nor effective, nor does it help in getting to grips with a more coherent presentation of our history, cultural heritage and identity.[32]
44. The Committee also learned that the lack of formal integration within the museum sector has resulted in lost opportunities for joined up marketing between museums in the same geographical area. The National Trust referred to this issue during their oral evidence. They were clear that a museums policy must work to maximise the cross-marketing opportunities for museums, either along geographic or thematic lines.
To return to the idea of a museums policy, it would be helpful if it were to contain a strand on how the museum sector works in the national, local and independent sectors to ensure that messages are sent out about the wealth of different places for people to explore. Our marketing colleagues talk about “differentiating the offer” and ensuring that people who are interested in museums will be readily able to click on a website and find information on all the relevant places to visit.[33]
45. The Apprentice Boys of Derry also saw the potential of museums to work together to promote their own geographic area.
It is important that small museums such as the Museum of Free Derry and the Apprentice Boys museum retain their own identities. We should work collectively to promote Derry as a tourist venue and to promote and market our museums. It is vital that we collaborate so that we are working with one aim, which is to promote our city and our museums, while still retaining that degree of independence.[34]
46. More generally, witnesses were concerned that there appears to be little co-ordination of how museums are developing in terms of geographical spread and themes/collections. There seems to be a need in the sector for a body to address these issues and to look strategically at what is an appropriate and sustainable level of museums provision for Northern Ireland going forward.
47. The National Trust put the matter in the following terms:
There is the risk of piecemeal development across Northern Ireland’s museum infrastructure with a lack of joined-up thinking across interested bodies, Departments and authorities — we all tend to look after our own needs rather than think about the Northern Ireland-wide picture.[35]
48. Craigavon Borough Council made the point that while they are interested in developing museums around the theme of inland waterways, this may also be a theme of particular interest to other councils. However, at present there is no mechanism for co-ordinating these kinds of initiatives.
. . . for example, that of inland waterways, is relevant not just to our area, but to council areas across Northern Ireland. When developing collections locally through councils, it would be more beneficial to have input and influence from other places to inform development, rather than develop in isolation.[36]
49. However, the Minister did not appear to recognise that there is a lack of integration between the independent, council and national museums, or indeed that this is a problem. In his oral evidence he stated that his main responsibility is the national museums, and that he had no direct responsibility for independent and council museums.
My Department’s prime responsibility is for National Museums Northern Ireland, which holds collections of national significance at its four main sites.
I do not see a formal policy as being a panacea for all the issues facing the museums sector, particularly those areas for which central Government has no direct responsibility, namely, museums owned and funded by councils or voluntary-based organisations.[37]
50. However, the Committee noted that all the witnesses had a different view from the Minister, and had strongly identified a lack of cohesion in the sector as a major issue. Witnesses take the view that the Department should see itself as having an oversight role for all museums, and that by its narrowing its focus to just the national museums, the museums sector as a whole is not developing to its full potential.
51. On the basis of the evidence heard by the Committee, it therefore makes the following recommendations:
52. During oral evidence sessions, witnesses stated that the museum sector as a whole in Northern Ireland needed to be strengthened, and that one element of achieving this would be the development of a museums policy. This would help raise the profile of museums across departments and in the Assembly. In this way, there is an opportunity to bring museums towards the centre of government agendas. Without a policy in place, it can appear that museums are low down in terms of government priorities.
53. National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI) outlined the impact a museums policy could have in the following terms:
National Museums Northern Ireland believes that a museums policy will help to develop a more comprehensive framework for museums and to develop their future in Northern Ireland. One such benefit will be the mainstreaming of museums. The policy will put museums right at the heart of Government; it will allow DCAL and other bodies to more obviously recognise the broad contribution that museums make across a range of agendas.[38]
54. Mid-Antrim Museum Service made a similar point.
It would be preferable, however, to have a policy articulated at Government level. That would benefit the Department and the Assembly, because it would recognise the social value of museums and their contribution to society.[39]
55. The Causeway Museum Service argued that the lack of a museums policy gave the impression that museums were not high up the public agenda, and resulted in a lack of recognition of their input to society.
The lack of a formal museums policy places museums well down the public agenda, despite their capacity to deliver on, and support, a wide range of issues that are on the public agenda . . . [40]
56. Derry City Council was of the view that developing a museums policy could be a catalyst for re-thinking the role that museums can play in people’s everyday lives. Instead of museums being regarded as places for one-off visits, they could become places for local people to make regular visits, in the manner people frequent libraries.
A museums policy must have a vision for what museums in our society can be and do, and that must be different from what has gone before. We must change the way that we think about, look and use museums. We should think of them as an integral part of the way in which we live our cultural and social lives. They should be used and perceived more as libraries are; they should be a more regular part of life.[41]
57. An additional issue is that without a formal museums policy, it can be more difficult for museums to attract external funding, because it can appear that there is not a strong, joined-up museums sector in Northern Ireland. This was raised by the Causeway Museums Service.
In our experience, when external funding bodies are evaluating projects for grants, the absence of a formal museums policy has left Northern Ireland projects very vulnerable. That has been experienced by three of our councils when dealing with the Heritage Lottery Fund over the past few years. It must be recognised that we are competing nationally for a substantially decreasing pot of lottery funding.[42]
58. The Committee also noted that museums are one of the Department’s key spending areas. The Department allocates around £22 million a year to museums and has plans to invest £18.3 million in capital for museums in the period 2008 -2011. Given this level of expenditure, the Committee is of the view that the museums sector deserves and requires a formal museums policy to be developed.
59. It became clear to the Committee during the oral evidence sessions that there was much scope to increase the links between museums and other areas of government. It was felt that the Department needed to further explore how museums can dovetail with other government policies, and developing a museums policy would be a means of working towards this goal.
60. National Museums Northern Ireland outlined the ways in which museums are connected to the remits of a range of government department.
Museums play a role in tourism, which is the responsibility of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment; a role in education, which is the responsibility of the Department of Education; and, furthermore, museums impact on social regeneration and community development, which falls under the Department for Social Development’s remit. Moreover, museums play a role in higher education, which is the responsibility of the Department for Employment and Learning, and are central to the major issue of infrastructure planning, which is dealt with by the Department for Regional Development.
The policy will put museums right at the heart of Government; it will allow DCAL and other bodies to more obviously recognise the broad contribution that museums make across a range of agendas. It will enable the issue of museums to move beyond the immediate DCAL family and to be considered in relation to much broader agendas, such as education and tourism, which, as you know, do not fall under the DCAL’s remit.[43]
61. The Northern Ireland Museums Council also emphasised the point that a museums policy should not be developed in isolation from other government department.
We also strongly believe that the museum development policy should not be restricted to one Department. The work of museums actively impacts on, and contributes to, wider Government objectives concerning tourism — which has been mentioned — community development, good relations, education, local identity, etc.[44]
62. It is clear that museums are currently doing much good work with schools and other educational establishments. One of the research papers commissioned by the Committee provided facts and figures on the number of participants in education programmes at the five national museums in 2004/2005.[45] However, the Committee recognised that there was room for improving such links.
63. Strabane District Council mentioned the importance of museums as a learning resource for schools and the work it had done in this area. North Down Borough Council is also involved in delivering education programmes. However, it stated that it did not have any contact with the Department for Education, and that this is something which could be addressed in a museums policy.
Nevertheless, there are aspects of museum activity where central Government could help, particularly in the area of education and learning. As with many of our colleagues, we run a thriving and popular education and learning programme. That programme is not just for schools; we also offer facilities for lifelong learning. That programme does not receive any funding from the Department of Education, nor do we have any contact with that Department. Therefore, any central Government involvement in education and learning would need to involve many Departments and would go beyond the remit of DCAL alone. (North Down Borough Council)[46]
64. The need for high level guidance, through a museums policy, in order to make clear how museums can interlink with education was also mentioned by Craigavon Borough Council.
The development of a museums policy would benefit Craigavon Museum Services. A policy that sets out a clear vision and goals for museums would enable them to see and chart their development within the sector. It will also enable them to ascertain where they link in with other Departments. It would be particularly relevant for us to find out where we should fit in and work with the education and tourism sectors.[47]
65. On the basis of the evidence, the Committee came to the view that while many museums are running successful education and lifelong learning programmes, these are not being delivered in a centralised, strategic manner, and that there is a lack of formal links with the Department of Education and the Department of Employment and Learning. This issue should be addressed in the development of a museums policy.
66. Witnesses emphasised the key role which museums can play in attracting tourists. In order to maximise the contribution which museums can make to the tourist industry, witnesses believed a museums policy is required. A museums policy would facilitate the creation of formal links at a strategic level with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. This is particularly relevant to the marketing of museums.
67. Fermanagh District Council referred to the role a museums policy could play in fostering links in the tourism sector.
The requirement for a clear museums policy presents itself, particularly when we work in partnership. The importance of the way that museums can dovetail with and enhance other policies, such as social inclusion or tourism, is underlined by strategies such as Destination Fermanagh — The Vision for Tourism 2006-2016.[48]
68. Armagh City and District Council also stressed the relationship between museums and tourism.
The creation of a new policy would place cultural development at the heart of tourism and wider development. We recognise that museums have an important role to play, outside the brief of DCAL. They are important for integrating with, and adding value to, tourism, and that is the responsibility of DETI. [49]
69. Many witnesses stated that museums have the potential to link in with the Shared Future agenda as set out in the Programme for Government 2008 - 2011. Witnesses are of the view that museums can provide a space for people to explore their history and address the sometimes difficult issues of the past. Without a formal policy, the potential for this kind of work can be missed.
70. The Heritage Lottery Fund described the role which museums can play in this regard.
Moreover, the strategy should acknowledge that, at museums, people can explore difficult issues of heritage and identity. Therefore, museums play a fundamental role in creating a better society. The strategy should recognise the importance of developing major exhibitions that can explore difficult territory in an objective and relevant manner. Also, it should acknowledge the need for the development of key themes and storylines to tell the story of Northern Ireland — or the North — in order to remove assumptions, and should recognise the value of skills shared by museums and third-level institutions.[50]
71. Mid-Antrim Museum Service, Derry City Council, and Armagh City and District Council also referred to the contribution which museums can make to developing good community relations and promoting the Shared Future agenda.
72. The Minister did not address the issue of how a museums policy could strengthen the museums sector as a whole, nor how cross-departmental links could be improved. However, the Committee is of the view that there are real benefits to be accrued from formalising the links between museums and education/ lifelong learning, tourism, a Shared Future, social regeneration and the economy. It is of the view that the development of a museums policy can contribute to this end.
73. On the basis of the evidence heard by the Committee, it therefore makes the following recommendations:
74. Under the Review of Public Administration (RPA), the functions of the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC) are set to be transferred to central and local government.
75. During the oral evidence sessions, it became clear that the NIMC was a highly valued organisation among the witnesses. All of witnesses, including those which operate independent museums and those which run council museums, emphasised the vital role which the NIMC currently plays.
76. The NIMC provides museums with advice, professional expertise, training, networking opportunities and small-scale grants. It is also responsible for administering the accreditation scheme in Northern Ireland and provides invaluable advice to museums throughout this process.
77. The Causeway Museum Service explained the range of ways it had benefited from the NIMC.
We rely on the functions of NIMC, but it is under threat from the review of public administration. NIMC administers effectively the accreditation scheme that enables our museums to achieve the standards of the sector and gives comfort to the public.
NIMC provides us with essential, albeit limited, funding that enables us to deliver programmes, to maintain our collections, and — importantly — to purchase specimens for those collections. It also provided specialist training for the sector across the region. Furthermore, it provides us with advice and research, which is important in the current climate.[51]
78. Local councils also commended the work of the NIMC.
The Newry and Mourne Museum has benefited significantly from the advocacy, training and grant aid offered by the Northern Ireland Museums Council (Newry and Mourne District Council).[52]
The Museums Council has played a crucial role. The improvements in the museums sector in the last 20 years are down to the Northern Ireland Museums Council. The Museums Council has not been well resourced over the years, but it has made an enormous difference with the relatively little amount of funding that it has had . . . The Museums Council has increased access greatly. It has improved connections among different sectors. Its management of specific projects, such as the Their Past, Your Future project, and its channelling of funding have been useful. It has assisted local authorities. (Derry City Council)[53]
The Northern Ireland Museums Council offers us training, support with accreditation and advice. (Down District Council)[54]
The NIMC is enormously valuable to the smaller museums. It organises training, disperses grants, gathers statistics and provides advice. (North Down Borough Council)[55]
79. Independent museums particularly value the support of the NIMC, in terms of providing them with information about the wider museums sector. The Railway Preservation of Ireland talked about the importance of the NIMC in terms of providing independent museums with both a voice and access to a range of services.
. . . under the review of public administration proposals, the Northern Ireland Museums Council would disappear. On that council, independent museums have as much voice as any of the others and have as good a chance of obtaining grant aid, access to training, etc.[56]
80. Milford Building Preservation Trust was also concerned about the impact on independent museums if the NIMC is dismantled.
If the Northern Ireland Assembly decided to do away with the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC) and not replace it with any legislation or infrastructures, it would be seriously detrimental to independent museums as there would be nothing to regulate or support them.[57]
81. Witnesses were of the view that a continuity of service is vital, whatever the future for the NIMC. They emphasised that there cannot be a gap between any dismantling of the NIMC and the transfer of its functions to central/local government. Furthermore, witnesses believed that the NIMC should not be closed down until a new museums policy had been implemented.
82. Newry and Mourne District Council voiced their concerns on this issue.
Many museum curators are worried about what might happen if some of the functions of the Northern Ireland Museums Council were transferred to local government. However, I do not know that would work in practical terms. We would prefer that no void be created, and that a policy would facilitate a smooth transition, and that we would not be left without an advocacy body, without training and without funding.[58]
83. Derry City Council and the Causeway Museum Service took the stance that the NIMC must remain in place until the implementation of a museums policy.
I feel strongly that the Museums Council must remain at least until the policy is in place. After that, its functions must be carried on by a new organisation. (Derry City Council)[59]
We support the retention of the Northern Ireland Museums Council in its current format during the development of a Northern Ireland museums policy (Causeway Museum Service)[60]
84. While witnesses were fully supportive of the retention of the NIMC in its present form until a museums policy is put in place, they were not prescriptive about what form the NIMC might take in the future. The view was put forward that the NIMC’s role would be considered as part of the policy development process. As a result of the policy process, decisions could be made on what type of oversight body would be best placed to serve the needs of the museums sector.
85. Witnesses were clear however that a strategic body of some sort would be required in the future, and it would not be adequate to simply disperse the functions currently carried out by the NIMC to local government structures or departmental civil service structures.
86. For example, North Down Borough Council, which supports the devolution of some of the functions of the NIMC to local government, nevertheless recognised the need for an oversight body for museums.
From a personal point of view, my council has taken the line that it agrees with the RPA that the powers of NIMC should be devolved. However, there is always a need for an umbrella body for professional organisations such as local museums.[61]
87. Down District Council was of the view that a well- resourced oversight body of some sort was required.
A body that takes strategic and regional direction in museums policy is required. The NIMC was never resourced appropriately to fulfil that role. In its submissions about the RPA, Down District Council expressed its view that there should be one properly resourced museums body for Northern Ireland to direct policy, support educational services and generally equip museums to provide good local services.[62]
88. The Causeway Museum Service emphasised that the future of the NIMC would need to be considered as part of the policy making process, and what was important was that its functions are carried out in an enhanced manner by either it or a successor body.
The NIMC’s role will be considered during the policy process; its role could change, it could be strengthened, or other structures could be established. We cannot be prescriptive about that matter, but those functions must be strengthened and enhanced.
We must look to the future and create a particular kind of a structure that the NIMC currently fulfils. In doing so, we must maintain not only the council’s current functions, but whatever functions the new policy stipulates are proper for such a body to carry out.[63]
89. The Northern Ireland Museums Council itself was clear that it needed to stay in place until the policy process has been completed. The NIMC emphasised the support it provides to particularly the non-national museums, and the need for that service to continue.
The Northern Ireland Museums Council is the unique support structure for local museums. Under the Review of Public Administration it is envisaged that its functions be transferred to local government. This arbitrary decision was not the outcome of detailed research and its impact has not been evidenced or assessed. It is recommended that the form and mission of NIMC be maintained until at least the completion of the policy process in order to ensure continuity within the local museums sector. It would be expected that the effectiveness, efficiency and necessity for NIMC would be examined as part of the policy process.[64]
90. The Committee spent some time discussing the future of the Northern Ireland Museums Council. It came to the view that its future needs to be considered within the context of developing a museums policy, rather than being considered within the context of the RPA. The Committee also agreed that the NIMC must remain in place until a museums policy is implemented.
91. Some of the Councils which presented evidence to the Committee were of the view that the RPA presents an opportunity to rethink how museums are delivered on a regional basis and how the sector can be strengthened.
92. It would appear that while Councils are empowered under the legislation to operate museums,[65] it is very much at the discretion of each Council in terms of deciding whether to run a museum, or indeed whether to financially support museums in its area.
93. North Down Borough Council, Newry and Mourne District Council, and Derry City Council all made the point that some council areas have a high provision of museums, while others have relatively little.
However, parts of Northern Ireland, particularly in County Tyrone, are without museums services. No attempt has been made to examine the Province geographically in order to lay out strategically where museums are needed. (North Down Borough Council)[66]
A museums policy would provide an important strategic framework for the development of museums in Northern Ireland in future. Some parts of Northern Ireland have several museums, while other areas have very few .(Newry and Mourne District Council)[67]
The sector in Northern Ireland is dependent on local authorities. Some have been good, some not so good, and standards have differed widely. (Derry City Council)[68]
94. This lack of consistency across council areas in terms of museum provision was also noted by the Causeway Museum Service.
Museums are discretionary in nature, and there is a lack of equality of access across Northern Ireland.[69]
95. Strabane District Council took the position that a museums policy would be of use in providing guidance to councils in terms of how they should be addressing the issue of museums.
Any high-level strategy filters down to a local level and provides a strategic direction for local government and the operation of district councils. It provides direction for the level of importance museum services should be accorded on the agenda of local councils.[70]
96. This point was also made by North Down Borough Council.
To conclude, a museums policy would help to ensure that all councils consider how they will work together to deliver and promote museum and heritage services in future. Putting that framework in place will assist councils in developing that approach.[71]
97. Down District Council went one step further and suggested that a museums policy should address whether providing museum services should be a requirement on local councils.
If it were possible to make museum services a requirement, each council area could put their own structures in place. Those museums could act as a focus for cultural activity, and could become centres of excellence — storehouses of local identity, magnets for tourism and indicators of the value placed by local communities on the quality of life in an area. They could become a nexus for joined-up cultural activity in the regions that will become the new council areas.[72]
98. However, Ards Borough Council was of the view that the cost implications would have to be factored into any consideration of requiring local councils to provide museum services.
If a policy were developed that placed museums into the realm of local government, or enabled them to seek greater support from local government, it would probably be welcomed. However, in that circumstance, the source of funding would have to be carefully scrutinised.[73]
99. The Committee noted that a number of councils brought up the issue of creating regional museum hubs. This is a system which is in place in England, and operates by means of a region having a lead museum acting as a hub, which works in partnership with other museums in the area. The Mid-Antrim Museum Service and the Causeway Museum Service are already set up along these lines. Both Down District Council and Derry City Council voiced their support for such a system.
We want a model like the one in England, where regional hubs have been set up. (Down District Council)[74]
The museums strategy must reflect the changed circumstances and the need for central Government to allocate more resources to local authorities. The Designation Scheme has proved very successful and led to a renaissance in the museum sector in other regions of the UK. We feel that Northern Ireland has been completely left behind. The difference in the way that projects have been carried out in Northern Ireland compared to England and Scotland is startling. If local authorities were adequately resourced, it would make our argument much stronger. (Derry City Council)[75]
100. On the basis of the evidence heard, the Committee makes the following recommendations:
101. As the oral evidence sessions progressed, it became clear to the Committee that there were a number of key elements which the majority of witnesses believed should be addressed in a museums policy.
102. Many witnesses emphasised that there was a need for a museums policy to contain a vision for museums. They explained that careful thought is required as to who museums are for, what purposes they serve, and how they can play a more central role in our society going forward. The idea of a vision or a mission statement was important to witnesses, as it would give those in the museums sector a goal in terms of where they were headed.
103. For example, Craigavon Borough Council stated:
A policy that sets out a clear vision and goals for museums would enable them to see and chart their development within the sector.[76]
104. Similarly, the Somme Association stated:
. . . a clear mission statement as to the goals and objectives of the policy must be decided . . .[77]
105. Again, Derry City Council made a similar point:
A museums policy must have a vision for what museums in our society can be and do, and that must be different from what has gone before. We must change the way that we think about, look at and use museums. We should think of them as an integral part of the way in which we live our cultural and social lives.[78]
106. It is important that the vision for museums incorporates a balance between meeting the needs of the local communities in which they are situated, and meeting the needs of visiting tourists. A research paper commissioned by the Committee revealed that 78% of all visitors to museums in Northern Ireland in 2004 were Northern Ireland residents, with only 22% of visits being made by out-of-state visitors.[79] These figures make clear the potential to grow the tourist sector, while at the same time showing that there is a strong local audience for Northern Ireland’s museums.
107. For example, the Heritage Lottery Fund acknowledged the role which museums can play in local community life.
. . . at museums, people can explore difficult issues of heritage and identity. Therefore, museums play a fundamental role in creating a better society. The strategy should recognise the importance of developing major exhibitions that can explore difficult territory in an objective and relevant manner. Also, it should acknowledge the need for the development of key themes and storylines to tell the story of Northern Ireland — or the North — in order to remove assumptions . . .[80]
108. The Museum of Free Derry articulated the close ties between their museum and the community in which it is situated.
Our museum is an important way of helping the free Derry community to tell its own story. The creation of museums such as ours should be encouraged to let other communities in the North tell their own stories rather than having their stories told for them.[81]
109. The Apprentice Boys of Derry explained the dual role their museum plays in attracting both local visitors and tourists.
When people saw the hall and the museum and had everything explained to them, their perception changed completely. We, as the Apprentice Boys, felt that opening the hall to people helped them to learn and helped us to extend our history to the people of the city. As well as opening up local history to local people, it also has a worldwide aspect in attracting tourism.[82]
110. The Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC) identified staffing and staff development as a key pillar of a museums policy. Craigavon Borough Council were also clear about the need for a museums policy to address how museum staff’s skills can be enhanced in what is a specialised field of work.
Certain museums may be good in particular areas — they might have good learning programmes or workforce-development programmes — so it might benefit local museums to share best practice with others (Craigavon Borough Council).[83]
111. The Heritage Lottery Fund described how it often met with museum practitioners in the sector in order to help identify the barriers to success. They have been told by museum practitioners:
. . . the workforce lacks the required expertise and diversity and must develop leadership, curatorial, general management and business skills.[84]
112. Many witnesses stated that a museums policy must address the issue of increasing access to museums. The NIMC identified marketing and audience development as a key strand of museums policy. The National Trust was clear that accessibility to museums by local communities was vital. The Heritage Lottery Fund made a similar point, stating that there was a need for a strategic approach to joining local museums with communities to enhance access, involvement and engagement. North Down Borough Council made the point in the following terms:
. . . the use of such collections to promote access to museums, to communicate with various community interest groups and to stimulate all manner of heritage-related activity.[85]
113. A number of witnesses raised the issue of free access to museums. Both the Mid Antrim Museum Service and Derry City Council were of the view that if museums were to become an integral part of people’s lives, rather than a place for one-off visits, entry needs to be free.
Museum admission should be free. One must decide what museums should do: are they more than just a part of the tourist industry? If the idea is to get people to use museums regularly, they should be in a position to visit a museum once a week — for example, they could visit it with their children for 15 minutes or half an hour and then go shopping. Museums should be used in that way — almost like a drop-in facility. I believe that museums should be free. (Derry City Council)[86]
The collections in Ballymena and Larne, in particular, are very much community based. They have been built up through donations and the active involvement of local people, and the principle of free access is important, because it is their history that we are presenting. We should not charge for the privilege of accessing that material. (Mid-Antrim Museum Service)[87]
114. National Museums Northern Ireland also made a strong case for free entry, drawing on the evidence from England:
In the UK, DCMS introduced free entry to national museums in 2001. The introduction of free entry to national museums in England occasioned a 66% increase in the number of visitors, and, therefore, there are major issues related to funding and — if I may put it in this way — real cultural democracy.[88]
115. Another key element of a museums policy put forward by witnesses was education and lifelong learning. The definition of a museum agreed by the UK Museums Association gives a central place to the educational role of museums:
Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society.[89]
116. The NIMC stated that the use of collections as an education and learning resource was key to a new policy. It also was of the view that more needed to be done to enhance the work currently being undertaken by museums in this field.
There is great scope to do more. The survey’s early indications show that learning provision is outstanding in some museum services, but that it is fragmentary across Northern Ireland. When I refer to learning, I mean both the formal education work that is done with schools and further education colleges, and the work with communities and adult groups. A centralised body — whether it is NIMC or a successor — is needed to provide that capacity, expertise in research on such areas to develop co-ordinated strategies that bridge that central / local gap.[90]
117. The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland stated that learning must be one of the key aspects of a museums policy, as did Craigavon Borough Council. The Mid-Antrim Museum Service mentioned the importance of there being a learning strategy for museums, something which the NIMC is currently working on. The role which museums can play in education was also mentioned by Derry City Council who stated:
The concept of education and lifelong learning should be museums’ main direction.[91]
118. Strabane District Council was of the view that without a museums policy in place, the role museums can play in education and lifelong learning is not maximised.
It leaves local elements of developing and maintaining our heritage — including education and learning — more vulnerable.[92]
119. Witnesses regarded collections as being a central tenet of a museums policy. The NIMC was of the view that collections needed to be a key aspect part of a museums policy and stated.
We must ensure that collections are adequately safeguarded, which means that they are housed in appropriate buildings, that they are looked after by appropriate standards by people with the requisite skills, and that they are developed in a cogent manner.[93]
120. North Down Borough Council emphasised the central role of collections to museums.
There is a danger that museums can be perceived as places in which all manner of heritage-related activities occur. We must, however, take the longer view, that there is no one else out there in society collecting objects that might otherwise be lost. That is what makes museums unique.[94]
121. The Heritage Lottery Fund referred to the core task of museums in terms of ‘documentation, cataloguing, conservation and caring for collections’. Similarly, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland made the point that ‘people are coming to see good collections — the collection defines the museum’. Likewise, the Somme Association stated:
. . . a policy is required that encourages museums to share knowledge about their developing collections and expertise.[95]
122. The National Trust explained that a museums policy must provide guidance on collections.
It must enable museums to protect, in perpetuity, their collections. We are in this for the long term; not only the short. All museums will have to be able to preserve artefacts for the benefit of everyone in Northern Ireland for the long term.[96]
123. For many witnesses, accreditation must be an integral thread of a museums policy. The NIMC stated that the accreditation standard should underpin a museums policy.
124. This was the view of Derry City Council, the Somme Association, the National Trust, Newry and Mourne District Council, and North Down Borough Council among others. North Down Borough Council pointed out the importance of accreditation to museums, particularly in enabling them to access funding.
Without accreditation, local museums find it hard to access grants and to get loans from other museums. A current example from our day-to-day work is that we had strongly considered applying to the Art Fund for help with a purchase. However, when I looked up that body’s website, I saw immediately that it accepts applications from accredited museums only. Therefore, local museums must aspire to that standard. (North Down Borough Council)[97]
125. The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland made a similar point.
Once the accreditation label is acquired, a museum is eligible to apply for funding that would otherwise be denied it.[98]
126. Strabane District Council was clear about the manner in which achieving accreditation had assisted them in operating Gray’s Museums.
The accreditation scheme has facilitated and promoted the sustainable development of Gray’s Museum to date, with the establishment of agreed standards for the collection’s care and museum management.[99]
127. However, there was recognition that smaller, independent museums will require assistance in meeting the accreditation standards, and this should be factored into the new policy. This was a point made by Milford Building Preservation Trust
128. The Committee took oral evidence from the Somme Association, the Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group and the HMS Caroline Committee. During the course of these sessions, it became apparent that these organisations were of the view that little thought has been given on a strategic governmental level to the development of the military and maritime museum sectors.
129. The HMS Caroline Committee made the point that there seems to be no joined up thinking in the maritime sector, but rather a collection of diverse groups working on their own particular projects. It was their view that a museums policy would be a catalyst for bringing the various aspects of maritime museums together.
The committee has spoken to representatives of the Titanic Quarter development and of the two museums in question. We have met with the Harbour Commissioners, and with all sorts of people, who all agree that it is a good idea, but do not know how it should be pulled together. The whole area of maritime and industrial heritage seems to be very diverse; that may be partly driven by the current museums policy. The people involved with the SS Nomadic constitute an independent group, as does the Lagan Legacy group, as well as those involved with the Northern Ireland Science Park, who control the leases for the dry Thompson Dock and the pumping station. Combining those strands, under the umbrella of the museums policy, is the ideal way to move forward.[100]
130. The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group expressed the view that without a museums policy, military history will not be fulfil its potential to be a key theme addressed through museums.
Given that regimental museums in Northern Ireland have been funded mostly from outside Northern Ireland, we have been left to operate on our own initiative and to find our own sources of funding. . . we are not an integral part of the museums structure in Northern Ireland, or at least we do not feel to be. A museums policy will bring us in as the missing strand of the overall history of Northern Ireland. One of our concerns is that, without a policy, there is no strategy in place that incorporates the military story for the whole population of the island of Ireland, including the diaspora, and that is damaging.[101]
131. The Somme Association made the following point:
There is a need for a museum of the history of war and of peace . . . There is a need for a larger museum structure that is dedicated to the history of various wars, particularly the First World War and the Second World War.[102]
132. The role of the private sector was explored during oral evidence sessions. It quickly became apparent that Northern Ireland does not have a culture of private investment in museums, as might be the case in places such as the USA. The National Museums Northern Ireland articulated this point.
There is much work to be done with regard to involving the private sector in cultural activity. There are some examples of that, but they tend to be limited. To that degree, we are somewhat out of step with many other places in the UK, the Republic and the United States, where there is a much more developed culture and tradition of private-sector support for the arts. We are working at that all the time, and we have been working to attract funding for the Ulster Museum. However, relatively little of the support for the Ulster Museum has come from private sources; it has come from established foundations that support the arts — chiefly the Department and the Heritage Lottery Fund. There does not seem to be a strong tradition of private donation and private-sector involvement in the arts here, and that remains a big challenge for us.[103]
133. The NIMC stated:
The amount of private money coming into the museums sector is pretty limited; there is not a great pot of that and, given the current economic climate, I do not anticipate there being a great deal more. However, private-sector input is a different matter. If that is considered in broader terms, we found that the non-national museums had 281 employees in 2006, with 170 volunteers working alongside them. Coupled with that is the amount of material and artefacts that are being gifted to local museums, which are especially valuable given that acquisition budgets are so small.
Particularly notable are the gifts that were given to the Newry and Mourne Museum, the museums in Derry, and the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum. Also notable is the dedication and commitment of the various “friends of museums” organisations that raise money for the museums — of the 38 museums, 16 of them have friends organisations. Therefore, it is evident that private input is quite notable.[104]
134. The Committee is of the view that there is room to grow private sector funding and involvement in museums, and that this potential must be fully explored as part of a museums policy.
135. The Committee also discussed the issue of whether a new art gallery should be addressed as part of the new museums policy, and heard evidence from the Arts Council on this issue. The Committee came to the view that further work needed to be done at a cross-departmental level as to how the proposals for a new art gallery should be developed.
136. On the basis of the evidence heard by the Committee, it therefore makes the following recommendations:
137. The majority of witnesses were in favour of the museums policy being developed by the organisations which possess the expert knowledge about the museums sector in Northern Ireland, namely the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC) and the National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI). It was quite clear that witnesses did not see the need for consultants to draw up the policy.
138. The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland stated:
DCAL has priced that with consultants, decided that it is too expensive, and decided that it cannot afford to do it. We consider, however, that there is no need to bring in consultants: all the expertise needed is present in National Museums Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Museums Council. The Northern Ireland Museums Council has all the necessary information on the contents of collections and visitor numbers. If consultants are brought in, they will go straight to the council and obtain all that information from them.[105]
139. Similarly, North Down Borough Council pointed to the fact that the NIMC already has the expertise in-house to draw up a policy.
However, in the current climate, the NIMC has an obvious role to play in the formulation of a museums policy, until 2011. It has the expertise, the experience, and all the statistics at its fingertips to assist the Department in conceiving a museums policy.[106]
140. Likewise, the Royal Irish Regiment Museum Groups emphasised the role for the NIMC.
Given the research that it has conducted over the past five years, it is in a perfect position to develop a museums policy. Indeed, a lot of work towards that has already been done. Bringing in outside consultants could only put the process back two years, because all of that research would have to be done again, or else the work would be taken from somebody else. The NIMC is best placed to do it. It has the experience, the expertise and the knowledge.[107]
141. The Northern Ireland Museums Council itself made the point that it was very willing to be involved in drawing up a museums policy, and that that approach had been adopted in England.
Policy need not be a costly exercise. It becomes so only when there is a knowledge deficit and one has to buy in expertise to fill in the blanks. However, in the NIMC, National Museums Northern Ireland, and the museum sector generally, we feel that we have that knowledge to a good degree. In the light of that, at the end of last year, we proposed that a working group comprising ourselves and National Museums in the first instance be established to do the necessary research and the critical analysis as the first step towards developing that policy. In the first instance, DCAL should draw on the knowledge, expertise and professional insight immediately available in its arm’s-length bodies. That is a common approach elsewhere. I mentioned previously that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has charged the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council — one of its arms-length bodies — to develop a museums strategy for England.[108]
142. In terms of developing the policy, many witnesses supported a panel approach, with panel members drawn from the museums sector and government departments.
143. For example, the Mid-Antrim Museums Service talked about the need for a ‘collegiate approach’, involving the Department and key stakeholders.
It will require a collegiate approach. It is a collaborative process in which we all have a role to play. The Department and the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC) will have a role to play. I am here today in my capacity as chairman of the Northern Ireland Regional Curators Group, which has always had a clear view on policy matters, as have the independent and national museums. We must get the different stakeholders together to produce a coherent and relevant plan that meets the need of today’s society.[109]
144. The Somme Association also favoured a panel system.
In my opinion, any panel must have experienced museum staff sitting on it and they should be comprised from various levels of museum operation, not just the national museums.[110]
145. Strabane District Council was of the view that policy needed to be facilitated by the Department, the NIMC, NMNI and other key stakeholders.
We recommend that any policy devised by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure should take into consideration that there are two pools of experiences: the National Museums Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Museums Council. Of the two, the Museums Council has the most relevant experience — it is at the coalface and works with local museums on a daily basis. We recommend that those organisations should be used to facilitate any new policy — along with local councillors and other key stakeholders.[111]
146. Witnesses were also keen that the museums policy should involve stakeholders from the beginning, so that there was a ‘bottom-up’ approach. There was a keenness for a wide variety of organisations and groups who are interested in and affected by museums to be involved in the process from the start.
147. The Heritage Lottery Fund talked about this issue in the following terms:
The process should be open and transparent, and it should avoid being driven by the usual suspects — the great and the good. The process should create real debate among stakeholders, who will ultimately have to deliver policy.[112]
148. Likewise, the National Trust emphasised the point that there was a need to include a wide range of stakeholders, not just those inside the museums sector.
A policy . . . needs to be in-depth and based on sound evidence, intelligence and thorough consultation, not just within the sector, but with all the stakeholders. A number of stakeholders have an interest and an involvement in our museums, including local communities and the education sector. NT[113]
149. Fermanagh District Council focused on the importance of providing stakeholders with the opportunity to comment on a draft museums policy, once it has been produced.
The sector and other interested parties must first have some sort of draft policy — provided by a steering group — that it can comment on. Everyone would feel that they have had a chance to contribute, and if they felt that some aspect of the policy did not represent them, they would have had the chance to say so from the beginning.[114]
150. Strabane District Council also stressed the importance of consultation, as did Armagh City and District Council who stated:
The council would support the development of a formal policy for the entire museum sector. It should be driven by a bottom-up approach, involving all stakeholders.[115]
151. Witnesses pointed to the fact that good work has been done in other countries with regard to museums policy, and that there is the opportunity to draw on examples of good practice in creating a unique policy for Northern Ireland.
152. For example, the Somme Association pointed to lessons which could be learned from other places.
The world is full of suitable policy models, a proper survey of which would determine which one could be used in Northern Ireland. There is no need to reinvent the wheel in this instance.[116]
153. Similarly, the Causeway Museum Service had a number of suggestions regarding countries with models of best practice.
The key elements of the policy should be ascertained through investigating best practice in Canada, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, and in studying some of the regional policies in places such as Piedmont in Italy.[117]
154. Likewise, the NMNI referred to ‘Understanding the Future: Priorities for England’s Museums’, which outlines the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s priorities for museums for the next decade. However, NMNI did make the point that it would not be a case of simply copying the policy of another country.
I draw members’ attention to a document entitled ‘Understanding the Future: Priorities for England’s Museums’, which is a follow up to ‘Understanding the Future; Museums and 21st Century Life’. That document outlines the Westminster Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) priorities for museums for the next decade . . . However, it is not necessarily an exact or comprehensive template. We might, for example, be more specific about the potential economic and tourism benefits of museums.[118]
154. The NIMC was also of the view that care needed to be taken to develop a policy specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the museum sector in Northern Ireland.
The Museums Council of Northern Ireland would counsel against putting too much faith in the policy models of others. We must find our own solutions to our own issues. They may echo those of others, but it would not be appropriate to assume that another country’s approach is directly transferable, no matter how tempting that might be.[119]
155. Witnesses were of the view that a policy could be developed relatively quickly, given the previous ground work done in the context of the ‘Local Museum and Heritage Review 2003’[120], and the fact that the NIMC and others already possess the expertise and know-how to develop a policy.
156. For example, the National Trust said:
A policy should be progressed swiftly, but not so swiftly that it is done in a rushed manner.[121]
157. Likewise, the Mid Antrim Museum Service stated that the production of a policy should be a straightforward matter.
The development of a policy is not rocket science, and it should not require enormous financial commitment of financial resources. In fact, a policy can be developed relatively easily. It is a case of examining what has gone before, building on initiatives, such as the Local Museums and Heritage Review, and articulating a policy that is fit for purpose in 2008.[122]
158. The NIMC stated that it would like to see the policy developed within six months, and at the most within a year.
. . . a policy should be introduced as quickly as possible. Realistically, it could not be delivered in less than six months. Pragmatically, I would like to see it within that timeframe, and it would be unacceptable if it went beyond a year.[123]
159. On the basis of the evidence heard by the Committee, it makes the following recommendations in relation to taking forward the development of a museums policy:
[1] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[2] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[3] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[4] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[5] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[6] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
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[10] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[11] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[12] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[13] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[14] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[15] Research Paper 5, Appendix 7
[16] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[17] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
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[19] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[20] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
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[40] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[41] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[42] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[43] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[44] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[45] Research Paper 4, Appendix 7
[46] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[47] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[48] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[49] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[50] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[51] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
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[59] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[60] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[61] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[62] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[63] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[64] Written evidence, Appendix 4
[65] Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998
[66] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[67] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[68] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[69] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[70] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[71] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
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[74] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[75] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[76] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[77] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[78] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[79] Research Paper 6, Appendix 7
[80] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[81] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[82] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[83] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[84] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[85] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[86] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[87] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[88] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[89] Research Paper 1, Appendix 7
[90] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[91] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[92] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[93] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[94] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[95] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
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[116] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[117] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[118] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[119] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[120] Addition Information, Appendix 9
[121] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[122] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
[123] Oral evidence session, Appendix 2
Present: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
In attendance: Mrs Linda Gregg (Clerk)
Mrs Elaine Farrell (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened in public session at 10.33 a.m.
Mr Brolly left the meeting at 12.33 p.m.
The Committee discussed options for a Committee Inquiry.
Agreed: the Committee agreed to conduct a short inquiry into the non existence of a museums policy followed by the inquiry into the under-funding of the arts/sport.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.57 p.m.
[EXTRACT]
Present: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
In attendance: Mrs Linda Gregg (Clerk)
Mrs Elaine Farrell (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened in public session at 10.42 a.m.
The Committee considered the draft terms of reference, the draft press notice and the proposed timeframe for the Committee Inquiry into the lack of a Museums Policy for Northern Ireland.
Agreed: the Committee agreed to change the title of the inquiry to Committee Inquiry into the Development of a Museums Policy for Northern Ireland.
Agreed: the Committee agreed the draft Terms of Reference for the Committee Inquiry.
Agreed: the Committee agreed the draft press notice for inclusion in the Belfast Telegraph, the Irish News and the News Letter week commencing 26 May 2008.
Agreed: the Committee agreed the list of organisations to seek submissions of written evidence from. The Committee also agreed that written submissions should also be sought from the Free Derry Museum, the Apprentice Boys Museum and ILEX Urban Regeneration Company.
Agreed: the Committee agreed to consult with the Northern Ireland Museums Council to get information on the location of independent museums to help inform the inquiry.
Agreed: the Committee agreed to commission research to identify best practice in England, Scotland and Wales and on an international basis to help inform the inquiry.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.15 p.m.
[EXTRACT]
Present: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
In attendance: Mrs Linda Gregg (Clerk)
Mrs Elaine Farrell (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened in public session at 10.05 am.
Mr Chris Bailey, Director of the Northern Ireland Museums Council joined the meeting. Mr Bailey briefed the Committee on the Northern Ireland Museums Council and the development of a museums policy.
Agreed: the Committee agreed to write to the Minister to ask if the Northern Ireland Museums Council will continue to be funded by the Department until 2011.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.32 pm.
[EXTRACT]
Present: Mr David McNarry (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
In attendance: Mrs Linda Gregg (Clerk)
Dr Kathryn Bell (Clerk)
Mrs Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened in public session at 10.34 a.m.
Agreed: The Committee agreed its timetable for receiving oral evidence.
Agreed: The Committee agreed a set of generic questions for the oral evidence sessions and that these questions are forwarded to the relevant witnesses.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request that the Ulster Sports Museum give oral evidence to the inquiry.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that research presentations and evidence sessions should be recorded by Hansard.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to include a visit to the Tower Museum on 2 October 2008.
The Deputy Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.45 pm
[EXTRACT]
Present: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
In attendance: Mrs Linda Gregg (Clerk)
Dr Kathryn Bell (Clerk)
Mrs Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
Ms Meadhbh McCann (Research & Library Service)
The meeting opened in public session at 10.04 a.m.
10.15 a.m. Mr Robinson joined the meeting.
Ms Meadhbh McCann briefed the Committee on an introduction to museums policy and gave an overview of the development of museums policy in England, Wales, France and Canada. She also briefed the Committee on levels of public sector investment in museums in Northern Ireland compared with regions in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Ms McCann agreed to provide clarification on a number of issues.
Members took oral evidence from Mr Stevie McManus, representing Milford Building Preservation Trust. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witness for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
Members took oral evidence from Mr Ronnie Spence, Mr Paul Mullan and Ms Stella McDermott representing the Heritage Lottery Fund. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
Members took oral evidence from Ms Diane Ruddock and Ms Frances Bailey representing The National Trust. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
Members took oral evidence from Mr Johnny Glendenning and Mr Mark Kennedy representing Railway Preservation Society of Ireland. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.35 p.m.
[EXTRACT]
Present: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
In attendance: Dr Kathryn Bell (Clerk)
Mrs Linda Gregg (Clerk)
Mrs Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened in public session at 10.05 a.m.
The Committee noted the additional information supplied by the Heritage Lottery Fund following their briefing to the Committee on Thursday 11 September 2008.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request that Armagh City and District Council present oral evidence to the inquiry.
The Chairperson asked Members to declare any relevant interests in advance of hearing oral evidence.
Mr McElduff declared an interest as a Councillor in Omagh District Council;
Lord Browne declared an interest as a Councillor in Belfast City Council and as a trustee of the Somme Association;
Mr McCarthy declared an interest as a Councillor in Ards Borough Council;
Mr McCausland declared an interest as a Councillor in Belfast City Council; and
Mr Shannon declared an interest as a Councillor in Ards Borough Council and as a member of the Somme Association.
10.30 a.m. Mr McNarry joined the meeting.
10.31 a.m. Mr Robinson joined the meeting.
10.37 a.m. Mr McCartney joined the meeting.
10.56 a.m. Mr McNarry left the meeting.
Members took oral evidence from Mr Tim Cook, Ms Amanda Lilley, Dr Jim McGreevy and Mr Paddy Gilmore, representing National Museums Northern Ireland. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
Members took oral evidence from Ms Elaine Hill representing the Craigavon Borough Council. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witness for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
Members took oral evidence from Dr Ian Adamson, Mr Ian Vincent and Ms Carol Walker representing the Somme Association. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
12.04 p.m. Mr McNarry rejoined the meeting
Members took oral evidence from Ms Sarah McHugh and Ms Bronagh Cleary representing Fermanagh District Council. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
12.24 p.m. Mr Brolly left the meeting
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.45 p.m.
[EXTRACT]
Present: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
In attendance: Dr Kathryn Bell (Clerk)
Mrs Linda Gregg (Clerk)
Mrs Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened in public session at 10.07 a.m.
The Committee noted the additional information supplied by the Assembly Research and Library Services, following a briefing to the Committee on Thursday 11 September 2008.
The Clerk briefed Members on the proposed outline plan for the Inquiry.
Agreed: Members agreed to issue additional questions to independent museums due to present oral evidence to the Inquiry.
The Chairperson asked Members to declare any relevant interests in advance of hearing oral evidence.
Mr McElduff declared an interest as a Councillor in Omagh District Council;
Lord Browne declared an interest as a Councillor in Belfast City Council and as a trustee of the Somme Association;
Mr McCarthy declared an interest as a Councillor in Ards Borough Council;
Mr McCausland declared an interest as a Councillor in Belfast City Council;
Mr Ramsey declared an interest as a Councillor in Derry City Council;
Mr Robinson declared an interest as a Councillor in Newtownabbey Borough Council; and
Mr Shannon declared an interest as a Councillor in Ards Borough Council and as a member of the Somme Association.
Members took oral evidence from Mr Archie Walls representing Ards Borough Council. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witness for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
Members took oral evidence from Mr William Blair representing the Mid Antrim Museums Service. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witness for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
Members took oral evidence from Mr Frank Robinson, Ms Primrose Wilson and Dr Gordon Millington representing Keep HMS Caroline in Belfast Committee. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
Members took oral evidence from Ms Sharon O’Connor and Dr Mike King representing Down District Council. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
12.27 p.m. Mr Ramsey left the meeting
12.38 p.m. Mr McNarry left the meeting
12.43 p.m. Lord Browne left the meeting
12.47 p.m. Mr McCartney left the meeting
Members took oral evidence from Ms Noreen Cunningham representing Newry and Mourne District Council. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witness for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.59 p.m.
[EXTRACT]
Present: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
In attendance: Mrs Nuala Dunwoody (Clerk Assistant)
Dr Kathryn Bell (Clerk)
Mrs Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened in public session at 10.34 a.m.
Agreed: The Committee agreed its press release for the Committee’s meeting in the Guildhall and its visit to the Tower Museum.
The Committee noted the additional information supplied by the National Trust following their briefing to the Committee on 11 September 2008.
The Chairperson asked Members to declare any relevant interests in advance of hearing oral evidence.
Mr McElduff declared an interest as a Councillor in Omagh District Council;
Lord Browne declared an interest as a Councillor in Belfast City Council and as a trustee of the Somme Association;
Mr McCarthy declared an interest as a Councillor in Ards Borough Council;
Mr McCartney declared an interest as a trustee of the Bloody Sunday Trust;
Mr McCausland declared an interest as a Councillor in Belfast City Council;
Mr Ramsey declared an interest as a Councillor in Derry City Council;
Mr Robinson declared an interest as a Councillor in Newtownabbey Borough Council; and
Mr Shannon declared an interest as a Councillor in Ards Borough Council, as a member of the Somme Association, and as a member of the Apprentice Boys (Comber Branch) .
Members took oral evidence from Mr McGuicken representing Derry City Council. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witness for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
Members took oral evidence from Ms Clare Mullen and Mr Adrian Beattie, representing Strabane District Council. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
Members took oral evidence from Mr William Moore, Mr Jim Brownlee and Mr Alistair Simpson, representing the Apprentice Boys of Derry. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
12.10 p.m. Mr McCausland left the meeting
Members took oral evidence from Mr Eamonn McCann, Mr Tony Doherty and Mr Adrian Kerr representing the Museum of Free Derry. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.56 p.m.
[EXTRACT]
Present: Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
In attendance: Mrs Nuala Dunwoody (Clerk Assistant)
Dr Kathryn Bell (Clerk)
Mrs Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
Ms Meadhbh McCann (Research & Library Service)
Ms Ruth Barry (Research & Library Service)
The meeting opened in public session at 10.01 a.m.
The Committee noted the Department’s response to the Local Museum and Heritage Review published in 2003.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to ask the Clerk to seek further details on the Cultural Forum and its Heritage Sub Group.
The Deputy Chairperson asked Members to declare any relevant interests in advance of hearing oral evidence.
Lord Browne declared an interest as a Councillor in Belfast City Council and as a trustee of the Somme Association;
Mr McCarthy declared an interest as a Councillor in Ards Borough Council;
Mr McCausland declared an interest as a Councillor in Belfast City Council;
Mr McCartney declared an interest as a trustee of the Bloody Sunday Trust;
Mr Ramsey declared an interest as a Councillor in Derry City Council;
Mr Robinson declared an interest as a Councillor in Newtownabbey Borough Council, and as a former member of the Territorial Army; and
Mr Shannon declared an interest as a Councillor in Ards Borough Council, and as a member of the Royal Artillery Association.
Members took oral evidence from Mr David Howard and Mr Ian Wilson, representing North Down Borough Council. A question and answer session followed. The Deputy Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
10.48 a.m. Mr Bradley left the meeting.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
Members took oral evidence from Lt Col (retd) Harvey Bicker, Ms Amanda Moreno, Mr Jack Dunlop, and Major Colin Gray representing The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group. A question and answer session followed. The Deputy Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
Members took oral evidence from Mr Ronnie Spence, Mr Nigel Carr and Mr Ryan Feeney, representing the Ulster Sports Museum Association. A question and answer session followed. The Deputy Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
11.58 a.m. Mr McCarthy left the meeting.
11.58 a.m. The Deputy Chairperson vacated the Chair.
In the absence of the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, Mr Ramsey proposed that Mr McCartney do take the chair. Mr McNarry seconded the motion. No other nominations were received and Mr McCartney was duly elected as chairperson.
11.59 Mr McCartney assumed the Chair.
12.02 Mr McCartney vacated the chair.
12.02 The Deputy Chairperson assumed the chair.
Members took oral evidence from Ms Roisin McDonough, Ms Noírín McKinney and Mr Nick Livingston representing the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. A question and answer session followed. The Deputy Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
The Deputy Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.17 p.m.
[EXTRACT]
Present: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Lord Browne MLA
In attendance: Mrs Nuala Dunwoody (Clerk Assistant)
Dr Kathryn Bell (Clerk)
Mrs Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened in public session at 10.08 a.m.
The Clerk briefed the Committee on additional information received from Assembly Library and Research Services.
The Committee noted additional information on the Cultural Forum and the Heritage Sub Group in relation to the Local Museum and Heritage Review.
The Chairperson asked Members to declare any relevant interests in advance of hearing oral evidence.
The Chairperson declared an interest as a Councillor in Omagh District Council;
Mr McCarthy declared an interest as a Councillor in Ards Borough Council;
Mr McCausland declared an interest as a Councillor in Belfast City Council;
Mr McCartney declared an interest as a trustee of the Bloody Sunday Trust;
Mr Ramsey declared an interest as a Councillor in Derry City Council; and
Mr Shannon declared an interest as a Councillor in Ards Borough Council.
Members took oral evidence from Ms Sharon O’Gorman and Mr John Briggs, representing Armagh City and District Council. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
10.25 a.m. Mr Robinson joined the meeting.
10.35 a.m. Mr McNarry left the meeting.
10.45 a.m. Mr Bradley left the meeting.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
10.50 a.m. Mr McNarry rejoined the meeting.
Members took oral evidence from Councillor Evelyn Robinson and Ms Helen Perry from the Causeway Museum Service. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
11.12 a.m. Mr Bradley rejoined the meeting.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
Members took oral evidence from Mr Chris Bailey and Ms Briony Crozier from the Northern Ireland Museums Council. A question and answer session followed. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.03 p.m.
[EXTRACT]
Present: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
In attendance: Mrs Nuala Dunwoody (Clerk Assistant)
Dr Kathryn Bell (Clerk)
Mrs Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
Ms Meadhbh McCann (Research & Library Service)
Ms Ruth Barry (Research & Library Service)
Mr Hugh Widdis (Assembly Legal Services)
Mr Trevor Reaney (Director General)
The meeting opened in public session at 10.05 a.m.
10.45 a.m. Mr McNarry left the meeting.
The meeting moved into closed session at 10.45 a.m.
The meeting moved into open session at 11.05 a.m.
11.05 a.m. Mr McNarry rejoined the meeting.
The Committee was advised of an error made by the Department in respect of the date of the last meeting of the Heritage Sub Group.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department seeking clarification on working groups established by the Department over the past five years.
Members took oral evidence from the Minister, Gregory Campbell MP MLA, and departmental officials Mr Colin Watson and Ms Hazel Campbell. A question and answer session followed.
The Minister agreed to forward the Committee details of the provision for material to be available in languages other than English at the Ulster Museum.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to ask the Clerk to produce a paper setting out definitions of policy, strategy and vision.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report.
12.56 p.m. Mr McNarry left the meeting.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.04 p.m.
[EXTRACT]
Present: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Mr Ken Robinson MLA
In attendance: Dr Kathryn Bell (Clerk)
Mrs Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
Mr Aidan Stennett (Research and Library Services)
The meeting opened in closed session at 10.06 a.m.
The apologies are detailed above.
The Committee noted the additional information supplied by the Minister on the Ulster Museum following his briefing to the Committee on Thursday 23 October 2008.
The Committee considered the framework for its report and discussed its draft recommendations.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule in its forward work programme, a briefing from the Arts Council regarding its proposal for a major art gallery.
12.01 p.m. Mr McCarthy joined the meeting.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.50 p.m.
[EXTRACT]
Present: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
In attendance: Dr Kathryn Bell (Clerk)
Mrs Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened in closed session at 10.07 a.m.
The apologies are detailed above.
10.10 a.m. Mr Robinson joined the meeting.
The Committee considered the main body of its draft report and proposed a number of amendments.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to consider a further draft of the report at its meeting on Thursday 4 December 2008.
10.29 a.m. Mr McCausland joined the meeting.
The meeting moved into public session at 10.30 a.m.
10.30 a.m. Mr McCartney joined the meeting.
10.30 a.m. Mr Shannon joined the meeting.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.09 p.m.
[EXTRACT]
Present: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
In attendance: Dr Kathryn Bell (Clerk)
Mrs Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened in closed session at 10.36 a.m.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to consider the final draft of the report at its meeting on Thursday 11 December 2008.
Members agreed to table the following motion for debate in the Business Office:
“That this Assembly approves the Report of the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure (07/08/09R) on its inquiry into the development of a museums policy for Northern Ireland”.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.50 p.m.
[EXTRACT]
Present: Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies: Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
In attendance: Dr Kathryn Bell (Clerk)
Mrs Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened in closed session at 10.14 a.m.
The apologies are detailed above.
Agreed: The Committee agreed the following sections of the report:
Executive Summary – read and agreed, subject to a minor amendment.
List of Recommendations – read and agreed.
Introduction – read and agreed.
10 16 a.m. Mr McNarry joined the meeting.
10.16 a.m. Mr McCartney joined the meeting.
The need for a museums policy – read and agreed.
The relationship between independent, council and national museums – read and agreed.
Strengthening the museums sector and improving cross-departmental links – read and agreed.
The future of museums under the RPA – read and agreed.
The key elements of a museums policy – read and agreed.
Next steps – the process for developing a museums policy – read and agreed.
10.20 a.m. Mr Shannon joined the meeting.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the following papers should be appended to the Committee’s report:
Minutes of Proceedings
Minutes of Evidence
List of Written Submissions to the Committee
Written Submissions to the Committee
List of Witnesses Who Gave Evidence to the Committee
List of Research Papers
Research Papers
List of additional information
Additional Information
List of Abbreviations
Agreed: The Committee ordered the report to be printed, as amended.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward advance embargoed copies of the report to the Department, the Northern Ireland Musuems Council and the National Museums Northern Ireland.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.30 p.m.
[EXTRACT]
Members present for all or part of the proceedings:
Mr Barry McElduff (Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley
Mr Francie Brolly
The Lord Browne
Mr Kieran McCarthy
Mr Pat Ramsey
Mr Jim Shannon
Witnesses:
Mr Chris Bailey |
Northern Ireland Museums Council |
1. The Chairperson (Mr McElduff): I welcome Mr Chris Bailey, the chief executive of the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC). I refer members to the correspondence previously received by email on 29 April from Mr Bailey, which details issues for discussion regarding the development of a museums policy. This matter has provoked great interest among Committee members. Also tabled is a paper entitled ‘Towards a Northern Ireland Museums Development Policy’, which the Museums Council previously forwarded to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure. I will now hand over to Mr Bailey to make his presentation.
2. Mr Chris Bailey (Northern Ireland Museums Council): I will use 10 minutes to give the Committee some contextual information, after which I will be happy to answer questions. Before I do so, however, I pass on the apologies of the council’s chairman, Mr Lexie Scott, who cannot attend this morning because of family commitments.
3. When Mr Scott and I last appeared before the Committee in January 2008, we stressed the need for a museums development policy, and we told members about the difficult position in which the Northern Ireland Museums Council finds itself as a consequence of the review of public administration (RPA) decision that envisages the transfer of the council’s functions. Since then, we have noted that the Committee has moved quickly, and that not only has it discussed the matter on several occasions, but it has instigated a short inquiry. We are aware of the notice of that inquiry in this week’s newspapers and the wonderfully challenging deadline that has been set. We look forward to participating in that inquiry.
4. The Chairperson: We do not hang about, Chris, you know that.
5. Mr Bailey: I am assured that that fact is commonly understood.
6. During the course of this short presentation, I will touch on various matters, which, I hope, will prove useful pointers to what we perceive to be the key elements of the policy, and, perhaps, will form key elements of the Committee’s inquiry. I will add some flesh to the bones of the matter, as set out in the paper that we presented to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure and which was circulated to members following our previous visit.
7. The first issue that we stressed in that paper was the need to establish the scope of the policy from the outset. We needed an answer to the question, “what is this policy concerned with?” We have, thankfully, a commonly accepted definition of a museum. Indeed, it appears at the top of the paper:
“Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens which they hold in trust for society.”
8. Encapsulated in that definition are the two mutually dependent parts of a unique equation that makes a museum, namely, people and collections. No other institution, organisation or sector possesses that equation.
9. Museums, without visitors and users, are storehouses with very little purpose. Without access to the objects of our past, people would be bereft of the opportunity to interrogate the actual artefacts — which are the objective evidence of our past — and all the benefits associated with them. Without access to such objects, our history remains second-hand.
10. This definition, composed by the Museums Association and tweaked to its current form in 1998, is used as the basis for the accreditation standard — something that I have talked about previously to many of the Committee members. This is the quality mark, the nationally agreed standard scheme for museums in the UK, with a similar scheme now emerging in the Republic of Ireland.
11. To qualify for this standard, museums must meet clear basic requirements as to how they care for and document their collections and how they are governed and managed. Museums must also provide evidence that they meet certain basic requirements on the information and services offered to their users. Therefore, it covers the whole gamut of how one operates a museum.
12. The standard scheme benefits both the museum visitors and users, and supports the museum managers as they know what needs to be done. Furthermore, it supports the museums’ governing bodies through the planning and development of their services, and provides a very useful benchmark for grant-aiding organisations such as ours and for sponsors and donors, as no other part of the cultural sector has such a standard.
13. In order to qualify for grant assistance from the council — that is from the public purse — local museums must meet this accreditation standard. However, not all important local collections of Northern Ireland’s heritage reside in museums and many of those other collections do receive support from public funds. Therefore, part of our heritage asset is protected by a respected standards scheme, while other important collections are without the guidance and focus offered by the accreditation standard. I would suggest that this might be one of the issues that needs to be addressed within the museums development policy. We must ensure that the other important aspects of our heritage held within the public sector are cared for in the same fashion as they are in our museums.
14. That issue was examined — to a certain degree — by the local museum and heritage review. That review — as the Committee will recall — was instigated in 1999 by the previous Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Michael McGimpsey, with a view to:
“strengthen the arrangements for the preservation, interpretation, promotion and educational use of heritage in Northern Ireland”.
15. The council was disappointed that the recommendations of that review were not followed through to any great degree. However, the study did raise some salient points, and I believe that its process offers valuable lessons as we begin work on devising a museums policy — not least in avoiding the pitfalls of embracing too broad a scope. That is the reason for my emphasis on focusing solely on museums. I also believe that we should avoid an over-emphasis on the support structures in the first instance, rather than deciding what needs to be done and then assessing the means of delivery. This is the second point that we stressed to the Minister in our paper, and the council would ask that the Committee keeps this in mind during future deliberations.
16. Returning to the definition of a museum — but also within the scope of the local museum and heritage review — the council suggests that the vision for building museums for the future is underpinned by four strategic pillars. These four pillars are: collections development; infrastructure and staffing; education and learning; and visitor services and marketing. Obviously, in the context of this meeting, I am not going to go into any of these in great detail. However, I would like to identify some of the salient points.
17. On collections development, for example, the Northern Ireland Museums Council would ask how collections are being managed. What must be done to ensure that the appropriate environmental, housekeeping, documentation, storage and security arrangements are in place? What is being collected? Are there aspects of our heritage that need to be collected? Is the necessary research and expertise available to do that? The survey of museum collections in Northern Ireland — which we compiled and the Minister launched just before Christmas — provides valuable baseline information about what is contained in our museums. It also outlines steps towards devising a collections development strategy.
18. The infrastructure and staffing pillar concerns the buildings, services and people needed to develop the policy. The mapping exercise that the Northern Ireland Museums Council launched last year does a fair amount of work in that regard by assessing what is in place. This is a period of unprecedented capital investment: we estimate that at least £40 million is being invested in our museums for newbuild and renovation.
19. Our research suggests that — in order to cope with the enhanced level of expectation and the increasing number of visitors — we now need to invest in the people who will work in the new museums. We must ensure that the new facilities have an appropriate complement of suitably trained staff to deliver the service requirement and to develop an enhanced level of research, exhibitions and events. Our rolling training programme does that. Indeed, there are two such training courses in progress at the moment. Later in the summer, we will conduct a survey of the people who work in our museums, to ascertain their various strengths and weaknesses. That should provide a basis for the visitor services and marketing pillar.
20. Later in 2008, the Northern Ireland Museums Council will publish the results of its audit and review of education and learning in the 37 accredited museums. It is anticipated that that will lead to the establishment of a learning framework for museums in Northern Ireland.
21. In 1821, eight men — all younger than 26 — met at the home of Dr James Drummond in Belfast and established the Belfast Natural History Society. Over the next eight years, they collected various items and established a museum. Financed by subscriptions and donations, they took out a lease on a building in College Square North in Belfast — now known as the Old Museum Arts Centre — and opened it as our first museum in 1831. The motivation of those founders was educational: the museum’s purpose was to enhance, inspire and edify. The contemporary definition of museums indicates that that focus has not changed.
22. Museums have a considerable opportunity to serve society by building up their potential as centres for actual and virtual learning. The new curriculum offers much greater flexibility on how museums can use collections and provide an unprecedented resource for adult education, informal learning and higher and further education.
23. Evidence suggests that the founders of the Belfast museum were also concerned with attracting as many people as possible to their venue — in much the same way as their modern counterparts are. On establishment, the museum was really only visited by members of the Belfast Natural History Society, researchers, scholars and friends. However, in May 1837, it opened six days a week to the public and attracted a reasonable number of people. The museum was advertised on posters on the steam package vessels that sailed daily between Donaghadee and Belfast, bringing workers to the city. However, their marketing really paid off on Easter Monday 1845 when the museum was opened to the general public and mechanicals — that is, they wanted to attract the working class and the C2Ds that contemporary museums are all chasing.
24. On that day, almost 1,000 people turned up at the museum, and, to quote a wonderful recollection of the event, members will be pleased to hear:
“The utmost decorum and quietness was observed, and no object in the collection was damaged”.
25. Marketing, particularly promotion, should be the sector’s main concern and a principal strategic focus of this museums policy, and, as with the other areas to which I have referred, the council is committed to surveying, in the coming months, what museums are doing.
26. One notable success in this area was the national marketing initiatives that National Museums Northern Ireland undertook, which brought about medium- to long-term rewards. Such rewards, especially with regard to tourism, can be unlocked for local museums, too. Like the original Belfast Museum and Art Gallery, however, the bread and butter visitors are local repeat visitors.
27. Each of the four strategic areas that I have highlighted can be unpicked, analysed and examined in much greater detail. However, this overview will, hopefully, add to the Committee’s deliberations.
28. A museums policy is necessary for four principal reasons. First, a policy provides a blueprint and the rationale for placing prioritised funding. Secondly, it offers the opportunity to build the cross-departmental and cross-disciplinary relationships with regard to how museums contribute to, for example, education and tourism. Thirdly, a policy provides the blueprint of inter-relationships with other Government agendas; for example, in the Programme for Government. Finally, it offers an opportunity for guidance, leadership and, as is rightly identified in the inquiry’s robust terms of reference, the necessary step towards joined-up thinking across not only the sector but other Government agendas.
29. I hope that that overview was useful, and I am happy to take any questions.
30. The Chairperson: Thank you for a thought-provoking presentation.
31. Mr Brolly: With regard to marketing, you said that repeat visitors are the museums’ bread and butter. How difficult is it to persuade someone to make that first visit? There must be tens of thousands of people who have never set foot inside a museum. How do you get to those people?
32. Mr Bailey: I am not sure how one gets to the non-attender. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) carried out two pieces of research, the results of which are on the council’s website. The most recent was in 2004, and it is now time to do another one. People were asked why they did not visit museums, and many cited a lack of time and interest. When the research was further examined, and as a result of work done by the council, the physical-access barriers have been virtually eliminated. We are still working on the intellectual-access barriers. The economic-access barriers, meanwhile, are fairly minimal with regard to museums because over two thirds of museums in Northern Ireland have free access. That leaves the social and cultural barriers, on which the council is doing a lot of work.
33. The museum sector generally, however, is doing something right because there has been a 21% increase in attendance over the past five years to 971,000. That is equivalent to 60% of the population in Northern Ireland, although that figure includes repeat visitors.
34. That is why we are examining the way in which museums are marketed. One of the key weaknesses in the local museums sector is the absence of joined-up thinking — a lot of the local-authority museums publicise themselves, but there is no on-selling. For example, if I go to Down County Museum and enjoy my visit, there is no sign to tell me the location of other museums.
35. We do some joined-up marketing through our website and provide visitors — particularly those from overseas — with access to the baseline information on all the museums in Northern Ireland. However, that is a reactive approach rather than a proactive one.
36. Therefore, doing much of our research on marketing museums would expand and elaborate on the reasons why people do not visit museums. In response to being asked why he did not visit museums, one brutally honest individual said that he was generally apathetic. We must address that general apathy and highlight the pre-eminent rewards of visiting museums.
37. Lord Browne: I declare an interest as a director of the Somme Association Northern Ireland, which has a museum at Conlig. On behalf of the directors and staff of the association, I praise NIMC for the invaluable and professional service that it has provided over many years, which we could not do without.
38. You mentioned the important issues, such as how to maintain a collection, accreditation, staffing and marketing. Those are all difficulties that small museums face, particularly with the economic downturn. You have mentioned all the important points, such as the accreditation of the small museums. I take the opportunity to advertise the Somme Heritage Centre, which has one of the highest throughputs of visitors of museums in Northern Ireland.
39. The educational role of museums, particularly with schools, is very important. There is a sixth-form conference held each year at the Somme Heritage Centre, which is very well attended and is correlated with the curriculum. I used to be a teacher, but I have no idea what children are taught at schools now — I am totally out of touch.
40. A museums policy is required. Would there be any benefit in having a site that could house several museums together under one roof with their own displays? Such a scheme could take place in the Titanic Quarter for example and, although they are run differently, include military museums.
41. Mr Bailey: You highlighted the Somme Heritage Centre and the sixth-form conference that it holds, which was funded through the ‘Their Past Your Future’ initiative. We funded a second initiative at the Somme Heritage Centre about code breaking, which included a display of an enigma machine and other equipment brought over from Bletchley Park. That event was linked with the curriculum, and there was a record number of attendees, particularly students at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 level. The organisers of that event had the imagination and the energy to link it, not with the history curriculum, but with the mathematics curriculum.
42. That is indicative of the potential of museums, and highlights — as I emphasised — the breadth of opportunity that the new curriculum offers teachers to use the heritage and history of museums as an automatic part of the equation and to teach natural history and citizenship. We must ensure that museums are well positioned and have the resources to cope with such activities, so that their capacity can be exploited.
43. The Somme Heritage Centre is an independent museum. Approximately half of local museums are run by local authorities and the other half are run by independent or voluntary bodies.
44. The decision made in the review of public administration to transfer our functions to local authorities does not take account of the needs of local museums. That part of the equation has not been thought through in the RPA. That is why I advocated being allowed to see what needs to be done and what support structures need to be put in place for museums, after we decide what we want to do and what potential we hope to unlock. If we, as we did with the local museum and heritage review, focus on structures, we miss out on the possibility of those being malleable to what is required.
45. I recognise that the Committee is pressed for time, so I will move to my final point. I do not think that NIMC can be dictatorial and say that it must have one of those, one of those and one of those. However, we can engineer a museum policy that has a consultation process to address — perhaps under the pillar of collections — what we want to collect and what we want to communicate. That can address not only Northern Ireland’s military history but, perhaps, its maritime and aviation history, too, which are big issues. What are we going to do with the Ulster Aviation Society? What are we going to do with HMS Caroline and SS Nomadic?
46. It is under that pillar of the strategic support structures that we can begin to address such questions.
47. Mr P Ramsey: You are very welcome, Chris. I want to follow on from what Wallace said. From Derry City Council’s perspective, I acknowledge the invaluable working partnership with, and leadership of, NIMC, and how much we have benefited from that.
48. I am concerned about the latter points that were made about RPA. One particular matter, which I am not sure about, related to the lack of centralised support structures in place for the independent sector. I am referring to the Museum of Free Derry and the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall in the city of Derry, which are two very independent structures that would be lacking under devolved local government.
49. We know that RPA will be implemented in 2011. However, a question tabled to Minister Poots asked what will happen in the meantime. He said that he would like to see something put in place, but he did not say what. We should ask the Minister about whether he envisages that the Northern Ireland Museums Council will move beyond 2011.
50. It is important to acknowledge the accreditation standards that the Northern Ireland Museums Council has set as a barometer. Does public expenditure for museums services lag behind in comparison to other regions of the UK and Ireland? Is it the usual nonsense, or is it the same for art and sport?
51. I assume that £40 million is the total capital spend for Northern Ireland? Is there an indication of the shortfall in resources required to manage that product? It was indicated that additional staff resources and training would be required. I am concerned that local government will not have the capacity, specialist advice and quality of services that the Northern Ireland Museums Council provides. What are local authorities going to do in 2011 without that capacity? We have seen a similar scenario with the Events Company and the difficulties that it experienced with staffing. It is now disappearing back into DCAL. We do not know how that is going to work, but I can see major problems. Will you give us your perspective on that?
52. Mr Bailey: In response to Alex Attwood’s question for oral answer on Monday 19 May 2008, the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure said: “My Department is considering that. It would be unacceptable to have a gap in funding between 2009 and 2011. Therefore, if we cannot transfer the Northern Ireland Museums Council’s functions by 2009, it would be logical to continue funding until that transfer takes place.”
53. That response does not outline conclusively whether funding will be forthcoming. That still causes us difficulty from an executive point of view, because I have been told that we will not receive funding after 2009. Unless the Minister or the Department confirms that funding will be available, I will, by September 2008, be forced to start winding down the organisation.
54. That raises a delicate point. We should, perhaps, within the museums policy, consider challenging the automatic assumption that the RPA conclusion is the best way to progress. At the moment, NIMC’s functions will be transferred to local authorities, and, on that basis, funding may continue until 2011. That is the structural argument that I mentioned earlier. We should, perhaps, decide on an appropriate plan and, subsequently, establish the relevant support structures.
55. The document outlines how capital spend is progressing, but does not necessarily provide a funding breakdown. However, of that £40 million of funding — which includes the national museums — roughly a third derives from the Department, a third from the Heritage Lottery Fund and a third from local authorities.
56. We cannot evaluate staff shortfall at the moment. Fewer than two weeks ago, the new Mid-Antrim Museum at the Braid was launched officially, and they are assessing — based on visitor numbers and the increased demand for services — what staff complement is required. Therefore, the evaluation of optimum staffing requirements will be an organic process conducted on a venue-by-venue basis. Furthermore, the Newry and Mourne Museum has conducted the same process after its relocation to Bagenal’s Castle.
57. We will continue, as far as possible, to offer centralised, professional training because that is a key aspect of the role of local authorities. If NIMC’s functions are transferred to local authorities, it is possible that its role will be replicated 11 times across the Province. Given the Committee’s discussion on bureaucracy, I do not consider that a valuable way to progress. We must examine the numerous ways to cut that pie. However, we must first outline the vision, process and targets.
58. Are we under-funded? Statistics show that spend per capita is much lower here than elsewhere. However, the distribution of that funding is a separate matter, because in Northern Ireland, the Department allocates more than £11 million of Government money to national museums. However, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure allocates £280,000 to local museums through NIMC. Therefore, the differential is large. We could definitely spend much more money; however, I do not know whether that would represent value for money because I am unsure of the Committee’s targets.
59. If we set out our vision and targets, and if the Department gives us a certain amount to get from a to b, we can do that. We can come back to the Department or the Committee, and they will ask whether it was done and whether there was underspend or overspend, and they can then assess whether it was value for money.
60. I am sorry that the answer is convoluted and not as direct as members might need, but I hope that it gives some shape to the matter.
61. Mr Brolly: I wish to return to the control of museums. The suggestion that they should be moved to local councils seems to be inconsistent with what is being done in the RPA generally. For example, a single education authority will take the place of the various local boards. We are about to bring into statutory existence a single library authority, which will take control of libraries away from the education and library boards. It seems inconsistent that the RPA will take control of museums away from a dedicated central body and give it to local councils. There is an argument against that. I do not know what sort of role local councils can really play, except, possibly, to control funding.
62. Mr Shannon: There might be 11 different strategies.
63. Mr P Ramsey: There would be no strategic vision.
64. Mr Brolly: Just before I finish, is NIMC making any headway on the formation of policy for museums being handed out to independent consultants? Will the Minister allow the Museums Council to formulate the policy? NIMC could send him a bill that would be commensurate that which outside consultants would charge, and that sum could keep NIMC going for several years.
65. The Chairperson: That is helpful, Francie. Thank you. [Laughter.]
66. Mr Bailey: I will be brief. The key word that Mr Brolly used was “control”. The Museums Council does not control the museums; it is a facilitator or service body, and, hopefully, it will retain some independence. In that respect, it provides a unique service. Perhaps that is part of the confusion about the transfer of functions. The term “transfer of functions” was also used in respect of the rural road network or libraries, where the function was not previously undertaken by local authorities but — as in the case of planning — by central Government.
67. As far as museums are concerned, under legislation, such as the Recreation and Youth Service (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 and the Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, local authorities already have the remit to run museums. That is causing some confusion. If they already have that function, what is RPA attempting to transfer? It is attempting to transfer the service requirement that the Museums Council operates.
68. Independent museums are a different issue. Independent museums will raise their plight, because they feel that if central Government allocates money to a local authority to run museums, the local authority will not be of a mind to devolve that money to an independent museum; it would rather spend it on its own museum.
69. With regard to control of policy, we do not feel that we are in a fit state to control the development of policy; it is much more a partnership affair. The Museums Council will take on a co-ordinating role, but it needs a stack of other stakeholders, the Committee, the independent museums, the national museums and the local authorities to act as the first focus group.
70. We have all the intelligence but, quite rightly, the policy process resides with the Department and, though the Minister, the Executive. We need that marriage to take place also. Therefore, I would not take such a direct, linear approach as that which was suggested.
71. Mr Brolly: The Committee has made the case for the Museums Council quite vocally. It would be an absolute waste to remove authority from a body that has knowledge and to give it to those who will gain that knowledge by talking to that body. There is no consistency.
72. Mr Bailey: There is a danger in that. Having said that, an element of detachment is required, otherwise it may be perceived that we have a vested interest. Placing our research and number-crunching activities in the departmental process would enable it to be viewed in the broader context of what else is happening in Government and what the other priorities are in the Department of Education and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
73. Mr Brolly: There will be no shortage of scrutiny. You should not worry about that.
74. Mr Bailey: That is correct; there should be no shortage.
75. Mr D Bradley: Good morning, you are welcome. You mentioned the four pillars, one of which was education and learning. I know that you gave some examples when you were responding to Wallace’s questions. What is your vision for education and learning in relation to museums?
76. Mr Bailey: I cannot currently quote chapter and verse because we are still in the midst of conducting a lot of research. We conducted a penetrative audit on what is happening in museums, which considers the formal and informal aspects.
77. I am convinced that museums have not yet got the capacity to exploit the full potential of education and learning. That is illustrated by the flatlining of the number of schoolchildren who attended museums over the past five years. That is partly due to difficulties with school transport, but it is also due to museums not having rooms available or the necessary staff expertise.
78. My personal vision is to see museums being able to engender those life-changing experiences that people get from visiting museums. I have witnessed examples of that through people handling the actual objects, for example, Neolithic hand axes. Such experiences can give nine-year-olds, for example, an understanding of previous generations. Another example of getting an understanding of history is Takabuti, the Egyptian mummy, which was one of the first artefacts in the Belfast Natural and Philosophical Society’s museum in 1835.
79. If members bear with me, I will elaborate on that at a later stage. It is a vital aspect.
80. Mr D Bradley: What advice do you give to local museums about continuing to build upon their local collections?
81. The Chairperson: That question could also be applied to someone who wants to start up a new museum.
82. Mr D Bradley: A huge amount of material is available locally, and a huge amount of people are willing to donate it. Obviously, there is a problem with storage, and museums have to be selective in what they take. Sometimes people can be disappointed that, for example, their grandfather’s correspondence with their granny before they got married was not accepted by a museum. What guidance do you give on such issues?
83. Mr Bailey: Museums, under their governance rules, are required to have an acquisition and disposal policy, which states that they will acquire certain items, and it lays out the rationale for that.
84. Many of the local authority museums acquire items from a geographic area. Other more advanced local authority areas, for example, the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum — which has what could be described as a dual mandate — collect Irish linen, but also items from the locality around Lisburn.
85. For a lot of the independent museums, for example, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland at Whitehead, such an acquisition and disposal policy will have a specific focus. Alternatively, they may be galvanised by a particular view or period in history, such as the Museum of Free Derry.
86. The acquisition and disposal policy is the touchstone. When someone asks for their great uncle’s letters to be put in a museum, the museum will consider whether it wants to take them. Museums must be selective. We have identified the extent to which storage is an issue in our research. That could be considered under the collections development pillar.
87. People approach us on a monthly basis about starting new museums. Not all museums in Northern Ireland are eligible to become accredited, and not all museums choose to go down the accreditation route. That does not mean that we do not service and advise those museums.
88. Often, members of the public call us to say that they are clearing their house and that they have a collection. Indeed, a woman from Limavady called us last week to say that she had the unfortunate task of clearing her great aunt’s house and wanted to know what to do with the items that she found. Dealing with such queries is part of our public-service role. We have a mechanism in place for starting new museums. However, if someone tells us that they want to start a museum, I am afraid that one of the first things that we tell them is that they need to start a museum like they need a hole in the head. It is an onerous responsibility. Remember, museums are not just for Christmas, they exist in perpetuity.
89. The Chairperson: Thank you, Chris — that is more food for thought.
Members present for all or part of the proceedings:
Mr Barry McElduff (Chairperson)
Mr Francie Brolly
The Lord Browne
Mr Kieran McCarthy
Mr Raymond McCartney
Mr Nelson McCausland
Mr Pat Ramsey
Mr Ken Robinson
Mr Jim Shannon
In attendance:
Ms Meadhbh McCann |
Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Library Services |
Witnesses:
Mr Stevie McManus |
Milford Building Preservation Trust |
|
Ms Stella McDermott |
Heritage Lottery Fund |
|
Ms Frances Bailey |
The National Trust |
|
Mr Johnny Glendinning |
Railway Preservation Society of Ireland |
90. The Chairperson (Mr McElduff): I draw members’ attention to two research papers. The paper entitled ‘Museums Policy’ provides an introduction to museum policy in general and offers an overview of the development of museum policy in England, Wales, France and Canada. The other paper entitled ‘Museums Policy in Northern Ireland’ examines the levels of public-sector investment in museums and compares it with that of other regions. I invite Meadhbh McCann from Research and Library Services to brief members on those research papers.
91. Ms Meadhbh McCann (Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Library Services): My presentation will be divided into two sections. The first will deal with regional and international examples of best practice in museum policy. The second will focus on museums policy in Northern Ireland.
92. Museum policy is, essentially, a legislative agreement that is made by Governments to establish and support museums. That involves administrative and financial elements and input in respect of decisions that are taken by individual museums in order to establish a role in their communities. Museum policy varies from country to country and, sometimes, from region to region in order to meet the specific needs of an area or cultural space. Therefore, to talk about best practice in museum policy is relatively anecdotal because the specific needs of one country or region might vary greatly from those of another. Sometimes, museum policy is not dealt with explicitly in its own right, but forms part of wider cultural policy.
93. In recent decades, cultural policies have been adopted by a broad spectrum of authorities ranging from local regional bodies to state and international Governments. The majority of European countries now have some form of programme, action plan or policy for culture. In 1998, the UK Museums Association agreed on the definition of a museum:
“Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society.”
94. The following regions and nations have been selected for comparison of museum policies: England, Wales, France and Canada. England has approximately 1,400 registered or accredited museums. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has four main priorities: allowing children the opportunity to enjoy a vibrant cultural and sporting life; opening institutions to the widest possible cross-section of people; encouraging creative leisure and tourist industries to provide the maximum possible benefit to the economy; and ensuring that museums and galleries are exciting, modern and provide real value for money.
95. In Wales, in 2006, the Department for Heritage established that there were 143 museums, 89 of which are accredited. A four-year governmental programme entitled ‘One Wales: A Progressive Agenda for the Government of Wales’ was introduced in 2007. That programme includes making Wales’s rich cultural heritage available to all.
96. In France, there are some 1,200 museums operating as part of Musées de France — a category created by law in 2002. Funding is made available to museums via the regions. In 1990, the French National Heritage Institute was created to provide specialist training to future curators in scientific and management tasks. In 2002, reforms freed museums in France, allowing them to operate more independently. The state’s responsibility is limited solely to acquisition. In 2001, a policy of free entry was introduced in Paris, and throughout France a principle of free entry for under-18s was introduced. France has introduced eco-museums, which have proved popular and respond to new demands from society.
97. In Canada, the Ministry responsible for culture is the Federal Department of Canadian Heritage. There are possibly 2,500 museums run not for profit, including large metropolitan galleries and small community museums. Some 59 million visits per annum were recorded. A virtual museum attracts millions of domestic and international online users. A pilot project aimed at improving the virtual museum’s learning centre, is also under way. The federal museums assistance programme, which operates across Canada, was still operating at 1972 levels in 2006. It provided only short-term project funding from a budget of 9 million Canadian dollars a year.
98. The second part of my presentation relates to museums policy in Northern Ireland. It is estimated that some 400 facilities are characterised as museums or centres, heritage centres or historical and listed buildings — none of which are registered museums. Of those 400, 88% state that they house objects, documents or interesting displays. Of the 26 district councils, nine do not run a museum. During 2007-08, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has allocated just under £18 million for provision of museums: the precise figure is £17,992,000. Of that amount, the museums sector received the following: Northern Ireland Museums Council — £363,000; National Museums Northern Ireland — £14,972,000. The museums branch of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has stated that the following allocations, made in the 2007 comprehensive spending review for the financial year 2008-09, are as follows: to National Museums Northern Ireland, £12∙85 million, recurrent; and to the Somme Heritage Centre, £30,000 from resources. National Museums Northern Ireland also received £590,000 as capital funding.
99. The internal reallocation during the June monitoring process has meant that the National Museums Northern Ireland capital budget has increased to £7∙911 million. However, that allocation includes £291,000 that was awarded to cover overspend in 2007-08. That sum will be clawed back later in the financial year.
100. I turn to potential benefits arising from investment in museums. PricewaterhouseCoopers states that the museums sector in Northern Ireland might potentially benefit the following areas: tourism, the knowledge economy, regeneration, social cohesion and inclusion, education, employment and the economy.
101. The total number of visitors to museums in Northern Ireland in 2005 and 2006 was 1,205,523. Of those visitors, 456,921 visited local museums, and 749,002 visited national museums. Museums in Northern Ireland attracted an 8% share of visitors to the country in 2004. Those visitors spent approximately £37·8 million, compared to £24·2 million in 2001.
102. Let us compare those figures with the allocations made to other regions. The allocations to various museums in England in 2006-07 were taken from a total of £478 million. The 2007-08 allocations were taken from a total of £522 million, and the allocations for 2008-09 were taken from a planned total of £534·520 million.
103. Public-sector investment in museums by the Scottish Parliament included £28·864 million for the National Museum of Scotland, and £4·041 million for other non-national museums. In total, £93·118 million was allocated to the whole museum sector in Scotland, which includes archives, galleries and monuments. The Scottish Arts Council is the main channel for governmental sponsorship of the arts in Scotland. The planned budgets for that area for 2007-08 will be over £66 million, which represents an increase of 69% on 2002-03. Post devolution, the funding allocation has increased, and by 2007-08 it will have more than doubled.
104. The Welsh Assembly Government has allocated £24·5 million to National Museum of Wales in 2008-09. Museums in Wales may also apply to a range of schemes through the Welsh Assembly, such as economic-development funding, the strategic change investment fund and organisations such as the Arts Council of Wales.
105. In the Republic of Ireland, the National Museum of Ireland received €6 million in capital funding and €13·512 million in current funding in 2007. In 2008, the National Museum of Ireland is due to receive €4·630 million in capital funding and €14·428 million in current funding.
106. Mr Shannon: You said that 8% of visitors to Northern Ireland visited museums. Is that correct? Have you any figures for Scotland and Wales? Perhaps I missed that.
107. Ms M McCann: The numbers of visitors to museums in Northern Ireland that I have mentioned are for 2004. Those are the latest tourism figures that I could get. The figures for Scotland were for more recent years. I did not want to use them as a comparator.
108. Mr Shannon: Would there be a comparator for 2004 for Scotland and Wales? It is obvious that Scotland and Wales are spending a fair bit of money on museums, and they are spending more. I want to discover whether there is a trend, and whether the more they spend, the more visitors they get. Did they start from the same level of playing field as we are?
109. The Chairperson: Those figures will be forthcoming.
110. Meadhbh, you mentioned an eco-museum in France. Is there any definition of an eco-museum? What constitutes an eco-museum?
111. Ms M McCann: As I understand it, the eco-museum concept has proved extremely popular in France. It has increased awareness, and has changed French society’s views about what it wants to see in museums. It represents a more scientific approach, and is not so much about artefacts. It relates more widely to current society, and is a very modern version of a museum. There is little statistical evidence that I could obtain, because it is such a new concept. However, it has proved popular.
112. Mr K Robinson: Where is it located in France?
113. Ms M McCann: I am not certain. I assume from my reading about it that it is quite close to Paris. I can find that out for you.
114. The Chairperson: It is my understanding that an eco-museum can often be associated with an industry. It could be associated with shipbuilding, linen industries, fishing, etc.
115. Mr K Robinson: Or the nuclear industry.
116. Mr P Ramsey: Do you have comparable figures for per capita spend across the regions?
117. Ms M McCann: Do you want the figures for per capita spend for Northern Ireland, compared with Scotland? I have those, but they are not included in this presentation, which relates solely to the amount of money that has been allocated to each sector from each region.
118. Mr P Ramsey: For future reference, it would be useful to know the per capita spend.
119. Ms M McCann: I know that the Republic’s per capita spend is much higher than ours.
120. Mr P Ramsey: I thought as much.
121. The Chairperson: Those requests for information have been noted and will be addressed.
122. Mr McCartney: Page 10 of the research paper details the number of participants in education programmes. Do the programmes entail a one-off visit or a series of visits?
123. Ms M McCann: They involve a series of visits. They were grouped together according to which programmes were being run. I will try to obtain a breakdown of those.
124. Mr McCausland: Does the figure of 8% represent the number of people of who visited Northern Ireland museums as a percentage of the total number visitors to Northern Ireland for that year?
125. Ms M McCann: Yes. That percentage was calculated using the transport papers for 2004.
126. Mr McCausland: Do we know what percentage of local people visited museums?
127. Ms M McCann: We have figures only for how many people visited local museums, compared with national museums.
128. Mr McCausland: I am referring to the number of local people who visited local and national museums in Northern Ireland. What percentage of the population in Northern Ireland visits a museum each year?
129. Ms M McCann: I do not have an indigenous figure for the number of citizens who visit museums.
130. The Chairperson: It would be difficult to obtain those figures.
131. Ms M McCann: I agree. [Interruption.]
132. The Chairperson: I do not often have to do this, but there are at least three meetings taking place at the moment so I ask that only one member speaks at a time. Mr McCausland was making a point about indigenous visitors to museums.
133. Mr McCausland: Yes. It would be helpful if a body such as the Northern Ireland Museums Council could obtain those figures. Some years ago, I took a group of senior citizens from my constituency to the museum, none of which had been before.
134. The Chairperson: Which museum was that?
135. Mr McCausland: It was the Ulster Museum. It is only at the other end of town from my constituency; it has free admission — and yet they had never visited it before. While at the museum, the group was excited and interested to learn about, among other things, a painter who came from their area. It troubles me that we are not reaching out to a wider population.
136. The Chairperson: Tourists and local visitors are both important.
137. Mr McCausland: Yes.
138. Mr P Ramsey: I am sure that museum visitor numbers recorded by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board do not include figures for independent museums, such as the Apprentice Boy’s Memorial Hall in Derry and the Free Derry Museum. That will affect the quality of evidence that we will require throughout the inquiry.
139. We are without much evidence. It is easy to say that of the total amount of people who come to Northern Ireland, 8% visit museums. Surely more than 8% of visitors go to museums. We do not know the figures for independent museums.
140. Ms M McCann: At the start of the presentation, I indicated that 400 facilities are not accredited. Unaccredited museums are not counted in the statistics. Those 400 facilities keep their own records. Accredited museums will have their visitor numbers reported. Independent museums will not have the same records so it is difficult to establish visitor patterns for them.
141. Mr McCausland: I wish to pick up on a previous point. You mentioned the Northern Ireland Tourist Board — does that figure of 8% include only the number of people who come to Northern Ireland on holiday or does it include the number of people visiting on business? Generally, people who visit Northern Ireland on business do so to attend conferences, etc — not to visit museums.
142. Ms M McCann: Would you like a breakdown of that 8% figure?
143. Mr McCausland: Yes; the figure may be higher if one concentrates on holidaymakers.
144. The Chairperson: Meadhbh is aware of the questions that Members want addressed. Thank you, Meadhbh, for your presentation.
145. I invite Mr Stevie McManus from Milford Buildings Preservation Trust to join us. A copy of the trust’s written submission is included in members’ packs.
146. Stevie, I must ask you a formal question that the Committee asks of all witnesses: do you intend to release a press statement following this briefing to the Committee?
147. Mr Stevie McManus (Milford Building Preservation Trust): Not if the Committee does not wish me to do so.
148. The Chairperson: I ask each group of witnesses individually if they wish to release a statement. You are free to do so; it is a matter for you.
149. Stevie, if you would like to make an opening statement, members may ask questions afterwards.
150. Mr McManus: Good morning. I am the trustee director and keeper of collections of the Milford House Museum. The collection is owned by the Milford Buildings Preservation Trust, a registered charity that was set up nine years ago by myself and nine other members, when I was 15, to protect, promote and preserve Milford House for the benefit of the nation.
151. For those among you who have not heard of Milford House, it is famous for being the most technologically advanced house in nineteenth-century Ireland. It was the first house in Ireland to have hydroelectricity, and it was owned by the McCrum family, who were one of Ireland’s premier linen-manufacturing dynasties. Indeed, Robert Garmany McCrum invented an electric kettle and dishwasher.
152. The Wall Street crash hit the family fortunes hard, and, as a result, most of the home’s contents were sold off at auction. Any items that the family had kept were given back to the museum by the family in 2005. We have opened a museum at the house’s gate lodge. The main house is derelict; in fact, it is one of the listed buildings in Northern Ireland at most serious risk. It was last used as the Manor House Special Care Hospital, which closed in 1991.
153. The museum receives no Government funding; it is self-funded. Part of the difficulty is that the gate lodge, unlike the main house, is not a listed building, and we did not receive support from local or national Government with regard to it. Furthermore, a museum must be registered in order to receive funding — that makes it more difficult to obtain funding. Thus, the project was undertaken with money that was raised by the trust and through donations from past pupils of the Manor House School — the house was a private girls’ school during the 1930s and 1940s.
154. I want to speak today about the review of museums legislation. I understand that the Northern Ireland Museums Council is under review. The Milford House Museum has found the council extremely supportive. That said, we would not have heard of it had the council not contacted us after having read a piece that we had written in one of the local newspapers. Therefore, I feel that that resource should be used more. It is important that museums be accredited, but many independent museums are not aware of the accreditation process.
155. There should also be more support, if only moral support, for independent museums. There seems to be a great deal of emphasis placed on county museums and state-owned museums such as the Ulster Museum. Local museums play an important part in the tourism industry and promote business and culture. For example, the history of Milford House would have been lost for ever had our trust not tried to do something about it.
156. The Milford Buildings Preservation Trust believes that there should be specific legislation for Northern Ireland, rather than simply general UK legislation. The accreditation system is very much centralised in London. That is fine, but museums in Northern Ireland should be able to be accredited separately, which would make the process easier and quicker. Although in many cases independent museums in Northern Ireland are similar to those in England, the legislation is slightly different.
157. If the Northern Ireland Assembly decided to do away with the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC) and not replace it with any legislation or infrastructures, it would be seriously detrimental to independent museums as there would be nothing to regulate or support them.
158. Museums accredited with the Northern Ireland Museums Council pay membership, and there is a pot fund that helps to fund simple matters such as framing and conserving items or putting an item on display. In this day and age when it is becoming more difficult get funding, that kind of resource is extremely important. It is also important to have such an organisation where one can go to for advice. I have worked with local, county and national museums and the Ulster Museum, and they have been very supportive. An organisation such as the Northern Ireland Museums Council relates more to the independent museums, and it also provides the opportunity to meet other independent museums.
159. Milford Buildings Preservation Trust’s recommendation is for the Northern Ireland Museums Council to stay, but it needs to be drastically improved. Its resources must also be improved and promoted more. Many independent museums were not aware that the council existed. The fact that non-accredited museums have not been recognised has already been mentioned this morning. The Milford Buildings Preservation Trust is not currently an accredited museum, although it is in the process of becoming one, and it fully acknowledges that it needs that status.
160. It is wrong to dismiss non-accredited museums. Many museums are not accredited and would like to be, but in many cases it is a slow process. In some cases, if a museum is not accredited it is simply ignored. That is wrong and it has a detrimental effect. Museums need to be accredited, but there should be more support available to help non-accredited museums to become accredited. The paperwork is often difficult and, if a person is not trained, it is difficult to put the paperwork together and meet the necessary standards. Since 2005, the Milford Buildings Preservation Trust has found that the standards have become much stricter. Some leeway and support is needed for museums to be able to become accredited. For example, were museums unable to meet the standards before getting accreditation, it could be that they could be given one year after getting accreditation to do so.
161. The Chairperson: Thank you, Mr McManus.
162. Mr McCarthy: Mr McManus may have already answered my question but I will ask it anyway. Has the fact that the Department does not have a formal museums policy had a detrimental impact on the museums sector in Northern Ireland?
163. Mr McManus: I feel that that is so. Apart from the state and county museums, I had not heard of the majority of independent museums. Many people who manage such museums do not know where to turn for the necessary support.
164. Mr McCarthy: That answers all my further questions.
165. Mr McCausland: How does your museum operate as regards promotion and visitor access? I know that that may be difficult to answer, especially as it is not an accredited museum.
166. Mr McManus: Milford Buildings Preservation Trust is open at weekends from 1.00 pm to 5.30 pm and a guided tour is available. It is similar to a historic-house museum, but it differs from the National Trust in that some of the items can be handled and visitors can sit down.
167. Mr McCausland: Is the museum open throughout the year or just over the summer?
168. Mr McManus: This is the museum’s first year in operation, and the season will close at the end of September. However, outside those periods visitors can come by arrangement, therefore, many people phone in advance. The museum is run on a voluntary basis with no paid staff. The museum is promoted through Armagh Down Tourism Partnership and it has a website. We had problems printing leaflets. We know how we should promote the museum but we do not have the necessary resources. We receive no funding, and we have found it difficult to get funding from our local authority, which is Armagh City and District Council.
169. They give us only moral support. The district council is not responsible for any museums as such — the county museum is run by Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland (MAGNI) — and does not really understand museums. Furthermore, its ethos is concentrated very much in the Georgian period, whereas we fit into the Victorian period.
170. Lord Browne: Thank you. You have made a strong case in your presentation for the role that the Northern Ireland Museums Council has played in assisting you. You obviously believe that it plays an important role. Has it helped you in any way to draw up a policy framework? You are not currently accredited?
171. Mr McManus: No. We are not accredited. We are in the process of trying to achieve that. We hope to pursue accreditation in November of this year.
172. The Northern Ireland Museums Council has been brilliant. In particular, the accreditation development officer, Heather McGuicken, has been very good. If one needs anything at all, she will help, visit at a moment’s notice and make contact with other museums. Through working with other established and accredited museums, we have learned how to meet the necessary standards and, indeed, how to become accredited.
173. Lord Browne: Therefore, in your opinion, the Northern Ireland Museums Council plays a pivotal role in organising and helping museums such as yours?
174. Mr McManus: Most definitely. However, it is an organisation that needs to be promoted more. Had it not contacted us, we would not have been aware that it existed.
175. Mr Brolly: Could you use the fact that the penalty kick was introduced by Mr McCrum in Milford as a promotional tool? Perhaps an international penalty-taking competition would draw attention to the museum.
176. Mr McManus: Certainly. The introduction of the penalty kick by Mr McCrum is a key promotional tool.
177. I have talked about Milford House being nineteenth-century Ireland’s most technologically-advanced house. However, the fact that it was the birthplace and home of the man who invented the penalty kick is the only tool we have been able to use to gain any press coverage. We cling to that, but we have not had much luck in using that fact to gain any funding. We have tried it from every angle without success — in part because we are not an accredited museum.
178. We approached the Heritage Lottery Fund for funding when trying to establish the museum. We were told to either give the items back to the original owners or place them in the Armagh County Museum. To place the items in that museum was not an option as the museum did not want them, and what the museum had of the content of the house had been in a storeroom for 45 years. Therefore, we persevered.
179. I fully agree that it is difficult to promote a museum if it is not accredited and not receiving any funding. We know exactly how Milford House should be promoted and the invention of penalty kicks should be part of that. However, the sad reality is that we do not have the resources to promote it in the way that it should be. Additionally, this is our first year and we are still finding our feet.
180. Mr P Ramsey: You are very welcome today. It is good to see the independent sector doing so well.
181. Does the museum receive any public funding?
182. Mr McManus: No.
183. Mr P Ramsey: Where do your revenue streams come from? Are they in the form of voluntary contributions?
184. Mr McManus: We have four volunteers in the museum apart from the trustees and they and the trust raise funds throughout the year. Other local groups — such as the local Women’s Institute — carry out other fundraising events.
185. Despite those events, we do not have the resources to properly preserve many of the items in the collection. Those items should perhaps be in cases in costume shops, but given the lack of resources, we can do only our best to meet the minimum standards. Does that answer your question?
186. Mr P Ramsey: It does. To receive accreditation, you would require a certain standard of conditions in which to preserve the items. Where would you expect the capital money to come from to cover that?
187. Mr McManus: We have already achieved those conditions. We would not have established the museum without doing so.
188. Before setting up the museum, we had the collection for a number of years. Given the lack of storage facilities, it had to be stored in my bedroom for three years while I slept on my mother’s sofa. Indeed, that is something that we tell people, and they are amazed when they see the 50,000 items that are on display.
189. When we were setting up the museum, we went straight to the Northern Ireland Museums Council and asked them what we needed to do to meet museum standards. We visited other museums — for example, Newry and Mourne Museum, Armagh County Museum and the Armagh Public Library — and asked them what we needed to do to meet museum standards in relation to security, heating, lighting, etc. A local business then sponsored those basic aspects so that we could meet the standards. We would not go for accreditation had we not met the standards.
190. Mr P Ramsey: Do you have any knowledge of the independent sector outside Northern Ireland and of how such museums compete in relation to museum strategies?
191. Mr McManus: No, I do not.
192. Mr P Ramsey: I know that it is still an early stage for you, so it may be difficult to give visitor numbers, but can you tell us approximately how many people visit the museum at weekends?
193. Mr McManus: On average, we get approximately 25 visitors at weekends. Quite a lot of groups visit, especially at the start of the season or when we arrange special events. In such instances we get approximately 80 people visiting a day. That is a lot of people, especially given that the museum is located in the gate lodge and that the rooms there are small. On many days, there have been people queued from the gate lodge, right down the avenue, and past the entrance gates of the house. As I said, currently, the main house is derelict so it is closed up and we do not have regular access to the gardens, so we are just based in the gate lodge.
194. Mr Shannon: Hopefully, as a result of the inquiry we will be able to get you off the sofa and back into your own room again — that will be an achievement if that happens, although we will try to do more than that if we can.
195. You mentioned that the big house needs attention — do you intend to move the museum from the gate lodge to the house?
196. Mr McManus: Milford House has 27 bedrooms, so it is much too big to turn into a museum only. Our proposal is that the house should have a viable economic use, whether that is offices or, ideally, a country-house hotel. It must have a viable use, but one that allows public access and will involve the house being restored, with the museum being incorporated as part of that.
197. The family started off as farmers and built a cottage beside the house that was later turned into a summer house. Our proposal is that the museum should move into the summer house and have access to the ballroom in the main house and, perhaps, one other room. The main reception rooms are quite spectacular and are very big, so we would be happy with having the use of at least one room in the main house and some of the outbuildings.
198. We feel that the main house must have a viable economic use but one that also allows public access, at least for a certain period of time during the year. Ideally, we would like to see the gardens turned into public parkland. There are 14 acres of garden with a lake, a swimming pool, three walled gardens and a fountain that is listed as a world art treasure, so the garden alone is quite an important amenity.
199. Mr Shannon: That sounds interesting. Is your intention to have some sort of partnership with a private developer who would develop Milford House? That does not always work, unless the developer is committed to your project. In Ards, for example, the Blair Maine Research Society established a partnership that did not work out because the developer had other ideas about what he wanted to do with the house and, as a result, that project fell on its head.
200. Mr McManus: We are considering two options and are working with a building preservation trust in Wales that has been established for longer and is much more experienced in developing such a project than we are. We are considering either jointly acquiring the property ourselves, or working with a developer. Most likely, that developer will be from the UK or elsewhere because, at present, we are not aware of anyone in Northern Ireland who would be interested in the project.
201. The house is in disrepair, which is largely due to vandalism.
202. The current owners of Milford House have spoken of their plans to turn it into Northern Ireland’s first retirement village, and we fully support that. We have not seen any plans for that as yet, and the house remains derelict.
203. Mr Shannon: Would the retirement village be referred to as having assisted-living units? I am aware that that is one of the projects that is being evaluated — is that what they are considering?
204. Mr McManus: It is something along those lines — the owners are proposing Northern Ireland’s first retirement village. That is quite an exciting project. It would also allow public access to the gardens and would give a viable excuse to maintain the main house: the outbuildings being used for the apartments, the main house being used for facilities and a restaurant that would cater both for the retirement village and the general public. It would also help to regenerate the Milford area and County Armagh.
205. Mr K Robinson: I think that the questions I have are now superfluous. The issue of a museums policy is very highfalutin and futuristic. It sounds as if you are struggling to maintain an absolute treasure.
206. Mr McManus: Yes, we are.
207. Mr K Robinson: I think that there is a lot of sympathy around the table for the effort that you have put in, particularly in your domestic arrangements. Who owns the house and lands?
208. Mr McManus: Milford House, its 40-acre estate and the gate lodge are owned by Mr and Mrs Gerald and Mairead Mackle, who own Homecare Independent Living, a company that provides assistance in nursing care for the terminally ill. They have bought up the estate over the years. They bought the house from Armagh City and District Council during what we uncovered to be a major scam to torch the house in order to collect the insurance money. The council tried to sue me for libel when I was 15 years old, but the case was thrown out of court because I had the evidence to prove that I was right. However, the house was sold, and Mr and Mrs Mackle are the current owners.
209. The owners have been very amenable: if we want to take anyone into the house it is not a problem and we can access the main grounds. In 2005, they bought the gate lodge, which had been sold off a number of years ago. We approached them as we thought that we could get funding in order to acquire the gate lodge, but when that was not forthcoming, they said that they would make us the caretakers of the gate lodge if we restored it. We restored it ourselves as it was in a state of disrepair. They had tenants in the house for a period of time.
210. The house badly needs to become the subject of an urgent works notice. Until two weeks ago, you could walk in through the back door of the house. Vandals enter the house — I could understand if they stole things, but they do not. They discovered that the house had under-floor heating, so they dug up the floors of the corridor just to see what was there, although they did not take the pipes or anything.
211. I have been told by architects that the problem with the Department of the Environment and the Environment and Heritage Service — which, I believe, has since been renamed — is that the house should have an urgent works notice served on it, but that they cannot be seen to go against Mr and Mrs Mackle if they are going to turn the house into Northern Ireland’s first retirement village.
212. Mr K Robinson: Therefore, it is a convoluted background that you are struggling against. What is your view on a museums policy? Do you think that there should be one, and if so, what should the key elements and issues be?
213. Mr McManus: Yes, there should be a museums policy, but, as I have said, there should be a separate museums policy for Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland’s museums should be able to accredit themselves; they should not have to go to England for accreditation. That would make things easier for museums, and it would be easier for independent museums to understand why they failed to get accreditation.
214. Mr K Robinson: You would not like to deviate from the standards that have been set already, would you? You would not want to lessen the standards of accreditation?
215. Mr McManus: I want some flexibility. I feel that the same standards should be met, but in accreditation there should be a period of a year or two years in which to reach standards that have not previously been met, so that there would be some flexibility in the scheme, particularly for independent museums. We are struggling ourselves because it is difficult — once you are accredited it does tend to become easier for some museums.
216. The Northern Ireland Museums Council must be maintained, but it must be improved upon and restructured. It is currently a small organisation; I am not saying that it should be made into a big organisation, but it should be made into one that is stronger and has more powers.
217. Mr K Robinson: We visited Armagh as a Committee some time ago and saw some of the treasures in and around the city. Why can Milford Buildings Preservation Trust not forge closer links with Armagh City and District Council or the Armagh County Museum? You have outlined the Victorian/Georgian split, but it seems to me that there is a possibility for you to piggyback — for want of a better term — for a period of time to get yourselves established and accredited. Why have you not pursued that?
218. Mr McManus: We work closely with local museums and galleries in Armagh City. We are a member of Armagh Visitor Education Committee, which consists of the museums and libraries in and around Armagh, and we work closely. However, Armagh City and District Council does not see, as it calls it, the big deal about Milford House and the penalty kick. It was really only through media publicity that the council is starting to realise its significance.
219. Armagh City and District Council feels that nothing exists outside the boundaries of Armagh City. That is not being cynical, but practical. Any civil servant or city councillor will tell you that that is very much the case.
220. Mr K Robinson: Therefore, there is a danger of an own goal here instead of a penalty kick?
221. Mr McManus: We are not alone in this respect. Other villages with heritage sites or parklands are also suffering because the council’s focus is very much centred on the city.
222. Mr K Robinson: To be fair to the council, it probably has limited resources.
223. Mr McManus: Like any organisation, the council has very limited resources and it manages quite a lot of heritage sites.
224. The Chairperson: Steven, thank you for your submission. You made a number of key points, which I will ask the Committee Clerk to summarise.
225. The Committee Clerk: One of the main points was that Milford House Museum is independent and voluntary and receives no funding. It manages itself, as it were, but only just. Mention was made of maintaining, improving and restructuring the Northern Ireland Museums Council, and of its supportive role. Accreditation was considered an important issue, as was the need for a local accreditation programme that would have time facilities built in. Given the difficulties posed by restrictions in the current system, that would enable standards to be met. The Northern Ireland Museums Council was considered important to Milford House Museum, and the belief is that it would be detrimental if the council did not exist or if legislation was not in place. The Department’s policy is thought to be detrimental to that particular museum and to museums generally.
226. Mr McCartney: An important point is the idea of a phased approach to accreditation in order that groups are not penalised before getting final approval. Provisions should be put in place as applications are progressing.
227. Mr Brolly: It is a pity that Milford House Museum is not in the circle. Everyone knows about all the other attractions around Armagh City. Milford House is, I believe, only a couple of miles from the city, like Navan Fort, but sometimes that is a disadvantage to attractions. It is like going to the Giant’s Causeway — people go there and that is it. Milford House would be very sellable if it saw itself as part of a ring of tourist attractions. Even the penalty-kick aspect is very sellable. Perhaps that is the approach that should be adopted — getting into a circle of attractions, rather like Carrickmore.
228. The Chairperson: We have noted some of the key concerns.
229. I now welcome Mr Ronnie Spence, Mr Paul Mullan and Ms Stella McDermott from the Heritage Lottery Fund. I invite Ronnie to introduce his team and make an opening presentation.
230. Mr Ronnie Spence (Heritage Lottery Fund): Thank you. Paul is the Northern Ireland manager of the Heritage Lottery Fund, and Stella is one of our casework managers. Both will contribute to the presentation.
231. The Heritage Lottery Fund is one of the bodies that are responsible for distributing the proceeds from the National Lottery. It operates throughout the UK under the control of a board of trustees. I am the Northern Ireland trustee. It also has a structure of a country and regional committee. As the Northern Ireland trustee, I chair the Northern Ireland committee.
232. The Heritage Lottery Fund is the largest non-governmental funder of heritage in the UK and has invested over £4 billion since 1994. In that time, Northern Ireland has benefited to the tune of £129 million. Looking to the future, the Heritage Lottery Fund will spend about £170 million a year across the UK, which is a 40% reduction in what it has been able to spend in recent years. That reduction is because resources have been taken from all the lottery funds to help to finance the 2012 Olympics. Even so, £170 million a year is a very large sum of money.
233. The Northern Ireland committee has an annual budget of just under £3 million, and we make our own decisions on projects that require less than £1 million of funding. Decisions on projects in Northern Ireland that seek more than £1 million are made by the UK board of trustees, which means that they must compete for resources with other projects in GB. Given that the amount of money that the Heritage Lottery Fund can spend has been reduced to £170 million a year, and because of the intense competition from projects in GB, in future, larger projects from Northern Ireland will succeed only if they are of the highest quality. In recent months, the trustees have had to decline funding for several very good projects in GB because there was not enough money. Projects from Northern Ireland will have to recognise that it will be much more difficult to win funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which is due to the intense competition.
234. To date, the Heritage Lottery Fund investment in the museum sector in Northern Ireland stands at £24 million, which has helped to lever in almost £43 million in additional project investment. We are delighted that we have been able to invest so much to develop, upgrade and reinvigorate the museum sector across Northern Ireland. Museums provide valuable space to display and interpret our heritage in our divided community. Museum attractions also make a significant contribution to our tourism infrastructure and the wider economic development of the region.
235. Ms Stella McDermott (Heritage Lottery Fund): Funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund has been distributed directly to museums in several ways. For example, museum infrastructure projects have led to new museums at Ballymena, Ballymoney, Carrickfergus, Newry and Larne. We have funded the restoration and upgrading of museum exhibitions in Fermanagh, for example at the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regimental Museum, the Armada exhibition at the Tower Museum in Derry, Armagh County Museum, the governor’s residence at the Down County Museum in Downpatrick and the Ulster Museum, which received our largest grant in Northern Ireland. We have also funded acquisitions to enhance collections, such as the Forrest Reid collection for Queen’s University, Hugh Thomson drawings for Coleraine Borough Council and various pieces for the National Museums Northern Ireland, including pieces of art for the Ulster Museum and buildings for the Ulster American Folk Park and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.
236. Nationally, we are able to work with our local museums to attract funding through the Collecting Cultures programme, which aims to support curatorial skills, acquisitions and increase public involvement in collecting.
237. Recently, a successful partnership among Fermanagh County Museum, Derry City Council’s heritage and museum service, and the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regimental Museum designed a project to enhance collections on the theme of connection and division, which attracted a grant of £100,000. Furthermore, we allocated £174,000 to National Museums Northern Ireland on the theme of the Titanic. Finally, we fund activity and outreach programmes such as the Causeway Museum Service outreach programme, the Northern Ireland Reminiscence Network’s museum-based Memory Box project, and Young Citizens in Museums.
238. Mr Paul Mullan (Heritage Lottery Fund): The Heritage Lottery Fund believes that heritage plays an important role in society. In particular, it helps different sections of the community understand themselves and their roots, and equips them with the tools and space to explore aspects of their heritage that they consider important. To that end, museums play a particular role, which was reflected in the Heritage Lottery Fund’s conference in 2007 on heritage and identity: ‘Digging Deeper: Sharing our past, Sharing our Future’.
239. Museums are fundamental to a thriving community; they can generate social cohesion, build local and personal identities, create opportunities for lifelong learning and provide an economic dividend through their contribution to regeneration and tourism. However, many museums struggle to realise their full potential, and Heritage Lottery Fund consults regularly with practitioners in the sector in order to identify barriers to success.
240. Those discussions regularly target certain problem areas such as a lack of resources for core tasks such as documentation, cataloguing, conservation and caring for collections; and increasing public demand for services. Those problems are set against cuts in funding, and the workforce lacks the required expertise and diversity and must develop leadership, curatorial, general management and business skills.
241. An overall strategy for museums in Northern Ireland must be developed. That strategy should address the lack of cohesion between National Museums Northern Ireland and regional museums and should also recognise the role of the independent sector. Moreover, the strategy should acknowledge that, at museums, people can explore difficult issues of heritage and identity. Therefore, museums play a fundamental role in creating a better society. The strategy should recognise the importance of developing major exhibitions that can explore difficult territory in an objective and relevant manner. Also, it should acknowledge the need for the development of key themes and storylines to tell the story of Northern Ireland — or the North — in order to remove assumptions, and should recognise the value of skills shared by museums and third-level institutions. Finally, the strategy should establish a plan for implementing our vision of a dynamic museum and heritage sector.
242. As Ronnie Spence outlined earlier, Heritage Lottery Fund’s funding capability will decrease in the future — we will only be able to fund the best projects. I reiterate Ronnie’s warning that, for Northern Ireland projects to compete with outstanding UK-wide projects, proposals must achieve the highest international standards. Northern Ireland must improve strategically.
243. Mr McCarthy: Does the Department’s lack of a formal museums policy have a detrimental impact on the museums sector in Northern Ireland? If so, will you outline the nature of that impact?
244. Mr Spence: First, we must pay tribute to recent years’ output with available resources. Some museum projects in Northern Ireland are of the highest quality, and we should be proud of that. In common with many areas of the public sector, the museums sector has not received the necessary resources, and we must develop a long-term strategic framework. Paul Mullan mentioned the relationship between the national museums and the regional and independent museums; it would be sensible to try to develop a long-term policy — or strategy or vision — for the museum sector and to implement that strategy with resources from public funds, the voluntary sector or the Heritage Lottery Fund.
245. Mr McCausland: Will you explain the lack of cohesion between National Museums Northern Ireland and independent museums?
246. Secondly, on the point that Paul made about upping our game, in what ways are we falling short? Finally, you provide various sums of money to purchase acquisitions for museums. Many items that have relevance to Northern Ireland appear for auction in newspapers and go elsewhere. The answer to this question could be limitless, but to what extent is your capacity to address that matter falling short of the requests that you receive?
247. Mr Mullan: I will address the last point first, namely collections. Recently, the Heritage Lottery Fund — on a UK-wide basis — provided a sum of £3 million for collections. Stella McDermott assessed that programme from a Northern Ireland perspective, and we were able to fund two projects. One, which concerned connection and division, was a project that was concerned with the border between 1910 and 1930 and involved the Fermanagh County Museum, the Tower Museum in Derry and the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regimental Museum. The second was a Titanic-related project through the Ulster Museum.
248. Collections have fundamental importance, so resources are required. Sums of money are provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the National Heritage Memorial Fund, which is our parent body, as such. Those measures will not be great enough to answer Northern Ireland’s particular problems, but conversations should be had with us in instances where there is a particular need or an object of key importance. However, competition is on a UK-wide basis and that is awfully difficult, given the budgetary restrictions that we already mentioned.
249. The other point was about upping our game. We must create the highest of international standards. One of the great opportunities is the economic development opportunity that is linked to tourism. If we want museums to really be attractive to foreign visitors, let alone our own people, they must be of the highest standards. In the past, applications have been made to us that have not met those standards.
250. Thankfully, some applications were particularly good. Yesterday, Ronnie visited the Ulster Museum with the Minister, and we look forward to seeing the new developments there. Yesterday, I visited Fermanagh County Museum, which is exemplary in many ways. Upping our game is still important. It is about having the highest standards in everything that we do.
251. Mr McCausland: What league are we in at the moment?
252. Mr Mullan: To a certain extent, we are still not punching our weight, but we have the potential to do that. We certainly have the stories to do that.
253. Mr Shannon: Are we in the first division?
254. The Chairperson: We are at least seeking promotion.
255. Mr Mullan: We have the skills and we have a fantastic sector. The first matter that you asked me about was the linkages between the national and local museum structures. There is no policy, so the connections are informal, as opposed to formal. A policy would integrate that in a much more sensible way and pull together the resources of the sector as a whole in a way that is not always achieved — that is achieved only sometimes.
256. Mr Spence: I shall add a point about that. As one of the UK trustees, one of my responsibilities is to study the projects in GB that should be funded. I considered museum projects in big cities in England. The one that struck me as the most significant — and which really underlined where we are still deficient — was in a northern city in England, which I had better not name. There was a major proposal to rebuild a Victorian museum right in the city centre. On that project, the presentation to us was led by the city planning officer, because they saw that project as critical to the future of the city. The project conveyed where the city had come from and where it was trying to go to. It was seen as a major economic driver and a major tourist project.
257. That would not happen here, because people still tend to think of separate museum, heritage and cultural projects. We do not see enough of the linkages to help the big projects to grab the imagination and make a difference. That will help us attain what Nigel Dodds has said about achieving a step change in the contribution of tourism to the Northern Ireland economy. We really must aim for that top-class facility. If we were brutally honest, some of the projects that we funded in the past have been good, but they have not been in the first division; and we must get into the Premier League.
258. Lord Browne: How many applications do you receive, on average? What percentage of those are successful in Northern Ireland? We want to increase that success rate, so do you believe that the Northern Ireland Museums Council could have a role in helping museums to achieve a standard that would make us more competitive?
259. Ms McDermott: I do not have exact figures for the number of such applications that we receive every year. We receive approximately 60 applications in any year and the overall success rate is probably between 65% and 70%. NIMC could play a role by adopting a strategic approach to, for example, joining local museums with communities in order to tick our boxes on adding value for access, involvement and engagement. There are certainly roles that NIMC could play at a strategic level to up the games of local and independent museums.
260. Mr McCartney: Paul, you said that a barrier to success was the failure to recognise the role of the independent sector. What steps do you think should be taken to recognise the role of the independent sector?
261. Mr Mullan: The independent sector is extremely important. Stories can and are being told about, for example, the Somme Heritage Centre or the Museum of Free Derry. In a more integrated sector — and that does not necessarily mean that it is managed functionally — museums such as those could benefit greatly from the understanding and curatorial capabilities of national museums and other local museums. I am not necessarily saying that that is not happening. However, a sensible policy and good, well-resourced training throughout the sector would ensure that those independent organisations have the full strength of Northern Ireland’s capability.
262. Mr Spence: I will appear before the Committee again, wearing another hat. That will be in respect of the idea of an Ulster sports museum, which would be run by an independent trust. From that angle, I can see the benefit of small, independent organisations, but they must have access to the right level of expertise. In the case of the Ulster sports museum, the existing museum sector has been very supportive and provided a lot of advice, but there is room for a great deal of variety. An Ulster sports museum could do something that national and local museums cannot.
263. Mr P Ramsey: You are very welcome to the Committee. You indicated that total spend on museums to date is £24 million across Northern Ireland, levering in £43 million. Is that from central Government moneys?
264. Mr Mullan: Primarily, yes.
265. Mr P Ramsey: How does the per capita spend that we receive from the Heritage Lottery Fund compare to that in England, Wales and Scotland?
266. Mr Mullan: I do not have exact percentages. Rather than focusing on the past, I prefer to look to the future. We will be able to compete against other parts of the UK only if we have first-class international applications. We are saying that a good, solid museums policy and a dynamic museums sector would generate good projects that we could link to heritage lottery funding UK-wide. Without those links, it is unlikely that we will see projects that are good enough.
267. Mr P Ramsey: For future reference, it would be useful to have figures for the per capita spend.
268. Furthermore, there is no fixed amount set for the amount that, for example, Northern Ireland will receive over the next three years.
269. Mr Mullan: There is a fixed amount, which takes the form of a local discretionary budget: it is £3·6 million this year and £2·4 million next year. In the past, those figures were between £4 million and £5 million. Ronnie referred to the reasons for those reductions. We will also have the ability for projects from 2009 that are bidding for £1 million and above to go to UK trustees, of which Ronnie is one.
270. That is where we are competing; Northern Ireland is not guaranteed anything. We will get access to that money only if we have projects that are of superlative standards.
271. Mr P Ramsey: We know the impact on arts and sport of lottery moneys being pulled back to fund the London Olympics. What is the effect on your organisation’s ability to provide museum services?
272. Mr Mullan: We will have less money to offer. In the past, we have been able to fund most of the projects that meet a basic set of standards. Our appeal is that if we can up the standards to the highest degree, we will be able to attract more funding from England.
273. Mr K Robinson: Thank you for your presentation this morning. You have, more or less, said that you are in favour of a museums policy. How do you see a museums policy being brought forward, and what might the issues be? You have touched on some of the key elements that would be contained in the policy; can you please expand on that?
274. Mr Shannon: A question has been asked about the 2012 Olympic Games. How much money are you losing out on because it is being spent on the Olympics?
275. Have you any figures on how much of the Heritage Lottery Fund is being spent in Northern Ireland and how that compares to the rest of the United Kingdom? It is important to know whether we receive our fair share, compared with Scotland, Wales and England.
276. Mr Mullan: We receive our fair share.
277. Mr Shannon: Are we punching above our weight in respect of the share that we receive?
278. Mr Mullan: When trustee funding is taken into account, it is difficult to give a figure. Money is allocated on a per-population basis. The fact that we receive a funding stream that is linked to churches means that we receive a slightly higher sum than would be expected for the population. That arrangement is in place for complex reasons.
279. Mr Shannon: I am aware that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given substantial funding to a church in Newtownards for instance, and that has been a grand job. Is such funding separate?
280. Mr Mullan: Our budgets work in quite a complicated manner. There is an overall allocation for churches throughout the UK; we are apportioned a sum. The demand in Northern Ireland for churches is a lot less than in the rest of the UK, so we are able to use that sum for other projects, which ups our overall percentage on the population basis. The process is a bit too complex to explain in just a few words.
281. We do not do badly in our ability to draw down trustees’ funding. There may be other regions in the UK that do slightly better, but we certainly do better than quite a number of regions. We are punching above our weight. To reiterate the point that I made earlier: the better the quality of projects that go to our trustees, the greater our ability to punch above our weight.
282. The Chairperson: Will you address Ken’s question?
283. Mr Mullan: The Heritage Lottery Fund believes that a vision and a policy for museums in Northern Ireland should be developed. DCAL should commission a process to develop and recommend policies to the Minister. The process should be open and transparent, and it should avoid being driven by the usual suspects — the great and the good. The process should create real debate among stakeholders, who will ultimately have to deliver policy.
284. The process should challenge existing assumptions. The stakeholders should include the museum sector; local government; universities; the secondary and primary education sector; key heritage organisations and individuals; and visitors to the museums. Any process should be timetabled and not frogmarched. We need a policy, and we need the right policy.
285. The Chairperson: I thank the team of three from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Thank you Ronnie, Paul and Stella for coming along. Members, we will reflect briefly on the key points that emerged from the presentation. Do members wish to zone in on any of the points that were raised? If not, our staff have recorded everything more than well.
286. Mr K Robinson: I would like to make one point. It struck me during a previous presentation — and, to some degree, during this one — that, if we are considering individual projects, we should also consider the issue of critical mass. If we are considering the public whom we want to attend museums and galleries and, if we want to bring in tourists, we must think of several areas in which we have a critical mass of things for people to see that are of value, whether those people are locals or are coming here to learn more about us from outside.
287. The Chairperson: We will now hear from Ms Diane Ruddock and Ms Frances Bailey. You are both welcome. Diane is the National Trust’s external affairs manager, and Frances is the curator.
288. Without wishing to be mischievous, I am duty bound to ask whether you intend to release a press statement about this meeting.
289. Ms Diane Ruddock (The National Trust): We do not plan to.
290. The Chairperson: OK. Please make your presentation.
291. Ms Ruddock: Thank you. I will kick off, and then hand over to Frances. The National Trust very much welcomes the fact that the Committee has initiated this inquiry, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to speak to you today.
292. I will begin by outlining a few key facts about the National Trust, which is a major conservation charity that was formed in 1895. Our remit covers natural, built and cultural heritage, and we operate throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our director describes the Northern Ireland operation as “small but perfectly formed”, covering a good and representative range of those types of heritage.
293. We are responsible for approximately one third of Northern Ireland’s coastline; about 40 square miles of countryside; and a broad array of built heritage, ranging from mansions and gardens, such as Castle Coole in County Fermanagh and Mount Stewart near Newtownards, to much smaller and more intimate properties, such as thatched cottages, for example, Hezlett House in Castlerock and Derrymore House in Bessbrook, South Armagh. We are, perhaps, less well known for our representative selection of industrial heritage, such as Patterson’s spade mill and Gray’s printing press in Strabane.
294. The National Trust’s statutory remit, initially stated in the National Trust Act 1907, is to promote:
“the permanent preservation for the benefit of the nation of lands and tenements (including buildings) of beauty or historic interest”.
295. In twenty-first century language, we describe what we do as looking after special places for ever and for everyone, and we place a high degree of importance on access and reaching out as broadly as possible.
296. I could say much more about the National Trust; however, I recognise that today’s focus is on museums. Therefore, I shall hand over to my colleague, Frances Bailey, who will provide you with more specific information about the trust’s engagement and involvement with the museum sector.
297. Ms Frances Bailey (The National Trust): Good morning, and thank you for inviting us to attend this meeting. I am Frances Bailey, the curator for the National Trust. I advise the staff who work at our properties on the history and significance, and the presentation and display, of the properties and the historic collections that they house. In addition, I advise on the documentation relating to those historic collections.
298. The National Trust works closely with the museum sector, and it aims to achieve high standards of museum-level presentation, care of collections, scholarship and access. Of the nine historic house properties in our care, four are registered museums, and they are applying for the higher museum-accreditation standard. Those properties are: the Argory, Castle Ward, Florence Court and Springhill. In the next year, we will submit three more property applications for consideration: Mount Stewart, Ardress House and Hezlett House.
299. The four registered properties in Northern Ireland attract more than 135,000 visitors a year, of which 18,500 visitors are schoolchildren who visit as part of a Northern Ireland curriculum-based programme.
300. Those four properties contain more than 17,000 historic objects, not including the libraries.
301. We are upgrading our documentation of the historic collections to a digital database as part of a National Trust-wide project. The aim is to increase accessibility to, and facilitate better security, accountability and management of, the collections. I hope that I have given the Committee a useful, albeit brief, overview of the work that relates to our museum colleagues, and I am happy to answer questions.
302. Mr Shannon: Thank you for your presentation, ladies. I am one of those people who donate painlessly by direct debit to the National Trust every February, and I am happy to do so.
303. The Chairperson: Jim, you must also exercise the function of challenging the witnesses. [Laughter.]
304. Mr Shannon: I took out a family membership when visiting Mount Stewart.
305. Ms Ruddock: That is the fastest growing and most important category of membership.
306. Mr Shannon: I am aware of that.
307. As part of the inquiry, the Committee is examining how best to promote museums. The National Trust has promotional relationships with other parties, such as Ards Borough Council and the Department for Regional Development. Incidentally, the Committee met in Portaferry last week, when members talked about how a visit to one museum does not make a day out; there must be more to it than that. That also harks back to what Francie Brolly said about the joint promotion of local visitor attractions.
308. The National Trust is involved in such promotional relationships. How will those develop, and could they be mirrored throughout the Province? In my constituency, Exploris has a relationship with Ards Borough Council, Mount Stewart with the National Trust, Scrabo Tower with the Department for Regional Development, and the Somme Heritage Centre incorporates an additional independent body. Thus, four different organisations work together to provide a day out.
309. Ms Ruddock: I agree with you. Looking ahead, promotion is one of the challenges that we face, because the increasing number of tourists coming to Northern Ireland presents a fantastic opportunity. We must ensure that they stay longer, travel further and spend more. At the heart of the challenge is that tourists learn more about the rich cultural diversity of Northern Ireland. How do we do that? There was a time when every individual organisation — indeed within the National Trust, every individual property — felt that it had to compete for a small pool of local visitors. The National Trust wanted them to come to Mount Stewart, and that was it.
310. However, as the number of visitors increases, we are considering much broader cross-marketing activity to ensure that visitors to one place can also access information about all others in the locality. In Northern Ireland, we work with several regional tourism organisations to play our part in that. That is to everyone’s advantage, and we are open-minded about it.
311. To return to the idea of a museums policy, it would be helpful if it were to contain a strand on how the museum sector works in the national, local and independent sectors to ensure that messages are sent out about the wealth of different places for people to explore. Our marketing colleagues talk about “differentiating the offer” and ensuring that people who are interested in museums will be readily able to click on a website and find information on all the relevant places to visit. It is also important to effectively brand Northern Ireland to ensure that all aspects of Northern Ireland that are encapsulated in museums are accessible. For example, if people are interested in linen, they should be able to find out about all the relevant places to visit, whether that is the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum, the National Trust’s Wellbrook Beetling Mill, or other attractions. People who are interested in industrial heritage should be able to access the relevant networks and links.
312. There is already a lot going on and there is still a lot more to be done in the area of marketing. As my Heritage Lottery Fund colleagues said, there is plenty of scope to do more.
313. Mr McCarthy: Thank you very much for your presentation; I think that you said that you had ownership or control of one third of our coast line. I would encourage you to try to get more of that before unscrupulous developers destroy it completely — that is one for you to carry on with.
314. Mr Shannon: What has that got to do with museums?
315. Mr McCarthy: Pardon?
316. The Chairperson: He does not see the relevance of that to a museums policy.
317. Mr McCarthy: I want to see our coast line preserved — not destroyed by development — and I am sure that you would agree with that. [Laughter.]
318. Has the fact that the Department does not have a formal museums policy had a detrimental impact on the museums sector in Northern Ireland? If so, what has been the nature of that detriment?
319. Ms Bailey: There may have been a detrimental impact but it is sometimes hard to define something by its absence. It might be useful to think about the risks associated with not having a clear policy in place. Those risks include the lack of a clear vision for museums across Northern Ireland, a lack of development in the museums sector, and the potential for museums not covered by the accreditation standard to fall below agreed professional standards. A policy would help to guide and maintain those standards.
320. There is the risk of piecemeal development across Northern Ireland’s museum infrastructure with a lack of joined-up thinking across interested bodies, Departments and authorities — we all tend to look after our own needs rather than think about the Northern Ireland-wide picture. There is a lack of any sense of direction and there is the potential for unnecessary duplication of resources in staffing and capital. A museums policy will provide a sense of cohesion, purpose, joined-up planning, better accountability on the part of the museums, and agreed standards across the sector.
321. Mr K Robinson: You made an interesting comment about the accountability of museums. We all want new museums and to enhance existing museums, but what exactly do you mean by accountability? Is it the numbers through the door? Is it the quality of the experience?
322. Ms Bailey: It is both of those aspects and it is a lot more. A lot of money is invested in capital development, but how do we measure the returns from that? Is it measured by the people through the door; by structured education visits; by accessibility within the local community; by the wider remit of local, regional, national, and international visitors who are coming? It would be useful if there was a common method of measuring those things across the museums sector so that we are all counting our numbers and assessing how much money we are spending on advertising and publicity in the same way. Currently, it is a bit difficult to compare museums across the sector because the number crunching is maybe done in different ways.
323. Mr K Robinson: You indicated that a policy would obviously be welcomed by you, but how would you proceed with such a policy? What do you think should be the absolute key elements within that policy?
324. Ms Bailey: A policy should be progressed swiftly, but not so swiftly that it is done in a rushed manner. It needs to be in-depth and based on sound evidence, intelligence and thorough consultation, not just within the sector, but with all the stakeholders. A number of stakeholders have an interest and an involvement in our museums, including local communities and the education sector.
325. There need to be clear strategies coming from that policy that enable the creation or the development of the right structures. Those structures need to follow the strategies and the strategies need to follow the policy.
326. Furthermore, it must enable museums to protect, in perpetuity, their collections. We are in this for the long term; not only the short. All museums will have to be able to preserve artefacts for the benefit of everyone in Northern Ireland for the long term. Therefore, a 10- to 15-year vision, at least, is required.
327. It should help to create a strong network in Northern Ireland that will link the national, local and independent special-interest museums, so that we can take advantage of such things as shared expertise, emergency procedures, plans and marketing. It should also strengthen existing North/South and east-west links.
328. Mr K Robinson: How can we harness the enthusiasm that we have seen from the witnesses who provided evidence to this morning’s Committee with the hard-headed, professional approach that is required? How can that be achieved without pushing the enthusiast to the side?
329. Ms Ruddock: One way to harness that enthusiasm is to build on what you have got already. For instance, people who visit our registered museums are not doing so merely because the buildings are museums. Likewise, people who go to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum do not go simply because they have got a particular interest or it is a good day out. They go because they are engaged and like what they see, and the museum begins to present more layers of information to them. Those people are asked whether they recognise that what they see is an important part of a collection that we want to be available to the next generation.
330. Consultation is an overused word, and it puts a dead weight on an issue. However, you could, perhaps, find a different way of talking to people in Northern Ireland about their visions. The museums policy has to engage people who did not think that they had an interest in museums. For instance, you could ask an individual whether his or her grandfather worked in a linen mill, or tell them that he was probably a farmer. You could then ask them how they want the stories from that generation to be told to the next. The policy can, therefore, be developed around conversations and the opening up of issues rather than through talk of a museums policy, which would be a bit of a dead hand on it.
331. Mr McCartney: Your written presentation highlighted that a museums policy should ensure that there will be consistent standards. How can the policy specify that there is a central provision to ensure that standards are raised and made consistent? Some people might think that they are achieving the proper standard and quality. I have local experience of someone who had an important historical document, which they laminated. However, when the individual handed it to a local museum, he was told that he should not have laminated it, but the individual thought that he was preserving it forever. It is important to get a balance. Professionals will know what the consistent standards are, but some amateurs will have a different view.
332. Ms Bailey: Your question raises two issues. The accreditation standards that have been devised by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council — that is managed in Northern Ireland through the Northern Ireland Museums Council — are good. We ought to get all museums — small and large — to buy into and sign up to those standards, because they provide levels of standards of conservation, collections, care, access and security. They cover a range of areas.
333. If there was a policy that enabled increased networking between museums, the gifted, passionate amateur who does not have the conservation knowledge could, perhaps, access that knowledge through one of our national museums or seek advice from the National Trust’s conservators. Such a formal link would offer the facility to provide the information when it is needed.
334. The extension of the accreditation system to the Republic of Ireland — with advice from the Northern Ireland Museums Council — is welcomed, and it is being embraced by many museums in the South. It is terrific.
335. The Chairperson: Pat’s question and Nelson’s question will be grouped.
336. Mr P Ramsey: I know that there are a number of museums that are preparing for registration, but how are the four accredited museums funded through capital and revenue? Do you have any knowledge of the museum sector outside Northern Ireland, and any examples of best practice that could be examined to ascertain the best way forward?
337. Mr McCausland: You mention Hazlett House; does the trust also own President Woodrow Wilson’s ancestral home near Strabane?
338. Ms Ruddock: No, it does not.
339. Mr K Robinson: There is also the Andrew Jackson Cottage and US Rangers Centre in Boneybefore, Carrickfergus.
340. Mr McCausland: How can such cottages of international significance be made sustainable? How do we ensure that people can actually gain admittance to those places, and avoid situations in which a tourist arrives from America to find that the doors are closed? Many of them are small places. How can those issues be addressed?
341. Lord Browne: Is there any system of profiling the visitors to National Trust properties to give an indication of how many tourists arrive from outside Northern Ireland, for example? You mentioned the Northern Ireland Museums Council; does the trust have a relationship with that body, and how do you find that relationship?
342. Ms Ruddock: My colleague and I will answer all the questions between us. To deal with the question about funding, the overview is that the trust is a conservation charity. It generates most of its funding through membership subscriptions, visitor admissions and so forth. It relies very heavily on donations from the public. Here in Northern Ireland, the trust broadly benefits from grant aid from a number of sources. That grant aid is not an automatic subvention; the trust applies for grants for specific projects. In relation to museums, for example, the trust may derive a grant from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) for built-heritage projects that meet that organisation’s requirements. The trust also receives grants from NIEA for work that delivers their statutory objectives of nature conservation and protection of the countryside. Frances will answer the more specific question about funding for museums.
343. Ms Bailey: In my experience, museums are funded from a range of sources. In the UK and Ireland, they can be funded by central government, local government, charities, and trusts, and some are run on a purely voluntary basis. Many need to seek funding from a cocktail of external sources, such as grant-giving bodies, and those sources often form the lifeblood of such museums, especially for small places such as the Wilson homestead.
344. In Northern Ireland, the NIMC plays a crucial role in that respect; it plays a role in funding work, collections care, access to collections and training, and also assists with the purchase of museum objects. The four registered museums have benefited from the NIMC grant scheme, which has helped the trust to improve conservation, and increase accessibility to the collections. Grant aid has included nearly £12,000 funding for digital photography for inventory work, the creation of a part-time curator post for the costume collection at Springhill, and over £34,000, over a number of years, towards collections care. The trust has also been able to match fund that, so that it totals in excess of £66,000.
345. Funding of that type is absolutely fundamental, because few external funding bodies support such vital, if mundane, activities as collections care. The funding that went towards the costume collection also enabled the trust to unlock a further £150,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which was used to facilitate a travelling exhibition of costumes. That was a way of getting the collections out to people, rather than insisting that they visit the collections.
346. Ms Ruddock: It is worth adding that that costume collection is still touring, and it is currently in the Tower Museum. With regard to experience of the museum sector outside Northern Ireland, there is some good work going on in a number of different places, including in the UK and — although we do not have direct experience of it — in Canada, and other places.
347. If the Committee wishes, we can provide a little more information on that UK-based work.
348. Ms Bailey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has been particularly active in that area.
349. Ms Ruddock: As regards the much more difficult questions about, for example, how to make small places, such as the Woodrow Wilson ancestral home or the Andrew Jackson Cottage and US Rangers Centre, sustainable, the National Trust is not brilliant on Presidents. However, through Gray’s Printing Press, it has a link to the printing of the Declaration of Independence.
350. The challenge is real. Certainly, the trust has found that its small properties, such as Hezlett House or Derrymore House, do not generate sufficient income from visitors for them to be anywhere near sustainable. That is how they could benefit from being part of a larger network. Therein lies the answer: if one differentiates and examines themes, perhaps such links with our cousins across the big pond are crucial. Perhaps, through links with the Ulster American Folk Park, there is an opportunity for those places — while allowing them to maintain their independence, because, often, that is what gives them their particular character — to receive support by being joined to other bodies. Perhaps, enabling those small places to draw marketing or curatorial support, which could come from the trust or the national museums, is one way that they could secure their sustainability. It is a crucial to develop a policy in that area. The very nature of Northern Ireland means that much of its heritage is in small bits, rather than grand. It is important that that is reflected. Therefore, the National Trust seeks a policy that will do that.
351. You asked whether the trust has a profiling system. It certainly counts its visitors. The National Trust’s system is not as sophisticated as those of other organisations of which we are aware that can almost tell what their visitors have had for breakfast. However, the trust tries to capture as much information as possible about from where its visitors come. It does so through visitor surveys, which is simply sampling. We can also gather information through specific areas. For example, the coach market, which is growing at present, helps us to track where visitors come from. We also put much store upon measuring visitors’ satisfaction through surveys, comment cards and suchlike. We believe that that is crucial, because without that feedback from visitors — positive and negative — the organisation cannot progress and ensure that it meets external needs.
352. The Chairperson: I thank Diane and Frances for their presentation and for answering our questions.
353. Ms Ruddock: Before we leave, the trust wants to offer, and would be happy to facilitate, a visit by the Committee to any of its properties or museums in order to allow members to see how the trust works on the ground, should the Committee consider that to be helpful to its deliberations.
354. The Chairperson: During the course of your presentation, did you offer to provide additional information on several questions?
355. Ms Ruddock: We offered to provide information from elsewhere. We are happy to so do.
356. The Chairperson: That is our understanding. That is great. Thank you very much.
357. If members are content and Committee staff have noted the key points, we shall proceed immediately and invite the representatives of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) to come forward. We are joined by Mr Johnny Glendinning, who is the chairman of the society, and Mr Mark Kennedy, who is curatorial adviser at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.
358. Mark was helpful in showing the Committee round the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum recently. As a mater of protocol, do you intend to issue a press release on your submission?
359. Mr Mark Kennedy (Railway Preservation Society of Ireland): No.
360. Mr Shannon: The deputation may get the impression that it is not allowed to release a press statement when that question is asked. However, that is not the issue; the Committee asks the question for information.
361. The Chairperson: Maybe in future Committee staff should ask deputations that question in private prior to the meeting.
362. Mr Johnny Glendinning (Railway Preservation Society of Ireland): I thank the Committee for inviting us. I am the chairman of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, which was formed in 1964 at a time when steam trains were disappearing from our railways and dieselisation was being introduced. The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland has been preserving the carriages, engines, etc, but has become an official registered museum only since 2002. It is now on the next step, which is to become an accredited museum.
363. I am also a member of the Northern Ireland Museums Council board and one of the two representatives for the independent museums on that board. Therefore, from that perspective, I have taken a great interest in what is happening. Mark Kennedy is our curatorial adviser and, under the accreditation scheme, it is one of the criteria to which a voluntary organisation such as ours must be linked, and that is where Mark fits in.
364. The other important aspect for us is the link that we have to the rest of the museum world and the professional museum world through the Northern Ireland Museums Council. We were concerned that the NIMC would disappear under the review of public administration and that we would be expected to become part of some local council and have to fight to be recognised along with that council’s own museum interests.
365. Mr M Kennedy: Approximately 15 years ago, the Northern Ireland Museums Council asked me to be curatorial adviser to the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, and I was happy to take on that role. The society, or any other independent museum, has a curatorial adviser so that if there is any aspect of museums that they need help with, they have one person to go to. If I can help them I will, and if I cannot, maybe someone else in my organisation can. I have a conduit through which they have access to conservation, security or whatever other advice is needed. They can also go straight to the Northern Ireland Museums Council for help and assistance for finance or training.
366. Mr Shannon: Thank you for your presentation. I am impressed by the fact that visitor numbers have risen by 61% over the past five years to 205,000 a year, which is quite dramatic. Is that down to the fact that inside every one of us there is a train driver waiting to get out, or is it because people are genuinely attracted to what you are trying to do? The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland has shown that extra people can be encouraged to visit its attractions. How can we transfer to other museums what it has done to ensure that the same thing happens? However, the increase in visitors may be due to the society’s specific attractions.
367. My second question is about the train restoration project in Downpatrick. Are you involved in that? How does that tie in with other attractions? It is important to try to develop that project. There is perhaps, a theme running through this inquiry, Chairperson. How do we market such ventures better?
368. The Chairperson: If you do not mind, Jim, I will group your questions with Kieran’s questions.
369. Mr McCarthy: Thank you very much for your presentation. I notice that in your paper you welcome our efforts to establish a museums policy for Northern Ireland. Having said that, is it to the detriment of the museums sector in Northern Ireland that the Department has not had such a policy up to now? If that is the case, what has been its impact?
370. Mr M Kennedy: Downpatrick and County Down Railway has links with an adviser in the local authority museum. I have a formal link with that society as a conservation adviser. Effectively, it is the same thing. It is about having a link to a specialist professional. The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland has links with a number of organisations. There is a specialist railway group called the Heritage Railway Association, which is a Europe-wide organisation. It holds regular meetings in Ireland and the UK.
371. The RPSI lends vehicles to assist in heavy restoration projects such as locomotive boiler repair. Downpatrick and County Down Railway does not have those facilities in-house, because they are very expensive. It would bring the boiler to the RPSI facility in Whitehead. There are all sorts of links. There are museum loans of vehicles in both directions and also with Cultra, and good relationships exist. However, there is always room for improvement.
372. Mr Shannon: Are your visitor numbers specific to your existing attractions, or do they go beyond that? It is important for the Committee to be aware of success stories about visitor numbers. If there is something to be learned, we can apply it to the museums policy and the overall strategy that we are trying to develop.
373. Mr Glendinning: The numbers that we mentioned refer to the overall independent group, and not just the railway attractions. Our figures are up, and we are doing well, but collectively we are talking about the independent sector, which is a very wide sector. Several museums in Northern Ireland are totally independent.
374. On Kieran McCarthy’s question, I have yet to find anyone to tell me that there is a departmental policy on museums. Independent groups such as ours are certainly not ranking. We are not under any consideration. The RPA position on a museums policy indicates that. The Department has given no thought to what is to happen to the independent sector. The National Trust is an independent organisation and its attractions form a large part of museum collections.
375. The museum in Downpatrick is an accredited museum and is a member of the Northern Ireland Museums Council. There are many links there. We have worked with the National Trust, and through our contacts. The Northern Ireland Museums Council provides that networking, which is very important to us.
376. Mr McCartney: You said that you started in 1964. When did you apply for accreditation? What were the obvious benefits to the organisation of being accredited?
377. Mr Glendinning: The first of the obvious benefits of accreditation is recognition, the second is the realisation as to whether one is doing things correctly, and the third is funding. Once the accreditation label is acquired, a museum is eligible to apply for funding that would otherwise be denied it.
378. Mr McCartney: Does that apply right across the board or only for particular organisations?
379. Mr Glendinning: It applies across the board. An accredited museum finds that doors open easily; museums that are not accredited find that they do not.
380. Mr M Kennedy: In applying to some charities and grant-giving bodies, perhaps such as the Carnegie UK Trust — although I am not sure whether that is a good example — accredited museums can skip the first half-dozen questions on grant application forms. The charity can be assured that the museum will have policies on collection, disposal, child protection, education, and so on. It can be confident that the museum has considered all those aspects.
381. Mr McCartney: As a condition of accreditation, did the society have to employ Mark, or was he seconded to it? Did accreditation have a bearing on that?
382. Mr Glendinning: Yes. A condition of accreditation is that a museum must have a curatorial advisor, or, in the case of sufficiently large museums, a professional curator.
383. Mr Brolly: I am interested in your comment on the review of public administration proposals and the intention to give local councils control of museums. You claim that they will have an adverse effect on independent museums. Under those proposals, would the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland in Downpatrick not come under the wing of the local council, have much closer contact with it and would funding not, therefore, be more readily available to it?
384. Mr Glendinning: That is possible. Our point is not that museums will come under the authority of councils; already, Down County Museum is funded by the council. It is, rather, that under the review of public administration proposals, the Northern Ireland Museums Council would disappear. On that council, independent museums have as much voice as any of the others and have as good a chance of obtaining grant aid, access to training, etc.
385. I do not wish to suggest that Down District Council is particularly bad. However, as there is only so much money available, there is no reason why, under those proposals, Down would not favour its museum first and give the leftovers to independent museums. That is my fear.
386. Mr Brolly: We appreciate that.
387. We have heard from various groups that there may be a weakness in the marketing of museums. A lot of money is spent on training and acquisitions, but if people do not know that the collections are available, there is little point in that. We heard about a good example of that during the first witness session, with respect to a place that people would be keen to visit, but which is not well known. Who is to blame for that?
388. Mr M Kennedy: I agree that marketing could be better and more joined up. There is a great range of facilities in the independent museums. However, people are coming to see good collections — the collection defines the museum. Some of the independent museums — the railway societies, for example — still keep vehicles outside; they do not have adequate toilets or baby-changing facilities. Improvements in infrastructure would make them more desirable visitor destinations.
389. However, the Internet has facilitated great improvements in marketing. Obvious examples include the Downpatrick Railway Society, which has a very good website that is frequently updated and contains good links pages to other railway-themed sites and other visitor destinations in the area.
390. There is always room for improvement. As with so many things, a small grant — £500 here or £1000 there — can enable big strides to be made, for example with production of leaflets and their distribution.
391. Mr P Ramsey: I sense frustration in the sense that, compared to the independent sector, you are not getting as much out of the system as you should. Are there other areas in the independent sector, for example in England or Wales, where societies such as yours are better looked after? What are your funding streams, and on what are you dependent for survival?
392. Mr Glendinning: We are dependent on our membership, and on what we can get from various grants, which are not big. At present, we have an international fund grant for restoration of our trains, which we have had to modernise to meet modern railway standards. We do not operate on our own private line — we operate on Northern Ireland Railways and Irish Rail. Therefore, we have to meet modern standards, and that is expensive.
393. Mr P Ramsey: What is your success rate with funding applications, either capital or revenue?
394. Mr Glendinning: It is about 50:50. It is difficult, but I am hopeful that we will have a better success rate because, as an accredited museum, we are seeing more doors open. We are now talking to the Heritage Lottery Fund.
395. Mr P Ramsey: It is a matter of credibility.
396. Mr Glendinning: I agree.
397. Lord Browne: Have you had any input from or involvement with the private sector, and have you approached it for investment — for example, Translink?
398. Mr Glendinning: Translink — which cannot support us financially — is very supportive, and assists us when it can.
399. Mr K Robinson: I declare an interest as the former principal of Cavehill Railway National School, which was located at the oldest railway line in Ulster, despite what Belfast and Lisburn people might say, and for which there is evidence in the House of Lords Library. I am an avid buff of Thomas the Tank Engine, along with all my grandchildren, so for goodness’ sake, do not get into the state of the Sodor railway.
400. I wish to pay tribute to the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland because it stepped in and saved a crucial part of our industrial heritage. The society upgrades its stock, and unfortunately I was unable to attend the launch of a recent upgrading. I know that you have had problems at Whitehead, so you are always struggling to overcome difficulties, such as upgrades to meet new safety standards.
401. What the society did not tell us is that it is very active and successful in running rail tours throughout Ireland, and spreads the word of railway preservation well beyond these islands.
402. I am often struck by the fact that you are a wee bit detached from the mainstream. We have spoken about critical mass. The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, with its rail connection, is also a wee bit detached, although it is in a wonderful setting. The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland has its collection at Whitehead, which is rather detached.
403. There is a great interest in railways, and great marketing potential, on which a museums policy might expand. How do you see such issues being developed through a museums policy?
404. Mr Glendinning: A museums policy should cover four areas: collection, audience, learning and resourcing. We definitely need to be involved in those areas.
405. Mr K Robinson: Those are the four key elements that must exist?
406. Mr Glendinning: Yes. A policy must have a vision, a strategy to achieve that vision, and measures to make sure that those strategies are working. At present, we see the policy of DCAL as having strategies, but no vision and no measure. That is what we want to see developed.
407. Mr M Kennedy: There are many infrastructures already in place, through both the NIMC and the Heritage Railway Association. The Irish railway societies and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum are members of those organisations, and that is an easy way for them to link up. Although funding stopped some years ago, we used to get a grant from the Tourist Board each year of about £800. That covered the cost of a leaflet named ‘Steam Trains Ireland’. The Tourist Board and Bord Fáilte funded that. There were 30 places on that list, and it was handy to have available in tourist information centres and such places.
408. Mr K Robinson: We have discussed a policy and how elements may be incorporated into it. Who do the witnesses envisage driving the policy forward? If we can agree the policy, what will drive it? That is what we must do.
409. Mr Glendinning: Northern Ireland Museums Council board members and DCAL have considered writing the policy. DCAL has priced that with consultants, decided that it is too expensive, and decided that it cannot afford to do it. We consider, however, that there is no need to bring in consultants: all the expertise needed is present in National Museums Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Museums Council. The Northern Ireland Museums Council has all the necessary information on the contents of collections and visitor numbers. If consultants are brought in, they will go straight to the council and obtain all that information from them.
410. Instead, National Museums Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Museums Council should be brought together to write the policy.
411. The Chairperson: Thank you, Johnny and Mark, for your presentation and for answering our questions. Staff have recorded all the key issues.
Members present for all or part of the proceedings:
Mr Barry McElduff (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley
Mr Francie Brolly
The Lord Browne
Mr Kieran McCarthy
Mr Raymond McCartney
Mr Nelson McCausland
Mr Ken Robinson
Mr Jim Shannon
Witnesses:
Mr Tim Cooke |
National Museums Northern Ireland |
|
Ms Elaine Hill |
Craigavon Borough Council |
|
Dr Ian Adamson |
The Somme Association |
|
Ms Sarah McHugh |
Fermanagh District Council |
412. The Chairperson (Mr McElduff): I welcome the team from National Museums Northern Ireland. The witnesses are led by the body’s chief executive, Tim Cooke, who is joined by Ms Amanda Lilley, director of finance and planning, and Dr Jim McGreevy, director of collections and interpretation.
413. Mr Tim Cooke (National Museums Northern Ireland): Thank you for the invitation to discuss this important matter. The Committee received our written submission in June, and members will be increasingly familiar with the work of National Museums Northern Ireland. Furthermore, having appeared before you in April to present an overview of the organisation and its work, I will not rehearse any more of that.
414. I wish to draw some matters to the Committee’s attention before questions and further discussion. Members should note that there is significant ongoing investment in the National Museums sector. In our case, DCAL has supplied funding of £12·85 million in revenue in 2008, and an extensive capital programme — which arose from the most recent CSR settlement — of £26 million for the next three years. That signifies a marked improvement in both revenue and capital compared with previous years, which indicates the growing recognition of the contribution of National Museums to society.
415. Members will be aware of The Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, which established the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland — which is our full legal title. That Order provides our statutory framework and dictates our approach to strategy, business and governance. Our current corporate strategy covers 2006-09 and is a medium-term strategic document that is agreed with the Department and the Minister. Moreover, we formulate an annual business plan that is approved by our board of trustees, the Department and the Minister, and we draw up an annual accounts report that is submitted to the Assembly. We engage in regular dialogue with DCAL about day-to-day business and how to develop a strategic long-term approach.
416. We can learn lessons from work on museums policy in other jurisdictions. Several documents are available, and we have sent details of what we consider the most important framework documents to the Committee. I draw members’ attention to a document entitled ‘Understanding the Future: Priorities for England’s Museums’, which is a follow up to ‘Understanding the Future; Museums and 21st Century Life’. That document outlines the Westminster Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) priorities for museums for the next decade, which include fulfilling their potential as learning resources and embracing their role in fostering, exploring and questioning identities of diverse communities.
417. Other priorities include improvements to the dynamism and efficiency of collections, skills of museum workforces, and the benefits of closer consultation with partners outside the sector. All those themes are relevant to our future progression. However, it is not necessarily an exact or comprehensive template. We might, for example, be more specific about the potential economic and tourism benefits of museums.
418. In the UK, DCMS introduced free entry to national museums in 2001. That applies, partly, to our national museums. Entry to the Ulster Museum and Armagh County Museum is free, whereas entry to the Ulster American Folk Park and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is not. The introduction of free entry to national museums in England occasioned a 66% increase in the number of visitors, and, therefore, there are major issues related to funding and — if I may put it in this way — real cultural democracy.
419. It is worth mentioning cross-departmental planning. The Northern Ireland Museums Council’s (NIMC) submission outlines succinctly that a museums policy is, in its own right, larger than the sponsor Department. Museums play a role in tourism, which is the responsibility of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment; a role in education, for which the Department of Education is responsible; and, furthermore, museums impact on social regeneration and community development, which falls under the Department for Social Development’s remit. Moreover, museums play a role in higher education, which is the responsibility of the Department for Employment and Learning, and are central to the major issue of infrastructure planning, which is dealt with by the Department for Regional Development.
420. A museums policy must be set in a much broader context and must incorporate a vision of society. The most frequently cited example of successful cultural infrastructure development — which, like a spider’s web, crosses into broader streams of society — is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. If given the opportunity, I recommend that members visit that museum as an example of how a cultural project can lie at the heart of a wider regional regeneration strategy.
421. Finally, National Museums Northern Ireland is interested in the issue of tax benefits for donations. Under current UK legislation, people can benefit from tax breaks when they donate a cultural object of national significance to a national museum. Unfortunately, people must be dead to do so.
422. National Museums, as well as other national museums bodies across the UK, has argued for the extension of the acceptance-in-lieu scheme to living donors. Such a scheme applies in the Republic of Ireland, where donors may avail of significant tax benefits and opportunities. For example, a person who wishes to donate a painting that is worth in excess of €50,000, and which the Council of National Cultural Institutions deems sufficiently significant, can negotiate a tax benefit with the tax authorities while they are still alive. Such a scheme could lead to an increasing number of donations of work were it to be adopted here.
423. Thank you, Chairperson.
424. The Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation, Tim. Your last point related to a very specific idea. During a recent visit to the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin, we discovered that the Haughey family had recently donated items to the Museum of Country Life in Castlebar.
425. Mr McCarthy: Thank you for your presentation. Do you think that the lack of — thus far — a museums policy has had a detrimental impact on the museums sector in Northern Ireland? If so, what has been the nature of that impact?
426. Mr Cooke: Thank you, Mr McCarthy. I set out briefly the framework that we use, which, from our point of view, has brought some positive benefits in recent years.
427. In answer to your question, Mr McCarthy, National Museums Northern Ireland believes that a museums policy will help to develop a more comprehensive framework for museums and to develop their future in Northern Ireland. One such benefit will be the mainstreaming of museums. The policy will put museums right at the heart of Government; it will allow DCAL and other bodies to more obviously recognise the broad contribution that museums make across a range of agendas. It will enable the issue of museums to move beyond the immediate DCAL family and to be considered in relation to much broader agendas, such as education and tourism, which, as you know, do not fall under the DCAL’s remit.
428. On a macro scale, because there are no clearly laid-out principles for a coherent and co-ordinated approach to museum relationships in Northern Ireland, the policy has developed, to some extent, on an ad hoc basis.
429. Mr Brolly: Much of what you said, Tim, obviously focused on the viability of museums, especially since National Museums is almost entirely dependent on grants. If museums opened all weekend, more funds could be raised. As was the case in England, if visitor numbers increased, a stronger case could be made to the Department for funding, because of the greater numbers being served and the effect that that would have on the wider economy. Everyone is conscious of the “Belfast Sunday”, when tourists find it difficult to buy even a cup of tea in the city. Perhaps a cafeteria in a museum could be a bolthole for them.
430. Mr Cooke: Opening hours are an important factor in the service that we provide. Before the closure of the Ulster Museum, it was open on Saturdays and Sundays, albeit for a reduced number of hours.
431. The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is open at weekends, as too is W5. Therefore, it is not simply an issue of opening hours, but a broader issue of affordability for some members of the public. That is supported by the fact that there was a massive rise in visitor numbers in the UK when free entry to museums was introduced.
432. Mr Brolly: Museums can raise some money themselves while generally offering people free opening. However, it would give you leverage towards greater funding if numbers increased, which, I imagine, they would if access to museums were increased considerably at weekends. For the most part, people tend to visit such places at weekends.
433. Mr Cooke: I appreciate that point. A review of opening hours across sites is currently under way, which will certainly result in increased opening hours at weekends.
434. Lord Browne: You have intimated that you would be in favour of a policy of free admission. Have you any other proposals to increase self-generated finance? You receive a considerable grant from DCAL. Have you undertaken any research into museums outside Northern Ireland that have free admission and on how they have generated more visitors? Do you have a method of profiling the visitors and tourists who come to museums so that you can identify visitors from outside of Northern Ireland, numbers of young people, and so on?
435. Mr Cooke: Yes; we have a commercial strategy for our organisation, which is quite aggressively implemented. We raise about £2 million annually of our own funding in addition to grant-in-aid. We have clear targets for increasing that amount of money through retail, catering and corporate-hire facilities. We have been restructuring the organisation somewhat in order to bring new skills into the organisation to enable it to be more successful. That is backed by a planned programme of capital investment to support improved commercial infrastructure. For example, when the Ulster Museum reopens, there will be a new and extended shop and restaurant on the ground floor. That is partly about generating income, but also about improving facilities for our visitors.
436. The picture in respect of commercial progress in national museums here, in the UK and in the Republic is mixed. Some organisations, such as the Tate in London, which is a big brand, adopt a substantial commercial approach; others, less so. One of the specific proposals in our business plan for 2008 is to establish a separate trading company for National Museums Northern Ireland, the objective being to gift back its profits to National Museums as a charity.
437. As for visitor profiles, we have a system of exit polls, which give us a flavour — a picture — of the number of out-of-state visitors. However, we are working to improve that through a new ticketing system that will give us more information about the origin of visitors. The picture is different in each of the sites. For example, a high proportion of visitors at the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh are from out of state. At the Ulster Museum, there tends to be a preponderance of local people. It depends partly where places lie on the tourist circuit.
438. Mr McCausland: Can you offer some indication of the relationship between National Museums Northern Ireland and the various independent museums in respect of skills, artefacts, etc? How do you envisage that that will develop and fit into a strategy?
439. Mr Cooke: If you do not mind, I shall call on my colleague, Dr McGreevy, director of collections and interpretation. He oversees the detail of relationships with local museums. I want to make the point, however, that we are closely involved with the Northern Ireland Museums Council.
440. Mr McCausland: I see your role as complementing that of the Museums Council.
441. Mr Cooke: Yes, indeed. If you do not mind, I shall ask Dr McGreevy to answer that question.
442. Dr Jim McGreevy (National Museums Northern Ireland): It certainly is a complementary relationship and, for a long time, we have engaged positively with local museums on an individual basis and through the Northern Ireland Museums Council.
443. We have been involved in NIMC training programmes as a way of sharing expertise in subjects and skills with local museums and practitioners. We operate an extensive loans programme with local museums and heritage centres across the Province, and, especially more recently since the temporary closure of the Ulster Museum, we have had in place an active outreach initiative involving exhibitions, lectures and exhibition-related events.
444. Mr Shannon: The Committee is keen to ascertain how the appeal and attraction of museums can be advanced, and how private-sector funding can be accessed. You have offered examples of how that is done across the water. How can those examples be transferred to Northern Ireland?
445. You stated in your submission that free entry to national museums in Great Britain resulted in significant increases in visitor numbers. How can that be achieved here, and what would be the cost implications in Northern Ireland — being a smaller area that is strongly dependent on income from admission fees? Again, being a smaller area than Great Britain, there might not be as much private-sector funding available here, so from where do you think such funding might come?
446. Mr Cooke: There was a significant increase in visitor numbers when free admission was introduced for GB national museums. There was also a significant increase in their funding from central Government, so their grant aid was significantly increased; first, to offset the loss of income from admissions and, secondly, to take into account the additional pressures on staff and facilities from increased numbers. Whether that was adequate recompense for the loss in income is a moot point.
447. The thrust must be about increasing participation and access, using whatever innovative policy and practical instruments we can in order to ensure that our museums are accessed and used by as many people as possible, both locals and foreign tourists. However, there is not the capacity in our current funding to move to a blanket policy of free admission.
448. In respect of our own enterprise and the involvement of private-sector sponsorship or gifts, we are re-gearing the organisation to be more commercial in order to drive as much self-generated income as we reasonably can, bearing in mind our need to maintain the integrity of our museums and their core purpose. There is much work to be done with regard to involving the private sector in cultural activity. There are some examples of that, but they tend to be limited.
449. To that degree, we are somewhat out of step with many other places in the UK, the Republic and the United States, where there is a much more developed culture and tradition of private-sector support for the arts. We are working at that all the time, and we have been working to attract funding for the Ulster Museum. However, relatively little of the support for the Ulster Museum has come from private sources; it has come from established foundations that support the arts — chiefly the Department and the Heritage Lottery Fund. There does not seem to be a strong tradition of private donation and private-sector involvement in the arts here, and that remains a big challenge for us.
450. Mr Shannon: You said that there is a tradition in the UK mainland, the States and elsewhere to support the arts. Do you have any examples from those countries that could be used to introduce private funding and partnerships through companies here, or have you been trying to attract funding but have been unsuccessful? Have you found the private sector to be uninterested?
451. Mr Cooke: It is a big challenge. We have been very proactive in trying to attract private-sector support for the Ulster Museum, and have had limited success. However, that is not for want of trying, or asking and telling people about what we are doing. A specific fund-raising team has been working on that, and I have also been actively involved. In the States, it would not be unusual for someone to put up tens of millions of dollars for the new wing of an art gallery. That simply does not happen in this part of the world.
452. Mr Shannon: Obviously, it will be wealthy people who contribute so much. There is a list of Northern Ireland millionaires, and perhaps you should start knocking on their doors — or perhaps things have not progressed that far yet.
453. Mr Cooke: Part of the problem is that everyone is knocking on their doors.
454. Mr K Robinson: I apologise for arriving late and for missing your initial presentation. My question is related to Mr Shannon’s. Mr Cooke talked about seeking private money. We tend to think in terms of the big firms and corporations here, but around 85% of our economy is based on small and medium-sized firms. Newtownabbey Borough Council recently put its roundabouts out to tender, and it was knocked down in the rush of small businesses that wanted to have an input. Have you targeted the smaller businesses, rather than the big boys that we can all think of?
455. Mr Cooke: We have talked to a range of small and medium-sized enterprises, and we have had limited success for sponsorship of specific projects. However, one of the problems is that the return from the investment in time and effort of an organisation can often be disproportionate to the benefits that are gained. Although £5,000 or £10,000 is welcome for a short-term limited programme, it is a non-strategic use of our resources. We have been trying to concentrate on the bigger projects. However, we need to grow and develop private-sector support in this part of the world, and anything that the Committee can do to encourage that, and any ideas that it has, will be more than welcome.
456. Mr D Bradley: You said that some museum facilities charge an entrance fee and some do not. Have any comparisons been carried out between attendances at the free-entry facilities and those that charge? Is there any evidence that charging for entry discourages attendance?
457. Mr Cooke: Comparisons have been carried out internally, but they are probably not conclusive because of the particular constituencies — I refer to social and geographical constituencies, as opposed to political constituencies — from which visitors tend to be drawn. The evidence for non-charging, and the benefit that that means for access and participation, was the evidence for the introduction of free entry into the national museums in GB.
458. Mr D Bradley: Should a museums policy reflect the growing number of Irish and Ulster-Scots speakers in Northern Ireland? Should interpretative facilities be available in one or other or both of those languages?
459. Mr Cooke: Potentially, yes. Our organisation is committed to providing guidance and other material in several languages — not just the indigenous languages that you mentioned, but a broad range of foreign languages. Doing so ensures that visitors can access material in their first or chosen language.
460. A broader issue is about diversity as a whole. I mentioned the DCMS priorities, which include museums embracing the role and fostering, exploring, celebrating and questioning the identities of diverse communities. Therefore, museums in Northern Ireland have a broader role to play in diversity — beyond language.
461. Mr D Bradley: Do you believe that that should that be reflected in a museums policy?
462. Mr Cooke: The diversity issue should be reflected in a museums policy.
463. Mr D Bradley: As museums are largely about preserving the history of an immediate area, and as Irish and Ulster-Scots traditions are part of the fabric of that area, would it be sensible to conclude that they should be represented in a major way through the provision of interpretive facilities?
464. Mr Cooke: It depends how broad or specific a museums policy is.
465. Mr D Bradley: Are you suggesting that it is an operational issue that should be left to individual museums?
466. Mr Cooke: It could be. Our organisation accepts its obligation to provide material in people’s first or chosen language and that is something to which National Museums is committed.
467. Mr D Bradley: Considering the quite large number of Irish-medium schools, and given that you emphasise the links between museums and education, does it not logically follow that museums should cater for that sector of the education system?
468. Mr Cooke: I believe that it should.
469. Mr McNarry: What National Museums Northern Ireland does is great — superb.
470. I cannot help but think that your ambitions are too low. Is that because you believe that that is all that you can do and to do any more, to place the bar higher, you might rock someone’s boat or upset the applecart? I gather that everyone has a lot to say and to tell you about what you should do. However, your submission seems to consist mainly of what you think that you can get away with. I understand that the main reason for that is funding.
471. I heard what you told Jim Shannon about the private sector. Northern Ireland does not have an equivalent of a Carnegie Institute, but I do not believe that enough is being done in that direction. As a result, sections of the arts in which we are interested seem to be almost controlled by cliques, the gin-and-tonic-brigade, or whatever you want to call them. Therefore, those elements of the arts are not broadened out. I do not know whether your organisation does or whether it is farmed out around the country. I was particularly interested in what you said about increasing the cultural nature of what museums do. I hope that you stick with that.
472. I do not know whether you can do it, but I put it to you that there should be provision for a national art gallery. I understand that National Museums Northern Ireland has loads of hidden treasures that the public cannot view because there is nowhere to display them. I also understand that some highly competent living artists in Northern Ireland have difficulty in finding a wall on which to hang their work. Therefore, I want you to address whether, even as a future ambition, you would be prepared to take on the portfolio of a national art gallery, and, if so, how the Committee could assist you to achieve that.
473. The Committee has experience of organisations, such as the Northern Ireland Events Company, that appeared to be doing well. One of the biggest accusations levelled at the Health Service is that it has far too many pen-pushers and not enough doctors and nurses. As you grow and develop, is there a risk that you concentrate on administrative staff and neglect what many people regard as your duty, namely, to embrace the visual side of a world-class museum in Northern Ireland?
474. Mr Cooke: Several pertinent questions have been asked. During my time working for National Museums, that is that first time that I have been accused of not being ambitious enough. Often, I have been accused of being too ambitious. I cannot entirely agree with you, Mr McNarry, about the context in which you said that. However, you are right that —
475. Mr McNarry: Perhaps I should explain: you may be holding back from talking about certain projects, but this is the place to say what you want to do. I do not want you to hold back because you think that you may not receive support. I would rather that you told the Committee about any such projects, and we will see where we go from there.
476. Mr Cooke: Thank you for that. In that context, there is a substantial vision for the existing sites. The Committee is aware of the major refurbishment of the Ulster Museum. We started with nothing, and we now have £15·2 million in the bank. The building is in deep construction and will open next summer.
477. Mr McNarry: Which bank? [Laughter.]
478. Mr Cooke: I am not sure that I should disclose that information.
479. In the past number of years, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum has received significant investment, and substantial plans are being drawn up for a new visitors’ centre and education suite there. Similarly, the New World site at the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh will be re-landscaped and will have three new houses erected on it. There is, therefore, a continuing vision and ambition for the existing sites.
480. However, you are correct, Mr McNarry, about the existence of projects beyond those sites. In my written submission to the Committee in June 2008, I identified two of them: an art gallery, and maritime and industrial heritage. Both require a more ambitious and concerted effort, not only from us but more broadly, because the remit extends beyond National Museums. Thank you for pointing that out, Mr McNarry.
481. Members will be aware that the Ulster Museum has good facilities for displaying art, but they are inadequate and they do not enable us to display the majority of art collections. The board would, therefore, be highly supportive of a new self-standing art gallery.
482. Mr McNarry: You have £15·2 million in a bank whose name you will not divulge. Why was a bid not submitted for an art gallery? Why was that not incorporated in your plans for development? Why did you not try to obtain the other £5 million or £10 million that is required?
483. The Chairperson: During the Committee’s discussion last week, it was decided to discuss formally the idea of an art gallery, but no opinion has yet been reached. However, as an MLA, David has every right to be strongly supportive of it.
484. Mr Cooke: You are absolutely right, we work within a context of expectation of what might be possible, trying to surmise what funding might be available and whether there will be more departmental and broader political support for it. That forms a calculation about which projects should be progressed.
485. Approximately seven years ago, my predecessor made a substantial proposition for a new art gallery for Belfast. The reality of that was, Mr McNarry, that it did not attract the requisite support.
486. In refocusing the project that is underway at the Ulster Museum, that was something that we thought we could attract support for, and that turned out to be the case. That is certainly not the limit of our ambition for the display of art, and there are various options for the creation of a new art gallery. For example, it could be done by the renewal and refurbishment of an existing building, or by the construction of a new building on one of our existing sites — such as the Ulster Museum site which has a swathe of land beside the building that we own — or on another site. We have that in our sights and, indeed, in our business plan for this year.
487. We want to revisit the proposal for an art gallery. There is ambition in that territory, and I welcome your encouragement.
488. There are also substantial issues about future developments of maritime and industrial heritage. Members will be aware that two proposals are on the table in relation to the Titanic — the Titanic Signature Project and Titanic Dock. One is from the Titanic Quarter and the other is from the Odyssey Trust Company (OTC). We do not know what the outcome of those proposals will be. However, regardless of the outcome, a wider issue of maritime interpretation and industrial heritage needs to be addressed, including issues about the SS Nomadic, HMS Caroline and the Result. The way that we reflect the story of our shipbuilding, industrial heritage and aircraft industry at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum at Cultra should be considered. There have been attempts to do the same thing with regard to the shipbuilding industry, but the focus is very much on rail and road aspects. The Dalchoolin area of the museum certainly needs substantial long-term investment for the future.
489. Mr McCausland: I welcome the reference to the maritime museum, and I emphasise the fact that the earliest developments in that regard were on the north Belfast side of the lough. The east Belfast side was a bit of an afterthought.
490. The Chairperson: I do not hear any mention of west Belfast or south Belfast.
491. Mr McCausland: They did not really exist at that time. The north Belfast area still has the graving dock — now at the Laganside building, so I am sure that that will be an important factor in determining where you locate your maritime museum.
492. Mr Cooke: I will note Mr McCausland’s remarks.
493. Mr McNarry: On the question of getting top-heavy with administrative staff —
494. Mr Cooke: There are substantial statutory and governance obligations that go alongside the running of any public-sector organisation. We must be staffed adequately in order to meet those responsibilities. The whole thrust of what we are doing is to reposition National Museums for the twenty-first century as an organisation that is focused on public engagements, on increasing the benefits of our national museums and their collections, on knowledge and sites for all the people of this place and for the increasing number of visitors. That is our exclusive focus, Mr McNarry.
495. The Chairperson: I remind members that we are focusing today on the development of a museums policy. In a way, this has been a general inquisition of National Museums Northern Ireland, and it is very interesting.
496. Mr K Robinson: I assure you that this question will be on the museums policy. Given that you have your own policy and vision, what flexibility does your programme have to respond to need? You have mentioned some of you maritime aspects. What would happen if one of those items had to be rescued — for want of a better term? I am thinking about the Sir Samuel Kelly lifeboat in Donaghadee, which is closely linked to the Princess Victoria disaster and, which I believe, is in private hands. There is also a rather larger piece of hardware in Belfast dock. Does your policy allow you to move quickly in order to ensure that that piece of our heritage remains in Belfast?
497. The Chairperson: Tim, I ask that you take note of that and respond to the questions from Ken, Francie and Kieran together.
498. Mr Brolly: A museums policy would hope to widen the appeal of all museums — David spoke of broadening and the notion of social strata — but there is also a regional aspect. The Ulster Museum occasionally had themed exhibitions with related materials. Would it be an idea to have region-based exhibitions, for example, for west Tyrone? However, it might be difficult to get enough material.
499. Mr McCarthy: Tim said that it would be useful for the Committee to consider museums in Bilbao. Are you suggesting that this Committee might be interested in seeing those museums, or museums anywhere else, in order to bring the Committee to the right conclusions for this inquiry?
500. Mr Cooke: Far be it from me to authorise trips for the Committee. Nevertheless, it would be helpful, in competitive terms and for setting out a long-term vision for our cultural infrastructure, if the Committee explored how that vision is manifested elsewhere. That could be done in a number of ways. Going to Dublin for two hours will provide a sense of the extent to which the national museums and galleries are embedded in the heart of the nation, and the extent to which their profile, funding and roles are regarded as important.
501. Going to Liverpool — the European Capital of Culture — will give a sense of the linchpin that cultural investment is alongside the commercial infrastructure developments that are taking place. For example, an £85 million museum of Liverpool life is being built. Furthermore, the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh has had a £50 million refurbishment.
502. Therefore, the bar in the British Isles is being raised all the time, and people are pursuing integrated strategies for development with cultural infrastructure at their heart, and that are linked to many other strategies, which is why I made the point about cross-departmental planning.
503. Bilbao had a long-term vision that involved the various strata of government which has resulted in a world-beating site, and which has led to wider social and economic regional regeneration. That is the short answer to Mr McCarthy’s question.
504. With regard to Mr Brolly’s question, museums policy must be systematic. There is a particular role for national museums and a particular role for local museums. I would approach the issue in a slightly different way. It is important that National Museums is not simply “super-serving” the greater Belfast area, but that it has appropriate strategies in place for providing a service to all areas of this place. That would not necessarily happen through regionally based exhibitions, but rather through outreach programmes and working in conjunction with transport authorities, schools, tourist boards, local councils and local museums to try to get more strategic synergy in what we do.
505. In relation to Ken Robinson’s question, it depends on the circumstances, costs and capacity at different times. We have intervened on various occasions with rescue missions, only to regret it later, because we got criticised for not properly maintaining, displaying and interpreting some of the objects that we acquired. Therefore, it is not simply a matter of saving or rescuing objects — it is the whole sense of obligation when we acquire them, for instance, looking after them properly and being able to interpret them. Those are always factors to consider when deciding what to take into our collections at short notice.
506. Mr K Robinson: Is there a facility to do that?
507. Mr Cooke: It is possible, but it depends very much on the individual circumstances.
508. Mr McNarry: Could you find a place for Stephen Nolan in a museum — perhaps in a glass case? Is that policy, or am I straying away from it?
509. The Chairperson: That is your individual position David; I would not challenge Stephen Nolan in such a manner.
510. Mr McNarry: You are a Stephen Nolan babe.
511. The Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation and for the lengthy question-and-answer session.
512. Mr Cooke: Thank you for your time.
513. The Chairperson: I invite the representative of Craigavon Borough Council, Ms Elaine Hill, to make a presentation to the Committee. Good morning, Elaine; you are welcome. Please make an opening statement, after which the Committee will ask questions.
514. Ms Elaine Hill (Craigavon Borough Council): Thank you for the opportunity to attend the Committee. I am the curator and museum development officer of Craigavon Museum Services, which is part of Craigavon Borough Council. I manage the museum service and its collections, and develop and deliver programmes and activities to make the museum accessible.
515. Craigavon Museum Services operates on three sites in the Craigavon Borough Council area. Our main base is Waterside House on Oxford Island. We also operate the Barn Museum at Tannaghmore, and Moneypenny’s Lockhouse on the Newry canal. Two of those museums have submitted an application for accreditation. The museum service is registered and offers an outreach programme to schools. Our collection reflects the local social and industrial history of the Craigavon area.
516. I welcome the opportunity to be involved in this inquiry, and I am pleased that the Committee will consider the views of local museums. Our museum service is relatively new — it was established in 1993, and we are currently in a period of development. Craigavon Borough Council is exploring and considering the redevelopment of our museums under the theme of the inland waterways, which is important to the area. It is useful to be involved in the wider discussion on the development of museums policy.
517. The development of a museums policy would benefit Craigavon Museum Services. A policy that sets out a clear vision and goals for museums would enable them to see and chart their development within the sector. It will also enable them to ascertain where they link in with other Departments. It would be particularly relevant for us to find out where we should fit in and work with the education and tourism sectors. A clear vision and framework for museums, supported by strategies through which they might be delivered, would strengthen the sector.
518. Three key areas are relevant and important for museums: collections management and development; learning access; and workforce development. Strategically developing those three areas would provide museums with the infrastructure and resources to deliver services to a high standard. That would also enable them to progress towards a shared vision.
519. Mr McCarthy: Thank you for your presentation. In your written submission to the Committee, you claim that the absence of a Province-wide policy makes it difficult to make plans. That may form half of the answer to my question. Do you consider that the lack of a museums policy has been detrimental to your organisation? If so, what impact has that had on your work?
520. Ms Hill: The absence of a museums policy has been detrimental to our efforts, because it is difficult to make strategic plans without one. We are a local museums service, but we work with organisations across the sector.
521. It is important to have an overall vision for development — particularly for smaller museums — so that they can buy into it and plan their development in the context of other services. It is important for local museums to be part of a bigger picture, so that they can plan strategically, avoid overlapping and duplicating services, and make the most of the services available.
522. It is important to have an overall vision for development in the sector, with clear aims and objectives and mechanisms in place to deliver those strategies in clear areas of work such as learning and collections development. Lack of a formal policy has resulted in there being no mechanism for measuring the impact of museums in Northern Ireland, and no means of comparing our museums with others in the UK and across the sector.
523. Mr K Robinson: I wish to refer to the geography of the Craigavon museum. There are three sites: Waterside House is presumably at the balancing lakes, but where are the Barn Museum and Moneypenny’s Lockhouse? Are they in the same area, or are they scattered across the borough?
524. Ms Hill: Our sites are relatively close to one another. Waterside House is on Oxford Island, although it is a part of a bigger complex. The Barn Museum is in Tannaghmore Gardens, which is a few miles from Oxford Island, on a site managed by Craigavon Borough Council. Moneypenny’s Lock House is on the Newry Canal, a few miles outside Portadown.
525. Mr K Robinson: There is, then, a critical mass in that area. That is important.
526. Lord Browne: You state that it would be beneficial for your organisation to link up with central Government, but do you think that councils are the right body to run museums? Belfast City Council plays no part in that.
527. Ms Hill: Delivering services locally works in the context that the museum service can deliver activities for local schools and communities and engage with them. The service that we run can be organised through the local council. However, wider development, for example, that of inland waterways, is relevant not just to our area, but to council areas across Northern Ireland. When developing collections locally through councils, it would be more beneficial to have input and influence from other places to inform development, rather than develop in isolation.
528. Mr D Bradley: Good morning. To what extent should a museums policy direct local museums?
529. Local museums are very much involved in day-to-day service delivery. A museums policy should provide the museums sector with a longer-term vision of aims and objectives. Given that museums generally exist for a long time and are there to safeguard collections for the future, it is important to consider long-term factors. A joined-up approach to development would give local museums an idea of best practice, inform them about aims and objectives, and allow them to tailor established strategies to local needs.
530. Furthermore, such museums would benefit from being involved in something bigger: a joined-up approach to development matters that affect all museums. They all have collections and provide learning opportunities. Therefore, it would be beneficial to be involved in the bigger picture. Should a museums policy set demarcation lines between local and wider-interest matters?
531. Ms Hill: In Craigavon, we have been focused on our local remit; however, over and above that, the nature of the museums service means that skills in several areas, such as collections development and management, could be shared. Certain museums may be good in particular areas — they might have good learning programmes or workforce-development programmes — so it might benefit local museums to share best practice with others.
532. Mr Shannon: I am sorry for missing your initial presentation. You said that you manage three sites. Given that costs are obviously a key issue for you, and although I appreciate that combining the three sites into one may not be possible, do you intend to do so?
533. You mentioned a waterways museum. When the recommendations from the review of public administration are implemented, and the three councils in Banbridge, Armagh and Craigavon are amalgamated, will you want to act specifically with regard to museums, and does your call for a waterways museum perhaps signal what you wish to do?
534. I am conscious that we are attempting to galvanise our ideas on where we want to go; nevertheless, costs will obviously be a factor.
535. Ms Hill: On your first point about the three sites, buildings on two sites are listed, and the buildings are an integrated part of the visitor experience. Therefore, to bring them together on one site would not be practical.
536. Our main site is on Oxford Island, which is where we have our collections storage. When developing that site, we will want to reflect all aspects of local history; for example, the linen industry and Craigavon’s development. Although waterways is a major theme, we have yet to address that issue. Moreover, a waterways museum would not exist in isolation, and a lot more local history would be represented on the other sites.
537. As a result of the review of public administration, Armagh and Banbridge councils will join Craigavon. Therefore, a policy to develop the services that could be delivered throughout the three council areas would benefit us.
538. Mr Shannon: I am conscious of the fact that representatives from Armagh City and District Council will be making a presentation later —
539. The Chairperson: That will not happen today, Jim. I will explain why later.
540. Mr Shannon: My apologies — that was on the agenda. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to hear their ideas for the future. Have you had any discussions with representatives of Armagh City and District Council?
541. Ms Hill: No, we have not held any discussions with Armagh City and District Council. In some respects, we have similar collections, although the collections are distinguished by the fact that Armagh’s is stronger in archaeology and art, whereas, we cover more social, local and industrial history.
542. Mr Brolly: Your theme is inland waterways, and you have already acquired objects. Could your facilities be expanded into a museum without walls where other inland waterways activities could be addressed, and where people could get involved in activities on canals, etc? A new museums policy could consider the general theme of museums without walls.
543. Ms Hill: We are based on Oxford Island, where we work closely with people in other sections of leisure services, such as recreation and sports development, arts development and the staff who deal with the marina, so cross-working is already taking place. We also work across councils with the tourism officer and deal with economic and community development. In looking at the bigger picture, that is something that we aim to achieve.
544. The Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation and for answering questions. Your comments will be taken into consideration.
545. The next group of witness represents the Somme Association. Lord Browne earlier declared an interest and Mr Shannon also wishes to declare an interest.
546. Mr Shannon: I am a member of the Somme Association.
547. The Chairperson: I welcome Dr Ian Adamson, whose face is familiar around here. I now hand over to the Somme Association and invite Dr Adamson to introduce his colleagues and make a presentation.
548. Dr Ian Adamson (The Somme Association): I am the chairman of the Somme Association, Mr Ian Vincent is the curatorial adviser and spokesman on museums policy, and Carol Walker, who is my right-hand person, is director of the Somme Association and does all the work.
549. The Somme Association was formed in 1990 as part of the cross-community scheme Farset to give tribute not only to the sons of Ulster, who had fought in the First World War, but to the soldiers of Ireland. The theme was to refurbish the Ulster Tower at Thiepval and to liaise with those responsible for Helen’s Tower at Clandeboye in County Down.
550. Helen’s Tower was built in 1867 as a gamekeeper’s residence. The contemporary Lord Dufferin refurbished the tower as a tribute to his mother, who was dying of cancer, so that she could bring her friends — mostly poets — to the tower to enjoy days of respite and peace.
551. The Ulster Tower at Thiepval was built by public subscription in 1921 in honour of the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division and their comrades in Ireland in general as a lasting tribute. It is the national war memorial of Northern Ireland and falls under the auspices of the Department of Finance and Personnel. The Somme Association has built a heritage centre at the Ulster Tower, and a heritage centre, which is now a museum, in the Ards.
552. The museum is located there because the 36th (Ulster) Division trained nearby before going to France. The association holds annual commemoration services on 1 July for the 36th (Ulster) Division and in September for the men of the16th (Irish) Division. We have also gone to Gallipoli to commemorate the 10th (Irish) Division.
553. The 16th (Irish) Division is of particular note these days because it included the 47th Brigade, who, more or less, represented the contribution from Derry and Belfast to the National Volunteers. In commemorating the soldiers who fought in the First World War, we recite our declaration:
“Sons of Ulster, soldiers of Ireland, do not be anxious. The war is over, both here and in your beloved Ireland. The Western Front is no more and Ireland at last is at peace with herself and with her people.”
“A fheara Uladh agus a shaighdiúirí na hÉireann, ná bíodh imní oraibh. Tá an cogadh thart, ní amháin san áit seo ach i bhur dtír féin, in Éirinn. Níl an fronta thiar ann níos mó, agus faoi dheireadh tá tír na hÉireann faoi shíocháin léi féin agus lena pobal.”
554. The declaration is made because our objective is to bring together, in contemporary Ulster and Ireland, the two sides that fought in the First World War. The association is more than the operator of a museum — although that is a central part of our work — it is a commemorative organisation. That is why we appreciate the contribution to our funding from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, and we want that to continue. We also, incidentally, appreciate the continuous help that we receive from the Northern Ireland Museums Council, and we support that body in its present form.
555. I have brought with me the first issue of our journal ‘Battle Lines’ from 1990, which was the time of the rededication of the Ulster Tower at Thiepval. I have a copy for each Committee member. They are very rare — so do not sell them on eBay as soon as you get them. [Laughter.]
556. The picture on the front cover is of our former president, HRH Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, who was the mother of the Duke of Gloucester. He was the Earl of Ulster, and he had a strong connection with, and interest in, Ireland, particularly Ulster. The journal includes a message from our president and details of the last of the veterans. It includes contributions from the famous characters who were council representatives in 1990, such as Aldermen Nigel Dodds, Hugh Smyth and Fred Cobain — who shall remain nameless. [Laughter.]
557. Also in that issue is the then Mayor of Derry, Tony Carlin — and we were honoured to have Mayor Gerard Diver of Derry and four mayors from various parties join us at our commemoration service at Guillemont just a couple of weeks ago. The 1990 journal details that event, and the battles of Ginchy and Guillemont, which were nationalist Ireland’s Battle of the Somme. There is also a small dissertation on the Somme and Helen’s Tower. I would like all Committee members to have a copy, and I will hand them out at the end of our presentation.
558. I now hand over to Mr Ian Vincent to continue, because I have spoken for far too long.
559. Mr Ian Vincent (The Somme Association): I will try to answer the written questions that were submitted to us by the Committee as quickly as possible. I have written responses with me, which I will read out, if I may. I assume that that is the format that is being followed by most people who come before the Committee.
560. Question 1 asks whether the lack of a formal departmental museum policy has a detrimental impact. My answer is that it does have a detrimental impact. The main detriment has been the isolation of National Museums from the rest of Province’s museums. A suitable policy would have brought about the circulation of national collections, along with professional advice on such matters as conservation, exhibit design and marketing — all of which would have greatly benefited the entire museum field throughout Northern Ireland.
561. On question 3, my answer is, obviously, that I believe that the effect has been detrimental. I have already explained why. Question 4 asks about the efficacy of current departmental guidelines. Those guidelines have been insufficient to force National Museums out of what amounts to years of navel gazing — looking inward. The guidelines only hint broadly at helping vis-à-vis support for district council museums, etc. However, there is no directive that stems from a policy to stop that inward looking. The guidelines are merely an operating manual for National Museums, not a policy document that covers the provision of Northern Ireland’s heritage through its material culture.
562. Question 5 asks which aspects of the current guidelines have worked well and whether they have any gaps. A strong directive to follow up policy should be added to the guidelines in which National Museums would exert leadership in the field and make its specialised staff’s expertise available to others. The question asks what the Somme Association’s policies are. First, to provide the best possible service to people in the community who are interested in our special subject area, and, secondly, to do that while following the highest professional standards in collections management and exhibits in accordance with the national standards that are promoted and monitored by the Northern Ireland Museums Council — to which Dr Adamson has already referred. The Somme Museum is a fully accredited museum under the UK guidelines. We are extremely proud to have achieved that.
563. Question 7 asks how the museum is funded. The question concerns the efficiency of an institution in raising its own supporting funding — by that I mean the proportion of earned income versus tax-based grants. The association’s director will provide the Committee with those details. I shall hand over to Carol, who will provide some background on the association’s funding.
564. Mrs Carol Walker (The Somme Association): During the past several years, the Somme Heritage Centre has received £30,000 from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, and £37,000 from the community relations unit (CRU) of OFMDFM. Neither of those grants has increased with inflation during the past eight years. That amounts to £67,000 of funding.
565. The £30,000 from DCAL goes towards the operational costs of the Somme Heritage Centre. The £37,000 from the community relations unit must be apportioned to two posts — two members of staff. Therefore, out of that £67,000, £30,000 is spent on operational costs. We receive £5,000 from Ards Borough Council, which must be allocated towards marketing the heritage centre. North Down Borough Council matches that funding of £5,000, which must be allocated towards a project in order for us to be able to draw it down, and does not, therefore, go towards operational costs. In total, we receive £77,000 of grant funding from the councils and Government Departments.
566. The figures that I am about to cite are from our draft accounts to March 2008. The figure for admissions is £29,226. We have just over 25,000 visitors each year, 6,000 of whom are schoolchildren who visit as part of our education policy.
567. In 2007-08, the cafe and shop generated an income of £21,336, fundraising events generated £8,500, and donations amounted to £7,188. The Somme Association generates some money itself through an extensive worldwide membership that ranges as far as Australia, Canada and Hong Kong. Those members are expatriates or people with a genuine interest in the First World War. The Somme Association puts in an income, from its overall income, of £20,000 towards the operational costs of the Somme Heritage Centre. That represents a further total of £86,250 that the museum generates internally, which makes a grand total of £163,250 generated at the centre. That total mirrors our outgoings, and, therefore, it costs, on average, approximately £170,000 to run the Somme Heritage Centre and to pay the museum staff.
568. As the Committee can see, the budget is extremely tight. We do not have sufficient funding to organise exhibitions or one-off events, and we rely heavily on organisations such as the Northern Ireland Museums Council, the Big Lottery Fund and the National Lottery to supply funding for exhibitions or projects. It is necessary to compete for that funding and, as everyone knows, completing application forms — especially for one-off projects — is time-consuming.
569. Mr Brolly: I am surprised that you do not receive a contribution from the Irish Government.
570. Mrs Walker: In 2008, we received a one-off donation from the Irish Government of £13,000 — approximately €20,000 — to update the audio-visual equipment that forms part of our tour.
571. Mr Vincent: The Committee requested information about our knowledge of museums outside Northern Ireland. As the museum’s curatorial adviser, I have outside knowledge. I worked in the museum sector in Canada for over 20 years, and, in the mid-1970s, I was the Ulster Museum’s first education officer. I have a master’s degree in museology from the University of Toronto and the Royal Ontario Museum. Furthermore, I am a former president of the Ontario Museum Association and a board member of the Canadian Museums Association. As president of the Ontario Museum Association, I led a team that negotiated a museum grants scheme with the Government of Ontario, through which various levels of grants were paid to museums in a three-tiered system that incorporated provincial museums, municipal museums and local historical society museums. It was interesting to devise a scheme and a funding route.
572. The Committee wanted to hear about research and evidence on balanced funding. Question 7 asks about the balance of funding from the public and private sectors.
573. That is a misunderstanding. All museums need grant support to survive. As Carol Walker said — using our museum as an example — they do so through earned revenues, admission charges, shop income and events. Where possible, we find corporate support for special exhibitions, publications, and so on. In my many years’ experience here and in Canada, the private sector does not provide operating funds — it supplies one-off grants for publications.
574. Question 9 addresses museum policy. The world is full of suitable policy models, a proper survey of which would determine which one could be used in Northern Ireland. There is no need to reinvent the wheel in this instance. The Committee should establish a panel of suitably qualified representatives from museums — not just National Museums — and Government to review existing models and make a recommendation that explains the rationale for its selection.
575. There are, in my opinion several, key elements for a successful museums policy. First, a clear mission statement as to the goals and objectives of the policy must be decided, and it must provide material and non-material culture to the citizens of Northern Ireland. From that, a policy leading to an appropriate museum structure or provision for the Province would then be developed.
576. Secondly, the policy must cover the governance of all museums — not just the national museums but the local government and independent museums, of which we are one. Furthermore, the national museums should be directed to assist other qualified museums and take a leadership role, which I noted previously.
577. Thirdly, all museums that are to be funded must have or be made to achieve accredited status. I have no doubt that the Committee will have heard from NIMC on that issue. The notion that county museums should be the only framework for funding outside of the national museums must be reconsidered. Local government boundaries are about to change and it remains to be seen who will referee how those county museums will fare.
578. Finally, it should be possible for museums other than national and county museums to receive Government grants. Special-purpose museums — such as the Somme Heritage Centre and others in the Province — that have a proven public track record should also be considered for funding.
579. The Chairperson: Thank you. The Committee is grateful for your presentation. A number of members have indicated that they wish to speak, including two who have declared an interest.
580. Lord Browne: Thank you. I declare an interest as a trustee of the Somme Association. I am aware that all three of the witnesses have considerable experience and expertise in running a very successful museum.
581. Mr Vincent has spoken of the fact that he has had a lifelong career in museums and has a lot of experience from his time working in Canada. Do you believe that, in drawing up a museum policy, this Committee should draw on the experience of other countries such as Canada? If so, how do you suggest that we go about that?
582. Furthermore, you obviously have considerable experience in this field. How can we harness people such as you who have experience in drawing up museums policies outside Northern Ireland? What methods could we employ to do that?
583. Mr Vincent: As I suggested to the Committee, I would be happy to share any experience that I have. Indeed, while working to put together a funding model with the Government in Ontario, I travelled to Germany and brought back some suitable methods and models.
584. There are models that can be brought back to this Committee with recommendations. In my opinion, any panel must have experienced museum staff sitting on it, and they should be comprised from various levels of museum operations, not just the national museums. The Ministry of Culture in Ontario has two former museum employees who had been in the field for a number of years before joining the Civil Service. They provided the filter through which a lot of museum policy was passed. Therefore, it was hard to wipe the eye of the Government as they had their own experts operating the museums. They acted as policemen and monitored what was rational and reasonable. That system worked well, and I recommend the Committee to consider something of that nature.
585. Lord Browne: Carol, the centre receives funding from two different bodies in Northern Ireland. Do you find any difficulties with that? Furthermore, do you feel that there should be a centralised body in the Government here? Moreover, what benefits would that bring to your organisation?
586. Mrs Walker: Definitely. As a small organisation with an extremely small staff, receiving funding from two Departments causes us a major headache. That is because both Departments have a different way of drawing down and verifying funding. Additionally, the funding for the Somme Heritage Centre is received in arrears and the museum is paid after the event. As a result, the museum must operate on a constant overdraft. Therefore, because of the system and the delay in the drawing down of funds, we have to pay £5,000 or £6,000 in interest from the £67,000 that we may receive at the end of the financial year. Therefore, it would benefit us and probably other small museums to have one centralised grant.
587. Mr Shannon: One aspect of this inquiry is to ascertain how our rich history can be brought together. Is there a need for a museum such as yours to hold the Province’s military artefacts and history? You mentioned relationships with people in France and Turkey; do you have partnerships with museums outside Northern Ireland that could enhance your museum and perhaps theirs? Finally, should local councils be more involved in funding? I ask that having declared an interest as a member of Ards Borough Council.
588. Dr Adamson: There is a need for a museum of the history of war and of peace. The Somme Association has connections with the Collins Barracks in Dublin and with the Imperial War Museum. The National Museum of Ireland has lent us material for an exhibition at the Somme Heritage Centre. That is an important aspect of our work. There is a need for a larger museum structure that is dedicated to the history of various wars, particularly the First World War and the Second World War.
589. We can always do with help from local councils. We have had a close relationship with councils over the years, and we have a Somme Advisory Council which seeks representatives from each of the councils. We also have good relations with councils down South. We do, therefore, have a North/South relationship.
590. There is much still to do. When I was in France a week ago, I spoke to a lot of people from England who were representing the Salford Pals, who fought on the right flank of the 36th (Ulster) Division, and who were wiped out. The Salford Pals history covers 1914-16. They were wiped out and that is why the 36th (Ulster) Division got into trouble on 1 July 1916.
591. I would like to build a relationship with the Imperial War Museum, which includes the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester. That is a wonderful institution, and it is one that we could replicate. However, that is all down to money, which, of course, is freely available. [Laughter.]
592. The Somme Association furbished the Ulster Tower at Thiepval and recently refurbished it. We bought Thiepval Wood — the Bois d’Authuille — which is the area around the Ulster Tower that the 36th (Ulster) Division advanced from. We would like, with Lady Dufferin’s good graces, to open up Helen’s Tower Wood so that people could come from this new council — North Down and Ards.
593. Mr McCarthy: Ards and North Down.
594. Dr Adamson: I suggested Dal Fiatach, the ancient kingdom of Ards, but it was not taken up. In any case, when Helen’s Tower Wood opens, there will be an archaeological project in the area because there are training trenches that can be excavated in the way that we excavated trenches at Thiepval.
595. Another link to tourism that we would like to build on is that between JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. JRR Tolkien was in the Lancashire Fusiliers and he was at Thiepval Wood, which was where he first got the inspiration to write ‘The Lord of the Rings’.
596. Tolkien lost all of his friends in the First World War along the battlefields of the Somme — at La Boisselle and at Souaste to the north of Bouzincourt. He had a real interest, therefore, in the Somme. Much of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is a characterisation of the Battle of the Somme. Having lost his friends, he made new ones, the chief one being CS Lewis who was wounded at the Battle of Arras — the second battle of the Somme — in which, sadly, the 16th (Irish) Division was almost completely wiped out.
597. We would like tribute to be paid continually to the 16th (Irish) Division, because it contained people such as Tom Kettle and Francis Ledwidge, who would have been among the greatest poets ever produced by Ireland had they not been killed in that war. Such men went there to fight for the rights of small nations, and that may be considered an essential part of the development of modern Irish republicanism. Similarly, tribute is due to the 36th (Ulster) Division which, because of its sacrifice, was responsible for the birth of modern Ulster.
598. Mr McCarthy: Thank you for your presentation. I could listen to you talking about this particular subject all day. I congratulate you for the work that you have done at the Somme Heritage Centre in Conlig. There is also an excellent facility at Cloughey. I go there on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon on my bicycle. It is just far enough to travel to and relax in the garden of remembrance. It is brilliant — well done.
599. What was the most detrimental impact on Northern Ireland by not having a museums policy? To follow Lord Browne’s point on Ontario, Canada — do you think it might benefit our deliberations if we were to visit Canada? [Laughter.]
600. I am being serious. We want to do this right, and to do that, we need to get out there.
601. Dr Adamson: In a word, yes.
602. Mr McNarry: What, on a bicycle?
603. Dr Adamson: I will leave that up to the Committee.
604. Mr McNarry: As long as we can all go with him.
605. The Chairperson: I think, Ian that you deserve recognition as an honorary member.
606. Mr Vincent: I think that the problem was that at the time it was expedient to produce guidelines for civil servants on using taxpayers’ funds responsibly to fund the Ulster Museum. That then grew to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, and then the whole of the Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland, so it is very focused on that. Museum provision in a certain locality — the province of Ontario, or Northern Ireland — should be more intricate than that. There should be various levels of museums, and the question is how to develop a policy.
607. First, the Government have got to decide broadly — on paper, as it were — what a cultural policy for Northern Ireland would be, which would be a great mind-bending exercise for people. Following that, one expression of that is that a policy or mechanism is needed in order to agree what would constitute a legitimate museum to be the subject of Government funding, and how that would come about. A series of issues needs to be addressed. However, such issues have not been addressed.
608. I hate to say this, but it may be cheaper to fly somebody over from Canada to advise the Committee. I have contacts in the Ontario Ministry who would be more than happy to guide the Committee. I know that I should not say that, but there you go. Perhaps you have to see the various tiers of museums to understand the difference between them and how that difference is worked out, but it is the one model that I am familiar with that worked well, was negotiated, and as far as I know, continues. I think that you should examine such an example in order to get a broader perspective of museums in the Province.
609. Mr McCartney: That is a good example of an independent museum. I have a couple of questions for Mrs Walker about the figures. How many full-time staff do you have? What are your opening hours?
610. Mrs Walker: We operate with five full-time staff, and our opening hours are seasonal. During the winter months, we open on Monday to Thursday from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. Those opening hours are geared towards accommodating schools, because we are more likely to have school visits on Mondays to Thursdays. Three staff work on Fridays, but we are not open to the public. That is when we get work done, otherwise it is difficult to get anything done in a working museum. In the past couple of years, however, we have changed our policy, and we open now on demand. We will open the museum for Friday or evening visits for groups of more than 25 people. In the summer months, we open seven days a week: 10.00 am to 5.00 pm from Monday to Friday; and 12.00 noon to 5.00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
611. Over the years, we have considered our operational costs and opened the museum accordingly. There is no point in the museum being open at a time when there are no visitors. We have to keep our costs down and consider such expenses as heating and lighting costs. The opening hours are geared around our funding.
612. Previous business reports have stated that we should have longer opening hours during the week and at weekends, but we require more funding to do that — it would not be worth our while otherwise.
613. Mr McCartney: You have 29,000 admissions a year. Do you receive a fixed amount each year, or do you apply to DCAL and OFMDFM for more money?
614. Mrs Walker: It is a fixed amount, and we have been told that that is all we are getting. It has not increased over the past eight years or more, but it has changed slightly. The DCAL funding has been provided for a long time, but the CRU/OFMDFM funding changed slightly. We used to receive funding from the Community Relations Council, but, eventually, we did not fit into the category for which it had funding, so the funding was changed and CRU now provide the funding.
615. Mr McCartney: Do they say that you are receiving the maximum amount possible? Or is it the case that there is simply no more money available?
616. Mrs Walker: It is not there.
617. Mr D Bradley: Tá céad míle fáilte romhaibh. Fair fa ye. Ba deas an ráiteas Gaeilge a chloisteáil uait fosta. It was nice to hear that quotation in Irish.
618. Mr Vincent, what type of support and direction would a museums policy give to a museum such as the Somme Heritage Centre?
619. Mr Vincent: In the 1970s, I was the education officer in the Ulster Museum. Staff there hoped to get the museum more out into the Province’s collections. It did not happen, and, disappointed, I returned to Canada, because I thought that we had the ability to improve the quality of the Province’s museums through our expertise. However, National Museums got caught up in its own structural issues, amongst other matters.
620. In the Ontario model, the Civil Service had some museum expertise to help referee on those matters and to decide on what were or were not reasonable requests. The province of Alberta chose to use its Museums Council — the equivalent of the Northern Ireland Museums Council — as a vehicle to distribute funds. It received a block grant, and its job was to allocate money and to adjudicate, because it was also enforcing museum standards. There are, therefore, various methods of doing this.
621. In Ontario, the Government distributed money directly. They sent it to museum boards rather than to district councils in order to prevent bits being nibbled off grants on their way to museums. Such issues are universal across Governments and funding institutions. Therefore, various models can be adopted. Perhaps this Committee examines a variety of them, has someone with sufficient knowledge to consider their respective strengths and weaknesses, then take a view of what will or will not work. That would provide a broad perspective to the museum provision for the Province.
622. Mr K Robinson: The Committee should take up the issue of retrospective funding in order to obtain the maximum bangs for bucks. I congratulate the witnesses on their presentation. It has been good, to the point, full of enthusiasm and very helpful to the Committee. We have not had to ask questions in order to get answers, which was helpful. [Laughter.]
623. On a personal note, I thank Ian for his delivery in Irish. It has been a long time since he spoke in my ear in Irish. As ever, it was perfect, spot on and music to the ear, unlike some of the stuff that we are sometimes assaulted with here. Dominic is excluded from that. He is improving all the time. [Laughter.]
624. On the point of experience for schoolchildren, I took my 4 ft 2 in tall grandson to the Somme Heritage Centre, and the recruiting sergeant grabbed him. The impression that that has on children is fantastic and really brings home the message as intended.
625. Has the financial issue been teased out enough? Is there some work to be done between you and other agencies? Tour ships are coming into Belfast more frequently and I am sure that their passengers are fed up coming to Stormont and other such places. Are the guides aware of your existence? Do you make them aware? Are you making contacts with cruise organisers and with Belfast City Council in order to create a potential stream of funding and interest? At Conlig, the Somme Heritage Centre is well within reach of a bus leaving Belfast Harbour. Have you teased that out; or is it an area that you will consider?
626. Mrs Walker: Among our main problems, as I mentioned earlier, is that our marketing budget from Ards Borough Council amounts to £5,000, for which we are grateful. We cannot go one penny over that. Any overspend on marketing comes out of our operational costs.
627. Marketing aimed at tour ships and their like requires money — glossy brochures and so on are required. We have tried, but we cannot really sell ourselves and that is something that the board and I have been concerned about over the years. One of our main problems is that when it comes to marketing the Somme Heritage Centre our hands are tied. An adequate marketing budget would ensure that everybody knows where we are.
628. Another of our problems is that people — because of where we are based — do not know that we exist. They do not know that the museum is on their doorstep. That is because £5,000 is not enough to fully market it.
629. Quite a lot of our cross-border marketing is conducted through the North/South body, Heritage Ireland, which in turn markets the Somme Heritage Centre in places such as Canada and America — markets that we are trying to break into. However, that costs £2,500 a year — half of our designated budget; and that is just on cross-border marketing.
630. Mr K Robinson: The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and all of Belfast City Council’s facilities are not far away; surely you can link up with those in order to maximise the tourist experience.
631. Mr McCarthy: Chairperson, do we not have an organisation called the Northern Ireland Tourist Board?
632. Mr K Robinson: That is a good point.
633. The Chairperson: That was a rhetorical question if there was ever one.
634. Mrs Walker: Unfortunately the Northern Ireland Tourist Board charges for anything it does, and we cannot afford to pay the charges.
635. The Chairperson: I am delighted to see Dr Ian Adamson back, because he was a member of this Committee in a previous manifestation. Am I right?
636. Dr Adamson: Yes.
637. The Chairperson: I also thank Ian Vincent and Carol Walker for attending.
638. Dr Adamson: The Chairperson and Committee are welcome to visit the Somme Heritage Centre anytime. On Mr McCarthy’s point, if you want to come to France you can visit the Thiepval Wood.
639. Mr McCarthy: I have been there. It is brilliant — excellent.
640. The Chairperson: We have noted that invitation, thank you.
641. Dr Adamson: Go raibh mile maith agat. Lang may yer lum reek wi’ ither Fowk’s Coal.
642. The Chairperson: Do you have any spare tickets for the match on Sunday? [Laughter.]
643. Armagh City and District Council has decided not to give oral evidence to the inquiry. Jim, that is of particular interest to you. Council representatives contacted the Committee on Monday to say that, as the council does not run a museum, it would not be appropriate to give evidence. The council feels that it is more appropriate for the Committee to hear from organisations that are involved in the operation of museums. However, it is keen to be kept informed about the outcome of the inquiry and any policy that the Department subsequently develops.
644. Mr Shannon: Does Armagh City and District Council not have any opinion? I am curious to hear its view on museum and tourism policy. Does the Council want to do it alone, or should it be part of a partnership? Can the Committee write to the council to find out its opinion? It did say that its presentation would be a written submission — does the Committee have a written submission?
645. The Chairperson: The written submission is included in the members’ packs.
646. I welcome the representatives from Fermanagh District Council. Committee members have been provided with a copy of the submission. Present are Ms Sarah McHugh, who is the manager of the museum services, and Ms Bronagh Cleary, who is the museum development officer.
647. Ms S McHugh (Fermanagh District Council): Fermanagh County Museum is housed in Enniskillen Castle and shares its premises with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regimental Museum. The whole complex is managed by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. We work in partnership with those bodies and Roads Service on the castle committee to manage the site.
648. Fermanagh County Museum is run by Fermanagh District Council. In addition to mixed collections, we host exhibitions and events throughout the year and have a series of audience-development projects. Much of our work is done in partnership, whether that be with the other museums on site, through our cross-border project with Cavan County Museum or the Collecting Cultures programme with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regimental Museum and Derry City Council’s Heritage and Museum Service. The requirement for a clear museums policy presents itself, particularly when we work in partnership. The importance of the way that museums can dovetail with, and enhance, other policies, such as social inclusion or tourism, is underlined by strategies such as ‘Destination Fermanagh — The Vision for Tourism 2006-2016’.
649. We have benefited a lot from the support of the Northern Ireland Museums Council, which has helped in collection care, developing access and enhancing our collections. Therefore, a policy is required that encourages museums to share knowledge about their developing collections and expertise, which will develop the whole sector into a dynamic series of different organisations for the twenty-first century. During a period of flux, it is important that museums are clear about their vision so that they can develop on what has already been achieved.
650. Museums must be clear about their starting positions to ensure that they are not working alone in a vacuum and are able to make comparisons to similar organisations. Our service should be able to assess where it stands in order to develop; benchmark against similar organisations in order to measure success; dovetail with other institutions and, therefore, have a wider remit to enhance museums in different areas; have a strong, clear vision of how museums can develop; and build on previous success.
651. Mr McCarthy: Thanks very much for your presentation. Do you think that the absence of a museums policy has been detrimental to your work? If so, will you give an example?
652. Ms S McHugh: Rather than saying that x, y or z could have been achieved, it should be measured by acknowledging that museums still have a huge amount of unfulfilled potential. There is huge untapped potential in the development of partnerships between museums and other organisations. For example, the partnership project that we are about to begin with the Derry City Council’s Heritage and Museum Service will compare existing collections and assess the strengths and weaknesses of collections and expertise. That process would be much easier if there was a museums policy.
653. Mr McCarthy: Therefore, the sooner the museums policy is introduced the better?
654. Ms S McHugh: Yes, absolutely.
655. Mr Shannon: Some people, such as me, from the east of the Province, feel that the Northern Ireland Tourist Board is keen to promote the west of the Province. When people land at Belfast International Airport at Aldergrove or get off the ferry at Larne, they are handed a brochure telling them to visit Fermanagh. Has the Tourist Board helped your museum?
656. The Chairperson: Your analysis is a stranger to me.
657. Mr Shannon: I said that it was my opinion. I am curious whether you think that the Tourist Board has a significant role in promoting your museum. Does the museum have a partnership with Fermanagh District Council and, if so, how does it work?
658. Ms S McHugh: Fermanagh does not have a signature project, and it could be claimed that that is a disadvantage. However, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board has recently supported the redevelopment of the oldest part of Enniskillen Castle, the castle keep. Therefore, there is a mixed picture and people have different perspectives on the matter.
659. The museum works closely with Fermanagh District Council and its policies, such as the ‘Destination Fermanagh’ strategy’. The museum receives a lot of support and tries to ensure that its policy and direction fits in with the county’s overall tourism strategy. It is important that that tourism strategy highlights that we are the heritage gateway to Fermanagh.
660. Mr D Bradley: What type of direction and support would you expect from a museums policy?
661. Ms S McHugh: It is something that the various stakeholders should feed into at the beginning so that a framework can be produced. Once there has been wide consultation in the sector, and everyone feels that they are involved, the strategy would give an overarching vision that could fit into a plan and that could be used for reference. It would give greater strength in showing people what direction they should take, and it would enable grant funding and the drawing down of financial support in order to achieve certain aims. Rather than firefighting and responding, a policy should demonstrate proactivity and give direction.
662. Mr D Bradley: Do you feel that it should be a bottom-up policy?
663. Ms S McHugh: The sector and other interested parties must first have some sort of draft policy — provided by a steering group — that it can comment on. Everyone would feel that they have had a chance to contribute, and if they felt that some aspect of the policy did not represent them, they would have had the chance to say so from the beginning.
664. Mr K Robinson: Given the fact that you are the gateway for so many of overseas visitors — particularly those from EU countries — what steps do you take to ensure that they can appreciate fully their visit? Is there a language facility or are the exhibits explained in two or three languages?
665. Ms S McHugh: They are, and that is important to us, particularly over the summer when the largest proportion of visitors come from abroad. We have multi-lingual interpretation, and we received a grant from the NIMC to create a multi-lingual website that includes a wide variety of languages.
666. The Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation and for answering our questions. We will take into account what you have said and the contents of your written submission.
25 September 2008
Members present for all or part of the proceedings:
Mr Barry McElduff (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Francie Brolly
The Lord Browne
Mr Kieran McCarthy
Mr Raymond McCartney
Mr Nelson McCausland
Mr Pat Ramsey
Mr Ken Robinson
Mr Jim Shannon
Witnesses:
Mr Archie Walls |
Ards Borough Council |
Mr William Blair |
Mid-Antrim Museums Service |
Dr Gordon Millington OBE |
HMS Caroline Committee |
Mr Mike King |
Down District Council |
Ms Noreen Cunningham |
Newry and Mourne District Council |
667. The Chairperson (Mr McElduff): We proceed to the inquiry into the development of a museums policy. I ask members to note the response at tab 3 of the members’ packs from the Research and Library Service on issues that arose during the presentation on 11 September. The only outstanding information relates to visitor numbers to museums in the South. Research and Library Service will send that to the Committee as soon as possible. I refer members to the outline plan at tab 4 of the packs. The Committee Clerk will address the meeting on the proposed outline plan. I remind members to be focused on the terms of reference of the plan; it is not a general inquisition on local government.
668. The Committee Clerk: The outline plan at tab 4 of the packs shows the main steps in the inquiry. The first step is the evidence sessions with the witnesses, including the Minister. Following those evidence sessions, the Committee will review and consider the evidence in order to come up with its recommendations, and the Committee Office will provide a summary of all the evidence to assist with the process. Following that, the Committee will consider a report drafted by the Committee Office, and, subsequently, the Committee will agree its final report.
669. The outline plan also provides a list of the main issues that were raised by witnesses and members at the previous two meetings, and they will serve as an aide-memoire for members.
670. It will be useful to remember the main focus of the inquiry. First, the Committee must decide whether there is a case for recommending that the Department develops a museums policy. If the Committee decides that it is necessary, it will have to present concrete evidence that outlines the benefits that can be gained from having a museums policy, as well as pointing out any risks or problems associated with not having a policy. It is vital to use the evidence sessions to gather that kind of information.
671. Secondly, the Committee must explore how a policy could be best drawn up. Last week, for instance, it was suggested that there should be panel of museum professionals.
672. Thirdly, the Committee must decide what key elements should be included in the museums policy. It has been suggested that a policy should address the relationship between the national and independent museums.
673. The Committee is not engaged in drawing up a comprehensive museums policy as part of the inquiry. That is for the Department to do, and the Committee may recommend that.
674. The Chairperson: That will help focus efforts. There will be five witness presentations at this morning’s meeting, and members must be aware of time management. Therefore, members should not ask questions merely for the sake of doing so.
675. Mr Shannon: The first witness will make a short submission, which will, probably, relate to the Somme Heritage Centre and the Ards Borough Council’s involvement in it. We have a lot of questions, which, by the officer’s own admission, he is not in a position to answer.
676. I have a question that is not on the list of suggested questions, which could help the inquiry.
677. The Chairperson: That is fine.
678. Mr McCarthy: I will ask the first, second and third questions on the list.
679. Mr P Ramsey: I will ask the seventh and eighth questions on the list.
680. The Chairperson: OK, Pat.
681. Mr K Robinson: As before, I will ask the tenth and eleventh questions.
682. The Chairperson: That is fine. Other Committee members can ask the remaining questions.
683. Mr Brolly: In the evidence that the Committee has heard as part of the inquiry, witnesses have not been asked why they thought a museums policy would help and how it would help. I will ask that question.
684. Mr K Robinson: That issue is covered by the tenth question.
685. Mr Brolly: I apologise; Ken has that question covered.
686. The Chairperson: I remind Committee members to switch their mobile phones off. We must now declare any potential interests that we have. I am a member of Omagh District Council.
687. Mr McCartney: I am not sure whether it is relevant, but I am a member of the Bloody Sunday Trust of the Museum of Free Derry.
688. The Chairperson: That is relevant.
689. Mr McNarry: I did not hear that — what organisation are you a member of?
690. Mr McCartney: The Bloody Sunday Trust of the Museum of Free Derry.
691. The Chairperson: Francie, do you have any interests to declare?
692. Mr Brolly: No; none at all.
693. Mr K Robinson: I am a member of Newtownabbey Borough Council.
694. Mr P Ramsey: I am a member of Derry City Council.
695. Mr McCarthy: I am a member of Ards Borough Council.
696. Lord Browne: I am a member of Belfast City Council, and I am a trustee of the Somme Association.
697. Mr Shannon: Nelson McCausland is a member of Belfast City Council, and I am a member of Ards Borough Council.
698. The Chairperson: I refer Committee members to the suggested questions for representatives from independent museums, which are tabled and are not in the information packs. Do Committee members agree to ask those questions to representatives of independent museums that give evidence to the Committee in the coming weeks?
Members indicated assent.
699. Some organisations have contacted the Committee Office to say that some of the generic questions may be too wide ranging, which is the point that Jim raised. The alternative questions may be more appropriate for those organisations.
700. The Committee will now receive a presentation from a representative of Ards Borough Council. A copy of the written submission from the council is at tab 6 of the members’ packs. I welcome Mr Archie Walls, who is the director of leisure services at Ards Borough Council. We have done our preamble and know that you are going to make a statement about museums in the Ards Borough Council area.
701. Mr Archie Walls (Ards Borough Council): I am not sure whether I will make a statement — I am prepared to answer some questions from Committee members.
702. In my current role, I have no direct involvement with the museum sector, so I apologise in advance if I sound less knowledgeable about the subject than other witnesses who have appeared before the Committee.
703. The Chairperson: We welcome the engagement from your local authority.
704. Mr Shannon: Archie, it is nice to have you up from the hallowed corridors of power. Obviously, Ards Borough Council has a relationship with the Somme Heritage Centre. How can that type of relationship improve an independent museum? Is it important for councils to offer financial assistance to local museums, in your case the Somme Heritage Centre? Is it important for Ards Borough Council to be involved? What lessons have been learned that could assist the Committee in its final deliberations?
705. Mr Walls: The Somme Heritage Centre is obviously a very popular and important museum. I am aware that representatives of the museum have appeared before the Committee and have made a significant contribution to the inquiry. There is no doubt that the views that they expressed were important and should be taken into consideration. As a visitor to the Somme Heritage Centre on more than one occasion over the years, I have found it to be a model of good practice, and there is much for the Committee to learn from about the way that it operates.
706. On the question of local government funding, Ards Borough Council’s objectives with regard to the promotion of culture, and on equality, are well served by its assistance of the Somme Heritage Centre. The centre is a great educational resource, not only for people in the borough, but for visitors to the area. The support that the Council provides in pursuit of its cultural, educational and equality objectives is well justified.
707. Mr Shannon: The Somme Heritage Centre is one of four different locations in the Ards and North Down area that could be promoted together. Do you feel that museums should be promoted alongside other destinations or visitor locations in order to increase the tourism potential of the area?
708. Mr Walls: There is no doubt that museums are more than just an educational or cultural resource. They are a tourism facility as well. As well as developing a strategy for museums, there is much to be gained by incorporating them into tourism strategies and policies.
709. Mr McCarthy: Thank you, Mr Walls, you are very welcome. I apologise for keeping you late; Ards Borough Council is a very busy and efficient organisation, and I am sure that you will carry on in that vein when you get out of here.
710. My question is a simple one: has the lack of a museums policy for Northern Ireland been detrimental to their work?
711. Mr Walls: The theoretical answer is that it is bound to have been detrimental, because it is not good for any organisation to operate in a policy vacuum. Any organisation or body, whether private or public, must operate within policy guidelines. The lack of a policy can only be a bad thing.
712. Mr McNarry: You are welcome, Mr Walls. In what way does the lack of a museums policy condition Ards Borough Council’s current museums policy?
713. Mr Walls: The lack of a museums policy for Northern Ireland separates Northern Ireland from museums in the rest of the United Kingdom, and, perhaps, even further afield. In a national sense, we are unable to benefit from exchanging exhibits from one museum to another because of that isolation and detachment. There is no doubt that opportunities are being missed to explore economies of scale and areas of good practice in the operation of museums and in the sector in general.
714. Mr McNarry: It is difficult to put words into your mouth; I do not want to do that. To take a wider view, would the adoption of a museums policy encourage a positive outlook on the part of Ards Borough Council?
715. Mr Walls: It would contribute to a positive outlook from the council. The council is not directly involved in the provision of a museum service, although it does offer support to the Somme Heritage Centre. If a policy were developed that placed museums into the realm of local government, or enabled them to seek greater support from local government, it would probably be welcomed. However, in that circumstance, the source of funding would have to be carefully scrutinised.
716. Mr McNarry: If there were a policy that contributed to the development of something more ambitious by Ards Borough Council, do you think that the ratepayers would be comfortable in embracing that policy and the manner in which money would be spent?
717. Mr Walls: The point I was seeking to make was that careful thought would have to be given as to where the funding for museum development would come from. Obviously, the ratepayers would not welcome an increase on the rates burden, but, if central funding were available for the development of museums, anything would be possible
718. Mr McCausland: You mentioned Ards Borough Council’s support for the Somme Heritage Centre. What kind of support is provided?
719. Mr Walls: A contribution towards the marketing budget of the centre is given. It is quite small — something in the region £5,000 a year.
720. Lord Browne: Do you think that a museums policy should recommend that museums be mainstreamed under control of a central body or central government, rather than local councils? Do you think that local councils should co-operate more in order to achieve efficiencies?
721. Mr Walls: To answer the second part of the question; yes, I think thought should always be given to working together to exchange ideas and look for efficiencies. I do not think that all museums should necessarily be under the control of a central body or central government. Nationally important museums may well be best placed under the remit of a central organisation, but local government reflects its own local flavour. If there are museums that reflect a local identity or local issues, it may be appropriate for those to be under the remit of local government. There is a mixed approach that is workable.
722. The Chairperson: Thank you, Archie, for attending this morning, and for your presentation.
723. The Committee will receive five submissions this morning. The next submission is from Mid-Antrim Museums Service, and members have received a copy of the written submission. I invite Mr William Blair, head of the Mid-Antrim Museums Service, to make an opening statement, after which there will be an opportunity for Committee members to ask questions. You are very welcome.
724. Mr William Blair (Mid-Antrim Museums Service): Thank you. I am grateful for the opportunity to address the Committee, and I commend the Committee for its decision to investigate the development of museums policy — it is a timely decision. I head up the Mid-Antrim Museums Service, which is a four-council partnership that consists of Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Larne and Newtownabbey. It has been based on museum-development policy as articulated by the Museums Council. The partnership was brokered in the late 1990s.
725. At the same time, the partnership helped to overcome challenges created by the prevalence of small local authorities in Northern Ireland. It was also intended to achieve benefits, economies of scale, and provide a more co-ordinated approach to the development of capital and public programmes.
726. The strategy has been very successful. It has enabled us to present a clear, compelling case to funding bodies such as the Heritage Lottery Fund. Such bodies can see that the development plan is co-ordinated. The partnership approach has given the Heritage Lottery Fund confidence to commit funding to the Mid-Antrim Museums Service. The benefits of working in partnership also extend to our public programmes.
727. As a public-facing service, our priority is to work creatively and collaboratively with local communities. In that regard, the Mid-Antrim Museums Service has won funding from the European Union’s Programme for Peace and Reconciliation. That money helped finance an interesting community history project, which has been recently completed.
728. That brings the Committee up to date on the Mid-Antrim Museums Service, which is underpinned by principles that are consistent with those of the review of public administration (RPA). In that sense, our service is slightly ahead of the game. Its model of working and approach are in line with the principles and goals that councils hope to achieve through the implementation of RPA.
729. Mr McCarthy: Thank you for your presentation and comprehensive written submission. Has the lack of a museums policy for Northern Ireland been detrimental to your work?
730. The Chairperson: In order to manage the Committee’s time, I ask Mr Blair to note Mr McCarthy’s question, and I invite Mr Ken Robinson to ask his.
731. Mr K Robinson: The two questions tag together well. Mr McCarthy asked about the overall policy; what are the key components of such a policy? Beyond your comprehensive written submission, the Committee wants to know about what success the service has had on the ground. In a Newtownabbey context, Sentry Hill comes to mind. I note that you mentioned Newtownabbey last in your list.
732. Mr Blair: That list is in alphabetical order.
733. The Chairperson: That is a good defence.
734. Mr Blair: The lack of a museums policy has had a detrimental, but not disastrous, effect. Development has not been prevented.
735. Development does not happen in a vacuum. Our work in the Mid-Antrim Museums Service is underpinned by a clear policy and strategy with a firm sense of direction. Our development process, which began with a feasibility study 10 years ago, has led to a fully operational museum service. That does not happen by accident.
736. It would be preferable, however, to have a policy articulated at Government level. That would benefit the Department and the Assembly, because it would recognise the social value of museums and their contribution to society. A Government museums policy must give voice to, and be reflective of, those roles. The question is how best to exploit existing museums in order that they achieve maximum benefit as a learning resource, as a method of encouraging good relations and as a means of improving community development and tourism.
737. A museums policy that articulates such methods would certainly be beneficial to us all.
738. Mr K Robinson: Will you expand on the question that I posed?
739. Mr Blair: A number of main components exist. On one level, it is about how relationships are created within the museums sector among independent, regional, local and national museums. It is also about how synergies can be created within those different elements of the museum family. On another level, it is about developing links with wider Government agendas and initiatives, such as ‘A Shared Future’. We must find a way to knit together the museum structures that are already in place to derive the most benefit. By doing so, we can also make a positive contribution to social and tourism development in Northern Ireland.
740. Mr K Robinson: You say that structures already exist, certainly, at a local level. If those structures were to be developed at a regional level, would that go a long way towards solving some of the problems that we face?
741. Mr Blair: We do not have a blank canvas. Sometimes Government and, occasionally, local government has an institutional short-term memory. A series of reports, going back many years, have examined museum development here. We must build on those reports by articulating a policy that is fit for purpose in 2008; it is not necessary to reinvent the wheel.
742. The development of a policy is not rocket science, and it should not require an enormous commitment of financial resources. In fact, a policy can be developed relatively easily. It is a case of examining what has gone before, building on initiatives, such as the Local Museums and Heritage Review, and articulating a policy that is fit for purpose in 2008.
743. Mr K Robinson: Who or what will develop that policy?
744. Mr Blair: It will require a collegiate approach. It is a collaborative process in which we all have a role to play. The Department and the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC) will have a role to play. I am here today also in my capacity as chairman of the Northern Ireland Regional Curators Group, which has always had a clear view on policy matters, as have the independent and national museums. We must get the different stakeholders together to produce a coherent and relevant plan that meets the need of today’s society.
745. The Chairperson: Jim Shannon’s and Pat Ramsey’s questions will be grouped.
746. Mr Shannon: Thank you for the information that you have provided. You have demonstrated how a museums policy could work through regional partnership. You have informed us how you were able to secure almost £9 million worth of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Union’s Programme for Peace and Reconciliation. That provides an idea of what can be achieved.
747. It is fair to say that a museum is more than just a big building that stores and displays lots of historical items and artefacts. You successfully established new museums in four district council areas, all of which benefited from the partnership. Will it always be possible to form those types of partnerships? Did one council have more ambition than another to have exhibitions or items displayed at its museum?
748. Last but not least, the farmhouse at Sentry Hill in Newtownabbey was effectively already a museum, because of its historic significance. Do the various councils compete for priority? How does that partnership work? I understand that it might be difficult for you to disclose some of that information. How critical is it for you to advance your ideas, not just on paper, but in reality? Could the service have been established without funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund?
749. Mr P Ramsey: I welcome the witness, who sounds strong and positive about the clearly unique partnership. You have clearly outlined the nature of the funding. Will you discuss the nature of the European funding? Did it come to the partnership or to individual councils? Do you have you any knowledge of museum services outside Northern Ireland that operate models of good practices of policy or strategic value that we could study? Furthermore, who employs you or to whom do you report?
750. Mr Blair: Mr Shannon’s first question was whether a museum must always be a building with old items and artefacts. That is usually the case, but not always. We have developed an infrastructure of facilities and galleries through which we provide a service. We have always viewed the service as more than bricks and mortar; rather, it is about engagement with communities. We use the museums as a base for creative collaboration with all sorts of different bodies. The councils are in partnership, and we also seek creative partnerships with different groups to extract maximum benefits from our facilities.
751. The service provided by museums is about bricks and mortar and caring for a collection, but it is also about community engagement, being public-facing institutions and working creatively with local communities.
752. Mr Shannon: You work with four councils. Do you treat the four museums individually or as a collective? Do you treat the four as a partnership and promote them jointly?
753. Mr McNarry: Be careful. He is trying to steal your clothes.
754. Mr Blair: We promote them jointly and individually. For example, we have a joint website and we work on joint exhibitions and programmes. Some aspects are delivered and developed at a local level and others at a regional level — we combine the two.
755. Each council had particular motivations for involvement in the service, but the key to making the partnership work is ensuring that each feels that it benefits from the service. We have succeeded in that. The museum project in Ballymena may be on a larger scale than that in Newtownabbey, but the two are difficult to compare. Sentry Hill is a special place, and each museum has special qualities. Each council felt that its development ambitions were met, but ambitions vary from council to council. As Members are aware, the priorities for councils differ. The museum in Ballymena acts as the lead museum. It has certain facilities that others do not, a conservation lab, for example, and it is the lead partner in the model. It takes on additional responsibilities and delivers them to the other partners.
756. I am employed by Ballymena Borough Council, though a regional remit is included in my job description. On the one hand, I report to an executive board made up of representatives from the four councils, which agrees plans and so on for the service. On the other, I am also accountable through Ballymena Borough Council to my line manager, Ronnie McBride, who is the director of development, and through him to the council.
757. The social value of museums must be demonstrated. The Mid-Antrim Museums Service has been able to access upwards of £250,000 from the EU Special Programme for Peace and Reconciliation and deliver programmes across the four council areas that it serves. Those programmes ranged from school initiatives to working with a range of groups that completed a project through the Peace II programme. That included a group from the Sunnylands estate in Carrickfergus who explored the 1798 Act of Union.
758. The programme is very hands on. It is about making history accessible and enjoyable, and about breaking down some preconceptions about history and museums. We have worked with a whole range of groups, including people with learning difficulties, people from disadvantaged areas, teenagers, and men’s and women’s groups.
759. One of the questions concerned whether we were interested in models of good practice. I offer to your inquiry our evaluation of the community history programme, because it was heavily evaluated by an independent company that conducted a range of interviews with the programme participants. A great deal of quantitative data also exists. That was very useful in demonstrating the positive contribution that museums can make through their programmes in areas such as community development and good relations.
760. The Chairperson: William, in the interests of good time management, please answer the next two questions together.
761. Mr McNarry: Thank you, William; you are very welcome. Your presentation was very comprehensive. Do you think that the lack of a formal policy has enabled your group to establish its own independence and flexibility in order to successfully secure Lottery funding? In other words, do you fear that a policy might restrict your independence?
762. Mr McCartney: My query concerns your relationship with the Museum Council. How do you think that that should develop under any new policy?
763. Mr Blair: Having no policy is better than having bad policy. That is the case in every area of government. Having said that, there is always the potential to develop good policy, and that should be the aim. The policy should not be overly prescriptive because local communities and — in my case — local councils must have the freedom to make their own decisions. However, there are certainly benefits in having a policy framework to articulate a vision for museums, their role and value, and to make clear what positive contributions the Assembly would like museums to make, in relation to the type of agendas with which you are concerned. That would certainly be beneficial.
764. In the late 1990s, the then director of the Museums Council, Aidan Walsh, brokered the Mid-Antrim Partnership and the Causeway Museum Service, which is the partnership in North Antrim. Both models are similar and interesting. The genesis of the Mid-Antrim Museums Service can be traced to the work of the Museums Council at that time.
765. The Museums Council plays a very valuable role. The importance of maintaining central Government support for local museums should be emphasised. Obviously, I would say that, but we are able to access funding through the Northern Ireland Museums Council, which makes a very positive impact on our ability to make acquisitions or support particular conservation projects.
766. When working with local councils, it certainly helps if matched funding or additional, external funding can be found. Some of NIMC’s current strategies are a work in progress, but they are moving along the right lines, because they involve developing a learning strategy and considering collections management and related issues within a Province-wide framework. That is all valuable work that can only be done by NIMC. We deliver services, but NIMC is the only body that can commission research and examining what is happening in the overall context of Northern Ireland.
767. We have good relationships with museums in the South, we have collaborated productively with the National Museum of Ireland, and have a lot of interesting and important material on loan at the new museum in Ballymena. We have a good relationship with Glasgow Museums, which is, in many ways, a model of good practice. We have considered its work closely because it has approached issues such as sectarianism very creatively.
768. We try to maintain relationships on a North/South and east-west basis, but the important point is to look at good practice elsewhere and be open to it. We are very involved with the Irish Museums Association, the UK Museums Association and the International Council of Museums. It is important to have such links because they allow us to learn from others.
769. Mr McCausland: You indicated that the councils in your area are quite proactive in working with museums; however, some other councils may not be as proactive. Would having a policy help to encourage such participation from councils, perhaps by better informing councillors about the potential value of such partnerships? Could a policy help to inform organisations such as the National Lottery when it is assessing funding applications, so that projects are funded on a complementary basis, rather than funding being duplicated? You mentioned a series of reports, and I know that there were reports on the national museums — were there also reports on local museums? If so, it may be helpful if the Committee could obtain a list of those.
770. Mr Brolly: Mr Blair, you argued that we do not have to reinvent the wheel because a lot of base work is in place already. Fundamentally, we are talking about upgrading to a policy that is fit for purpose in 2008. You also said that the process should not be extremely expensive. What do you think of the Department’s proposal that the matter should be dealt with by independent consultants, rather than through the collegiate effort that you suggested?
771. Mr Blair: Nelson, would you please remind me of your question?
772. Mr McCausland: My point concerned whether a policy would help to inform local authorities and councils.
773. Mr Blair: I believe that it would. One of the issues that we face is that museums are resource-intensive institutions — there is no getting away from that. Developing and caring for collections involves a cost, as does the provision of modern, high-quality programmes and good, modern, engaging galleries. Another issue is that Northern Ireland is a relatively small place and, traditionally, there has been an under-provision of museums here, which is a problem that many previous reports have tried to address. In recent years, there has been quite a lot of development. The question is: what constitutes an appropriate level of provision in Northern Ireland?
774. That is where a policy could help to shape decision-making. In a way, to put it bluntly, it is important to be able to distinguish between a good idea and a really bad idea. Policy has a role in that regard. The short answer is: yes.
775. Mr Brolly: What about the idea of paying independent consultants to develop a policy?
776. Mr Blair: I work with consultants from time to time. An enormous amount of money was spent on the local museums and heritage review, which did not amount to very much. However, a great deal of evidence was gathered at that time. The challenge is not to over-complicate things. This is not rocket science, and there may be a role for someone to pull the strands together. The sort of money that I heard being talked about originally could be better spent in ways that would be directly beneficial to the public. I would like to think that improvements could be made for a lot less money. It is not about reinventing the wheel. The set of issues to be addressed is not that complicated; it just requires a bit of common sense to get the right policy in place.
777. Mr K Robinson: My final question is a Newtownabbey-based one. We have Patterson’s spade mill in Templepatrick and Sentry Hill is just up the road from it at Carnmoney. What co-operation exists at local and regional levels between museums and agencies such as the National Trust?
778. Mr Blair: Patterson’s spade mill has established good links. We must consider museums and heritage in an integrated manner. Museums are a particular type of institution, with particular needs. The simple message that came out of the local museums and heritage review was that there was a need for a more joined-up approach to heritage. That is self-evident.
779. We have the Environment and Heritage Service — or whatever it is called now — the National Trust, local authority museums and independent museums, all of which are players. There are many organisations that are interested in history, heritage and cultural identity. Part of the challenge is to consider all of those elements in an integrated way. A museums policy, in that sense, should encourage creative collaboration between the various players. There is a tendency in organisations to work in splendid isolation from one another. That is neither cost efficient nor effective, nor does it help in getting to grips with a more coherent presentation of our history, cultural heritage and identity.
780. Mr K Robinson: Just to tease that out further, would joint admission tickets similar to those offered by Translink be worthwhile? Rather than needing to buy separate tickets for a visit to a National Trust attraction or to Sentry Hill, for example, would it be better to offer a single admission ticket to three or four locations in the same geographical area?
781. Mr Blair: There is a joint ticket available for admission to Sentry Hill. Many museums, such as those in Carrickfergus, Ballymena and Larne, do not charge for admission. We try to maximise voluntary spending. That is an important principle for museums. Sentry Hill is different because of the nature of the attraction; it is appropriate to charge for admission. However, most people involved in the museums sector feel that the principle of free entry is important. Simply put, I would not feel comfortable about charging someone an admission fee to look at their grandfather’s medals. We are reflecting the history of our local communities.
782. The collections in Ballymena and Larne, in particular, are very much community based. They have been built up through donations and the active involvement of local people, and the principle of free access is important, because it is their history that we are presenting. We should not charge for the privilege of accessing that material.
783. Mr K Robinson: I am sorry to keeping returning to the same subject, but you opened the door for me when you mentioned donations. There must be thousands of items in people’s homes, for instance, that are relevant to our history. A classic example was revealed yesterday in Belfast.
784. In the Committee for Education, I have appealed to people to be careful about what goes into skips at times of reorganisation. As the review of public administration progresses, a lot of material that is relevant to our communities will be unearthed. How can we encourage people to donate that material? How can we encourage people to donate material that they might find in the attic following the death of their granny, for instance, to reflect local history?
785. Mr Blair: Most, but not all, authorities in Northern Ireland have a museums service. Problems arise in areas in which people do not have access to a local museum service. Reports on the museums development policy stated that everyone in Northern Ireland should have access to a local facility that can serve as a repository for items that are locally relevant. However, that is difficult to achieve in council areas that do not have a museums service. Where will the people bring their material? What do people do if they want their items to be retained in their local areas?
786. Mr K Robinson: Is there room for a service to screen what is useful and what should be put in a skip?
787. Mr P Ramsey: This is turning into a private meeting. [Laughter.]
788. Mr Blair: We make informed decisions and collect selectively. That is why we have collecting policies — they help that decision-making process. Furthermore, they help us to collect in a manner that is sustainable, because there are costs associated with collecting.
789. Mr K Robinson: If we are successful in producing a comprehensive policy, it should, perhaps, contain a subsection to deal with potential donations.
790. Mr Blair: Museums have collecting policies, which inform that type of decision-making. That is the value of having a local museum service, because it provides a local point of contact to which one can donate material.
791. Mr K Robinson: Thank you, Mr Blair. You have been patient with me, unlike my colleague to my left.
792. The Chairperson: I gave some latitude to Ken, because he offends less frequently than some others. [Laughter.]
793. I did not name names.
794. Mr McCausland: It was a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
795. The Chairperson: Thank you, Mr Blair, for the comprehensive presentation.
796. Mr Shannon: It is nice to hear that there is something free in Ballymena. [Laughter.]
797. The Chairperson: Our next set of witnesses is from the HMS Caroline Committee. It is a single-issue group, and members must try to keep the group focused on museums policy. It is understandable that there will be interest in other aspects of the group’s work, but museums policy is our business this morning.
798. I welcome the witnesses, and I invite you to make your presentation.
799. Mr Frank Robinson (HMS Caroline Committee): Members will have found our CVs in the papers that we submitted to the Committee, so I will not make formal introductions. In 2005, I held a meeting with the then Second Sea Lord on board the Caroline. He suggested that a small committee be set up to examine the options for the ship following its decommissioning.
800. The Royal Navy intends to decommission the ship some time in the next few years. At that time — 2005 — he suggested that it could be decommissioned within seven to 10 years. He suggested that a committee be formed consisting of people with an interest in heritage and tourism — but specifically excluding naval personnel, who could be slightly biased — and that the committee, if possible, should reflect the views of the general public of Northern Ireland.
801. The vessel could be used either for private or commercial purposes, and could possibly continue to be used on a part-time basis by the Royal Navy for training its reserves, for which the Navy would be prepared to offer some funding, on the assumption that the ship would stay in Belfast. The planned timescale at that time was between seven and 10 years, but that could be accelerated if naval budgets dictated.
802. A committee was subsequently convened, which I chair. It became apparent at an early stage of the committee’s existence that the vessel would not be financially viable as a tourist attraction on its own, and therefore would have to become part of a larger scheme. That view was borne out following investigation into other ships in Great Britain that are open to the public. Those attractions do not work unless they receive a great deal of funding from other sources.
803. The committee visited many organisations and Government Departments in a quest for a suitable maritime heritage development that could be placed adjacent to a possible mooring place for HMS Caroline, and which would generate enough momentum to finance the entire project. Following investigations, it became clear that there was a void in how our maritime and industrial heritage is exhibited in Northern Ireland generally.
804. The aspiration of the committee is now to include Northern Ireland’s industrial heritage — such as shipbuilding, engineering, rope-making, linen production, aircraft production, Massey, Ferguson, and Dunlop — in order to complement the maritime element of the project. It would appear that the obvious place for such a development is beside the Thompson and Alexander Docks, with the HMS Caroline taking its place as one of the jewels in that crown.
805. The Chairperson: Thank you, Frank. I ask you to take two questions at a time.
806. Mr McCarthy: Thank you very much for your presentation and your written submission, which is very interesting and comprehensive. I offer you my full support, and I see that you have mentioned my colleague, Sean Neeson, in your submission — he is also very committed to the work in which you are engaged. Do you think the fact that Northern Ireland has not had a museums policy until now has been detrimental to your work?
807. Lord Browne: Thank you for your very good written submission. You state that you and the committee have held discussions with many organisations. Have you spoken to representatives of the main museums — the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, for example? I know that HMS Belfast is associated with the Imperial War Museum, and that that has been a very successful partnership. How can the project be developed when there is some uncertainty hanging over the future of HMS Caroline, which is due to be decommissioned in 2011?
808. There is talk that the ship may go back to Portsmouth. It would be essential to retain it so that it could be the focal point of a proposed maritime museum. The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum houses the ship Result, the SS Nomadic has also returned to Belfast, and it would be great for the Titanic Quarter and the signature project to be linked together. Have you held talks with the various organisations responsible for those projects, and do you think a policy could be drawn up to bring all of the schemes under some central organisation?
809. Mr F Robinson: We have held talks with most of those organisations. We have spoken to representatives from both the Ulster Museum and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. The proposal for a maritime and industrial heritage centre seems to have been put on the back-burner in all areas. The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum seems to have a financial problem, whereas the Ulster Museum is moving towards more art-gallery-type exhibits, and the decision has been taken not to exhibit most of the industrial artefacts, such as the industrial engines and looms and so on.
810. The committee has spoken to representatives of the Titanic Quarter development and of the two museums in question. We have met with the Harbour Commissioners, and with all sorts of people, who all agree that it is a good idea, but do not know how it should be pulled together. The whole area of maritime and industrial heritage seems to be very diverse; that may be partly driven by the current museums policy. The people involved with the SS Nomadic constitute an independent group, as does the Lagan Legacy group, as well as those involved with the Northern Ireland Science Park, who control the leases for the dry Thompson Dock and the pumping station.
811. Combining those strands, under the umbrella of the museums policy, is the ideal way to move forward.
812. Dr Gordon Millington OBE (HMS Caroline Committee): Mr McCarthy asked whether the lack of a museums policy was causing difficulties. Yes, it has. Belfast was a great industrial city. It was built on industry and became the largest city on this island. However, most of that industry has disappeared. We have nothing to remind people of that era or with which to sell our past work skills. A policy that allows that to happen is inherently wrong.
813. Mr K Robinson: I welcome the witnesses’ comprehensive overview of the situation.
814. This Committee may be unaware of the uniqueness of HMS Caroline. It is not just any old warship — it is the oldest warship afloat in the Royal Navy. It is the second-oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. She was at the forefront of turbine technology, and I believe that those turbines remain in position.
815. Dr Millington: The turbines are there, and they were designed by an Irishman.
816. Mr K Robinson: Therefore, there are North/South and east-west connections.
817. The Chairperson: Ken has long been a champion of the HMS Caroline cause.
818. Mr K Robinson: Caroline has been sitting in the Titanic Quarter for most of the past 80 years or more. American tourists arriving in huge cruise ships look across at the gem of a warship on the other side of the harbour. They see the derelict slipways for the Titanic and the drawing office. As the witnesses have said, someone must pull all that together.
819. I have spoken to a lot of people, and there is a tremendous amount of good will in the community for such a move. There is an endearment to HMS Caroline. This little gem has been given to us for the moment, but it may be whipped away.
820. Dr Millington: There is a grave danger that she will be taken away.
821. Mr K Robinson: What should we include in a policy to prevent that happening to Caroline and other such treasures?
822. Dr Millington spoke about Belfast’s old industrial base, and made the point that the former linen mills gave artefacts to the Ulster Museum. Will we lose those? Will they end up in some storeroom?
823. Dr Millington: There was a rumour that they might disappear overseas. We are worried that a lot of stuff will disappear. Belfast had some fabulous industries. We had the largest rope-building industry in the world. We had the biggest linen mills in the world. All the associated businesses across Northern Ireland, such as making steam engines, were also superb. It is ridiculous to contemplate losing that heritage.
824. People of my age entered engineering after seeing that sort of stuff. It concerns me that the modern difficulty in encouraging people into science and engineering is exacerbated by the fact that they cannot see what was achieved in the past.
825. Mr K Robinson: How do we address that? Do we do it through a policy, through a champion for museums, or through a champion for industrial heritage within an umbrella organisation?
826. The Chairperson: That question will be parked for now. Thank you, Ken.
827. Mr Shannon: My question is along the same line as Ken’s. We all appreciate the importance of our industrial heritage, which the submission underlines.
828. What are the best policy and the best strategy to put in place? Someone with the vision to bring that policy and that strategy to fruition is also required. I agree that the Titanic Quarter is the ideal site to house reminders of our industrial heritage. How important is a relationship with Belfast City Council as part of all of that?
829. Mr F Robinson: We envisage that the area around the HMS Caroline berth could become a gateway to all the other town and county museums in Northern Ireland.
830. An organisation named the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) does something similar. It starts with a gateway. Visitors are taken along a trail that matches their interests. If it were shipbuilding, the visitor would be taken to the next shipyard on the route. In the case of linen, the visitor might be taken to Lisburn.
831. An industrial history trail has been set up successfully in Wales. We saw a gateway — not necessarily museums with parklands of industrial heritage, but we are starting with HMS Caroline. However, we recognise that it is not going to work with HMS Caroline alone, and we must acquire signature parts of all the other industries around it, including the Belfast Ropeworks Company, the aircraft factory, and so on. Aside from HMS Caroline, the public is not directed to consider the history of Massey Ferguson tractors, for example.
832. A tourist who came to Belfast on a cruise ship did not realise that the shipyard suffered such devastation during the Troubles. He stood 11 stories up and looked over at the Titanic slipways, but did not appreciate that until a local person explained it to him. That is worrying. People in Northern Ireland do not promote themselves well. Americans, by contrast, do.
833. The gateway will provide a means for the public to find such sites. We need an umbrella policy that covers the four main museums, and we like to think that this will be the fifth. Such a policy could then be extended to cover the council and smaller museums, and the localised niche museums that preserve our history and heritage. That could also embrace the history of defence, which HMS Caroline is part of.
834. Ms Primrose Wilson (HMS Caroline Committee): That is one of the reasons we are here today. Officials have difficulties with us because we are not a proper group. We care passionately about HMS Caroline, but also about heritage in general and not just in the shipyard. We care most about preserving living heritage. People are interested in that. They do not want to see iconic buildings or watch a film, they want to stand and look at HMS Caroline. When they do that they are amazed, and think it fantastic. They see the docks and the drawing offices and imagine the ships being designed and built — without computers. Such experience gives a different dimension to heritage. That is important.
835. Mr P Ramsey: You are most welcome and I admire your tremendous enthusiasm.
836. Do you know of places or regions in Britain or Europe that might serve as good models for the preservation of industrial heritage? Have you examined the mechanisms by which this project may be funded? In London or elsewhere, there may be examples of useful mechanisms that we can use.
837. Mr F Robinson: The Ironbridge Gorge Museums in England provide a good example. The first iron bridge in the world, the whole town of Ironbridge and its industrial heritage are preserved in a conservation area, which is funded by industry. That works well. There is a bus service that links the works and the town. The town has been preserved as it was in 1900, and it appeals to tourists as much as to those interested in the industry.
838. We mentioned HMS Belfast in the River Thames, which is supported by several trusts, but not by the Royal Navy which has kept clear of it. The National Maritime Museum helps to fund it. The Royal Yacht Britannia is not self-financed; rather, it is attached to a shopping centre which is passionate about retaining it and the profits of the shopping centre are ploughed into the ship’s preservation. I have no idea what will happen when the shopping centre is sold.
839. Brunel’s SS Great Britain, a propeller-driven ship, was returned to its original dry dock in Bristol from the Falkland Islands. A clatter of acres, rundown dockland, was acquired with the dry dock and that is being built up and promoted. We seek to fund the preservation of HMS Caroline in the same way. We have missed the boat of the financing of the Titanic Quarter; however, we hope to bring together public and private finance. I have no doubt that both must be involved.
840. Mr P Ramsey: How much would it cost to maintain, preserve and manage such a project?
841. Mr F Robinson: We have not examined that — about £100 million. [Laughter.]
842. The Chairperson: That is a good note on which to end your presentation. [Laughter.]
843. We are grateful to the representatives of the HMS Caroline Committee for their written submission and their oral evidence. I apologise for the brevity of your visit, but the Committee has five presentations to hear today.
844. I refer Committee members to tab 9 of their packs. Representatives from Down District Council will give evidence, after which a representative from Newry and Mourne District Council will make the final contribution. Each presentation will last for approximately 20 minutes. I welcome Sharon O’Connor, who is the director of cultural and economic development, and Mike King, who is the curator of Down County Museum.
845. Ms Sharon O’Connor (Down District Council): Thank you for the opportunity to talk the Committee about an important area of concern for our council. For a long time, we have actively tried to influence the direction of museums. The Down District Council area contains one of the longest established and better resourced museums, which is almost entirely funded by a local government organisation.
846. We were extremely disappointed when the recommendations from the previous review were shelved, because we had worked hard to establish a policy with the Northern Ireland Museums Council. That policy was based on a subregional structure where local structures — possibly on a county-based structure — provided services in the local community.
847. Down District Council operates its collections policy throughout County Down, and has endeavoured to provide that service in the context of the history on County Down. We want museums to be strengthened and enhanced in the RPA process, and we have substantial human resources and social capital in museums in the Down district area.
848. Mr Shannon: Thank you for giving evidence to the Committee, we appreciate your input into the inquiry. The Committee wants to examine the overall policy and to ascertain how it can be advanced. Have you had any contact with the NIMC? Does Down District Council share its resources or skills with any other council, museum or partner?
849. Mr McCarthy: As a Down man, anything that comes out of County Down is nothing but the best. Has the fact that there has not been a policy on new museums been detrimental to your work?
850. Ms O’Connor: As an Antrim woman, I will do my best to respond to that. I have a little bit of experience of the NIMC that I want to offer. As the curator of Down County Museum, Mike will answer the question about the services with NIMC in partnership arrangements.
851. I served on the NIMC for several years and was interested in its operation. Ultimately, I resigned because of other commitments. A body that takes strategic and regional direction in museums policy is required. The NIMC was never resourced appropriately to fulfil that role. In its submissions about the RPA, Down District Council expressed its view that there should be one properly resourced museums body for Northern Ireland to direct policy, support educational services and generally equip museums to provide good local services. I share that view.
852. Mike has been involved from a curator’s perspective.
853. Dr Mike King (Down District Council): The Northern Ireland Museums Council offers us training, grant support with accreditation and advice. We have been disappointed that the strategic leadership for setting up regional services has not progressed since the review, because many parts of the review suggested that regional services could provide infrastructure for museums service delivery in Northern Ireland.
854. Designation of regional museums services was one of the issues that came through in the review, whereby museums such as Down County Museum could serve as the base for providing wider services in a region — perhaps in a new RPA council region. Some of the regional services have the capacity to offer services beyond their boundaries. Certainly, we have been offering a service beyond our council boundary for 27 years because our museum serves County Down but is supported by the rates paid by Down District Council residents.
855. We want a model like the one in England, where regional hubs have been set up. In fact, over the past seven or eight years, £150 million has been spent on those and the services have been centralised, with benefits resulting from those economies of scale. Those museums have been able to support smaller museums in their regions and give pastoral care to those smaller operations. We see Down County Museum as having the capacity to do that kind of work.
856. We have 15 members of staff and attract 38,000 visitors a year. Therefore, we have the capacity to develop a wider museum service. It is a shame that, after the review, actions were not taken to realise the infrastructure that was outlined in the NIMC regional museum development policy, which categorised museums as local, regional and national. According to that, we were clearly a regional museum service and were hoping at that point to be designated.
857. We have all the necessary factors in place — we have a collecting policy, adequate resources for documentation, conservation storage and display, educational potential, professional staff, as well as marketing potential. However, regional services need central support to enable each regional service to work with others. For example, if a museum cannot store its collections, regional storage facilities would be the common-sense solution, which would involve working with other organisations.
858. Ms O’Connor: That takes us on to Mr McCarthy’s question about the limitations — the fact that we cannot develop any critical mass of services to museums. Those include conservation services, storage facilities, sharing human resource, sharing access to training and to all the requirements of environmental management conditions with particularly precious items in collections. That area is the major limitation.
859. Mr P Ramsey: I welcome you both to the Committee. Earlier, you mentioned that the museum is funded solely by local government money. Is any other capital or revenue money coming in from external sources? You also referred to museums services in other regions in Britain or Europe. Do you know about the funding of museums in any other areas, or about models of good practice that could be incorporated into a new strategy?
860. Ms O’Connor: We spent approximately £500,000 a year on the museum and on the running costs, which is a substantial investment. I have not done the calculations vis-à-vis our peer group, but I suspect that that is a significant investment from a local government organisation. Perhaps Mike will clarify the issues of sources of funding for capital development and collections management.
861. Dr King: The museum is completely funded by the council, whose support we need. Recently, the Heritage Lottery Fund, which we are lucky to have the support of, donated considerable capital funding to the museum. We have recently finished a £1·5 million project to restore the eighteenth-century jail at the museum. The Heritage Lottery Fund donated £850,000 to the project.
862. It was excellent timing, because the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 had just come into force, requiring us to provide universal access to services for all our visitors. In compliance with that new legislation, the historic building was made accessible to everyone. We were able to source a bit of external funding, which enabled us to employ external designers and architects who did a fantastic job on an eighteenth-century building, which was difficult.
863. Now that we have established the fabric of the buildings and the access to the site, we will examine the ways in which we can reach out to the communities around us. We will ask external funders to help facilitate an outreach project in partnership with other councils. We plan to partner with Newry and Mourne Museum, with which we will no doubt be linked under RPA. Over the next few years, we plan to establish an outreach project with communities in Down, Newry and Mourne.
864. We will need access to about £200,000 — considerably less than our previous project — to make communities aware of the work that we do, as well as to help them conduct projects in their areas.
865. Mr McNarry: Thank you for your presentation. First, why do you think that there has been a reluctance to establish a policy? Secondly, what impact will the new proposed council structure have on the formulation of an overall policy?
866. Ms O’Connor: The reluctance to establish a policy has been for purely financial reasons. Museums are funded either by their local council or through a facility operated by Museums and Galleries Northern Ireland (MAGNI). Museums that do not have such a facility are totally reliant on voluntary efforts. Funding operates on an uneven playing field. Our council put in the investment, and yet other council areas benefited from MAGNI support.
867. The establishment of a policy was partly resisted because funding was required under RPA developments, which were discussed during the previous review and, certainly, during the development of the Museums Council’s original policy document in late 1999 or early 2000. It was proposed that adequate subregional structures be put in place to provide museum services in each local area. Therefore, I suspect that the concern about implementing a policy was financial.
868. Mr McNarry: It appears that you have survived very well without a policy. Will a policy benefit or weaken your position and independence?
869. Ms O’Connor: It will strengthen our position. Every local area deserves to have a properly resourced museum facility.
870. If proper regional arrangements exist, better services will be delivered on a regional basis. We can benefit only by virtue of that structure, because we are well placed. We have our pedigree, our history, our heritage, and our staff who are well qualified in their field. We have built up a body of knowledge on a very impressive collection. Our role will be strengthened only by a properly resourced regional network to which we can contribute services. We can also be part of a structure that has a better capacity to exist in partnership arrangements, which are very weak at present.
871. Mr McNarry: I did not get much information about the RPA.
872. Dr King: The Museums Council established a policy whereby the development of seven to nine regional services could be realised under RPA. It is an opportunity for new museum services to be nurtured within that structure, or perhaps between councils. Some areas do not have that capacity.
873. If it were possible to make museum services a requirement, each council area could put their own structures in place. Those museums could act as a focus for cultural activity, and could become centres of excellence — storehouses of local identity, magnets for tourism and indicators of the value placed by local communities on the quality of life in an area. They could become a nexus for joined-up cultural activity in the regions that will become the new council areas.
874. Mr McNarry: My reason for asking the question is that your new neighbours in Ards do not have a museum facility. I know that you represent Down District Council, but the proposed new structures will create a north Down and Ards council. Do you see a competition developing in light of what you have just said about a requirement for councils to get involved? Will that lead to a greater extension of partnerships, given that you claim to represent Down? You represent a bit of it, but will partnerships develop?
875. Ms O’Connor: Our collection covers County Down, and we have a wide collections policy, which I invite members to come along to assess. We believe that there is potential to have either a regional service for which new councils can establish service level agreements, or for the development of existing clusters of expertise. Expertise exists in north Down, but less so in Ards. We certainly have some expertise in Downpatrick. There are a few black holes in museum service provision in Northern Ireland, but there is almost a network at a subregional level, which, if properly resourced and structured, would allow local councils to take responsibility for delivering a certain standard.
876. Mr McNarry: Would you be happy to encourage the ratepayers of north Down and Ards to contribute to your work?
877. Ms O’Connor: We tried to sell that service, and that type of model has been successful in mid-Antrim. We have not been successful in persuading our neighbouring councils to buy into the services that can be provided. That is no reason for dispensing with that potential model. The alternative to that is that areas without a properly resourced museum service would have to develop one from scratch.
878. Mr McNarry: Keep trying.
879. Ms O’Connor: Museum curatorial staff are not easy to recruit. It would be more cost-effective to have staff with expertise that we could capitalise on, rather than reinventing the wheel all over the countryside, which would not be cost-effective from the ratepayer’s perspective, no matter which council area they belong to.
880. Mr McCartney: In answer to an earlier question, you said that the Museums Council was not properly resourced, and you spoke about one body in future implementing policy. If it was properly resourced, would the Museums Council, as a single body, be able to implement policy?
881. Ms O’Connor: There are issues of resources and duplication of effort. The establishment of training courses and accreditation systems require systems expertise and administrative and human resources capacity. That does not come cheaply. It struck me, when I served on the Museums Council, that its budget was approximately £250,000. I was there, in my capacity of working for a museum, and we spent almost £500,000 on one museum. It seemed that the resources were not adequate to properly cover the entire region.
882. There is a gap, because the Northern Ireland Museums Council does not have the resources to employ a range of such experts as conservators and curators, and neither does MAGNI — on behalf of all the people with whom they do not think that they have a relationship. Those people are required to maintain standards in collection management. It is better to consolidate one’s resources and ensure that at least one organisation is fit for purpose, rather than to fund two.
883. Mr K Robinson: I am considering the silo approach. Down District Council’s St Patrick signature project is being promoted by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and being pursued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI). However, you have a critical mass — and those are your words, Sharon. You have the Down Cathedral, the Down County Museum, the Downpatrick and County Down Railway, Castle Ward, St Patrick’s trail and Saul. There is so much in your area. How do you join that up and access funding from sources that are not your natural target, such as the Tourist Board and DETI?
884. Ms O’Connor: We have attempted to do that for a long time. Down District Council initiated some of the partnership arrangements; we were influential in having the St Patrick/Christian Heritage signature project included in the Northern Ireland Tourist Board strategy. We have been keen partners in all those endeavours, and we are compiling a plan for all the assets in our area and attempting to update visitor information and visitor servicing exhibitions, for instance. It is difficult to achieve that across county or council boundaries, but we are keen partners. We strive at all times to become involved in joined-up working, by way of proposing strategies.
885. Down District Council co-operated in the St Patrick signature project and in the Armagh Down tourism partnership. We have also co-operated in smaller projects, and we are involved with museum and community-based heritage projects across the county. Although we are doing that out of our own resources, we are trying to leverage funds from the Tourist Board or heritage funds that will to allow us to expand and develop that work.
886. The fantastic Christian heritage in our environs is an important part of the focus for Down County Museum.
887. The Chairperson: Thank you, Sharon and Mike, for your written and oral presentations and for answering questions.
888. The representative from the Newry and Mourne Council has not yet arrived.
889. Mr Shannon: If someone does not attend, for whatever reason, do we accept his or her written submission as evidence?
890. The Chairperson: We can reach an opinion on that. That would be common sense.
891. Mr Shannon: It would be. Has the person concerned informed the Committee that she is unable to attend?
892. The Committee Clerk: No. She is expected today. Staff have telephoned her office, and she is on her way, but she has not arrived.
893. Mr Shannon: Perhaps something has happened.
894. Mr McNarry: Is it not a Gerard who is attending?
895. The Chairperson: No. It is Ms Noreen Cunningham.
896. Mr Shannon: Any Noreen that I know is a female, but that is by the way.
897. The Chairperson: She is the museum curator for Newry and Mourne District Council.
898. Mr Shannon: Can we do the other business, if she is on her way?
899. The Chairperson: I think that is sensible. Thank you, Jim.
900. Mr McNarry: Do we retain Hansard?
901. The Chairperson: Yes.
The Committee suspended.
On resuming —
902. The Chairperson (Mr McElduff): I welcome Noreen Cunningham from Newry and Mourne District Council. Thank you for coming along today, Noreen. Members have agreed to stay for a short while to hear your presentation. Ideally, you should make a brief opening statement, giving your take on a museums policy or the lack thereof. Members will then ask questions. Thank you for your written submission.
903. Ms Noreen Cunningham (Newry and Mourne District Council): I am the curator of Newry and Mourne Museum, which is housed in Bagenal’s Castle, a sixteenth-century building that has recently been restored with Heritage Lottery Fund money. It was opened to the public in March 2007. Since then, we have had over 58,000 visitors.
904. A wide range of facilities, including a tourist information centre, is located there, with a number of permanent galleries and some temporary exhibition space. The museum, the museum subcommittee and the council support the operation, delivery and implementation of an accredited museum policy.
905. We welcome a museum policy based on an system of accreditation standards that gives assurance that museums can look after their heritage assets, and that validates and strengthens the principle of self-government and financial support for local museums — a principle that operates throughout the UK and Ireland. The terms of reference for the inquiry into the development of a museums policy is to be welcomed. Such a policy would provide an important strategic framework, allowing resources to be prioritised and implementation of partnership projects with other sectors, such as education. It would also facilitate a smooth transition for local government museums to the structures established by the review of public administration.
906. The Newry and Mourne Museum has benefited significantly from the advocacy, training and grant aid offered by the Northern Ireland Museums Council. We support the retention of that body until a museum policy is implemented.
907. The Chairperson: Thank you, Noreen. You are one of several witnesses who has had a good experience of the NIMC.
908. Mr Shannon: Thank you for coming along. It is good to hear your comments, which echo those of other council representatives who have attended. Your experience at Bagenal’s Castle is similar to that of representatives of the Mid-Antrim Museums Service, and Down District Council.
909. With the exception of the farmhouse, those were projects, and not just museums. A museum on its own would be difficult to finance, and I presume that that is the reason for the projects. The Newry and Mourne Museum includes a tourist information centre and a gallery, and you wish to be recognised for funding.
910. How important was it for you to develop the museum and, at the same time, develop other accessories to engineer funding so that there could be a museum? I take it that the museum was the initial idea, which was then developed to maintain funding.
911. The museum has attracted many visitors in its first year and, obviously, it is seeking to attract more visitors next year. What have you done to promote that, and have you worked with any other councils or partners? Your location gives you the potential for tourism from across the border. Have you promoted your museum across the border?
912. Ms Cunningham: Although it was small, we had a registered museum at the Arts Centre in Newry. The rediscovery of Bagenal’s Castle gave Newry the opportunity to have a good museum. It was receiving funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, but it was also important that we had reached certain standards. Most of the money came from the Heritage Lottery Fund, although the council gave a significant amount — around £500,000. We also received money from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board for the fit-out of our tourist information centre, which forms the reception area. We also have a cafe.
913. We wanted to create a full visitor experience. As visitors came in, we wanted to provide them with information on what they could see in the area, give them the opportunity to have a cup of tea in the café, and have a look around the galleries. Next year, we want to develop local history research facilities for those interested in family history.
914. We have internal partnerships in council with our tourism section, and we also access any opportunities for partnership marketing of our building with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB), for example, NITB’s St Patrick/Christian heritage tourism signature project.
915. We have a long history of association with the museum in Dundalk. From 2000, both museums had a shared education post, funded by Co-operation Ireland, which worked well and operated for about five years. By showing that an education officer was able to provide a really good service for the local schools, I was able to make a case to the council to have our own funded education officer once the Co-operation Ireland funding ran out. More recently, we have operated a cross-border project with Louth County Archive Services. Over the past year, we received money from East Border Region Partnership to have our historic archives catalogued and, again, the cataloguer worked in both venues. That has been our partnership.
916. More recently, through Reminiscence Network Northern Ireland, we have a shared reminiscence officer between Craigavon Museum Services and ourselves. Partnerships are important to us.
917. The Chairperson: In the interests of time management, Noreen, I ask you to take the next few questions together.
918. Mr McCartney: Earlier, we heard that the Museums Council was under-resourced. What is your experience of that, and how do you think that services should be developed, particularly if we are opting for a new museums policy?
919. Mr McCarthy: How has the fact that there has not been a museums policy affected your work?
920. Mr Brolly: I am interested in your view on whether a policy would facilitate a smooth transition for local government museums in respect of the review of public administration, in light of the strong reservations that were expressed in a presentation earlier this morning.
921. Ms Cunningham: I do not know whether the Museums Council is currently under-resourced — it would be better placed to answer that, but, from a museum point of view, we have benefited greatly from its advocacy training and grant aid. The Museums Council has helped us to obtain part-funded posts. However, if established funding were in place, it could create funding streams that we could apply to for larger projects.
922. The amount of funding that we receive from the Museums Council is curtailed by the pot of money that it has access to. If the Museums Council were better resourced, there would be more opportunities for development of local museums.
923. A museums policy would provide an important strategic framework for the development of museums in Northern Ireland in future. Some parts of Northern Ireland have several museums, while other areas have very few. In light of the review of public administration, a museums policy could facilitate a smooth transition.
924. Many museum curators are worried about what might happen if some of the functions of the Northern Ireland Museums Council were transferred to local government. However, I do not know how that would work in practical terms. We would prefer that no void be created, and that a policy would facilitate a smooth transition, and that we would not be left without an advocacy body, without training and without funding. We are funded by Newry and Mourne District Council, but it is important for us to access funds from the Museums Council in order to buy artefacts for our collection or to buy conservation materials. That is an extremely important funding source for us.
925. Mr K Robinson: If we are finished with the technical questions, I have a burning question for Noreen: is it not a wee bit careless to lose a castle?
926. Ms Cunningham: Perhaps it had slipped from people’s memory.
927. Mr K Robinson: How did that happen? I know a little bit about it, but how do you lose a castle that has been there for several hundred years?
928. Ms Cunningham: It has been there since about 1560 and was built by Nicholas Bagenal. During the Reformation, the rights and lands of Newry’s Cistercian abbey were given to Bagenal, who was from Staffordshire, and he built his castle there. It was used as a castle for only 150 years, and the Bagenal family died out in 1712.
929. The Needhams — Richard Needham’s family, incidentally — inherited the property, but they later moved to Mourne Park, outside Kilkeel, and the Kilmorey estate leased the property to merchants in Newry. It then became a house, and, more recently, it was used as a bakery. Other buildings were erected around it, and although the people who worked there knew that the building was very old, they thought it was the abbot’s house, rather than Bagenal’s Castle.
930. The Chairperson: Thank you, Noreen, for your presentation and written submission, and for answering questions.
Members present for all or part of the proceedings:
Mr Barry McElduff (Chairperson)
Mr Francie Brolly
The Lord Browne
Mr Kieran McCarthy
Mr Raymond McCartney
Mr Nelson McCausland
Mr Pat Ramsey
Mr Ken Robinson
Mr Jim Shannon
Witnesses:
Mr Craig McGuicken |
Derry City Council |
|
Ms Clare Mullen |
Strabane District Council |
|
Mr William Moore |
The Apprentice Boys of Derry |
|
Mr Eamonn McCann |
The Museum of Free Derry |
931. The Chairperson (Mr McElduff): We move to the Committee’s inquiry into the development of a museums policy. Members should note that, following their briefing to the Committee on 11 September, the National Trust supplied additional information, which is included in members’ information packs. Also included is an outline plan or timetable for the inquiry.
932. The Committee Clerk: There are three more evidence sessions today, starting off with witnesses from Derry City Council and Strabane District Council, and then from two independent museums. The Committee may wish to focus on exploring the links that those councils have with the wider national museums sector. For the independent museums, the Committee may wish to tease out the relationships between the independent sector and local councils, other museums, and the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC), to get a feel of how they see themselves fitting into the wider museums sector.
933. Mr P Ramsey: Will the Department and the Minister be involved at any stage to outline their approach and thoughts?
934. The Chairperson: Yes, Pat. The forward work programme shows that the Committee will be hearing directly from the Minister at the latter stage of the inquiry, and he will be supported by senior departmental officials.
935. I draw members’ attention to two sets of suggested questions. Normally, Kieran leads off on the absence of a museums policy.
936. Mr McCarthy: I will take questions 1, 2 and 3.
937. Mr P Ramsey: I will take questions 10 and 11.
938. The Chairperson: One set of questions is relevant to the independent museums; the other to the councils. Members can support one another in their lines of questioning.
939. Mr McCartney: I am a trustee of the Bloody Sunday Trust, which runs the Museum of Free Derry. What is the protocol in respect of that?
940. The Chairperson: At this point in the meeting, I ask members to declare any potential interests. I am a member of Omagh District Council.
941. Lord Browne: I am a member of Belfast City Council and a trustee of the Somme Association.
942. Mr K Robinson: I am a member of Newtownabbey Borough Council.
943. Mr P Ramsey: I am a member of Derry City Council.
944. Mr McCausland: I am a member of Belfast City Council.
945. Mr McCarthy: I am a member of Ards Borough Council.
946. Mr Shannon: I am a member of Ards Borough Council and a member of the Comber branch of the Apprentice Boys. That branch represents a very important part of our history, because its members found the letter that ultimately told of the siege of Derry. We were then able to win that great battle.
947. The Chairperson: As I said previously, Jim, you make annual visits to this city.
948. Mr Shannon: I usually come with a band and in a bus.
949. Mr Brolly: Jim still has the bruises to prove it.
950. Mr McCartney: I am a member of the Bloody Sunday Trust.
951. The Committee Clerk: No member is prevented from asking questions. All members have declared their interests, and they are free to ask questions.
952. The Chairperson: A copy of the written submission from Derry City Council is at tab 9. The council is the first of four groups this morning. I invite Mr Craig McGuicken to join us at the table. Mr McGuicken is the acting head of Derry City Council heritage and museums service. Craig will make an opening statement, after which there will be an opportunity for members to ask questions. Craig, you are very welcome to the Committee meeting.
953. Mr Craig McGuicken (Derry City Council): Thank you very much for the opportunity to come here today. I am the acting head of the Derry City Council heritage and museums service. I have worked for the council for approximately nine months. Before that, I worked for the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for a couple of years, and for the Somme Association, which has an independent museum. I have also worked for the Northern Ireland Museums Council; the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland; the Library Service; the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum; the National Trust; and the Ulster Historical Foundation — so I have significant heritage-sector experience.
954. The Derry City Council heritage and museums service collects, manages and presents the history and heritage of the region; enabling enjoyment and learning for all and the enrichment of people’s lives. It is very important to point out that Derry City Council has a great track record in the way that it manages its museums and the resources that it puts into them. The budget for the museums service is almost £1 million, which is very significant.
955. We have five museums — the Foyle Valley Railway Museum; the Harbour Museum, which is a maritime museum; the Workhouse Museum, which deals with the history of the city workhouse, the Battle of the Atlantic and a reminiscence project; the Amelia Earhart Centre; and the Tower Museum, which is the flagship of the service. During 2007-2008, those museums received almost 35,000 visitors.
956. The museums service will lead the council’s efforts in a number of projects, including the application for World Heritage status and the Plantation of Ulster commemoration programme, which is crucial to Derry and the wider region. We will develop the Foyle Valley Railway Museum, and we will also be involved in developing the heritage components of the Ebrington site, which will hopefully include a maritime museum and an archive.
957. The Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation and written submission, Craig.
958. Mr McCarthy: Thank you very much for your presentation. Has the fact that Northern Ireland does not have a museums policy had a detrimental effect on the work with which you are involved? If it has, will you outline the nature of that detrimental effect?
959. Mr McGuicken: It has had a detrimental effect. The museums sector overall has developed without regard to strategy: the geographic and thematic or subject spread is haphazard. The sector in Northern Ireland is dependent on local authorities. Some have been good, some not so good, and standards have differed widely. The independent sector in Northern Ireland is underdeveloped, by comparison with other areas. There is a lack of joined-up leadership.
960. The Northern Ireland Museums Council has done a good job of linking sectors, but there has been a lack of cohesion among national, local-authority and independent museums. In Northern Ireland, central Government support for non-national museums is weaker than in other areas of the UK. I will return to that point. In other parts of the UK, there are schemes such as the Designation Scheme, ‘Renaissance in the Regions’ in England, and the Recognition Scheme in Scotland. There has been free entry to national museums in most parts of the UK since 2001-02. The general feeling in Northern Ireland is that we have been left behind.
961. Mr McCarthy: In your opinion, the sooner a policy is developed, the better?
962. Mr McGuicken: Yes.
963. Mr Shannon: Thank you, Mr McGuicken, for your very direct submission, which is nonetheless full of good content. I am impressed by what you do; it is tremendous. In reading your submission, I was struck by the number of visitors to the wealth of history that you have in the Maiden City. You are in the middle of what is important.
964. We are gathering ideas on how best museums can work together across the Province. Your city council has been very supportive: I saw two members of this Committee smiling from ear to ear when you made those comments. They appreciate what has been happening. What would a museums policy contain that would be of value to you and your museum? Would it assist you in carrying out your work?
965. Mr McGuicken: Do you want me to say what I think a museums policy should contain?
966. Mr Shannon: Yes.
967. Mr McGuicken: A museums policy must have a vision for what museums in our society can be and do, and that must be different from what has gone before. We must change the way that we think about, look at and use museums. We should think of them as an integral part of the way in which we live our cultural and social lives. They should be used and perceived more as libraries are; they should be a more regular part of life.
968. The policy should include a vision of what the sector should — and aspire to — look like. It should reflect museums’ core values: the fact that we are about collecting artefacts, showing them to the public and improving access to them. It needs to have a strong research basis: much stronger than anything previously produced. We need evidence to show the value of museums and of what they do. It should also show the breadth of what museums can achieve: they are not just about tourism or preserving the past, but about regeneration, good relations, economic development and education.
969. There are many things museums can do. The policy must include strategies for development, and the structures and responsibilities. It must emphasise accreditation: without that, it will lose focus. It must set out how central Government will support local museums; how the three museums sectors interlink; and it must contain an implementation plan.
970. Mr Shannon: Do you think entrance to museums should be free? The policy must address that. You drew a comparison with libraries; can an entrance fee be charged in libraries?
971. Mr McGuicken: Museum admission should be free. One must decide what museums should do: are they more than just a part of the tourist industry?
972. If the idea is to get people to use museums regularly, they should be in a position to visit a museum once a week — for example, they could visit it with their children for 15 minutes or half an hour and then go shopping. Museums should be used in that way — almost like a drop-in facility. I believe that museums should be free.
973. Mr Shannon: You mentioned 35,000 visitors — is that the total number of visitors to all four museums that you look after?
974. Mr McGuicken: It was the total for that year. It is important to bear in mind that one of those museums was closed for most of the year. Therefore, the visitor figures should be nearer to 40,000.
975. Mr Shannon: I asked that because I would have thought that the number of visitors to museums in the Maiden City would have been higher, given the number of people who visit the city. I wonder whether something more could be done to promote museums here. Do you consider the promotion of museums on a Province-wide basis to be a good strategy, or should it be done locally?
976. Mr McGuicken: I believe that museums should be promoted on a Province-wide basis. It is a matter of how we, as a society, use our museums; it is important to change our perception of them. Museums are not just a place to go for a day out or to bring relatives once a year.
977. Mr P Ramsey: Craig, you are very welcome to the Committee. Will you tell us about the capital funding arrangements for the museums that are managed and controlled by Derry City Council? Will you also put the importance of the independent sector into perspective? You told us about your visitor numbers, and we will hear from the other two sectors later. Will you tell us how the council is helping to build the community-driven infrastructure?
978. Mr McGuicken: Derry City Council is fairly standard in that it provides the local authority museum service, and the vast majority of funding is rates based. The museums occasionally obtain funding from other sources — for example, the Northern Ireland Museums Council is supportive of project work, such as the purchases of artefacts. Project funding is available from the Heritage Lottery Fund and from various trust-type sources — the Honourable the Irish Society, for example. Derry City Council has been quite successful in obtaining capital funding from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.
979. I have said before that the different sectors should be interlinked. Derry City Council operates in that way to an extent, through the wider story of Derry project, which is based around how the council links with community groups. The council has provided support through its heritage and museum service. However, it has also provided support through other parts of the council — such as economic development and tourism — to museums such as the Museum of Free Derry, the Apprentice Boys of Derry, St Columb’s Cathedral, and the Long Tower Church project. That is a good example of how a more joined-up approach works. The infrastructure for museums services in the Derry City area is very strong.
980. Mr P Ramsey: The outline of your work experience shows that you have a variety and depth of knowledge. Who do you feel should take a strategic lead in developing museums strategy? In your experience, do you know of a model outside Northern Ireland that could be used as a model of best practice to help with the development of the museums service?
981. Mr Brolly: You mention that you have an association with the Republic — is funding available from Dublin on a cross-border basis? Is it possible to develop a link with the various historic and interesting facilities in Donegal, particularly the Inishowen area?
982. Mr McGuicken: We have received funding from the Heritage Council on an occasional basis. Recently, it provided us with funding for an architectural exhibition. We have a very good link with Donegal County Council, and we work with it on several projects. For example, we are working with it on the Plantation project.
983. We have a strong and active working relationship with Donegal County Council. We are also seeking to develop a link between the Boyne Heritage Centre and the Plantation programme.
984. Mr P Ramsey: Are you aware of any models — perhaps in Britain or the Republic of Ireland — where the private sector provides capital for museum services? If so, what are your thoughts on those models?
985. Mr McGuicken: There is not much that I can say on that matter. The starting point for the development of a museums policy should be a consideration of the local museum and heritage review, which was conducted from the late 1990s until about 2003. A museums policy must reflect the diversity of museums today. Central Government’s approach to museums tends to reflect the situation in the early 1990s, when four national museums accounted for around 90% of all museum visitors. Nowadays, the national museums account for about 55% of visitors. The strategy should be led by independents, local authorities, national museums, DCAL and NIMC.
986. Mr McCausland: Some local authorities are more proactive than others in respect of museums. How would a strategy framework encourage local authorities and politicians to recognise the value of museums and increase their commitment to museums? Would a museums policy raise awareness of museums? How would that be done?
987. Mr McGuicken: The current system does not accurately reflect museums in Northern Ireland or Ireland. A museums policy would redress that inadequacy, and it must accurately reflect the importance of the three sectors.
988. For various reasons, the independent museum sector is very weak in Northern Ireland compared to the rest of the UK. The independent sector brings something different to museums. Local authorities in Northern Ireland have developed greatly, and some of the best museums are independent or local-authority museums. Those museums have taken massive strides over the last 15 or 20 years. Most of the really good capital and infrastructure development is also related to independent and local-authority organisations. Examples of that are the Ballymena museum, the Tower Museum in Derry and — in the wider cultural sector — the arts centres in Omagh and Strabane.
989. The museums strategy must reflect the changed circumstances and the need for central Government to allocate more resources to local authorities. The Designation Scheme has proved very successful and led to a renaissance in the museum sector in other regions of the UK. We feel that Northern Ireland has been completely left behind. The difference in the way that projects have been carried out in Northern Ireland compared to England and Scotland is startling. If local authorities were adequately resourced, it would make our argument much stronger.
990. Mr McCartney: What has the Museums Council’s role been regarding the introduction of a museums policy? What should that role be in the future?
991. Mr McGuicken: The Museums Council has played a crucial role. The improvements in the museums sector in the last 20 years are down to the Northern Ireland Museums Council. The Museums Council has not been well resourced over the years, but it has made an enormous difference with the relatively little amount of funding that it has had.
992. We only have to look at the situation. In the early 1990s, there were four national museums and a handful of other museums. Now, there are four national museums and 38 other registered museums. The situation has changed completely. Much of that is down to the Museums Council and to accreditation — or registration, as it was previously; and the idea that how good a museum is and whether it meets certain standards can be measured.
993. The Museums Council has expanded the sector. It has increased expertise and professionalism. Nowadays, local museums’ professionalism is just as high as that of national museums. That could not have been said 20 years ago. Visitor numbers have increased. At present, 55% of visits to museums in Northern Ireland are to non-national museums. My comments sound like an anti-national-museums rant; it most certainly is not. National museums do a great job. However, balance is needed. The Museums Council has increased access greatly. It has improved connections among different sectors. Its management of specific projects, such as the Their Past, Your Future project, and its channelling of funding have been useful. It has assisted local authorities.
994. As I said, policy must be based on accreditation. The Museums Council’s functions must be developed. If it goes, that is one thing; however, its functions must be developed and built upon. I feel strongly that the Museums Council must remain at least until the policy is in place. After that, its functions must be carried on by a new organisation.
995. Lord Browne: One of museums’ aims should be to introduce young people to civil society in a free space in which they can operate. Do you have any connections with local colleges and universities? What input do you receive from young visitors to museums?
996. Mr McGuicken: There is not a great level of relationship with universities and colleges. Most museums in Northern Ireland do not have a particularly strong link at that level. There is no reason why there should not be such a link. When I worked for the Somme Association, we carried out a schools-conferencing project to prepare schoolchildren for university. The association still runs that project, which is highly successful. Many such measures can be taken.
997. Education is museums’ strongest purpose. Many museums are aimed at primary-school children. That focus should be changed. The concept of education and lifelong learning should be museums’ main direction.
998. Lord Browne: Have museums received financial assistance from the private sector? Have you approached the private sector? Do you believe that it should be encouraged to take part in funding museums?
999. Mr McGuicken: It definitely should. I am keen to find ways that the economic sustainability of museums can be improved. Generally, Northern Ireland has a poor record of private-sector funding for museums, arts and culture. It is, undoubtedly, the worst performing area in the UK when it comes to private giving or commercial sponsorship of culture. The best source for that in the UK is the annual review by Arts and Business. I would love to find ways to replicate that in Northern Ireland. However, it is difficult.
1000. The Chairperson: I shall ask Francie and Ken to group their questions. Please answer them both together. Thank you, Craig.
1001. Mr Brolly: When we talk about museums, it is usually to try to persuade people to visit the Tower Museum or another such museum. However, my notion of Derry is that the city is a museum. Previously, I have spoken of a museum without walls — although that could not be said about Derry. I am thinking about activities such as city tours, for example. The city of Derry should be marketed as a composite of its museums. The notion that the museums are separate from, say, Martin McCrossan’s tours — although they do visit them — should be removed. That should also bring in other activities, such as the Columcille trail. Although Derry is a walled city, I describe its greater area as “a museum without walls”.
1002. The Chairperson: And your question is? [Laughter.]
1003. Mr K Robinson: Thank you very much for your presentation, Craig, which mirrored a presentation that we heard last week from Mid-Antrim Museums Services. It is very useful for the Committee to hear about enthusiasm and vision linked together with practicalities and process. Craig seems to be generally in favour of a museums policy and I have two specific questions for him. First, how do we take the policy forward? Secondly, can he outline — after that long spiel by my colleague — the key elements that should be in such a policy?
1004. Mr McGuicken: The starting point should be the local museum and heritage review. There was huge disappointment in the museums sector that that did not really go anywhere; a lot of good work was done on that review, and it is worth revisiting. The policy should be based on accreditation, and the current structures, such as the Northern Ireland Museums Council, should be maintained until the policy is finalised. It must reflect the diversity of our museums and it should be led by a steering group, which is representative of — broadly speaking — all three museum sectors, central Government, and local government.
1005. The most important element, as I said, is the vision for what museums can do, and that vision has to be different from what has gone before. For me, it is about how we develop our audience, how we interact with the public, and how we get people to look at and use museums in a different way. We need to move museums to the centre of our social, cultural, and educational lives. The policy should reflect the core values of museums and have built into it a research element —somewhere that we can provide evidence of the work that museums do. I know that it is difficult for all cultural sectors to provide evidence of that, but it is very important that we do.
1006. The policy should reflect the breadth of what museums do and include strategies for the development of the sector, its structures and responsibilities. A museums policy should emphasise how central Government can change their remit a wee bit to look more at the local museums authorities, independents, how the sectors interlink, and at the implementation of such a policy. Following the local museum and heritage review, that implementation aspect is crucial.
1007. Mr K Robinson: I congratulate Derry City Council on extending the educational processes beyond primary schools into secondary schools and, as Wallace said, to further education colleges and perhaps even to some university students.
1008. The Chairperson: Craig, thank you for your presentation and for answering our questions. When formulating our response, the Committee will definitely take into account what you have said. The next presentation will follow a similar format and is from Clare Mullen and Adrian Beattie, representing Strabane District Council.
1009. The Committee Clerk: Chair, we have a copy of the local museum and heritage review that a number of witnesses have talked about. That document was submitted to DCAL in 2001 and we will copy it for members.
1010. The Chairperson: Craig made specific reference to that review, and said that we should revisit it so as not to lose out on its value.
1011. I would like to formally welcome Adrian Beattie and Clare Mullen, the representatives of Strabane District Council. It is my understanding that Clare is the acting community support officer, and Adrian is the museum curator. We shall discuss Strabane District Council, Gray’s Printing Press Museum, and other matters relating to the council area. I hand over to the witnesses.
1012. Ms Clare Mullen (Strabane District Council): For the past 10 years, Strabane District Council has had a leasing agreement with the National Trust for Gray’s Museum.
1013. We are reviewing that leasing agreement. In particular, we are reviewing the sustainability of our position in Gray’s Museum, and deciding whether to move towards a schools outreach education museum service.
1014. Over the past 10 years, much of our support has come directly from NIMC. Ours is a small museum, as members know. The accreditation scheme has facilitated and promoted the sustainable development of Gray’s Museum to date, with the establishment of agreed standards for the collection’s care and museum management.
1015. We consider that lack of a formal museums policy has led to a lack of direction in the service from the bottom up, particularly from the local council’s perspective. It has led to uncertainty and lack of focus in the service as to where it sits in the Government’s agenda. It leaves local elements of developing and maintaining our heritage — including education and learning — more vulnerable, and makes it more difficult to link into other strategies, including those on tourism and education.
1016. We are unaware of any departmental guidelines. We abide by the Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, which broadly outlines the governance of museums.
1017. With respect to our policy framework, we have followed the advice and guidance of NIMC alone. That is the only strategic direction provided for the museums sector. In councils, museums have been incorporated into an overall agenda, and no specific policy has been developed for them.
1018. Museums are an important aspect of our community development agenda. They help to maintain senses of identity, place and civic pride, and they serve as a learning resource for schools.
1019. There has been no private investment. Strabane District Council has invested some £55,000 annually in developing a museums service over the past 10 years. It has obtained small sums in grant aid from NIMC and the Heritage Lottery Fund to help to develop the outreach service and purchase of artefacts.
1020. Our knowledge of museum services outside Northern Ireland is limited. We have focused on developing local relationships, in particular on a cross-border basis with Donegal County Council. Adrian will provide examples of projects that we have undertaken jointly with Donegal County Council, which provides substantial funding for its heritage products.
1021. NIMC has developed an intelligence-based survey of museum collections, mapping trends and learning strategies. That is the fundamental block on which the museums policy should be based.
1022. We recommend that any policy devised by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure should take into consideration that there are two pools of experiences: the National Museums Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Museums Council. Of the two, the Museums Council has the most relevant experience — it is at the coalface and works with local museums on a daily basis. We recommend that those organisations should be used to facilitate any new policy — along with local councillors and other key stakeholders.
1023. The Northern Ireland museums policy should be developed in consultation with the whole sector and other key sectors, which the Committee is doing. The policy must address the impact of devolved Government and the new arrangements proposed by the review of public administration (RPA). The policy should strengthen museums and local authorities in a way that ensures sustainability and security of service and maintains critical NIMC service.
1024. Mr Shannon: Thank you for your presentation. I have a personal interest in Strabane because it is where my mother was from. You have an education and outreach officer. You stated that you received money from the Heritage Lottery Fund to pay for that and that the funding stopped in 2007 due to the lack of core funding. How critical do you feel that it is to have an educational outreach in your museums? You are obviously disappointed that the funding was discontinued, but I would like to get your opinion on that subject.
1025. Furthermore, have you had any contact with the Northern Ireland Museums Council? If so, what way has it assisted you? Has it given you advice, offered support or promoted your museum?
1026. Mr Adrian Beattie (Strabane District Council): To call me a curator is a bit of a misnomer. I am the main museum worker and do have some curatorial duties.
1027. With respect to the educational issue, it is an ongoing battle in Strabane to bring schoolchildren through the doors of any institution and establish an awakening of history in them.
1028. I am from Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, and I have loved history from an early age. However, I was one of the very few people in my class who did. There was a general dislike of history in my school, and in every gallery of war criminals ever created by my classmates, our history teacher — Mr Burns — always figured prominently. I swear that that is the case, and we still hang an effigy thirty years later. [Laughter.]
1029. The Chairperson: Are you speaking on behalf of Strabane District Council when you say that? [Laughter.]
1030. Mr Beattie: I am speaking on behalf of the dispossessed people of 1962 Enniskillen. [Laughter.]
1031. Fortunately, our education officer in Strabane District Council is a man called Mr John Dooher, who is a great lover of history. He was previously a teacher in the local secondary school and has created a new dynamic and invoked a reawakening of interest in history.
1032. At a lower level, I visit schools with my box of tricks. I try to bring the First World War and the Second World War to life in schools. That includes schools of all denominations in Strabane and the surrounding district. For example, some years ago we held an exhibition about a young man named Robert Pollock from Artigarvan, outside Strabane. He joined the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers of the 36th (Ulster) Division. I brought his story to schools across Strabane that would not usually have been so receptive to that type of story.
1033. As part of the project we read letters from Robert, which were discovered by an old lady in her attic. The letters themselves were not concerned with graphic descriptions of battles in the war but instead contained lines such as: “Don’t send me any more cakes ma, the last time they came they were as hard as rocks. Send me Leckpatrick butter. Is Francie still working in Buchanan’s?”
1034. I brought those letters together with other artefacts from the wars to the schools, and it worked. If a child can touch a German helmet, an incendiary bomb, a dagger or some morphine capsules from the war and you can explain that a shell fuse with dirt on it is from the Somme, it is like turning on a light.
1035. We did not have that in the school that I went to. We did not have visitors coming in, laying out a set of objects and allowing us to touch them. Museums are usually about viewing artefacts in glass cages, but when you can go to a school and ask the children to touch the items or wear a helmet or a gas mask, it works very well.
1036. Mr Dooher began that process and I started to think about it. We are not currently situated in the Gray’s Museum. However, we do provide a museum service to schools and all of the objects are safely and properly stored.
1037. We are not solely concerned with warfare. Indeed, we have a selection of medical equipment, such as a do-it-yourself electric shock machine from the early twentieth century. That would have been used as a cure for eccentric relatives.
1038. However, it was NIMC — I am sorry; I am trying to get back to the original question but I am flapping a little here. [Laughter.]
1039. Mr P Ramsey: The Committee is more interested in your school experiences. [Laughter.]
1040. Mr Beattie: I started off as a tour guide, so I am on a roll —
1041. The Chairperson: And your answer is? [Laughter.]
1042. Mr Beattie: No. The NIMC is the safety net and always has been. We were a one-person operation, but, through the NIMC, and working with Johnny Dooher, the education officer, we got leaflets and all sorts of publicity material. There were even training days to learn how to lift objects properly, and at which I used to sneer. The NIMC is there for us, and always has been.
1043. Ms Mullen: The NIMC also provided some small financial support for the purchase of certain artefacts.
1044. Mr Beattie: Oh, yes. We get money to buy reasonably-priced objects.
1045. Ms Mullen: Adrian has made clear the importance of the education outreach service in making contact with local schoolchildren. In school, they may learn about history in a broad sense, but when they see that history has local connections it comes alive for them. We want to develop links with the schools curricula with regard to culture and heritage.
1046. Mr Beattie: It is important to maintain local links, because, with RPA, communities will be absorbed, and we could become part of another council. Therefore, it is important to preserve this local identity for schoolchildren to show them that this is Strabane and this is how Strabane people lived.
1047. Mr Shannon: I am sure that the Committee could make use of that electric shock equipment. [Laughter.]
1048. Mr Beattie: You may very well think that, but I could not possibly comment.
1049. Mr K Robinson: When RPA is fully implemented, documents sometimes have to be tidied away or shoved in the bin. Please guard against losing vital documents. It is so easy to physically lift them and put them somewhere safe.
1050. Mr Beattie: As per the museums code of ethics, there is a strong presumption against the disposal of material culture — that is my line.
1051. Mr McCausland: What is the nature of the relationship between Gray’s Museum and the National Trust? Another place in the Strabane area with relevance to the Ulster/American story is Woodrow Wilson’s ancestral home. Who owns that?
1052. Mr Beattie: The cottage, at Dergalt, is owned by the National Trust.
1053. Mr McCartney: Part of the work of the Committee is to examine the need for a museums policy. What do you think that the Museums Council future role should be?
1054. Mr Beattie: We were National Trust tenants at the Gray’s Museum site. The trust maintained the printing house at the back, which contained all the machines and paraphernalia of printing, and we occupied the ground floor at the front of the shop and the first-floor gallery space. We managed because it was such a small operation. During low season, I took visitors round the National Trust part of the property and showed them the printing press. It was a simple relationship.
1055. Ms Mullen: We worked in partnership on service delivery.
1056. Mr McCausland: Did you say that the National Trust owns Woodrow Wilson’s ancestral home?
1057. Mr Beattie: It does. I believe that Dergalt impinges on the Omagh District Council area. The Ulster American Folk Park furnishes the interior of the cottage.
1058. Ms Mullen: Given that our museum is small, NIMC has been vital for us. That support should continue in order for us to continue, and it should be strengthened.
1059. Mr P Ramsey: Given your limited resources, you have clearly been very creative, and that is to be welcomed. Do you have any knowledge of the museum service outside the Strabane area? The Committee is examining how best to proceed with a museums strategy. Can you suggest any models of best practice?
1060. Mr Beattie: Over the past several years, there has been a proliferation of heritage facilities. The only institutions that I know about across the border are the larger institutions, such as the National Museum of Ireland, the national folklife collection at Castlebar and the Hunt Museum in Limerick. Our operation is small, which is why I return to the Northern Ireland Museums Council. The NIMC does great work for people who, for example, have a bicycle collection in Swatragh. The Irish Museums Associations is the umbrella organisation for the larger museums, but I am not sure about the smaller places.
1061. Ms Mullen: In a wider sense, perhaps we should examine how services are supported across the border in the Republic of Ireland and across the water in the UK, because a substantial amount of money is invested into services in those places.
1062. Mr McCarthy: You answered part of my question earlier when you said that the lack of a museums policy means that you suffer from a lack of direction and uncertainty. Will you give the Committee a clear example of how your work has been affected?
1063. Ms Mullen: Any high-level strategy filters down to a local level and provides a strategic direction for local government and the operation of district councils. It provides direction for the level of importance museum services should be accorded on the agenda of local councils. We have relied heavily on the NIMC and our officers for their knowledge, and so forth. We work with the community, which is essential, and ask people what services they want Strabane District Council to maintain, and we also work with local schools and link in to their curricula. However, a stronger focus on the future direction of museums is required, and that would benefit everyone.
1064. Mr K Robinson: How do you bottle the enthusiasm that drives so many schemes forward? I am fearful that the implementation of strategies — albeit I accept that they are necessary — causes people to lose their enthusiasm. If a spark of enthusiasm can be created in young people of school age, they will maintain it throughout their lives, and, therefore, educational experience must be built into the policy. Before you chide me for not asking my question, Chair, I had to listen to you on the radio this morning. [Laughter.]
1065. Clare, how should the policy progress to ensure that the enthusiasm is retained and, at the same time, that the necessary structures are in place to expand the policy and progress it?
1066. Ms Mullen: Community consultation is crucial. The local community groups must be given an opportunity to have their say, and local schoolteachers asked how to link into the curriculum and make the subject come alive for children. At the top level, it is a matter of working with the strategic operators to ensure that their involvement is maintained.
1067. Mr Beattie: You could talk to the experts on the Northern Ireland Museums Council, the heads of the Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland (MAGNI) and to the large institutions. However, I suggest simply going into communities and asking them how they want their story to be told. I am sorry if that sounds simplistic.
1068. Mr K Robinson: Is Sion Mills in the Strabane area?
1069. Ms Mullen: Yes.
1070. Mr K Robinson: There is a classic museum there with mill workers, and so forth.
1071. Ms Mullen: A building preservation trust is working to revitalise it.
1072. The Chairperson: Thank you to Adrian and Clare for attending the meeting, giving their presentation and answering our questions.
1073. Mr McCartney: We will not report you to your history teacher. Everything was said in camera.
1074. Mr Beattie: Should I become a history teacher, I will probably become equally hated.
1075. The Chairperson: The Committee will now hear from representatives of the Apprentice Boys of Derry. Good morning gentlemen and thank you for attending. Jim, perhaps you would introduce your team, outline the various positions that you hold, and make your opening statement, and then we will ask questions. You are very welcome.
1076. Mr Jim Brownlee (The Apprentice Boys of Derry): We are here to represent the Associated Clubs of the Apprentice Boys of Derry. I am the current governor of the association. With me is William Moore, the general secretary of the association, and Alistair Simpson, the previous governor of the association. Our presence here today is in relation to our museum in the Memorial Hall, one section of which is dedicated purely to telling the story of the siege of Londonderry in 1688-89, the history of that siege, the consequential formation of the Associated Clubs of the Apprentice Boys of Derry and the history of that association. In addition, there are further exhibits in the hall that reflect the history of the city through artefacts, pictorial history and narrative history. That is a basic overview of what people would see if they were to visit the museums — plural — in the Memorial Hall.
1077. Mr William Moore (The Apprentice Boys of Derry): Our meeting rooms are also open to the public during the summer months or by prior arrangement. Lots of tourists and visitors are very keen to see meeting rooms that are still in use. Those are part of the living history of the Apprentice Boys Memorial hall, and it is valuable to be able to view and visit them.
1078. Mr Alistair Simpson (The Apprentice Boys of Derry): I am here today in my capacity as treasurer of the Walkers’ Trust, the group that deals with all funds provided for the extension of the Memorial Hall, and also deals with the plinth at Walkers Corner.
1079. Lord Browne: You are welcome. Given that your organisation operates an independent museum, do you feel that, if a museums policy is drawn up, it could be overprescriptive, and that you might lose some of the independent control and ability to make your own decisions about the museum? How do you feel that a museums policy should incorporate that independence, and allow flexibility in making your own decisions? Finally, how is the museum funded?
1080. Mr Moore: The easy answer to your final question is that we do not receive funding for the museum. However, during July, August and September, we received some funding from Derry City Council, which enabled us to employ two part-time workers as tour guides, and also for security purposes. That enabled us to keep the doors of the hall open during those months to allow visitors and tourists to have a look at the artefacts relating to our association and to the siege of Derry.
1081. Mr P Ramsey: You are very welcome to this morning’s session. The museum tells the wider story of the city of Derry. Will you enlighten the Committee about the actual contents of the museum and the artefacts that you are trying to preserve? What capital is required for the building, and where is that money coming from? What does the availability of access to the museum mean to the economy of the city?
1082. Mr A Simpson: In response to your last question, it is very important that the museum remain in the Memorial Hall, as that is where our members met, prior to parading over the walls, which was very contentious, as you well know, Pat — you were in the middle of it along with me.
1083. Mr Shannon: You were on different sides. [Laughter.]
1084. Mr A Simpson: We were not always on different sides — we may have disagreed but we came to the same conclusion.
1085. Some people’s perception of the Apprentice Boys was of a group that was made up of Protestants and that walked the streets of Derry two days a year shouting “no surrender”. When people saw the hall and the museum and had everything explained to them, their perception changed completely. We, as the Apprentice Boys, felt that opening the hall to people helped them to learn and helped us to extend our history to the people of the city.
1086. Mr Brownlee: As well as opening up local history to local people, it also has a worldwide aspect in attracting tourism. The hall is open to everyone and there is an economic aspect to that, because it is an opportunity to attract people to the city and show them something about its history that, hitherto, they would not have seen.
1087. Mr Moore: Our city is unique in the sense that many tourists and visitors to Londonderry come to walk the circumference of the walls, or at least part of it. They also want to learn more about the story of the siege of Derry. Therefore, our museum can convey the history of the city in a friendly manner. Obviously, there is also the Museum of Free Derry, which tells another story. Both museums tell aspects of the story of our city to tourists and visitors in a friendly manner.
1088. Mr McCartney: There is a value attached to the idea of having an independent museum, and the Apprentice Boys is a good example of such a museum. Taking up Wallace’s point, how would you define that concept to ensure that, in the future, you are not corralled into a situation that results in your independence being lessened? What is your relationship with the Museums Council, if such a relationship exists?
1089. Mr A Simpson: I and the Apprentice Boys are entirely of the opinion that we must have our independence, because the association’s independence has attracted tourists to come and ask questions. People may come to the city out of curiosity more than anything else. I maintain that tourists come to walk over the walls because they have heard so much about the contentions over the walls. However, regardless of what attracts tourists here, it is what we do when we get them here that matters. I feel that the independence of the Apprentice Boys should stand out, not on its own, but weaved in with the rest of the groups that reflect the history of the city.
1090. Mr Moore: It is important that small museums such as the Museum of Free Derry and the Apprentice Boys museum retain their own identities. We should work collectively to promote Derry as a tourist venue and to promote and market our museums. It is vital that we collaborate so that we are working with one aim, which is to promote our city and our museums, while still retaining that degree of independence.
1091. Mr McCartney: Do you have a relationship with the Museums Council?
1092. Mr Brownlee: The only relationship that exists is purely informative — we receive the Northern Ireland Museums Council’s monthly newsletter.
1093. Mr McCartney: Was accreditation gained through the Museums Council or was it separate?
1094. Mr Brownlee: I am not sure about that. That has been done for some time now, before we became established.
1095. Mr McCarthy: What benefits would the introduction of a museums policy have for your organisation? Would it assist you further in your work?
1096. Mr A Simpson: First of all, I would have to see what such a policy contained.
1097. Mr Moore: The policy would have to help us to market our local museums, advertise them and work collectively on the marketing, advertising and promotion of our museums and our city. That is the main benefit that I hope for.
1098. Mr Brownlee: I do not wish to contradict that, but to complement it. The policy must preserve the independent nature of the association.
1099. Mr A Simpson: If it enhances our association and the museum, we will be all for the policy. However, I would have to see what the policy contained before I lent it my support.
1100. Mr McCarthy: You are giving your input into that policy, which is good.
1101. Mr Shannon: Gentlemen, it is nice to see you. I saw you last on Sunday in Newry, at our annual service, and it was good to see you then as well.
1102. I am keen to develop the policy for the whole of the Province. It should ensure that your organisation’s independence is retained and your museum should be able to take advantage of what the new policy can deliver for you. My question follows from Kieran’s: what advantages do you see for your organisation in a museums policy?
1103. I return to the previous question. Derry City Council said that it was reviewing non-statutory cultural tourism providers. The name of your organisation was mentioned. Do you see the advantage of working together with the council?
1104. My third supplementary question relates to the numbers that visit the museum. I visit every year. I never miss it; it is always excellent.
1105. Mr Moore: We see advantages in having a museums policy. Were we to maintain our present situation and keep separate, we would lose out completely. That is because of the make-up of the city which, I am repeatedly told, is now nationalist. With the Apprentice Boys participating and working to advance the overall good of the city, I see a good future.
1106. You asked about Derry City Council. It has been very good to the Apprentice Boys from the beginning. We have always received some money from it. When people receive money, they always want more; but we are grateful to Derry City Council for its support.
1107. The Chairperson: Jim has just paid his membership fee.
1108. Mr Shannon: I have had to pay up. Last Sunday was my last instalment — now it is all paid. [Laughter.]
1109. Mr Moore: You asked about the advantages of working with the Museums Council. The council must help to co-ordinate private museums. The Apprentice Boys have a lot to learn — we are really novices at this game. If the Museums Council organised workshops or educational seminars on how to protect, preserve and handle collections, that would be beneficial.
1110. Occasionally, visitors to our museum tell us that such and such an item should not be displayed, but protected or preserved by being enclosed. However, because we are not professionals, we do not know whether such advice is correct. The Museums Council could create educational classes from which we would learn how to preserve our artefacts and, for example, keep papers or photographs under the correct atmospheric pressure. The council could help private independent museums with all sorts of ideas on the preservation and promotion of our artefacts.
1111. The Chairperson: Is it possible that the Museums Council provides training that you are not necessarily aware of?
1112. Mr Moore: That is a probability. We get the odd newsletter from the Museums Council, but apart from that —
1113. The Chairperson: Perhaps you might want to explore whether it could intervene in that way.
1114. Mr Moore: At the very least there should be an annual, if not biannual, meeting — perhaps there is — where like-minded people can discuss and understand what we are trying to preserve and create. The Museums Council should be doing that and providing assistance to help novices, like us, to develop our museum.
1115. Mr Shannon: There is no doubt that the Apprentice Boys, through their event in August — the closing of the gates — have made that day into more than a commemorative event. In the build-up during the week before the event, the Apprentice Boys have help from the local council. It is important, as Ian Starrett has written in ‘the Newsletter’, that that has become a cultural event, and I am keen to see how you will bring more people to it.
1116. Mr Moore: The Maiden City Festival was created for two reasons — most importantly to try to promote a better understanding of the culture, ethos and history of the Apprentice Boys of Derry. I believe that the festival has been 100% successful in what it set out to achieve. We have received the good will and support of many in the nationalist community. Those nationalists who in 1968 walked for civil rights, state that they walked not only for Catholics but for all the people of Northern Ireland, especially the people of Londonderry. Civil rights are civil rights for Protestants as well.
1117. With those rights come responsibilities and, within the Apprentice Boys, we accept that we have responsibilities. It is our responsibility to reach out to the wider community to help to create that better understanding, those good relations and, hopefully, a shared city where everyone can live and feel proud of its history, culture and traditions. The Apprentice Boys set out to help achieve a better understanding of our culture in this city, and that is why the Maiden City Festival was created.
1118. Mr A Simpson: The Apprentice Boys did that to help bring peace to this city. Do nationalist members see what we have done as a movement forward, or have we got stuck in a rut?
1119. The Chairperson: That is an unusual question when we are meeting in the format of a scrutiny Committee. [Laughter.]
1120. Mr A Simpson: Although we feel that we have done the right thing, no nationalist has offered alternative suggestions. Listening to the views of nationalists does not mean that we would do what they say, but we would take it on board to see how we could improve the situation.
1121. The Chairperson: I invite Francie Brolly to respond to that.
1122. Mr Brolly: I am not going to respond to that. [Laughter.] The entitlement to tell your story, in your way, and from your place is important; that is true also for the Bloody Sunday museum. I am concerned that what one witness described as the “community relations industry” might move in and tell people how to tell their story. None of us want to hear sanitised stories from anybody, and I think that everybody in this city appreciates the Apprentice Boys’ story. I live in far away Dungiven, but I appreciate the amazing work that has been done in this city by the Apprentice Boys and the museum.
1123. The Chairperson: I hope that dialogue will take place outside the meeting. That is interesting and worthwhile.
1124. Mr McCausland: You made a point about the museum’s contribution to improving good relations in the city and to promoting and developing tourism. If it were the case that, through a museums strategy and policy for Northern Ireland, there were more support for local independent museums such as yours, would that present opportunities to develop the museum? The organisation has a large collection of irreplaceable artefacts because of its unique position. Where do you envisage you will take the museum in years to come if such resources and opportunities emerge?
1125. Mr Moore: Obviously, our aim and priority for the future is to locate a purpose-built museum, on ground that is owned by the Apprentice Boys, adjacent to the Memorial Hall. We want the museum to tell the story of the siege of Londonderry and the evolution of the Apprentice Boys of Derry Association. That can only be beneficial to the city — reaching out to the wider community, creating good relationships and, hopefully, a shared city where Protestants can, once again, feel comfortable enough to return to the west bank of the Foyle.
1126. One of our aims for the Maiden City Festival, apart from creating a better understanding among the city’s nationalist community, is to encourage Protestants. Many of them vacated the west bank because of intimidation or other reasons and went to live in the Waterside or further afield. The aim of the festival and the museum is to show that the Apprentice Boys are a stakeholder in the west bank of the Foyle.
1127. We encourage our community to return to where our history and culture originated. St Columb’s Cathedral, where citizens worshipped and prayed during the siege, is located on the west bank of the Foyle. Derry’s walls and the Apprentice Boys Association’s world headquarters are also located there. Therefore, we cannot leave the west bank. We cannot run away and parade in Limavady, Coleraine or elsewhere. Our heritage and traditions belong inside the walls of the Maiden City. Therefore, our other aim for the new building of a heritage centre or museum — call it what you will — is to encourage those Protestants back and help them to feel part of a shared city on the west bank.
1128. We aim to create a new purpose-built museum. We are sensible enough to understand that if we receive funding to build the museum, we must plan for its sustainability. Consideration must be given to mistakes that have been made in other areas of the Province where museums fell apart at the seams because they did not have sustainability. We have researched and examined many aspects of that. We have considered areas of the newbuild that can be leased out in order to create regular income that will ensure the sustainability of the new purpose-built museum.
1129. We aim to have the new museum up and running by the 2013, because that is a significant year for the Apprentice Boys. It will be the four hundredth anniversary of the commencement of the building of Derry’s walls. Most people believe that the walls were built between 1614 and 1618. However, in 1613, the walls were marked out and quarrying for the stone from which they would be built began. Therefore, 2013 will the four-hundredth anniversary of the building of the walls of Londonderry. By that date, we want the purpose-built museum to be up and running, telling the story of the siege of Derry and the Apprentice Boys’ history. Take note, everyone. [Laughter.]
1130. The Chairperson: I have a feeling that you could tell us the day, William.
1131. Mr Moore: The day when people started to build the walls? Not a problem; I was there. [Laughter.]
1132. Mr K Robinson: First, thank you, gentlemen, for providing that information. I was at the Apprentice Boys’ memorial hall only once before, many years ago; like Jim Shannon, I was there for a conference in the company of the late Enoch Powell. I was amazed by it; you have been hiding your light under a bushel.
1133. As an independent museum, do you feel that you have been left behind? If so, is it the organisation or the lack of appreciation for your culture that is to blame?
1134. Mr Brownlee: The Apprentice Boys is a voluntary organisation and, in many ways, that has held us back. We have had no professional input in respect of our museum or its artefacts. Aside from the historical significance, there are many other aspects to the organisation, such as the running of the museum. We had some professional input on the design of the museum. Some professional input would help us to play catch-up. The museum has been open for only 18 months, but already it has had a positive impact on the organisation and, indeed, the people who visit.
1135. Mr K Robinson: How were you in the position to build the museum when you were given no professional input or expertise?
1136. Mr Brownlee: The present political climate means that the time is right for assistance from outside.
1137. Mr K Robinson: Are you sure that that is the only reason? Do you have the right mechanisms in place to approach the relevant people in the museums sector?
1138. Mr Moore: I regret to say that, prior to the creation of the Maiden City Festival, our difficulties stemmed from the fact that Apprentice Boys went to the Apprentice Boys’ memorial hall, closed the doors, pulled down the hatches, locked the door, and allowed nobody else to enter. Some 15 years ago, a woman would not have been allowed to attend an Apprentice Boys’ meeting, let alone a Catholic. [Laughter.]
1139. We have come a long way since the days when we sheltered behind the closed doors of the Apprentice Boys’ hall. The organisation has become more open, transparent and proactive, not only in the city, but throughout the country as well. That has been good for the association. That has led to better understanding, which we talked about earlier. In the past, we were the victims of our insecurity. That has changed dramatically; we are now prepared to open our doors to everyone — women included. [Laughter.]
1140. We took one step at a time: first, we allowed Catholics; then, we allowed women. [Laughter.]
1141. That was a joke.
1142. The Chairperson: I remind you that Hansard is covering the Committee. [Laughter.]
1143. Mr A Simpson: People complained that nobody was speaking on behalf of the Apprentice Boys. However, when I spoke to the media on behalf of the organisation, some said that I had no right to do so. Many people said that what happened inside the four walls of the Apprentice Boys’ hall was to do with us and nobody else. That was a trap into which the organisation had fallen. Some people wanted me to talk to the media; others did not.
1144. We faced a hard battle within the organisation to get on the right path. Eventually, we got out of the trap. Once, a Protestant reporter from the ‘Londonderry Sentinel’ was not allowed inside the room, because he was not an Apprentice Boy. Now, men, women, schoolchildren, and elderly people visit the hall. That influx of new people has helped us to leave the past behind.
1145. I would welcome advice from anyone who could help the association to take the best steps forward. However, we must be careful, as I said at the beginning, that we do not get swallowed up and lose our independence.
1146. Mr K Robinson: Do you know whom you have to talk to?
1147. Mr A Simpson: No.
1148. Mr K Robinson: I suspected that that was the case.
1149. Mr P Ramsey: I wanted to return to the issue of the capital works, but it is important, just for the record, to acknowledge the huge leadership contribution that the Apprentice Boys have made in this city over the past two decades. It has been a significant contribution.
1150. It is important to note that the economic development section of Derry City Council has been very supportive in capacity building and bringing forward the plans for the concept of the museum. They have seen the importance of preserving your culture —
1151. Mr A Simpson: We could not have done it without that support.
1152. Mr P Ramsey: The important element is the capital works. Can you outline where the capital moneys are coming from for the museum? I know that some of that is coming from the Destination North West signature project moneys.
1153. Mr Moore: We have had some support, and have received a letter of intent, although that is not the same as a letter of offer. We have had some support from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, and we hope to obtain support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. We hope that the Department for Social Development will come on board. There will be a cocktail of funders, who will promote, support and assist the building of the new museum.
1154. We are hopeful that we can arrange a meeting with the leaders of the various Departments at Stormont to chart a way forward and get the funding secured. Perhaps some of the Departments will jump first if the Northern Ireland Tourist Board has provided £1 million, or whatever the case will be.
1155. Mr P Ramsey: A bit of joined-up thinking is required.
1156. Mr Moore: It is a hard task, but it is important, not only for the city, but for our country as a whole, that the story of the Apprentice Boys be expressed in a way that is educational and beneficial, and which promotes our city as a major tourist destination.
1157. The Chairperson: I thank Jim, William and Alistair for their presentation and for answering questions.
1158. The next presentation will be from the representatives of the Museum of Free Derry. I welcome Adrian Kerr, Eamonn McCann and Tony Doherty, and I ask you to make a brief opening statement, after which members will ask questions.
1159. Mr Eamonn McCann (Museum of Free Derry): I am the chairman of the Bloody Sunday Trust, which runs the museum. Tony Doherty is a trustee, and Adrian Kerr is the manager and curator of the museum. He will do most of the talking for our delegation.
1160. Mr Adrian Kerr (Museum of Free Derry): I will run briefly through some of the main points of our written presentation. The Museum of Free Derry was set up to educate people about what happened here, and give them a real sense of the impact that that had on us and on others.
1161. The Museum of Free Derry is unashamedly subjective: it tells the story of free Derry from a free Derry point of view. We do not tell that story in a jingoistic or party-political way. We tell the entire story, and we do not ignore parts of the story that are uncomfortable. The Museum of Free Derry is the first of its type in the North; we are the only museum that tackles our recent history head on. Other museums may have small displays about recent history, but our museum is all about recent history.
1162. The museum is an important expression of identity for one community — not one nationalist community or one unionist community, but the free Derry community. We hope that our museum will encourage other people to develop museums that deal with their recent history. We take a bottom-up approach; the many different histories and perceptions of history across the North must be told by the people who were most involved in and affected by those events.
1163. Our museum is an important way of helping the free Derry community to tell its own story. The creation of museums such as ours should be encouraged to let other communities in the North tell their own stories rather than having their stories told for them. The different perceptions of history should not be brought together into a single history. Everyone has a right to their own perception of their own history and the right to tell that story. They should be encouraged to tell their story, regardless of whether other people agree with it.
1164. The museum also tries to place the history of free Derry in an international context, rather than merely looking at it as part of the communal conflict in the North or the conflict between Britain and Ireland. We do a lot of work with other international museums in an attempt to learn from other histories across the world and to let other people learn from us.
1165. Where a story is told is as important as who tells the story. Each community has the right to, if possible, tell its story where it happened. Our museum is situated where Bloody Sunday occurred, and Bloody Sunday is obviously a key point of the story that we tell. Similarly, the history of the Falls Road or the Shankill Road should be told in those areas and by people from those areas. Communities should be encouraged to set up their own museums or helped to tell their stories in other ways.
1166. Many people visit the North to learn about our recent history. It is better that those people hear a legitimate history from the people who were there and most involved. A museum such as ours can benefit the community by attracting tourism to the area. Such institutions can bring major economic benefits into what are some of the most deprived areas of the North. We work in the Bogside, which is still one of the most deprived areas of the city. However, it has also become one of our biggest tourist attractions. Whether or not we regard it as tasteful, people are visiting the area to hear its story. We can benefit from that by setting up institutions such as the Museum of Free Derry, and creating employment. If smaller, independent museums were set up in other areas across the North, those areas could benefit in a similar way.
1167. Mr P Ramsey: You are all very welcome to the Committee meeting. Where does the museum’s funding come from? Can you be more specific about the economic benefits that your museum brings to the local area?
1168. How many visitors does the museum attract? I appreciate that you operate in an independent sector. However, do you have a view on an example from outside Northern Ireland that would represent a best-practice model for us to follow in the creation of a museums policy here?
1169. Mr E McCann: I will return to your previous point, and then Adrian will talk of funding streams and where we are looking to in the future, about which he is better qualified than I am.
1170. It is important for the museum to look outside. A conviction when we started campaigning at least 10 years ago to get the funds to start the museum was to locate this part of the story of Derry — a tumultuous period from 1968 to 1972 — in a wider context rather than simply in terms of the orange versus green conflict in the North, if I may put it like that.
1171. The museum is linked to the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience group, to museums in South Africa, the Martin Luther King Jr National Memorial in Washington, the Tenement Museum in New York, which is a museum to the poor who poured into the United States, and various others. Adrian has been to a conference in Bologna —
1172. Mr P Ramsey: I hope that people are taking note of these for visits. [Laughter.]
1173. Mr E McCann: We want people from those places to come to our museum, perhaps for extended periods, and to meet a deputation from our people. We are not in it for the trips. We will be going to South Africa early next year to examine how they manage, and to draw on that experience. We cordially invite everyone to come and look at the museum, and I think that you will be impressed by what we have done — whatever your view of that period — and with our plans for the future, which we would be pleased to show to you and to discuss.
1174. Mr Kerr: One issue about funding is that the museum will remain independent, no matter what. We will not deal with anyone who tries to tell us how we can tell the story. We do that in consultation with the community; not for a funder.
1175. Derry City Council has been the biggest single funder, with almost £200,000. The Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, the Department for Social Development and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board have also helped with funding. It is not an expensive project. We have a museum up and running that has attracted almost 40,000 visitors in the past 30 months in which it has been open, and it still costs only just over £300,000 — which, in museum terms, is very cheap for an organisation that is run to full museum standard.
1176. Another £100,000 will be received later this year from Derry City Council and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. That is the museum’s funding to date. I am meeting representatives from the Heritage Lottery Fund this afternoon to begin a discussion into how we can get finance for the next major development, but we are at only the start of that process.
1177. Mr Tony Doherty (Museum of Free Derry): The museum is not fully sustainable at the moment. It receives blocks of funding from certain organisations such as the city council, and it profits from the throughput to the museum. However, it is not entirely sustainable, and we have to be mindful and clever with regard to begging, borrowing and stealing — and I use those words advisedly — in order to make up the deficit.
1178. It has been a difficult struggle so far, and we would like to be involved less in a struggle and more in developing the full potential of the museum over the next few years rather than having to look out for the pounds and pence, although that is also important.
1179. Mr P Ramsey: Will you elaborate on the benefits to the economy of a project of this nature?
1180. Mr Kerr: The museum, as Tony said, is not 100% sustainable, but we have managed to keep three jobs going. In addition, as part of the Walled City Signature Project, which is a major tourism project that includes the Museum of Free Derry, the Apprentice Boys, the Tower Museum and St Columb’s Cathedral. Derry is the one place where all those stories can be told within, literally, a couple of hundred square yards. We have a major product here which hundreds of thousands of people come to see every year.
1181. The museum is recognised as a major part of that. One of the major historical episodes that took place in the city is the siege. The obvious people to tell that story are the Apprentice Boys, and they have been given help through this project to set up their own museum and keep it running. The other major historical episode that took place in Derry is the era of the civil rights movement and Bloody Sunday. We consider ourselves to be the right people to tell that story. The proof of that is that people come to our museum, and they do so because they see us as telling the authentic story of that episode.
1182. As part of the overall tourism strategy, there are economic benefits to be had for the entire city. Both the Apprentice Boys and the Museum of Free Derry are needed if the experience is to be legitimate and authentic. It cannot all be done in the one place. The Tower Museum gives the overall history of the city, and smaller museums give that of more specific areas. That mix works; one would not work without the other, but both create a major product.
1183. Mr K Robinson: How do you know where to go to get either practical help from museums specialists or financial help? Do you have the expertise to do that? Do you know which doors to push open, and might you be unaware that other doors are open to you? You spoke of sustainability potential. How do you know that you can get from where you are to where you want to be? Do you know the paths and processes involved?
1184. Mr Kerr: We have a very experienced board that knows where to find funding. Our board has managed massive capital projects and we cover all necessary bases with the board. We co-operate with the Northern Ireland Museums Council and the Heritage Council on museum-specific work. We may be the only museum that works with both, and they provide all the help and advice that we need. The council’s museum service gives us formal curatorial advice.
1185. Mr K Robinson: How did you find out about that? The previous group of representatives are struggling to find funding. How did the Museum of Free Derry manage to do it?
1186. Mr Kerr: That is a hard question; we sort of made it up as we went along.
1187. Mr E McCann: It took a long time. Some 10 or 15 years ago, our small group decided that it would aim to do this. We started and then learned on the job.
1188. Mr K Robinson: You bounced off all the walls.
1189. Mr E McCann: We did, and we are more than happy to share the experience and expertise that we have gained with Alistair and the Apprentice Boys or with anyone else. We have already done that with Alan McBride, who lost his wife in the Shankill bomb. We spoke at length with him. We also worked with Healing Through Remembering and such groups, and we want to be part of the broader picture.
1190. I do not wish to offend anyone by using this phrase, but this is not a “tiocfaidh” shrine. It is much more. [Laughter].
1191. Mr K Robinson: That is the core of the argument. The Committee has now spoken to representatives of the Apprentice Boys and the Museum of Free Derry. We have seen one sector which, after bitter experience, has found its way through the maze, and another that is starting off but is not quite sure where to turn. The Committee needs to keep that in mind.
1192. Mr Kerr: The Northern Ireland Museums Council — and others — are there to help. We have found them to be extremely helpful with any questions we have had or any training that we need. It is there for any museum. It is the starting point for anyone setting up a museum like this, or for anyone who has a museum and needs to know how to progress. The advice is available.
1193. Mr McCartney: I have declared an interest as a trustee of the Museum of Free Derry.
1194. What is the relationship between the Museums Council, the Museum of Free Derry and other independent museums? The Committee endeavours to assist in the formulation of a museums policy. What should the role of the Museums Council be in the future?
1195. Furthermore, how should the policy, if not protect the independence of museums, promote it? Obviously, independent museums place great value on that independence: we heard that from the Apprentice Boys. How should we define that independence in the policy so that it does not become, as Francie Brolly said, a community relations version?
1196. Mr Kerr: Our relationship with the Museums Council has always been positive. It is the ideal vehicle for helping smaller museums, and it has always been there to provide help, curatorial advice, funding advice, training, etc. So, if ain’t broken, don’t fix it. However, we would like the Museums Council to be better resourced and encouraged in the future.
1197. With regard to an overall policy and its impact on independent museums, it must be recognised that independent museums are as important as national museums or any other type of museums. The Museum of Free Derry might be smaller than the Ulster Museum, but it is just as important. Any policy should recognise that we have a right to tell our story, and the Apprentice Boys have that same right. We do not have to opt for a compromised agreed history, regardless of whether we are dealing with recent history or older history. Any future policy must recognise that there are different perceptions of history that need to be told. The benefits of doing so, as part of the overall resolution process in the North, are so strong that they should not only be protected in any policy, but they should be encouraged and supported financially, and in every other way.
1198. Mr McCarthy: Thank you for your presentation. Has the lack of a museums policy been detrimental to the work that you are involved in? Are you fearful that the policy might be detrimental?
1199. Mr Kerr: Our museum has been in existence for only two and a half years. We do not come from a museum background; rather, we are a campaigning organisation, which made things up as we went along. Therefore, we cannot really comment on the lack of a policy in the past. We are only starting to become involved in museum circles, and to recognise the need for a policy. A co-ordinating policy must be put in place.
1200. The number of museums in the North always surprises me. There must be a co-ordinated method of helping those museums, but the policy must recognise the role of larger museums as well as smaller museums. The independence of museums is very important. We cannot have a central storyboard for all museums in the North. Every museum must have its own storyboard and must be given assistance to develop it.
1201. Mr Brolly: Raymond asked my question — it is simply not my day today. Nevertheless, if a comprehensive museums policy is developed, it would involve rationalisation and the creation of a central authority. That authority may consider the fact that there are a few museums in Derry city, and it could affect your independent existence, if not your independent character.
1202. Mr E McCann: That is a difficulty. If an official museums policy was developed, which does not seem like common sense to a lot of people, with the nature of things in Northern Ireland it must take a middle road, or it must have balance or even two separate stories going on. With the best will in the world, we all know that that is impossible. We all know the experience of the Maze, which is emblematic of that impossibility.
1203. We have had a positive relationship with the Museums Council, and it knows what we are doing. We want to tell the story independently, and other people should be allowed to do that. In the Museum of Free Derry, it is not the story as told by academic historians, and it is certainly not the story that is told by politicians on any side. We tell the story from the bottom to the ordinary people. That is very important to us. An official policy might almost automatically become a policy from the top where people are told how to tell their story and how to fit it into a particular narrative. It is very important to us that it comes from the grassroots, that is, the streets where the museums exist. That is a positive aspect. We would be delighted to have an overall policy, particularly if there is money attached.
1204. Mr Brolly: Therefore, would it be fair to say that you might be safer without a museums policy?
1205. Mr T Doherty: Possibly. However, any policy needs to recognise that chunks of our history are contested and that none of us will agree the end of history at any time. The policy must recognise that it is so contested and, where it is contested, there must be due diligence and sensitivity as to how that history is presented. As Adrian said, we have gone out of our way to ensure that that history is not presented in an offensive or jingoistic manner. That same approach must be recognised in policymaking and political terms so that it governs the possibility of new museums or — dare I say it — interpretative centres, in the future.
1206. Mr E McCann: Anyone who visits the Museum of Free Derry will find that we cover every death in Derry between 1968 and 1972. That includes every RUC officer and British soldier who died. We use the same language about all of those deaths. We do not state that one side was “murdered” and that the other side was merely “killed” as that carries a baggage judgement with it. Our museum obviously has a particular resonance because of where it is in the experience of the people. However, there is no attempt to tell a strident, narrow story. Anyone who visits the museum will see that.
1207. I spoke to Mr Poots when he was the Minister at a function in Belfast and asked him to visit the museum. He agreed, but sadly he had a change of career in the interim and did not visit the museum. [Laughter.]
1208. However we are quite anxious for the present Minister, Gregory Campbell, to visit the museum. We would be very pleased to have him there.
1209. The Chairperson: For an explanation of what happened to the former Minister we will go to Jim. [Laughter.]
1210. Mr Shannon: Our former Minister was elevated to the Back Benches. [Laughter.]
1211. My question is meant to be constructive, and I do not wish to cause offence. In your submission and your evidence you have referred to perceptions of history. I am quite concerned that a perception of history can be expressed that is not true.
1212. I do not think that it is fair to draw a comparison between the events commemorated by your museum and the siege of Derry. There is no doubt that the gates of Derry were closed in December 1688. Furthermore, there is no doubt that the boom was broken in August 1689 and that the people almost starved during that period. Those are the facts of history.
1213. How do you tell the story your museum? Do you tell it from the side of the RUC, the British Army or the unionist people and how other people perceived it? Or, do you simply tell the history from the perspective of those who lived there? In other words, do you tell history from a point of view that some of us would feel is untrue and inappropriate?
1214. Mr Kerr: Yes we do. We tell the history from the perspective of the experiences of the community. We do not claim any more or any less than that. When people visit our museum, they know that is what they are getting. It is “exactly what it says on the tin” or whatever other term that you want to use. That is what the museum is and what it is set up to do.
1215. All history is subjective. That is fine so long as you are clear about where your subjectivity is coming from, and we are. We tell our visitors that we are describing the story of the Free Derry community from the point of view of the community. That is what we do.
1216. There are other points of view. For example, there is the British point of view that has been promoted all over the world for the past 36 years. We have set out to tell the story of our community. That is exactly what we have done and we encourage others to do exactly the same. We would love to see other museums with a different perspective being set up. If they are, we will visit them and may totally disagree with what they say, but not with their right to say it.
1217. Lord Browne: Do you profile your visitors? I am interested to know how many you have coming from other countries rather than from solely from Northern Ireland.
1218. You have obviously visited museums in many other countries. Is there anything that you have learnt about the policies that they have adopted that could be incorporated into this policy document?
1219. Mr Kerr: I do not have any figures with me. However, there are not too many countries in the world that are not represented on our visitor books. People have come from all over the world. Part of the narrative about the museum is translated into 11 different languages, and that is about half the languages that we need to keep up with the visitors. We are working on a way to get the entire museum translated.
1220. We receive visits from school groups from across the North, Britain and Europe, and also student groups in third-level education. We cover the whole range. As a member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, we are in regular contact with museums all over the world. Unfortunately, we are starting to visit them only now, which got me a few nice days out in Italy during the summer.
1221. I visited the Peace School Foundation of Monte Sole, which was set up to commemorate a Nazi massacre of Italian citizens at the end of the Second World War. At a conference of all the different museums, we were able to take part in one of its programmes, and we are working on amending it for the Museum of Free Derry. The peace school’s programme was like an eyewitness tour using personal testimony at certain points, and it would work well for us.
1222. We have a lot of international contacts, and we are open to learn. The whole point of going to visit other museums is to learn from them and for them to visit us and learn from us. That is why the coalition is in existence.
1223. Lord Browne: The impression is that your museum depicts conflicts. However, there must also be the peace aspect. How do you develop war and peace?
1224. Mr E McCann: One of the ways is by using the common experience of people. We have a great tendency in Northern Ireland to believe that we are unique and that the world should pay attention to our little piece of earth and our conflict — although you may or may not agree with that. When one looks outside, it can be seen that we are not unique and that we share experiences with other people. That, in itself, is a valuable lesson — if we are able to convey it in our museum, and we think that we can.
1225. We need to view issues in a wider context, otherwise we would never have realised anything. One of the interesting things is that the Apprentice Boys memorial Hall can be seen from our museum. We are a small people. The Free Derry wall and the walls of Derry are looking at each other. You wish sometimes that walls could talk to walls.
1226. Mr Shannon: The Apprentice Boys are keeping an eye on you.
1227. Mr E McCann: The location is all part of it. We get on better in Derry on a personal level than most other cities, particularly the city of Belfast. We are well ahead.
1228. Mr K Robinson: You said that the educational aspect was important. Do the schools come to your museum as part of a programme or do you go to them?
1229. Mr Kerr: So far, the schools have come to us. However, we have recently received funding from the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, which was to set up an exhibition that we can take around schools. We have a brief education pack that guides schoolchildren round the museum. Again, it is early days, and we are working on getting it right. The education pack has been set up with the help of teachers.
1230. We then take the children across to the community centre for a question-and-answer session with John Kelly, the main guide in the museum. All questions are on the table. The children can ask anything.
1231. Mr K Robinson: Are the schools following a syllabus when they come to visit, or are they just coming out of interest?
1232. Mr Kerr: The visits fit in with the syllabus. That period of history is now on the school syllabus.
1233. The Chairperson: I thank Eamonn, Tony and Adrian for making a presentation and answering our questions. We have had four presentations today and Hansard has covered every bit of the engagement, including Eamonn’s comments about being ahead of Belfast. We will continue to deliberate on the lessons learned from this inquiry.
1234. Mr E McCann: Thank you for inviting us. Everyone is welcome to come and visit our museum. We will be delighted to see you.
Members present for all or part of the proceedings:
Mr David McNarry (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley
Mr Francie Brolly
The Lord Browne
Mr Kieran McCarthy
Mr Raymond McCartney
Mr Nelson McCausland
Mr Pat Ramsey
Mr Ken Robinson
Mr Jim Shannon
Witnesses:
Mr Stephen Reid |
North Down Borough Council |
|
Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Bicker |
Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group |
|
Mr Ronnie Spence |
Ulster Sports Museum Association |
|
Ms Roisin McDonough |
Arts Council |
1235. The Deputy Chairperson (Mr McNarry): We now turn to this morning’s witness sessions, which will be covered by Hansard. Good morning, gentlemen; you are very welcome. Please introduce yourselves.
1236. Mr David Howard (North Down Borough Council): I manage community and cultural services for North Down Borough Council. On the cultural side, that includes the Council’s arts service and museum service. To that end, I am accompanied by Mr Ian Wilson, who is our museums service manager. I ask the Committee to direct specific questions towards Ian, who is the expert in that field.
1237. The Deputy Chairperson: Is that you off the hook right away?
1238. Mr Howard: It certainly is. [Laughter.]
1239. The Deputy Chairperson: You will have five minutes to make your presentation, after which we will put questions to you, Mr Wilson.
1240. Mr Ian Wilson (North Down Borough Council): I am the manager of North Down Borough Council’s museums service. The title of manager is interchangeable with the title of curator. I have been in post for more than 20 years. In more recent years, I have been the chairman of the Northern Ireland Regional Curators’ Group, the membership of which includes all the curators of local authority museums. I have held that position for eight years, and, because of that, I also sat on the board of the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC). I stepped down from the chairmanship of the curators’ group this year, and was replaced by William Blair from Ballymena, who will also take my place on the board of the Museums Council.
1241. Those positions gave me the opportunity to observe closely the local museums sector over the past 10 years. It has been a time of unprecedented growth in the sector, including all manner of interesting capital projects — some of which are still under way — and novel initiatives by museums, going well outside the core business of collecting, conserving and displaying.
1242. I am very interested in the two strands of museum life. The first is the collecting, conserving, cataloguing and displaying of objects, which makes museums unique in society. The second is the use of such collections to promote access to museums, to communicate with various community interest groups and to stimulate all manner of heritage-related activity. I am very interested in how those two strands can be kept going in parallel. There is a danger that museums can be perceived as places in which all manner of heritage-related activities occur. We must, however, take the longer view, that there is no one else out there in society collecting objects that might otherwise be lost. That is what makes museums unique.
1243. Local authorities have to be congratulated for their support of museums over the years. Politicians will know only too well the dangers of short-termism, and looking to the next election. Museums have to look far ahead. The museum in North Down has two objects that any museum in the world would want. We have the Bangor Bell, which is a magnificent example of ninth-century Irish metalwork. It was used in the monastery in Bangor. We also have the Thomas Raven maps, which are unique. They are the first maps ever drawn of County Down, and were commissioned by Sir James Hamilton, who came with his kinspeople and other settlers from Ayrshire.
1244. Both those objects had been inherited by the North Down Museum when I began work there. They had been acquired by our predecessors in Bangor Borough Council. Our staff and I have a great sense of continuity. No other aspect of the council’s activities feature objects that are, in the case of the Bangor Bell, well over 1,000 years old. It is our responsibility to make sure that those objects survive through our lifetime and through those of future generations.
1245. I am interested in how smaller museums, as well as our national colleagues, have collected, are collecting and will collect valuable objects and care for them, while at the same time keeping up to date with all manner of communication techniques. We are now in the world of audio tours and podcasts.
1246. There is a marrying of those new technological advances — which are being utilised in some of the new developments here in Northern Ireland — with the traditional, “does what it says on the tin”, perhaps unspectacular, but intensely important, task of collecting and conserving.
1247. The Deputy Chairperson: Thank you very much for that, Mr Wilson. In the submission from your director of leisure, tourism and community services, Mr Reid, it states that the council:
“believes that the powers of the NIMC should be transferred to local government (councils) post 2011, along with the requisite funding support.”
1248. Will you expand on that? It is quite a statement.
1249. Mr I Wilson: That is the policy of the council. I have had a lot of dealings with NIMC — I have been on the board for 10 years, and only stepped down at the annual general meeting a couple of weeks ago. The NIMC is enormously valuable to the smaller museums. It organises training, disperses grants, gathers statistics and provides advice. The genesis of the organisation was bottom-up, in that it was conceived because the smaller local-government museums felt a need for it. However, now, with the implementation of the review of public administration (RPA), it is felt that that is not a threat but an opportunity for the museum sector in general. In fact, the principles of the RPA have actually been pre-empted by some of the developments of the museums, such as the establishment of the Causeway Museum Service, in which four councils — Coleraine, Limavady, Moyle, and Ballymoney — all work together. The Mid-Antrim Museums Service is another organisation in which a number of councils work together. The establishment of those organisations actually pre-empted the principles that underpin the RPA. A co-operative base has been built, and continues to be built.
1250. The role of the NIMC in the short term is enormously important. There have been doubts, year to year, about its continued funding; it was meant to be dissolved and to receive no more funding at the end of the last financial year, 31 March 2008. It has had a stay of execution for one, or probably two, years. However, in the current climate, the NIMC has an obvious role to play in the formulation of a museums policy, until 2011. It has the expertise, the experience, and all the statistics at its fingertips to assist the Department in conceiving a museums policy. After that, our view is that the new councils could draw on the professional expertise that has been increasing over the last 10 years in the museum services, and the baton could be handed over.
1251. The Deputy Chairperson: Thank you. Six members have indicated that they wish to speak, so we will begin the questions.
1252. Mr McCarthy: Thank you very much for your presentation. With your vast experience in the museums sector, do you consider that the fact that Northern Ireland has not had a museums policy has been detrimental to the work in which you have been involved? Can you give an example of how that has affected your work?
1253. Mr I Wilson: Yes, I will give you an example. Within the boundaries of Down District Council there is the Down County Museum, the brief of which is the collecting of artefacts and dealing with all matters pertaining to County Down.
1254. Our museum is also in County Down, as too are the new developments at Bagenal’s Castle in Newry and Mourne. However, parts of Northern Ireland, particularly in County Tyrone, are without museums services. No attempt has been made to examine the Province geographically in order to lay out strategically where museums are needed.
1255. All museums work closely with other heritage organisations, such as Environment and Heritage Service, community organisations, archaeological organisations, and National Museums. That work is ad hoc. There could be more efficient lines of communication between the statutory receivers of archaeological finds and their local museums. Given the size of the Province, and the fact that people in those professions usually know one another, there are good personal links. That is the way in which things work.
1256. There is no formal link between National Museums and smaller museums. There might be a feeling of responsibility among its staff, who are always helpful. However, there is no formal pastoral connection between National Museums — as regards its conservation resources, for example — and the needs of smaller museums. Therefore, the Department could have provided a more constructive framework throughout the years. I have not had any dealings with DCAL. My perception is that its energies and, undoubtedly, its budget have been entirely taken up by National Museums.
1257. The Deputy Chairperson: Thank you. I must say, Mr Wilson, that there will be a barrage of questions for you. I suspect that members want to take advantage of your obvious expertise and experience. Therefore, I must ask you and members to be succinct. Unfortunately, we do not have enough time to deal with those issues.
1258. Mr K Robinson: Thank you for your presentation. One concern of mine vis-à-vis this matter is that you have made the point repeatedly about the lack of communication. I would have thought that museums are fairly stable organisations. Given the recent development of independent and local museums, there would have been a fairly good communications network, both informal and formal. If a museums policy were to evolve, how would you take that policy forward? What would you consider to be the key elements of that policy?
1259. Mr I Wilson: It must be recognised that at the absolute heart of the matter is the UK system of accreditation for museums. It is an increasingly rigorous set of minimum standards that museums must reach. That is where NIMC comes in: it oversees local museums’ applications for accreditation. Without accreditation, local museums find it hard to access grants and to get loans from other museums. A current example from our day-to-day work is that we had strongly considered applying to the Art Fund for help with a purchase. However, when I looked up that body’s website, I saw immediately that it accepts applications from accredited museums only. Therefore, local museums must aspire to that standard.
1260. The NIMC is vital in helping museums through the application process. It is difficult to overstate its importance. In 1993, local museums wished for such an organisation to be set up. It is, therefore, very much a bottom-up organisation. It has been instrumental in many ways and can be in that process as well.
1261. Mr P Ramsey: Everyone is very welcome to the meeting. Mr Wilson made reference to the museum within the Town Hall at Bangor Castle; can he outline from what sources funding and capital revenue costs are coming? Does he have any knowledge of museums services in other regions, outside the context of Northern Ireland, where best practice is being served?
1262. Mr I Wilson: Our funding comes entirely from the council. From time to time, we receive grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and from the Northern Ireland Museums Council; however, funding is almost entirely from the budget of North Down Borough Council — the ratepayers. I do not know very much about the organisational details of funding in other countries; a few years ago however, the curators went to Norway to see how its local museums were organised. Local authorities there had an arms-length system of governance and that was very interesting; an annual grant was given to the museums but there was a separate body constituted, like a board of directors, and the local councillors were happy to operate that way. Those directors — or management body — were people with a very specific interest in museum life, providing probably a more direct and expert oversight.
1263. Mr McCausland: Mr Wilson mentioned some of the things in the Bangor museum to do with the Hamilton settlement, Christian Heritage and so on; he also mentioned the museum in Downpatrick, which has exhibits concerning St Patrick. With cultural tourism in mind, does he see a strategy for the creation of trails — of synergy — between the two museums? There is much historical interaction among the various locations through, for example, Christian Heritage or the Ulster-Scots Plantation. Does that synergy exist at the moment, or could it happen more readily under a museums policy?
1264. Mr I Wilson: It is happening at the moment largely because of the NITB’s signature project regarding Christian Heritage. One of my colleagues, who is based in the council’s tourism section, has been detailed to work specifically on Christian Heritage, linking in with the Armagh and Down tourism partnership. There is a lot happening in the whole world of Christian Heritage and it is quite high up on the agenda at the moment. With streamlined local government under the RPA and fewer but larger councils, that could be more easily achieved. It is rather absurd to have a Christian Heritage trail which, after six or seven miles, goes into another jurisdiction. That is purely a twentieth-century administrative convenience which bears no relation to the historical reality. Fewer councils covering larger geographical areas can only serve to help that situation.
1265. Mr Shannon: Thank you for the presentation, gentlemen. My question has much to do with the fact that as part of the RPA settlement, North Down Borough Council is going to be paired with Ards Borough Council. Have there been any discussions with Ards Council as to how that relationship will work, in respect of historical matters? I am conscious of the tremendous history of Bangor Castle; some of its paintings alone are worth over a million pounds, and Ards is very much looking forward to taking that over. [Laughter.] That should pay for the swimming pool.
1266. I digress slightly; how does Mr Wilson see the two councils working together to promote that historical importance? Down Council was mentioned, and it is important that it was; how will that pairing relationship work when it takes off in 2011? Obviously, promotion is very important. How can this inquiry promote museums services and get more people to visit them?
1267. I have visited Bangor Castle on a number of occasions, and one cannot fail to be impressed by it. How can it be made more accessible for people?
1268. The Deputy Chairperson: That is a great admission from a councillor from Ards Borough Council.
1269. Mr I Wilson: An olive branch is being offered for once between Bangor and Ards. [Laughter.]
1270. The Deputy Chairperson: They are probably after your football ground. [Laughter.]
1271. Mr I Wilson: First, my attitude is that a wonderful opportunity lies ahead. As I said in response to the previous question, historically it does not make any sense to have a boundary between the two councils. Think of the Hamilton and Montgomery settlement — one cannot make sense of that by separating jurisdictions in the twenty-first century. We worked recently with Mark Thompson of the Ulster-Scots Agency, and he produced a very fine guide to the Hamilton and Montgomery trail and the early Christian links with the Nendrum monastic site and some interesting early Christian settlements down the peninsula, inland from Portaferry. In the future, there lies an opportunity to promote properly museums and their associated activities and sites, such as those that I have just mentioned. It is true that there have been no formal discussions between the councils on the matter?
1272. Mr Howard: Some work has been done to link the two tourism departments of the two councils. However, the heritage set-up in Ards Borough Council is totally different in the sense that North Down Borough Council has a dedicated museum, whereas Ards Borough Council does not. The establishment of joint working groups is on the council’s agenda. However, the format of the museum or heritage service of the new council will ultimately lie in the hands of the new council. I do not think that there is any doubt that we will seek to develop and promote that joint working approach in due course. I know that the relevant directors will meet in the next six months to discuss that matter.
1273. The Deputy Chairperson: What about the promotion of our museums and heritage? It is very important to make them accessible and available to ever more people. How do you see that service being enhanced?
1274. Mr I Wilson: Our world is seamless, in many ways — NITB and local historical societies are very much part of it. Like other museums — Down County Museum, for instance — we run public bus tours that start and finish at the museum. We have run very successful tours around north Down and east Belfast for Christian Heritage and the C S Lewis trail. I know that, from time to time, Down County Museum runs a very popular tour of sites of the 1798 Rising.
1275. People involved in the museum world know one another, and the system works pretty well. However, it could perhaps benefit from a better structure, and, of course, we always ask for an injection of public funds, among so many other things. The potential is nowhere near being reached. Personally, I think that the Nendrum monastic site is a hidden gem; it is a magnificent, fascinating place. The same can be said of a number of other architectural and archaeological sites.
1276. The Deputy Chairperson: This is all exceptionally interesting, but I must bring the discussion back to the inquiry and the question of a museums policy. I must remind members of that point, too. We have heard a pitch from each council area that has visited us so far, and all the areas are worth visiting, but we must return to the policy angle.
1277. Mr Howard: To conclude, a museums policy would help to ensure that all councils consider how they will work together to deliver and promote museum and heritage services in future. Putting that framework in place will assist councils in developing that approach. That is the whole point of the policy.
1278. The Deputy Chairperson: The Committee feels that the fact that we are holding the inquiry appears to have sparked thinking, if not new thinking, about moves that need to be made. Whether that thinking would have been sparked without the inquiry, I do not know.
1279. Mr Brolly: You highlighted the usefulness and the good job that has been done by the NIMC over the years. You have also mentioned that organisation’s expertise and experience. This may be a rhetorical question, but how do you react to the proposal by the Department that the examination and investigation into the setting up of a museums policy should be given to outside consultants?
1280. Mr I Wilson: I cannot see the need for that. We already have the expertise to carry out that task. There is no need for outside consultants.
1281. Lord Browne: In your report, you state that local councils are the best bodies to provide for local museums. When drawing up a museums policy, what role do you see central Government having in the promotion of museums? Do you believe that councils really are the best bodies to deliver first-class museums in Northern Ireland?
1282. Mr I Wilson: As I understand it, the main thrust of the RPA is to devolve as much responsibility as possible to local councils. That is a reality that no one can disagree with.
1283. Nevertheless, there are aspects of museum activity where central Government could help, particularly in the area of education and learning. As with many of our colleagues, we run a thriving and popular education and learning programme. That programme is not just for schools; we also offer facilities for lifelong learning. That programme does not receive any funding from the Department of Education, nor do we have any contact with that Department. Therefore, any central Government involvement in education and learning would need to involve many Departments and would go beyond the remit of DCAL alone.
1284. Looking at the issue in the broadest sense, one cannot separate the world of heritage from all other activities. There needs to be a seamless approach from all Departments.
1285. Going back to the initial point, museums are not the same as every other heritage organisations. Only museums collect, conserve and display.
1286. Lord Browne: Do you think that the private sector should have a role to play in funding? Do you receive any funding from the private sector?
1287. Mr I Wilson: Not really. Some aspects of our activities receive sponsorship.
1288. Mr Howard: It has more to do with continuity. Local councils are the future. The private sector fluctuates. Local councils are the leaders for the local area and are responsible for the long-term heritage and conservation for that area. North Down Borough Council believes that control should be situated with councils.
1289. The Deputy Chairperson: Wallace, you can keep your chequebook in your pocket for a while longer. [Laughter.]
1290. Mr McCartney: I have two questions. The first touches on your former role as the chairperson of the NIMC. How do you think that the NIMC should fit into any museum policy? I do not want you to talk against your employers, but I know that North Down Borough Council does not feel that the NIMC has a role to play in any policy.
1291. Mr I Wilson: I was a board member of the NIMC and chairperson of the regional curators’ group, which is more of an ad hoc body. You are asking about how the NIMC fits into the —
1292. Mr McCartney: — the new policy. What role do you think that it has to play? Do you think that its role should be strengthened or lessened?
1293. Mr I Wilson: From a personal point of view, my council has taken the line that it agrees with the RPA that the powers of NIMC should be devolved. However, there is always a need for an umbrella body for professional organisations such as local museums.
1294. The NIMC was spontaneously set up because there was a lack in provision in Northern Ireland. Its value has been enormous and its value to the ongoing policy — through its professionalism — is vital.
1295. Mr McCartney: The Committee has heard from representatives of several independent museums, and observed the growth and strength of that sector. The representatives made the point that their museums tell their stories from their perspective. Is that contradictory to, or can it run alongside, the concept of museums being neutral spaces, as detailed in point 10 of your submission? Is there a role for museums in the independent sector to relate stories from their perspective in a way that that does not run counter to the concept of neutral space?
1296. Mr I Wilson: To professionally run a museum or any institution that deals with history requires one to take a historians’ step back. There is a professional obligation to consider an event in the context of its time and to take a good overview. If one tries to deconstruct the phrase “neutral spaces”, which is often used, it is, in a way, a tribute to the curators for not coming down on one party political or part-sectarian side. Those in the museum profession here generally accept the concept of neutrality. I cannot speak for every independent museum but if those who conceive the exhibitions and write the text are professional, they will be as dispassionate and historically accurate as possible.
1297. Mr K Robinson: I want to follow up briefly on that point, because I was scribbling notes as I was listening. Mr Wilson, last week, when members of the Committee visited Londonderry, we were impressed by presentations from representatives of the Museum of Free Derry and the Apprentice Boys of Derry. What came across was the vibrancy of people wanting to tell their story, and it was interesting that each organisation said that the other should have the right to do so. That brings a spark into the museum world that has, perhaps, been extinguished through sanitisation.
1298. I am part of the Newtownabbey Borough Council and Mid-Antrim Museum amalgam that comprehensively tells the 1798 story of Henry Joy McCracken, Jemmy Hope, and so forth. By not simply relating the story blandly from one step removed, but saying that those people lived in 1798 and describing how they felt at that time, we add an extra dimension to the story. Sometimes museums tiptoe round the tulips, and they do not tell a story forcefully enough to enable people to put it into an historical — and perhaps even a modern — context. Will you comment on that briefly?
1299. Mr I Wilson: I cannot remember being in any museum in Northern Ireland in which I felt that those who were behind the concept or wrote the text had let down the people involved. When I felt that anyone was telling a skewed story —
1300. Mr K Robinson: I am not suggesting that the story is skewed, but that it has been tidied up to too great an extent. It is similar to the scenario of someone who is expecting visitors: all the chairs are put in order; all the newspapers are hidden; the cat is put outside, and so forth. I sometimes get that impression when I go into a museum; it has been tidied up to such an extent that the vital spark that caused the event is not communicated to visitors who, therefore, do not get the full story.
1301. Mr I Wilson: You are probably right about that. Museums, and any other institutions in society, can only be seen in the context of the time at which they were established — that applies to Victorian museums, for example. The character of museums is affected by the world view of the people who establish them. Decades have passed since the Holocaust, and museums have been established in different parts of the world. The time came when people gathered their courage and their wits to set up those museums. In decades to come, the way in which stories from the past are told in local museums will, undoubtedly, change. However, those who set up museums cannot be divorced from the times in which they lived.
1302. The Deputy Chairperson: Thank you both very much — that was illuminating, worthwhile and very useful to the Committee. Please pass on our best regards to Mr Reid.
1303. Mr K Robinson: My comrade has informed me that I should declare an interest — I was a member of the Territorial Army many years ago.
1304. The Deputy Chairperson: You must state your name, rank and serial number. [Laughter.]
1305. Gentlemen, Amanda — you are all welcome to the Committee. I look forward to hearing what you have to say and your doing your best to answer our questions. The Committee is holding an inquiry and I must say — although I am also a member of the Committee — that sometimes we are all inclined to wander and ask questions that are not pertinent to the inquiry. If that happens, I ask you to pull us up on it and to not wander when giving your responses. I invite Major Colin Gray to make a brief opening statement and introduce his colleagues to the Committee.
1306. Major Colin Gray (Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group): Thank you for providing us with the opportunity to present evidence — we are very grateful. I am the regimental secretary of the Royal Irish Regiment and, as such, am part of the management committee for the regiment and for the proposed new military gallery that we are seeking to establish.
1307. Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Bicker is a trustee of the Royal Ulster Rifles Museum, which is based in Waring Street, Belfast. He is also part of the management committee for the proposed new military gallery. Jack Dunlop is the curator of the recently reopened Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regimental Museum in Enniskillen, which is run in partnership with Fermanagh District Council. Amanda Moreno is the curator of the Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum, which is based in Armagh. Amanda is professionally qualified and, therefore, provides us with professional input from a museums perspective.
1308. The Deputy Chairperson: Thank you very much. Do you have anything further to add or are you happy to go directly into questions?
1309. Major Gray: I do not have anything to add, but Colonel Harvey Bicker will make a brief opening statement.
1310. The Deputy Chairperson: A brief opening would be very welcome, thank you.
1311. Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Bicker (Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group): As Colin explained, I am here as a member of the management group for the new military gallery in Northern Ireland. I have also been a trustee of National Museums Northern Ireland for several years and have been reappointed.
1312. Under a review of funding for military museums in the UK, the four military museums in Northern Ireland were identified from a funding perspective, and it was decided that they had to be reduced to one.
1313. When considering how the social history of Northern Ireland and Ireland in general will be dealt with in the future, it is important that the military story must be told in some way. In developing the concept for a consolidated military gallery in Northern Ireland, a number of sites were examined and Cultra emerged as the preferred option. We particularly focused on the social element of the story that is missing, so that it will be available to the people of Northern Ireland in decades to come.
1314. That is why we started this journey. We wanted to consider the options of where to site a military gallery, for which some Government funding is already available and, I hope, at no great cost to the Northern Ireland estate.
1315. The Deputy Chairperson: With regard to item four in your strategic recommendations, how do you envisage a policy emerging to bring about your idea of locating at the Cultra site? Is that something that you want Government or local government to do, or might it emerge from your discussions? Furthermore, have you discussed the issue with National Museums Northern Ireland? If so, at what level, and how advanced are any discussions?
1316. Lieutenant Colonel Bicker: National Museums Northern Ireland is developing a strategic policy, within which, since 25 January 2007, it had an idea to develop at Cultra the widest possible story of the social history of the people of this part of Ireland. That gave us an opportunity to have an initial meeting with the chief executive of National Museums Northern Ireland, and its director of development, and then with the then Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Mr Poots, and, subsequently, with the present Minister, Mr Campbell. I assume that, as a result of those meetings, we are now before the Committee. However, we were given to believe that that policy was only part of a wider story on the island of Ireland, and internationally.
1317. I am a director of the Military Heritage of Ireland Trust which, with the Irish Government, developed the military galleries at Collins Barracks in Dublin, where we are still spending money. That was part of the story of the social history of the individual Irishman, or Irish person, in not only farming and industry, but even in the military and with reference to emigration.
1318. Therefore, we were able, at Collins Barracks — which I strongly recommend that you visit, if you have not already done so — to see how that project fits in with a national museums policy to tell that social story. We have an opportunity, because of funding, to relate to that and to set up a working group in order to investigate its potential.
1319. Mr McCarthy: Has the fact that there has not been a museums policy been detrimental to your work?
1320. Ms Amanda Moreno (Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group): Given that regimental museums in Northern Ireland have been funded mostly from outside Northern Ireland, we have been left to operate on our own initiative and to find our own sources of funding. We have the use of the Northern Ireland Museums Council, which is absolutely fantastic and an excellent organisation. However, we are not an integral part of the museums structure in Northern Ireland, or at least we do not feel to be. A museums policy will bring us in as the missing strand of the overall history of Northern Ireland.
1321. Mr McCarthy: Do you reckon that that would benefit your work?
1322. Ms Moreno: Yes.
1323. Major Gray: One of our concerns is that, without a policy, there is no strategy in place that incorporates the military story for the whole population of the island of Ireland, including the diaspora, and that is damaging.
1324. The Deputy Chairperson: Will you elaborate on what you mean by the military story of the island of Ireland and how that fits into a national museums policy that is in the United Kingdom?
1325. Ms Moreno: Without giving a history lecture, it is as far back as only 1921-22 that the Irish soldier separated from mainland UK. Therefore, the whole history of the Irish soldier is more to do with the history of Ireland, although, since 1921-22 it becomes part of a UK story.
1326. The Deputy Chairperson: You are not some sort of quasi-republican military outfit, then?
1327. Mr McCartney: There is nothing wrong with that.
1328. The Deputy Chairperson: There is a difference between republicans that I meant and republicans that he meant. [Laughter.]
1329. Ms Moreno: We have always sought to represent the historical facts. I am glad to say that the Army has always been outside politics.
1330. Mr Jack Dunlop (Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group): Having served with the old Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, I can quote figures from the 1960s that indicate that the regiment was 50:50. It recruited from Donegal and Connaught, and there was a fair sprinkling of recruits from Dublin. We always sought to tell that Irish story and keep politics out of it, which is as it should be as far as we are concerned. That will continue.
1331. Lieutenant Colonel Bicker: It is also important to explain that the National Museums Northern Ireland is trying to tell the story and the social history of the people of Northern Ireland. That includes its farmers, town dwellers and emigrants, which we tell at Omagh. The industrial and maritime history has not been fully told. Within that, the story of the Irish person as a soldier is simply one more part of the social history.
1332. The Irish Government are ahead of the game as far as this story is concerned. The Collins Barracks project will spend another €8 million on a worldwide interlink across the Irish diaspora, so that young people, if they are visiting a military gallery, perhaps at Cultra, can access information about ancestors who were involved in the American Civil War, or in the Irish brigades of the French service. There is a whole story there for the diaspora. It will provide physical historical stories in the form of the regimental archives that we have at our disposal, which are worth millions of pounds.
1333. At one time, we had another museum that was linked to a local story. The contents of the Irish cavalry museum that was in Carrickfergus are now stored somewhere in England. My own regimental museum contains Victoria Crosses that are worth millions of pounds. That is only one small example.
1334. The Deputy Chairperson: That is a point well made. There are treasures that are worth millions of pounds in basement of this Building that the public do not see. It is to be hoped that a policy will bring those issues to the fore.
1335. Mr Shannon: Thank you for your presentation. The history of the armed services is very close to my heart. I have read your submission, which states that, as part of your policy, you intend to reduce the number of museums for which you are responsible from four to two. You also referred to a three-to-five year medium-term objective, which seems to tie in, at least partially, with using Cultra as a possible location. Have you been able to formulate that? It goes back to the point that you made, Harvey, about all the other historical evidence and artefacts that are being kept in containers on the UK mainland and the items that people keep. How can we bring all that together in Northern Ireland in order to visually express the marvellously rich history of our armed services?
1336. I also want to ask you about the Northern Ireland regiments. I accept the point that you made about the history — that it is part of the history of Ireland, and that the Northern Ireland regiments were a part of that before 1922. How do we get that together and present it, so that it can be accessed and viewed? The Army is close to my heart, but what about the RAF and the Royal Navy?
1337. Major Gray: Our concept is for a single military gallery on two sites — Enniskillen and, we hope, Cultra — that will tell the story of the Irish soldier in service to the Crown.
1338. That is merely a starting concept, and it is not exclusive to the former regiments connected to the Royal Irish Regiment. We intend to include other arms and services, and it may be entirely appropriate — without pre-determining our future strategy for the military gallery — to represent the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, because they have an equal military history, which is part of the culture of this island.
1339. The Deputy Chairperson: The policy could, perhaps, include a roads policy for Enniskillen. I am conscious of time, and, although this is an interesting topic, we must move on.
1340. Lord Browne: Are you confident that the forthcoming museums policy will allow you to retain your separate identity? You have four separate regiments and a proud history. Furthermore, regimental museums are, perhaps, slightly different from normal museums. When you establish the museum in Cultra, do you intend to retain the regimental museum or create a museum that will appeal to the general public?
1341. Lieutenant Colonel Bicker: I have spoken to Amanda about that matter. Our concept for the future is to establish a timeline aspect in museums — even in the new Ulster Museum at Stranmillis — in order to outline the progression of events. Although the study is in its early days, we want to create a timeline of military events that demonstrates the links with the social structure and outlines why people left their farms to join the military. Those timelines will outline the formation of regiments, which will be like a little cell within each story.
1342. We are keen to introduce an IT facility that tells the story as it evolved over the years and describes how it affected the people of Ireland, particularly the people of Northern Ireland. As Amanda said, many of the so-called Northern Irish regiments are, actually, Irish regiments. For instance, my own regiment was, originally, the County of Dublin Regiment. Therefore, we are keen to interlink our artefacts with Dublin and other places. The National Army Museum in London has direct links with Dublin. Although many of the artefacts in Collins Barracks come from London, they are Irish artefacts. Northern Ireland must play its part in the interlinking diaspora of the story. We are one small part of the overall social story.
1343. The physical implications of situating the museum in Cultra are interesting. If no progress is made within the next couple of years, the money will be gone. We do not have a begging bowl; we have money. We should develop an iconic gallery that links with National Museums Northern Ireland. I hope that a working party will be established with National Museums Northern Ireland to investigate the potential of the Cultra site.
1344. The Deputy Chairperson: That sounds excellent, and you have the money. Have you held discussions with the Somme Association?
1345. Lieutenant Colonel Bicker: That is an interesting point. The Somme Association is funded by one of our local authorities. That issue could be developed differently after RPA.
1346. The Somme Association could become part of the Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group, but then the walls would start to widen. We originally talked about funding for an area of 3,000 sq m. That is in addition to continual funding by the British Government through the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in areas such as staffing. That is our right; we want to grab that money and continue to use the capital.
1347. The Deputy Chairperson: So, you have the money, and you just need the policy?
1348. Lieutenant Colonel Bicker: No. We need the site, and you have it.
1349. The Deputy Chairperson: I better not mention Sweeney or anything like that because we could get into terrible trouble.
1350. Mr McCausland: How are military museums funded in England, Scotland and Wales?
1351. Major Gray: It is a mixture of charitable money that is raised by friends of the various museums and MOD funding. Funding depends on the classification of the museum.
1352. Mr McCausland: Would the revenue funding come partly from the Ministry of Defence?
1353. Major Gray: Yes, for example, in the area of staff. Amanda and Jack are both paid as MOD civil servants.
1354. Mr McCausland: Will that continue in the future?
1355. Major Gray: Yes.
1356. Mr Dunlop: As well as funding wages, the MOD also funds utilities, which is very important in our world. The upkeep of the museums is down to us as professional curators. We are responsible for keeping them going, raising money for conservation, purchasing objects and so forth. The main bills for those recognised military museums — utilities and wages — are funded.
1357. Mr K Robinson: Thank you very much for your presentation. I am sorry that you are pushed for time. Is your museum accredited?
1358. Mr Dunlop: Yes. We all represent accredited museums.
1359. Mr K Robinson: You talked about museums such as Les Invalides in Paris — a classic military museum — and the Museum of Military History in Vienna. In local terms, do you see yourselves aspiring to something like that — being open to the wider public rather than to those who are interested only in military matters?
1360. If a policy existed and you had a time slot, but the money evaporated or went elsewhere, who would you need to talk to — and how quickly would you need to talk to them — to make progress? Does a specific part of the Cultra site interest you? Have you thought about the other armed forces, to which Jim Shannon referred earlier? Have you thought about the HMS Caroline situation — an absolutely unique piece of military history sitting in Belfast and in danger of going elsewhere?
1361. Lieutenant Colonel Bicker: As part of its strategy evolution from the beginning of this year, National Museums Northern Ireland conceptualised partnership development, about which it provided a statement. The possibility exists for partnerships with other museum providers — including those in Northern Ireland — to further develop the Cultra site as a National Museums Northern Ireland campus. It should be noted that approaches have already been made in respect of one existing museum provider, which is the Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group. The issue is evolutionary.
1362. A working group should be set up between National Museums Northern Ireland and us as quickly as possible in order to evaluate whether the potential meets the criteria and the satisfaction of the Government, National Museums and all elements in our society that support the issue.
1363. Mr K Robinson: Who drives that process forward?
1364. Lieutenant Colonel Bicker: The trustees of National Museums Northern Ireland should make a very positive statement so that the process can be started and investigated as quickly as possible.
1365. Mr Brolly: Like other groups who have given evidence to the Committee, you commended the work of the Museums Council for having held the line in the absence of a formal policy. How do you react to the Department’s proposal that the examination of, and the progress towards, developing a museums policy should be given to outside consultants rather than to the Museums Council?
1366. Major Gray: Amanda is a member of the Museums Council, so I ask her to answer that as she is best-placed to do so.
1367. Ms Moreno: In 2001, the structure of area and museum councils on the mainland was completely done away with, and a new system of regional hubs was set up under the overall structure of what is now the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. The process is still evolving — they are still trying to create a system that works.
1368. I have been in post now for 12 years, and I have watched the Northern Ireland Museums Council grow from one member of staff to the existing structure. It had a very strong input into the development of museums in Northern Ireland. Everything that it has done has been to the benefit of the museums structure in Northern Ireland. Given the research that it has conducted over the past five years, it is in a perfect position to develop a museums policy. Indeed, a lot of work towards that has already been done. Bringing in outside consultants could only put the process back two years, because all of that research would have to be done again, or else the work would be taken from somebody else. The NIMC is best placed to do it. It has the experience, the expertise and the knowledge.
1369. Mr Dunlop: I agree with that.
1370. Mr Brolly: The outside consultants would consult with you and use your research and the work that you have already done. That would be a total waste of public funds.
1371. Mr Dunlop: The NIMC has led the way in providing the standard, giving us guidance on an annual basis that has been very much to the fore of our getting our initial registration and, more recently, official accreditation. The natural step that I can see is for it to carry on its good work.
1372. Mr P Ramsey: Good morning. You are very welcome. You presentation has had an interesting perspective in the story that you have told about the Irish soldier in a non-political and a non-contentious way.
1373. You have told us that money is on the table and that you want to use it. Will you give us an idea of how the independent sector is funded? You talked about Ministry of Defence funding and private donations.
1374. To go off the agenda for a bit, the army carriers, tanks and guns are now thankfully missing from our streets. I visited Budapest some years ago, and they have outdoor exhibitions of artefacts that have huge potential for the tourism industry. One can imagine the return of the army carriers and tanks and guns — I can see the potential in Derry, for example, on the city walls as part of the conflict parade. There is a particular strategic importance in the Battle of the Atlantic and our intention of trying to raise a U-boat, for example. We talked about how people can get any tank that they want on eBay nowadays for parties or birthday parties. Can you see that being provided as part of a service from a tourist point of view?
1375. Ms Moreno: To deal with the vehicles first, there is an excellent organisation called the Ulster Military Vehicle Club — you do not always have to own the artefacts to make use of them. You could always use that club, which would be delighted to help. We often borrow vehicles.
1376. Mr Shannon: You could get one for the weekend, Pat. [Laughter.]
1377. Ms Moreno: Museums are the custodians of what is past, but we also have to look to the future and we have to consider what will interest people in 50 or 100 years’ time. We have to collect and protect such items. The interest in the First World War only increases as years go on, and now, as Second World War veterans are dying, the interest in the Second World War continues. There can be a 50-year gap before these things become of interest. Regardless of whether we agree with what has happened in this country over the past 40 years, it is part of our history and we tell historical facts. It is up to the visitors to make up their minds about what they are seeing. We have bought the artefacts that, I hope, will enable us to tell that story.
1378. Mr Dunlop: We have added one or two vehicles to our new collection in Enniskillen. Not the ones that you are talking about — if you want those with guns, we would have to charge you extra. [Laughter.] We primarily deal with items from the Second World War.
1379. Lieutenant Colonel Bicker: I will make one point for Pat’s reference. This story goes on and on, and in tourism terms, we have had 190,000 people through the military galleries at Collins Barracks since it opened to the public.
1380. Oceans of young people visit us every day. It is unbelievable.
1381. We cannot even tell the story of 350,000 Americans who came to Northern Ireland on the way to North Africa and Europe — and we have those links. That story alone — tourism-wise — is astronomical. However, as I have said, 3,000 square metres is all that we can afford.
1382. The Deputy Chairperson: There are many storytellers around this table. [Laughter.]
1383. In your written presentation, you make three recommendations. The Committee will address those recommendations in our considerations. They are serious and worthwhile, and I can assure you that they will be addressed.
1384. I do not wish to minimise any other presentations, but we have heard a worthwhile presentation on all-embracing project, and we may find it valuable for you to revisit the Committee and talk through your ideas and visions for that project. As you have said, Harvey, you only require the site. If that were the case, would you be available to come back and talk to the Committee again?
1385. Major Gray: Absolutely. We would be delighted to.
1386. The Deputy Chairperson: If the Executive fails to meet for much longer, you may have a site here very quickly. [Laughter.] We will talk to the estate agents.
1387. Mr Shannon: Would that be with or without the tanks David?
1388. The Deputy Chairperson: With plenty of tanks.
1389. Lieutenant Colonel Bicker: I cannot leave today without telling the Committee one last story. I recently found a coffee table in a dusty corner of our regimental museum in Waring Street. That coffee table was made from the door of a railway carriage that belonged to former President Steyn — the last officer of the former Boer Republic to surrender to the British during the Boer war.
1390. The officer who received Steyn’s surrender was a young Lieutenant Craig. When Steyn surrendered, Craig asked his Sergeant Major to take the door off the carriage, and he had it turned into a coffee table. That Lieutenant Craig later became Lord Craigavon.
1391. The Deputy Chairperson: Of course he did, and he is still with us.
1392. Thank you very much for coming today. I am glad that you are amenable to come and talk to the Committee again. No doubt we will hear more stories at that stage.
1393. The next set of witnesses are from the Ulster Sports Museum Association. Good morning, gentlemen, you are very welcome. We have just been entertained with some wartime stories. Some people will think that we are reminiscing beyond our position. However, no doubt you will prompt us to come up with some sporting stories or perhaps some ‘Roy of the Rovers’ stuff.
1394. Mr Spence, please introduce yourself and your colleagues, and then proceed to a short presentation. Thereafter, the members of the Committee will no doubt have some questions for you.
1395. Mr Ronnie Spence (Ulster Sports Museum Association): Thank you very much for this opportunity to talk to the Committee about our exciting ideas for an Ulster sports museum. I am the chairman of the Ulster Sports Museum Association, Nigel Carr is the vice-chairman, and Ryan Feeney is a member of the management committee.
1396. The Ulster Sports Museum Association is a not-for-profit body and is registered as a charity. It has been in operation for around two years and came into its formal existence in March of this year. By 2012, we want to create an Ulster sports museum in a building known as the Old Museum, in College Square North in Belfast. That building was the city’s original museum and is one of Belfast’s most important listed buildings.
1397. We recently produced a short concept plan, which has been circulated to interested parties, and I believe that Committee members have seen that plan. In that concept plan, we briefly set out the case for creating a sports museum. First, we want to honour the astonishing number of sportsmen and sportswomen from Northern Ireland who are regarded as among the best in the world. Secondly, we believe that their achievements can be used as an inspiration to others, particularly young people, to become more actively involved in sport. Thirdly, sport can be a powerful contributor to building a more united and cohesive society, and greater community self-respect and self-confidence. Fourthly, a really top-class sports museum would significantly add to the attractions that Belfast has to offer visitors to the city.
1398. A number of possible locations were considered before we opted for the old museum building as our first choice. Creating a museum there will help to preserve one of the city’s most important buildings and contribute to the regeneration of that part of the city centre. The concept plan outlines how that museum might work. We envisage one room devoted to celebrating the Ulster sportsmen and sportswomen who have achieved world-class status. Other rooms would tell the stories of the major sports, including explaining the importance of Gaelic sports, in our society. We have agreed with George Best’s family that a major feature of the museum will be the telling of his story. Finally, we envisage the museum as a place where young people can try things for themselves and find out how best to develop their interest in a particular sport.
1399. Over the past couple of years, we have talked to a wide range of individuals, bodies and organisations with an interest in the concept of a sports museum. It is fair to say that every contact that we have had was very positive; we have had encouragement and advice from all quarters. However, we are not naive about the challenges that lie ahead. A significant sum of money needs to be raised — probably in the region of £10 million. We have to ensure that we develop a museum of international quality that is sustainable in the long term. A lot of hard work lies ahead as we move forward from our current concept plan to a fuller feasibility stage and the preparation of a business case, and we hope to do all of that over the next year. The task that we have set ourselves, to create an Ulster sports museum, is a very exciting project that should bring significant benefits to our community.
1400. The Deputy Chairperson: Thank you very much, Mr Spence. Personally, I would be very supportive of your project. This is an inquiry into the development of a museums policy for Northern Ireland, and our questions will have to be configured within that remit. Members will therefore direct their questions to you in that vein.
1401. Mr Shannon: Thank you for that presentation. As the Chairman rightly said, witnesses are here in relation to the museums inquiry, and the strategy and policy that will emerge from that. How will the Ulster Sports Association fit within that strategy and within the new Northern Ireland museums body that will hopefully come out of this? Will such a body be able to deliver what you wish to achieve, as outlined in the presentation and submission?
1402. I have read through the options for an Ulster sports museum and a place in Belfast has been suggested as a good location.
1403. Should museums in general, and the sports museum in particular, be stand-alone, or should you be working on setting up in a particular location? For instance, I know that you ruled out the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum at Cultra as a possible location, but could our specific sporting history be incorporated anywhere else?
1404. Mr Spence: We have received tremendous support and help from the various parts of the existing museums sector: the Northern Ireland Museums Council; the Folk and Transport Museum; the Ulster Museum, and some other local museums. They have all been incredibly helpful and given us much advice.
1405. One of our first thoughts was that a sports museum should form part of the Ulster Museum. However, we realised that a sport is a specialist subject, and a national museum cannot afford to devote a large part of its facilities to one particular theme. We also realised that the museum sector in Northern Ireland has scope for a variety of provision, such as local museums or those dealing in particular topics such as sport, policing or whatever. The future model of the museum sector is one of variety.
1406. Members and staff in the existing museum sector have given us tremendous support and advice. Staff of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and the Ulster Museum sit on our committee and help us by offering specialist advice. They tell us about the work that they did when sport was a theme in their museums, and they made available to us the material that they produced. I cannot speak highly enough of the help that we have received from the existing sector.
1407. Mr Shannon: Your submission specifically mentioned the George Best story, which, given its importance, could be the basis for a museum by itself. The Committee would like many other sports to be incorporated in your ideas. Motorcycling has its champion in Joey Dunlop, and among many other sports to be incorporated are golf, rugby, and even snooker, in which Northern Ireland has had world champions. How big a museum is required to incorporate all those sports?
1408. Mr Spence: We contacted all the sporting organisations and asked them to nominate a person to liaise with us as we design the detail of the museum. We envisage that the museum will tell the story of all the major sports in Northern Ireland, much of it on film and available on demand. We envisage that the museum will be fairly comprehensive, although it will depend on which material is readily available and what memorabilia people are willing to make available to us.
1409. One reason for deciding that the museum should be located in Belfast city centre is that we want it to be one of the city’s tourist attractions and part of its tourist trail. It should attract many repeat visits, not only from tourists, but from people who work and shop in the city centre and are willing to visit the sports museum as part of their Belfast experience.
1410. The Deputy Chairperson: To follow on from that, do you consider that sport in general has been neglected because of the lack of an overall museums policy?
1411. Mr Spence: We are trying to create a sports museum because there is a tremendous story to be told about sportsmen and sportswomen from all parts of the community who have achieved world and international status. Many young people today do not know about those people and what they achieved. They may have dim memories of George Best, but may not have seen film of him playing. Young people today may have heard stories about rugby players or footballers, but they do not know how good they were. They know about today’s players and how they perform. There is an important story to be told about the people from here who have excelled internationally in sport.
1412. The Deputy Chairperson: Could you create a space in your sports museum for Jim Shannon, who has a reputation for shooting millions upon millions of pigeons? [Laughter.]
1413. Mr Shannon: I am not a world champion, although I know someone who is.
1414. Mr P Ramsey: Good morning. You are all welcome. Yours is a highly ambitious plan, and I wish you well with it.
1415. I am not criticising the concept, which is unique here. Is there a model outside Northern Ireland, either in Britain or Europe, from which you can learn? You have decided to locate the museum in Belfast, but will all the organisations be willing to lend you their artefacts?
1416. Will rugby, Gaelic, and other sporting organisations give or loan you historical artefacts that they have, and probably want to hold on to? As for the subregions, which are important, would it not be desirable to ensure that everyone has proper access, perhaps by having mobile exhibitions that travel to Derry, Strangford, or wherever, so that people there can have access to them?
1417. Mr Spence: I will reply to that final point, and my colleagues may wish to reply to some of the earlier ones. We envisage the Ulster sports museum having facilities that can travel around the regional museums. For example, it may visit the new museum in Ballymena, and the people there would be able to add a new dimension to it, involving significant sports people from the Ballymena area.
1418. As for looking at other museum options, there are a number of single-sport museums in the UK: a tennis museum at Wimbledon, a cricket museum at Lord’s, and a rugby museum at Twickenham. That would not really work in Northern Ireland, because the critical mass of all the sports together would be needed to make it viable. There is a very good GAA museum in Croke Park, which Ryan could say something about. That works because it has that critical mass of people. If there is going to be a sports museum in Northern Ireland, it would have to be multi-sport.
1419. Mr Ryan Feeney (Ulster Sports Museum Association): I very much agree with Ronnie’s comments. There are good examples of single-sport museums in Britain and in the South. In Croke Park, there is a GAA museum that is visited by almost a million members per year; it is a very successful model. We envisage the establishment of a very strong linkage between that and the single-sport museums through the Ulster sports museum concept. As you said, Pat, we also envisage an opportunity to bring a roadshow to schools around the Province, so that people could have access to the museum. To support Ronnie’s point about Belfast, we see this as an opportunity to have a real shared space devoted to sport and the story of sport in Ulster, and Belfast is the location for that.
1420. Mr Nigel Carr (Ulster Sports Museum Association): You asked whether any of the sporting organisations are likely to donate material; obviously the GAA has already collated a lot of that material in the first instance. It is our belief that other sporting organisations will be interested in making donations, although I do not represent any particular organisation. Our main concern is that a lot of material is held by individuals. For instance, few of the sporting artefacts of Mary Peters are held by any particular museum, and she would be very keen to donate those to us, as a key mover in the organisation. Without some facility in which to place them, a lot of those artefacts may well be lost to Northern Ireland. It is our belief that a lot of the sporting artefacts currently held by families and individuals will be donated for display in the museum.
1421. Mr McCartney: I have two questions. There is obviously a policy gap; that is why you are here. Do you think that a policy decision should be made to ensure that there is a sports museum?
1422. Mr Spence: When I appeared before the Committee on behalf of the Heritage Lottery Fund a few weeks ago, I gave my opinion that what was needed was an overall philosophy — a vision for the museum sector in Northern Ireland, which should be fairly flexible, and should set standards, and establish models, and so on. It should not be prescriptive; there should be room for different organisations to propose ideas such as the one that we are proposing. Local organisations should be able to come forward with proposals that are important to them and their local community. The absence of an overall museum policy at present does not inhibit us from bringing forward our ideas. It would certainly be helpful, in the medium term, to have an overall philosophy, approach and set of standards in relation to the museum sector, into which our proposal could fit neatly. We certainly envisage ourselves working very closely with both the national and the local museums.
1423. Mr McCartney: The second question concerns location. You mentioned the museums of sporting history at Lords, Twickenham, and Croke Park — the Nou Camp is another. Sometimes the stadium itself is as much of an attraction as any exhibition. For many people who do not have the opportunity to go to Twickenham, Lords, or Croke Park — I have been to Nou Camp, and some other such exhibitions — often the stadium itself is the attraction, as that is where the history took place.
1424. Then, people go into the museum and see the artefacts. However, there is a resonance in the ground. Will being in a building inhibit you in any way?
1425. Mr Spence: We see the museum as part of the experience of the visitor to Belfast. The museum should be in a place that is accessible to all parts of the community nearly every day of the week, so that it can get repeat business. One of the options that we examined at the outset was whether the sports museum could be located at the proposed national sports stadium at the Maze. We quickly came to the view that it could not, because the Maze stadium, if it happens, will be used only for a limited number of times during the year, and it would not be the sort of place to which visitors would go on a day trip. We felt that the sports museum had to be in Belfast, as part of the Belfast experience.
1426. Mr Feeney: We believe that the power of having a museum that tells the story of Ulster will attract our own visitors. We have a strong plan to promote and develop the museum through the education sector and through sports. The power of having an Ulster sports museum will be an attraction in itself.
1427. Mr K Robinson: May I ask about the building?
1428. The Deputy Chairperson: I am sorry, Ken. Time is encroaching on us, and I must play fair.
1429. Thank you for coming and making your presentation, and for introducing us to a concept that we need to look at, perhaps, under a different agenda. This inquiry is about a museums policy; I hope that we would be encouraged to say that there should be a policy that can embrace an Ulster sports museum. We would be keen to do that, having heard what you have said — I see the members nodding at that.
1430. Nigel, can you give us any idea about whether Ulster is going to win tonight?
1431. Mr Carr: We have a better chance of winning tonight than we have on Saturday. I have no predictions for the weekend.
1432. The Deputy Chairperson: Thank you very much.
1433. I must make an important phone call. Therefore, I must appoint someone to stand in for me.
(The Acting Chairperson [Mr McCartney] in the Chair)
1434. The Acting Chairperson (Mr McCartney): I welcome the representatives of the Arts Council — Ms Roisin McDonough, chief executive; Ms Noírín McKinney, director of arts development; and Mr Nick Livingston, director of strategic development. I invite you to make a five-minute opening statement, after which members will ask questions.
1435. Ms Roisin McDonough (Arts Council of Northern Ireland): We welcome the opportunity to address the Committee on what we believe is a very important issue, which is the absence, at present, of a dedicated gallery for historical, modern and contemporary art collections.
1436. That has been a long-standing ambition of the artistic community in Northern Ireland. In spite of the fact that it is one of the few remaining countries in the international arena that is without the pulling power of a major gallery, we believe that the time is now ripe. It is fair to say that, under direct rule, there was an absence of political leadership on the matter. With the advent of devolution, the Programme for Government, and the investment strategy for Northern Ireland, there is now an opportunity to prove that a gallery of international standing is needed in Northern Ireland.
1437. Policy drivers exist, such as the importance that the current Executive have attached to the regeneration objective; the creation of jobs; the promotion of cultural tourism; and, indeed, the fact that Northern Ireland must raise its profile in the international community. Those are all propitious. Northern Ireland has the most wonderful indigenous collection of art. Only 5% of that which National Museums holds is able to be displayed. Around 50% of the Arts Council’s wonderful collection is on loan and/or on tour. We are conscious of other works that we would like to display. Indeed, the Department of Finance and Personnel has its own collection.
1438. One only has to look at the incredible reaction in visitor numbers to the Treasures of the North exhibition in the millennium wing of the National Gallery in Dublin. Tens of thousands of visitors came to see it. We believe that those works should be on display for Northern Ireland’s citizens and visitors alike.
1439. A gallery would have all of the usual associated education, outreach and engagement facilities, as well as normal retail opportunities. I am sure that members will have framed the question, “where are you now with that proposal?” in their minds. We are about to undertake an outline business case. We work in partnership with DCAL and National Museums Northern Ireland to advance the proposal that Northern Ireland should have a gallery of that stature.
1440. The cost of that will be tested. Initial calculations suggest that it will be around £60 million. We do not suggest that all of that should be funded from the public purse. We are aware of many high-net-worth individuals throughout the island and from Northern Ireland who could be persuaded to subscribe to such a proposition, be philanthropic and be associated with an institution of that magnitude in the international arena. That should be part of any financial strategy to take the proposal forward. Ultimately, we want the Committee to help us to realise our vision for such a gallery. We believe that the required political leadership exists. Having examined the Government’s priorities, we believe that the gallery should form a significant element.
1441. That concludes my brief remarks. We have prepared some documentation, which has been circulated among the Committee. Of course, we are happy to take questions.
1442. Mr P Ramsey: Good morning, Roisin and team. Do you believe that the provision of an art gallery should be prioritised and form part of the basis of a new museums strategy? Having read your documentation, one realises that that provision would be strangled if it were to fall solely under a museums strategy and DCAL. Provision of an arts gallery would require a much broader cross-departmental approach, rather than a singular approach under the museums strategy.
1443. I am a wee bit concerned that by bringing that objective into a museums strategy, the concept behind it could be lost. The decision to have an arts gallery should be an Executive decision that is based on funding.
1444. Ms McDonough: Like any important or bold ambition, someone must take the initiative. In this instance, we feel that the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure, and the Department should be the champions. However, we agree that such a gallery would have a resonance across the work of other Departments. For example, by impacting on cultural tourism, jobs and the economy it would relate to the work of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI), and the regeneration aspect would relate to the work of the Department for Social Development (DSD). By projecting a positive profile of Northern Ireland as a creative and confident region in which to live, work and do business, the initiative should also involve the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (OFMDFM).
(The Deputy Chairperson [Mr McNarry] in the Chair)
1445. Mr P Ramsey: I have visited a range of European countries and have seen the importance of art galleries on cultural tourism, education and accessibility. On the one hand, as a Committee, we could champion the cause for an art gallery; however, I am still unsure as to whether it should be part of a museums strategy. Where is the link?
1446. Ms Noírín McKinney (Arts Council of Northern Ireland): On the back of what Roisin said, I suppose that it could sit in either place, as long as it is achieved. Finding the mechanism to make it happen is crucial. For the reasons that Roisin set out, and given the scale of the project, the initiative would need cross-departmental support rather than being understood as relevant to museums only.
1447. Obviously, the national collections — which are held by National Museums Northern Ireland — would form the backbone of such a development, but there are other collections. Comparatively, our collection is small but it is still an important one that would greatly enhance the national collections. One would also want to attract DFP’s collection and various other private collections that are owned by some high-net-worth individuals from Northern Ireland who have substantial art work collections but nowhere to bequeath them to. The question of which mechanism will make it happen could be teased out more during the feasibility study.
1448. Mr P Ramsey: I am 110% behind the concept of an art gallery for Northern Ireland, but I am not certain of how we should go about creating that. Perhaps the Committee could discuss that at a later stage, separate to the discussions on the museums strategy.
1449. The Deputy Chairperson: Are members in agreement to that?
Members indicated assent.
1450. Mr McCausland: It was originally called Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland (MAGNI). The art gallery was always part of the old museums in Belfast.
1451. Do you envisage a gallery having a portrait section? You mentioned that there would be modern and contemporary art — why choose modern and contemporary? Or, is modern a very expansive word?
1452. Ms McKinney: There would be three elements: historical art, which would cover the period up to the early twentieth century; modern art would cover the twentieth century period; and a contemporary collection. All three stands would be represented based on the holdings that exist, primarily those of the national museums. We could bring a considerable strength to that collection with contemporary Northern Irish art, but the historical and modern periods would certainly be covered very well by museum holdings.
1453. Portraits are hugely popular with the public. However, there is not a specific vein of strength in portraits that allows me to say that we have a significant enough collection for a dedicated space to be made available in a national museum.
1454. Mr McCausland: There are many portraits of historical interest in private collections and in halls all over Northern Ireland — some of which are poor, but some of which are good — that could be displayed in an art gallery.
1455. Ms McKinney: That possibility could, indeed, be examined.
1456. Mr Shannon: Roisin, you said that the initial calculation of the cost of a national art gallery for Northern Ireland was approximately £60 million. That is a substantial amount to be earmarked for one part of our history. Do you have a plan B or plan C that would still deliver for you in the strategy which the Committee is examining, but that would cost less than £60 million?
1457. Ms McDonough: The figure of £60 million came from a Museums and Galleries Northern Ireland proposal seven years ago. It was seeking a dedicated facility that would go out to an international design competition, and have the stature, scale and ambition of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. That project did not materialise for various reasons.
1458. The outline business case will test the ballpark figure. I expect that there will be options, which will include a new dedicated facility, a refurbished facility, or a smaller-scale facility. Those options will be tested once we move beyond the original feasibility study to the economic appraisal, which will examine more detailed options.
1459. We are now examining need — and there is need — and location. There was discussion as to whether it should be, as Ilex would argue, in its regeneration portfolio in the city of Derry, or whether it should be, as others would argue, here in Belfast. The feasibility study will examine those issues with regard to visitor numbers and so on.
1460. Mr K Robinson: In the examples in your submission, the shining light is Bilbao, and there is at least one member of the Committee who is keen to go to there in order to see it.
1461. In Glasgow, there is the regeneration of existing buildings, the Burrell Collection, the Charles Rennie Mackintosh buildings and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. A critical mass is emerging there, and I am always fearful of stand-alone facilities. We have a new museum emerging in south Belfast, we have Queen’s University and associated broad artistic stuff going on around the Queen’s Film Theatre.
1462. The Riddel Hall is architecturally outstanding, as are the grounds that surround it. Could that sort of location be adapted to afford the council the range of spaces it requires to exhibit different pieces as was referred to earlier?
1463. If we are to go for the newbuild option, we are reaching for the moon. Although it is nice to reach for the moon, that option will be very difficult to pursue — if not impossible in the current financial circumstances. Instead, could we not build into the existing framework of other arts museums projects and develop a certain part of Belfast as a cultural zone?
1464. I am aware that lots of interesting things have been built around St Anne’s Cathedral — and I have my own views on that. However, suitable buildings already exist in south Belfast and a suitable ethos exists there also. It is an area that tourists and local people are happy to visit as a result of its neutrality. Will you comment on that on that please?
1465. Ms McDonough: All the points that you make are eminently reasonable. Everyone will have their own particular preference and we must test that.
1466. Mr K Robinson: I wanted Newtownabbey tested.
1467. Ms McDonough: The drawing rooms in Titanic Quarter is currently hosting a wonderful exhibition by the Royal Ulster Academy, which is attracting people in their droves. Furthermore, the building is part of Belfast’s very powerful maritime history. One view that could be advanced is that if you are going to promote the Titanic Quarter and get people to visit there — as we all hope that they will — that that offering could be broadened to include an arts and cultural dimension. The inclusion of something other than simply the maritime history —
1468. Mr K Robinson: However, the critical mass would be there —
1469. Ms McDonough: Indeed, the critical mass would be there. We are conscious of that. That is something that the economic appraisal would test.
1470. The Deputy Chairperson: We are wandering a little from our remit. That remit is concerned with the inquiry into the development of a museums policy.
1471. The Committee seems to be composing wish lists. Those are all very good given that they are being recorded in the Hansard report. However, can we please restrict ourselves to the remit?
1472. Mr McCartney: My question relates to what people now called the Bilbao effect. Was that a single process? Is a museum created first and the effect then follows? If we are going to attempt to create something like the Bilbao effect here, is DCAL the best Department to lead it? Would it not be better that it is led by OFMDFM, or by all Departments?
1473. If it is going to be designed in a particular way that impacts on infrastructure, visitors, and so on, it needs a more co-ordinated approach. Was it a single process like Bilbao? If it was not, should DCAL be the lead Department or should we be aiming higher?
1474. Mr Nick Livingston (Arts Council of Northern Ireland): Bilbao was a beacon for what happened in relation to the social and economic regeneration in that region. There is a strong case that it should be supported at the highest level. The outcomes sought by the project — the economy, future employment and creating strength in the economy — are key principles that would have to be drawn out from the Bilbao experience.
1475. Those beacon-type developments act as catalysts for other developments in the region, and there is a very strong argument in that favour. We must keep sight of the outcomes that we are trying to achieve with the project and not the more limited elements in meeting an immediate requirement.
1476. Lord Browne: It has been stated that one of the benefits of creating a new art gallery is that it will define new cultural synergies between both parts of the island. Is it not also important that the policy emphasises the connections with the rest of the British Isles?
1477. Ms McKinney: Absolutely. One obvious example was the Museum of Modern Art in Dublin and the synergies that could immediately be brought about through touring product and exchange. However, the same principles would also apply with the wonderful host of new venues across the UK.
1478. There is, obviously, as always, a higher cost implication, but the Ulster Museum — when it is open — buys in touring product when it is available from the UK touring circuit. That would be a major component of such a facility.
1479. Mr McCausland: It is important that documents produced by the Arts Council should reflect the east-west relationship as well as the North/South one. The concern that most of us have is that that point comes through on many occasions, and North/South gets preference over east-west. I do not want to dwell on the matter, but I hope that future Arts Council documents will reflect the east-west relationship as part of the United Kingdom.
1480. The Deputy Chairperson: I am sure that that will be noted.
1481. Have you had discussions with other key players who are interested in developing a policy for an arts gallery?
1482. Ms McDonough: Yes. We have been having those discussions over several years. We have talked to the Tourist Board, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, the national museums and Belfast City Council at officer level. We have also talked to people that one would expect to be key partners in such an endeavour. Furthermore, we have talked to some private developers, because the cost of the project and its future sustainability is uppermost in our minds. We have done some preliminary work.
1483. It is fair to say that when we move in the circles that we do, and not just in the artistic community — passionate though it is about the issue — there are others who ask what is available for people when they come to our cities. The expectations of international travellers are much higher these days, as are those of our own citizens who travel abroad and visit galleries. The absence of an art gallery here is constantly being remarked on. There is a wide-ranging sense that we need one.
1484. The Deputy Chairperson: If one of the Saatchi brothers is there, you might refrain from the type of art that he would want to bring to Belfast. I do not think that many people would queue up for it, but that is a personal opinion. They are not queuing up where he is putting it on, but he has plenty of money.
1485. Thank you for coming. You are becoming very familiar and welcome faces at our Committee meetings. Long may that continue.
1486. Ms McDonough: Thank you.
1487. The Deputy Chairperson: Members, would it be fair to say, for the record, that it is the Committee’s opinion that we want to hear more about the concepts behind the military ideas and the sports and arts ideas? I do not believe that today’s presentations are suitable for our inquiry and its remit. When we reflect on the time that we have spent, there are more issues that we will have to return to. Are members content to return to those matters under a different heading?
1488. Mr P Ramsey: I concur entirely. We have had our own research team here today, but I imagine that any examination of a museums strategy must also consider the economic value of the different elements, and how we can examine, in particular, the independence of the regiments that were here this morning. I was fascinated by their story. There is an economic value in tourism as well. The concept of an art gallery, although it does not fit into a museums strategy, is a key infrastructure element that we do not have. What are the economic benefits? Nick Livingston tried to elaborate on the aspects of social development and urban regeneration in other European cities. The art galleries have changed the landscape of those cities.
1489. The Deputy Chairperson: It undoubtedly has.
1490. Mr P Ramsey: As part of this inquiry, how do we obtain the evidence base to ensure that one of the key objectives will be to establish a centre of excellence for the preservation of sports infrastructure, the arts gallery, and for all of the other elements? I say that for staff to take note of at some stage.
1491. The Deputy Chairperson: That is highly relevant. We need to ascertain what research can be developed in order for us to move on to another element that can be attached to our inquiry. That will be key to the inquiry’s outcome. We will also probably need to find out how many acres there are at the Cultra site.
Members present for all or part of the proceedings:
Mr Barry McElduff (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley
Mr Francie Brolly
Mr Kieran McCarthy
Mr Raymond McCartney
Mr Nelson McCausland
Mr Pat Ramsey
Mr Ken Robinson
Mr Jim Shannon
Witnesses:
Mr John Briggs |
Armagh City and District Council |
Ms Helen Perry |
Causeway Museum Service |
Mr Chris Bailey |
Northern Ireland Museums Council |
1492. The Chairperson (Mr McElduff): We now move to the Committee’s inquiry into a museums policy. The Committee Clerk will brief members on the additional information that was requested from Research Services. That material is contained in members’ packs.
1493. The Committee Clerk: The additional information provides some clarity on previous research papers. First, the paper clarifies that the figures that we received on local council per capita spend on culture do not include museums, because the figures for museums are not statistically robust enough to be included.
1494. Secondly, it clarifies the definition of an “out-of-state visitor” as someone who does not reside in Northern Ireland. Thirdly, it clarifies that 78% of visitors to museums in Northern Ireland are residents of Northern Ireland. Lastly, it provides some visitor numbers in respect of museums in the Republic of Ireland.
1495. The Chairperson: Thank you for that. I refer members to information on the cultural forum and the heritage subgroup in relation to the local museum and heritage review. That information was requested at last week’s meeting, and it has been provided by the Department. The heritage subgroup was charged with bringing forward recommendations in respect of the local museum and heritage review, including the development of a museums and heritage policy. However, it has not met since January 2007. We will question the Minister on that matter next week. I refer members to the outline plan/timetable in their packs.
1496. The Committee Clerk: The outline plan has been updated since last week. It now includes the key points from the evidence that we heard last week, and it will be updated accordingly after today’s meeting.
1497. The Chairperson: The suggested questions for witnesses are included in members’ packs. The inquiry is being covered by Hansard, so please ensure that all mobile phones are switched off.
1498. Mr McCarthy: Shall we ask our questions in the usual way?
1499. The Chairperson: Yes, Kieran. You usually ask the first question.
1500. We must declare any interests at every meeting. Does anyone have any interests to declare? I am a member of Omagh District Council.
1501. Mr McCarthy: I am a member of Ards Borough Council.
1502. Mr Shannon: I am a member of Ards Borough Council.
1503. Mr McCausland: I am a member of Belfast City Council.
1504. Mr P Ramsey: I am a member of Derry City Council.
1505. Mr McCartney: I am a member of the Bloody Sunday Trust.
1506. The Chairperson: We will now welcome representatives from Armagh City and District Council. Their written submission is contained in members’ packs.
1507. I welcome Sharon O’Gorman, strategic director of regeneration and development; and John Briggs, clerk and chief executive of Armagh City and District Council. Please make a brief opening statement. Members will then have an opportunity to ask questions.
1508. Mr John Briggs (Armagh City and District Council): Thank you, Chairman, for giving us the opportunity to give evidence. As you are aware, we thought at first that it was inappropriate for us to give evidence to the Committee because we do not have hands-on experience of running a museum. We are grateful to the Committee for asking us to reconsider that view and come here, because we found it useful to research the links between the tourism product and museums in Armagh.
1509. Tourism is very important for Armagh. Our tourism product is a combination of niche facilities, including museums. One could say that Armagh is almost one big museum. We have the Mall and the Georgian buildings that surround it; the Armagh County Museum; the two cathedrals; the Robinson Library, and the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Memorial Library. The people of Armagh are very attached to the Regimental Museum of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, and they are disappointed that moves are afoot to relocate it. The Armagh Observatory and the Armagh Planetarium, which fall under the Department’s remit, also have museum facilities. The Armagh area can also boast the Navan Fort archaeological site and other historic buildings such as the 400-year-old Royal School, Armagh; Milford House Museum; and Richhill Castle.
1510. The council recently unveiled a tourism strategy that is based on Armagh being a standout destination in itself, but which combines those niche facilities. Many of those facilities are not under the council’s control, however, and decisions are sometimes made to move facilities away or downgrade them. Funding for some of those facilities can occasionally be reduced because of efficiencies made by the organisations that run them. That has the potential to weaken Armagh’s tourist product and make it more difficult for the council to attract tourists.
1511. The council’s overall strategy is to develop a small and sustainable city based on tourism, public-sector administration and small-business development. We wish to place on record our disappointment with the Bain Review on the location of public-sector jobs. Although it is concerned with decentralising jobs and moving them out of Belfast, it did not include Armagh in its recommendations. That has the potential to cause jobs to leak out of Armagh, most of which are based in heritage buildings such as those along the Mall and at St Luke’s Hospital. If that happens, the tourism potential of the area will be damaged. In light of that, we put forward a strong argument wherever we go that Armagh should be considered as a special case. We are aware, however, that that is not a matter for the Committee.
1512. I do not wish to say much more at this point. Sharon O’Gorman will answer members’ questions in more detail, but I will return later to the issue of the Regimental Museum of the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
1513. Mr McCarthy: Thank you for your presentation. Has the lack of a museums policy had an impact on your work?
1514. Ms Sharon O’Gorman (Armagh City and District Council): Whether or not the lack of a policy has had a detrimental effect, the council acknowledges the role of Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland (MAGNI) in helping five museums in the Armagh area to develop their collections and promote public awareness. Notwithstanding MAGNI’s role, there are several other independent local museums that sit outside MAGNI’s framework, such as the Regimental Museum of the Royal Irish Fusiliers. The Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC) plays a valuable role in supporting those local museums, but the lack of an overall policy has been detrimental, in that there is fragmentation of efforts and a lack of co-ordination among museums at local, national and independent levels. That has led to a situation in which some museums are isolated from the national structures, and may be precluded from some funding opportunities.
1515. The council would support the development of a formal policy for the entire museum sector. It should be driven by a bottom-up approach, involving all stakeholders. There would be a large number of benefits deriving from such a policy, particularly in that it would offer an opportunity to provide a more cohesive and co-ordinated framework for the museums sector. The policy should shape a clear vision and strategic objectives for the sector, and could involve measures such as ensuring that museums are fit for purpose in the future, examining what investments they may require, and examining opportunities for collaborative working within the museum sector. The policy could also examine the sharing of resources, skills and expertise. Having a policy in place would also be useful from the perspective of benchmarking and continuous improvement.
1516. The creation of a new policy would place cultural development at the heart of tourism and wider development. We recognise that museums have an important role to play, outside the brief of DCAL. They are important for integrating with, and adding value to, tourism, and that is the responsibility of DETI. They can also promote learning and social development, which in turn promotes community cohesion, diversity, and the shared-future agenda.
1517. In summary, our view is that the absence of a policy has had a detrimental effect, and there are clearly a number of tangible benefits in developing a policy for the sector.
1518. Mr Shannon: Thank you for your presentation. The Committee has heard representations from Newry and Mourne District Council — which will be one of your partners under the new RPA structures — and from the Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group, which expressed a slightly different opinion from yours. With that in mind, will you explain why you feel that Armagh City and District Council will not be able to promote itself? I mean in general, and not just on the jobs issue that you mentioned earlier, John.
1519. I wonder how any strategy that the Committee develops will be able to encompass some of your viewpoints as well as the viewpoints of others which, in this case, seem to be at odds with yours. The representatives of the military museums group said that they would prefer a centralised approach, centred in two locations — or perhaps one — maybe in the east of the Province.
1520. Do you feel that the smaller number of larger council bodies envisaged in the RPA would be an advantage in respect of advertising and promotion, or do you feel that the council can adequately advertise and promote as things stand? I am conscious that I am asking a lot of questions at once, but I have another one concerning the planetarium and the observatory. The Committee is aware of the problems relating to the financing of those institutions. It is important that they be funded, because of their uniqueness, but what is your opinion in relation to those matters?
1521. Mr Briggs: I will answer some of those questions, and Sharon may interject to answer the others. Those are very relevant questions, Mr Shannon; thank you very much. In relation to the regimental museum, I am aware that we may be at odds with some other organisations that hold a different opinion. As I said in my introduction, Armagh’s tourism product is constituted of several niche facilities — you used the word “uniqueness” when referring to the observatory and planetarium. The regimental museum in Armagh is really unique — it has a very strong collection. I was recently looking through the papers of John Creaney QC, who passed away recently. He was one of the trustees of the regimental museum, and very supportive of it staying in Armagh.
1522. He prepared a statement on the links between the Royal Irish Fusiliers Regimental Museum and the city of Armagh. In the statement, he said that the regimental depot Gough Barracks, named after its founder, was established more than 200 years ago, and that, until 1922, recruitment for the Fusiliers took place in Counties Armagh, Monaghan, Cavan, and Louth. Indeed, Craigavon Borough Council, as well as Cavan County Council, Louth Town Council, and Monaghan County Council have debated that issue and decided to support the campaign to keep the museum in Armagh.
1523. Mr Creaney’s statement proceeds to give more detail about the training administration centres in Armagh and indicates that the regimental chapel lies within St Patrick’s Cathedral. He indicates that no closer or more affectionate and proud relationship exists than that between the regiment and the city of Armagh.
1524. That particular museum has a real link with Armagh; its story centres on Armagh, but extends to Cavan, Louth, and Monaghan. The councils unanimously support our endeavours to keep the museum in Armagh.
1525. I am aware of the proposals to develop a museum elsewhere, possibly at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Cultra. The regimental museum should stay in Armagh, as should its collection. We do not mind if a collection is developed elsewhere; however, a strong link exists between the regimental museum and Armagh city. It is part of Armagh’s unique tourism product.
1526. Another issue is that of the Armagh Planetarium and Armagh Observatory. The planetarium and observatory offer wonderful, niche, unique facilities; however, year after year, they face problems with their funding and finances. We encourage the development of a sustainable solution to ensure that there is not a funding crisis each year. Those facilities are very important to the people of Armagh.
1527. Recently, I returned to the observatory to speak to its director, Mark Bailey. During my visit, I was given a tour of the small museum at the observatory. The museum has a collection dedicated to Archbishop Robinson, who established the observatory and helped to found much of Armagh. If that link were lost, it would damage Armagh as a product, and the idea of the city as a big museum.
1528. Mr Shannon: Do you think that within a bigger council group, advertisement and promotion will become easier for you and Newry, and possibly other partners?
1529. Mr Briggs: Under the RPA, the new council system will give us many more opportunities. Sharon will give details of that.
1530. Ms O’Gorman: Under the RPA, Armagh will merge with Craigavon Borough Council and Banbridge Borough Council. That will provide opportunities for co-ordination of efforts across services. Presently, our tourism strategy is to develop the area as a destination through promotion and marketing. However, we would want to promote the area’s attractions collectively and in partnership with other councils, where appropriate.
1531. Mr D Bradley: Good morning, John and Sharon. Thank you very much for your presentation.
1532. You said that Armagh’s culture is like a jigsaw into which various pieces fit. You mentioned the Armagh Public Library, which was founded by Archbishop Robinson; the County Museum; the regimental library, which is part of the Royal Irish Fusiliers Regimental Museum; the Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich Memorial Library and Archive; the Armagh Planetarium; and the Armagh Observatory. You said that those pieces fit together to create a unique cultural picture in Armagh. You said that to remove the regimental museum from that jigsaw would, in some way, weaken it. How important is that museum for Armagh?
1533. Mr Briggs: The regimental museum is very important, because it helps to tell the story of Armagh. That museum is the one thing that can link all the various facilities. To begin with, there is Navan Fort, which dates back thousands of years. Then there is the story of St Patrick and the cathedrals. There have been strong links throughout the years with the military. The Georgian properties on the Mall were built by the military.
1534. The jigsaw” of culture is a good analogy. There was an Irish studies library based in one of our buildings, which, for reasons beyond our control has been moved for efficiency reasons in connection with education. We can understand such problems, but that resulted in our losing another piece of that jigsaw. We fight very hard for all those pieces because we are heading for difficult financial times. We ask that all the organisations that have control of the various pieces consider the overall destination of Armagh and how one small decision can damage that picture. One relevant issue is the relocation of jobs — if public-sector jobs leave Armagh, heritage buildings will be left empty and it will be very difficult to find another sustainable use for them.
1535. Mr D Bradley: You have said that the regimental museum tells the story of local military history in the area. Therefore, is your argument that, because that museum provides a localised history, it should remain in a local location?
1536. Mr Briggs: I attended an exhibition on the Battle of Passchendaele last year at the museum, at which I was accompanied by the Mayor. At the exhibition, a gentleman from County Louth told me that the museum had helped him trace his grandfather to that battle, and was able to tell him what had happened to him. As the Committee will know, there were many deaths during the First World War, and it is difficult to trace exactly where people died. Therefore, the museum provides a valuable local connection.
1537. The Chairperson: I have four more questions from members and those questions come in the following order: Pat Ramsey; Raymond McCartney; Ken Robinson; and Nelson McCausland. In the interests of time management, I will group those questions. Pat and Raymond, we will have your questions first, followed by Ken and Nelson.
1538. Mr P Ramsey: John and Sharon, you are very welcome this morning. It is good to hear that you are trying to protect the integrity of the tourism product, as you have called it. That is to be commended.
1539. Although Armagh City and District Council does not directly fund any of the museum services in the Armagh area, do you have any knowledge of how the funding mechanisms operate in relation to the independent sector? Furthermore, do you have any knowledge of museum services outside Northern Ireland? Are there any models of best practice that you know of and can talk about with the Committee?
1540. Mr McCartney: Do you have any relationship with the NIMC? How do you feel that that organisation operates? In respect of future policy, do you have any thoughts on that organisation?
1541. Mr Briggs: We have little connection or hands-on experience with the NIMC at the moment. However, we have had some meetings with the Museums Council in relation to transfer of functions, etc.
1542. As a result of the RPA, the county museum will fall under the jurisdiction of the new cluster of councils in that area. Therefore, in the future, we will need to gain some knowledge of funding.
1543. Ms O’Gorman: The council is not directly involved in any museum or in its fund-raising. Therefore, we can only draw on the experience of how the council’s museums are currently funded.
1544. The county museum is currently funded through the National Museums network, and the Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum is funded through the Ministry of Defence. The Ministry supports that museum with money for salaries, utilities and the general upkeep of the building, but any other aspects are normally generated through fund-raising. Indeed, in the past, the museum has made successful bids for lottery funding and the council has provided some support as part of an investment exercise. We also work with both museums on marketing initiatives, so in that way we provide support.
1545. As to the question about the Northern Ireland Museums Council, we understand from our discussions that it plays an important role in training, advice and the sharing of best practice for local museums in Armagh.
1546. Looking wider and further afield, though research that we have conducted into models of best practice, museums appear to be better resourced in the South and in Scotland. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the UK is also interesting, however the conclusions are purely on the basis of academic research.
1547. Mr K Robinson: I apologise for being late this morning. I thank the witnesses for what I have heard of the presentation.
1548. There seems to be an underlying tension. Obviously, you have a unique product in Armagh, which is made up of several components: if any one is removed, the picture collapses. We are considering strategies and policies. However, sometimes it is good to step back and see what is on the ground for the customer. If you lose any part of the jigsaw puzzle that is Armagh, the venue becomes less attractive for the customer or potential visitor.
1549. How do you resolve the tension between your organisation and the regional museums? Belfast attracts a regional audience and brings in overseas visitors. Hopefully, it spreads them out to areas such as Armagh, Omagh and other centres.
1550. I have just read Dermot Weatherup’s submission. He was very good to me when I was doing my degree — Seanchas Ardmhacha and all those initiatives were active at that time, thanks to him. The atmosphere in Armagh is unique, right through the city and to Navan Fort.
1551. How do you resolve the tension between the policies that you need to pursue locally and the regional strategies and policies that we are trying to adopt? Can you address those issues?
1552. Mr Briggs: That is a good question. Armagh City and District Council has spent the last nine months holding a root-and-branch review of its tourism strategy. That has clearly indicated that we need to promote Armagh as a destination in itself — a standout destination. It has highlighted more clearly than before that all the niche facilities and unique elements are part of that. We are trying to develop a strategy and action plan to do as the Committee asks.
1553. I do not have a complete answer for you today; Sharon may be able to contribute more detail. However, an essential part of our strategic action plan is to hold negotiations and discussions with all the various parties to ensure that they recognise that Armagh is a destination in itself. Many people are aware of the uniqueness of Armagh: but it could suffer a death by a thousand cuts as the various parts move off in different directions.
1554. Stage 1 is to get the Executive and the Assembly to see Armagh as a destination in itself, which is worth preserving. If you visit the exhibitions at Navan Fort, one the first things that you will see is one of the earliest maps of the world, and Navan Fort is shown on it. Navan Fort was a centre of administration and decision-making far back in history, and we feel that it would be unfortunate if separate organisations, striving for efficiency and effectiveness, damaged its unity.
1555. Sharon will go into more detail about our strategy.
1556. Ms O’Gorman: The council has recently invested a large amount of time in developing the tourism strategy, to firmly reinforce the uniqueness of Armagh as a destination, and the wealth of heritage product that it has. Collectively, it aims to ensure that that product is fit for purpose in the future and retains the unique identity of the destination.
1557. Obviously, that has to feed into regional strategies, and we contribute, in part, to the policies of the Tourist Board with our St Patrick/Christian Heritage Signature Project. Fundamentally, our strategic review of tourism ensures that our destination meets expectations.
1558. Mr K Robinson: As a grandfather who is often stuck with his grandchildren on wet Saturday afternoons, could I make a plea that all your component parts be open at the same time? That would be helpful.
1559. Mr Briggs: We are trying to do that. The Armagh Visitor Education Committee is promoting partnership working, but that is an issue.
1560. The Chairperson: Ken also usually makes a plea that nothing be thrown out — he does not like anything to be thrown out.
1561. Nelson, I will group your question with Francie Brolly’s.
1562. Mr McCausland: In your view, would a museums policy affect the level of importance that local authorities place on museums? Would it help to push museums up the agenda?
1563. What, if any, support does Armagh City and District Council give to other museums? I have been to Navan Fort and the military museum — and this shows how long it has been since I stopped in Armagh — and St Patrick’s Trian. Can you give me an update on that, please?
1564. Mr Brolly: I listened to your presentation, and there are echoes of the situation in Derry city — the description of the various different parts involved and of Armagh being a museum in itself. You link the museums so closely to tourism; would you prefer a decent tourist strategy or master plan to a museums policy?
1565. Ms O’Gorman: Mr McCausland, you asked about where a museums policy would place museums in the wider agenda. As we said, museums have a particularly important role to play in tourism, and a wider agenda. The development of a policy would assist museums in their role; it would allow museums, because of the benefits that they offer, to transcend central Government Departments, so to speak. Relevant issues could be moved across from DCAL to DETI, and even to DSD and OFMDFM, as part of efforts to promote the shared-future agenda. That would move museums further up the list of priorities.
1566. To turn to funding and support for museums, Armagh County Museum receives funding through the National Museums Northern Ireland network. As I said, in the past, the council provided some grant aid to the Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum when it was making a particular investment. We work with all the attractions on collective and collaborative marketing opportunities, and, in that way, we encourage local authority support of all the attractions in Armagh.
1567. Mr Briggs: Mr Brolly asked about the benefits of a museums strategy, versus a tourism strategy. We would love to see them both well and truly linked. After the RPA changes, responsibility for the county museum will fall to the new authority. We would like to offer visitors a great experience, ranging from a very interactive children’s experience, right through to a research-based, academic experience, if that is what people require. There is the potential to do that through the Armagh County Museum, the Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich Memorial Library and the Robinson Library. Part of our tourism strategy is to make the Navan Fort site much more interactive — by telling the story of how people lived at the time and giving visitors an experience — rather than simply offering the more academic exhibition that is being shown at present.
1568. Mr D Bradley: One of the major attractions in Armagh that has not been mentioned is the Market Place Theatre and Arts Centre, which obviously attracts many people to the city. Have you thought of trying to reap the benefits of that attraction by linking it with the other locations that we have already mentioned?
1569. Mr Briggs: Yes; that has been considered as part of the tourism strategy. We know that if we are to encourage visitors and tourists to visit Armagh, we must provide entertainment for them in the evening. Although theatres tend to wind down in the summer, the tourism strategy proposes that a cultural programme and experience be developed for tourists in Armagh. We are trying to adopt a joined-up approach that promotes Armagh as a destination in itself.
1570. Mr K Robinson: I have a bricks-and-mortar question. Has any thought been given to the retention of the buildings around Charlemont Place and the Mall — lest they be turned into supermarkets — should the education and skills authority ever get off the ground and the Southern Education and Library Board become redundant?
1571. Mr D Bradley: I agree that Armagh would be an excellent headquarters for the education and skills authority.
1572. The Chairperson: This meeting is becoming a showcase for Armagh. We were talking about museums policy. Dominic and Ken, consider yourselves suitably reprimanded. [Laughter.]
1573. Mr D Bradley: I was just supporting Ken’s proposal.
1574. The Chairperson: Thank you, John and Sharon, for your contribution this morning.
1575. I welcome Ms Helen Perry, who is an officer with the Causeway Museum Service, and Councillor Evelyne Robinson, who is vice-chair of Causeway Museum Service and an elected representative on Ballymoney Borough Council. I invite you to make a brief opening statement, following which members will be invited to ask questions.
1576. Mrs Evelyne Robinson (Causeway Museum Service): Thank you, Mr Chairman. I have been vice-chair of this most important service for one week. [Laughter.] Therefore, I will allow Ms Perry to hold the floor. It is foreign to my nature to allow someone else to hold the floor, but I am being diplomatic on this occasion.
1577. Mr Brolly: We do not offer long-service medals. [Laughter.]
1578. Ms Helen Perry (Causeway Museum Service): Thank you very much, Councillor Robinson. I pass on apologies from the chairperson of Causeway Museum Service, Councillor McIlroy of Moyle District Council; he was unable to attend but Councillor Robinson has offered to step in, and she is very able to do so. No doubt she will comment throughout the meeting and answer some of the questions.
1579. Causeway Museum Service was established in 1996 by four local authorities — Coleraine Borough Council, Limavady Borough Council, Ballymoney Borough Council, and Moyle District Council. The intention was to develop and deliver museums services in those borough and district areas. The Causeway Museum Service was the first truly regional museum service for Northern Ireland. Its aim is to ensure the sustainability of the rich collections of the Causeway Coast area, which includes two of the smallest local authorities in the UK.
1580. Each of our councils has a fantastic, distinctive, accredited museum, which are: the Green Lane Museum in the Roe Valley Country Park, Limavady; Ballymoney Museum; Ballycastle Museum in the Moyle District Council area; and Coleraine Museum, which delivers a temporary exhibition programme in the town hall. The collection stores for Coleraine Museum are based in council offices while the council progresses its plans for the regional museum in the Market Yard, Coleraine.
1581. A substantial mechanism is in place to deliver programming across the area, and that is evidenced by the range of exhibitions, and by the amount of grant aid that we have secured through bodies such as the NIMC and Heritage Lottery Fund, which helps to deliver what we regard as essential services.
1582. Our four councils have a strong commitment to their museums, which dates back to the days when Ballymoney Museum opened in 1860 as one of the first public collections in the UK. Our local collections represent material of local, national and even international importance. As the Committee will agree, the non-national museums sector in Northern Ireland is very diverse, skilled and dynamic, and is responsible for considerable cultural assets being available, not only to the local ratepayers, but to the wider community.
1583. To date, the level of central Government support for those national assets — as provided through the Northern Ireland Museum Council — has been precious and important to our councils and to the work of the Causeway Museum Service. However, we believe that the level of central Government support currently received through NIMC does not reflect the importance of those assets to Northern Ireland as a whole.
1584. The Causeway Museum Service commends DCAL for progressing with the development of the museums policy for Northern Ireland — it is long overdue. In our experience, when external funding bodies are evaluating projects for grants, the absence of a formal museums policy has left Northern Ireland projects very vulnerable. That has been experienced by three of our councils when dealing with the Heritage Lottery Fund over the past few years. It must be recognised that we are competing nationally for a substantially decreasing pot of lottery funding.
1585. The lack of a formal museums policy places museums well down the public agenda, despite their capacity to deliver on, and support, a wide range of issues that are on the public agenda, including learning, community cohesion, equality of opportunity, regeneration and tourism. That point echoes what I heard from our colleagues from Armagh District Council.
1586. Local museums struggle to compete with statutory services, which is due to the lack of a formal museums policy. Evelyne Robinson will be able to provide more information because of her experience in Ballymoney.
1587. We rely on the functions of NIMC, but it is under threat from the review of public administration. NIMC administers effectively the accreditation scheme that enables our museums to achieve the standards of the sector and gives comfort to the public. We hold those in trust with perpetuity.
1588. NIMC provides us with essential, albeit limited, funding that enables us to deliver programmes, to maintain our collections, and — importantly — to purchase specimens for those collections. It also provided specialist training for the sector across the region. Furthermore, it provides us with advice and research, which is important in the current climate.
1589. As a local-authority service, we follow the policies of the sector. We draw on colleagues outside the UK for our museum policies — including places such as Canada, Australia and the Republic of Ireland — and consider how they deliver their policies. We take examples of best practice and share knowledge within our sector. Our regional museums service was established through the Northern Ireland Museums Advisory Committee (NIMAC) report of 1992 and NIMC’s policy in the 1990s. That mechanism has proved to be extremely effective in ensuring access to museums and their collections in our area.
1590. Although we receive access funding from NIMC, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Art Fund, ratepayers are our primary source of income. It is often the case that those small NIMC grants act as an essential leverage for more funds from external sources. Without them, the crucial work that is delivered as part of that funding would not occur. We also benefited from Northern Ireland Museums Council initiatives across the sector that accessed considerable resources, such as the past and future programmes of the Big Lottery Fund and cross-border funding for sectoral training.
1591. The Causeway Museum Service has also been very effective in acting as a contributor to accessing partnership funding — I refer to the Arts and Humanities Research Council. We are considering delivering some programming with funding provided to the education and library boards; the creative youth partnerships; the University of Ulster; and the Northern Ireland Regional Curators Group. We worked in partnership with them to deliver very effective programming that came at little direct cost to us. I stress that the National Lottery is our only other source of significant funds. That source has been alarmingly and substantially depleted with the impact of the 2012 Olympics, and I believe that that is likely to have a further impact.
1592. There are other sources for museums elsewhere in the UK, such as ‘Renaissance in the Regions’. The difficulties that we and the local authorities face are perhaps best evidenced by the commendable and substantial efforts of Ballymoney Borough Council to improve public access to the collections and to provide appropriate storage of its substantial collection by building a new museum at Ballymoney town hall using ratepayers’ money.
1593. The key elements of the policy should be ascertained through investigating best practice in Canada, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, and in studying some of the regional policies in places such as Piedmont in Italy. It is essential that the policy identifies the structures and resources that are needed to implement it, and that it recognises the strengths of the non-national sector. That sector contains considerable cultural value and expertise, and has the capacity to deliver many aspects of the Programme for Government. A strong commitment to our museums exists, but it is in competition with a number of statutory agendas.
1594. A strong diversity of collections exists within our area and the associated programming. We ask that the policy addresses weaknesses. The lack of a formal museums policy means that the NIMC functions are vulnerable; and those functions are essential to us. Museums are discretionary in nature, and there is a lack of equality of access across Northern Ireland. Numerous institutions are not currently accredited and therefore lack eligibility for funding. Garvagh Museum and Heritage Centre, which is struggling, is one such case.
1595. A mechanism is required to address the loss of the specialist curatorial expertise in the national sector. As a non-national museum service, we relied on that expertise to fine-tune our knowledge of the collections, and that has been lost. Equally, we struggle to access material of local provenance at present because the agendas of those who own it lie elsewhere. Having examined the resources and support that central Government provides to the museum sector, Northern Ireland is falling way behind the rest of the UK, and the gap is widening. A programme of action to increase resources should underpin any new policy.
1596. To sum up, the museums that make up the Causeway Museum Service represent national assets that we hold on behalf of our communities. The new policy must position our museums so that they can compete with the statutory services in local authorities and so that several Departments recognise their relevance. Accreditation has been highly effective in delivering standards for our museums and should be maintained as a standard to secure funding. We support the retention of the Northern Ireland Museums Council in its current format during the development of a Northern Ireland museums policy, and we recommend that the Committee access the skills and experience that exist outside the national museums sector.
1597. Mr McCausland: I recently visited Ballymoney Museum and had an opportunity to look round. However, I have no experience of the internal dynamics of a service that spans several councils; therefore, it would be helpful if you would give me some sense of that.
1598. The Chairperson: Perhaps that question could be parked and answered with the next one.
1599. Mr Shannon: Thank you, ladies, for your presentation this morning. You referred to the Causeway Museum Service as a number of collections — large and small. Streamlining and centralisation have been running themes in presentations to the Committee. Do you envisage a centralisation of those collections being possible within the Causeway Museum Service or at a different location?
1600. At any stage, have you considered having, or do you have, a sports collection in the Causeway Museum Service? If so, does it include a section on motorcyclists? Motorcycling comes to mind as the appropriate sport for the area. It has been suggested that there should be a central venue — perhaps Belfast — for a sports museum. Everyone has their own idea about what they want from a museums policy, but what is your opinion on that?
1601. Mrs E Robinson: Thank you for your questions, gentlemen. Unless you prefer the questions to be answered in the order in which they were asked, I will address Mr Shannon’s question first.
1602. Mr Shannon, allow me to invite you to Ballymoney to view what is probably the most wonderful collection of road-racing vehicles to exist anywhere. It includes all the paraphernalia from Joey and Robert Dunlop and goes back to the original riders of the road. You can see from the dates in the presentation that Ballymoney Museum is extremely old. It has an extensive collection of motorbike memorabilia, and the museum that we built in Ballymoney was designed to exhibit that collection permanently. The other part of the museum displays various collections at various times and also includes an interactive area. The road-racing section of the Ballymoney Museum is, I suggest, second to none, anywhere in the world. I invite every member of the Committee to come to Ballymoney to visit the museum.
1603. Mr Shannon: You have been in charge for only a week. Had you been in charge for a month, two months or two years, I wonder what you would have told us.
1604. The Chairperson: I think that Jim is asking questions to which he knows the answers. [Laughter.]
1605. Ms Perry: Mr McCausland asked about the structure of our organisation. The Causeway Museum Service has a committee at the top level, which is made up of elected representatives and senior officers from the four councils. With my team of two officers, I report to that committee on a quarterly basis. We act across the whole region, so, although we are centred in Coleraine because the lead partner in the service and the employer is based there, we work across the service to deliver professional services to collections. Moyle District Council and, to a lesser extent, Limavady Borough Council would struggle to maintain accreditation for those collections on their own.
1606. Joined-up thinking — looking ahead to the review of public administration — resulted in the Causeway Museum Service being set up to sustain those collections, which are valid expressions of local identity. Mr Shannon talked about the motorcycle history in Ballymoney. Equally, the arts-and-crafts revival in places such as Ballycastle, the extraordinary industrial heritage in Roe Valley and Coleraine’s position as the first settlement and the first planted town in Ireland are distinctive. Given the wide geographical remit and the relatively low ratepayer base, we recognised that the Causeway Museum Service was an essential tool to maintain those collections for the public.
1607. The Chairperson: The questions from Kieran and Francie will be grouped.
1608. Mr McCarthy: Thank you for your presentation and your written submission; you have already covered most of the questions. You said that you support a museums policy and that the sooner it is implemented, the better. You said that the inability to secure sufficient funding was proving detrimental to that. Is that the primary obstacle to a museums policy?
1609. Mr Brolly: I note the association between tourism and museums, and I am conscious that, apart from a museum in Limavady, the area in which I live is a wasteland for museums. People often say that tourists visit Derry city and the Giant’s Causeway but miss the bit in between. That is a pity, because that area has some of the best pieces available, not least the Broighter gold.
1610. Mr McNarry: Is the member making a presentation for that area?
1611. The Chairperson: Please conclude, Mr Brolly.
1612. Mr Brolly: The Broighter gold is on display in Dublin, and the famous ancient Dungiven suit — which I am not wearing today — is on display in Belfast. Do you think that a museums policy would help to consider the deficit in a rural area such as ours and put things where they belong in order to allow people to see them? I know that Jim would like more motorbikes to come to Ballymoney, as they obviously should be there.
1613. Ms Perry: Undoubtedly, the lack of funding has had an effect on the implementation of a museums policy. Museums are currently way down the agenda. The policy is concerned with recognising the importance of our heritage for tourism, learning and community cohesion. That recognition enables us to access funding, not only at a local level and through central Government, but from our other partner funders. We recognise that museums are not cheap to run and that they require significant investment. Therefore, the idea of joined-up thinking to provide a regional museum service has worked well.
1614. Mr Brolly, the last time we spoke was in the chamber of Limavady Borough Council. I do not know whether you have seen the Limavady heritage trail, which the Causeway Museum Service is involved with. It is an attempt to start to raise awareness in order to draw people to the landscape of the Causeway area, which is second to none.
1615. Museums, as a permanent edifice, are expensive, but there are ways of providing access to those collections. The Causeway Museum Service has been good at engaging disparate rural communities and enabling them to see those collections. There has often been a geographic barrier to people coming to museums, because people are economically excluded from travelling into a town centre. In some cases, that barrier may be because of the way in which they perceive the town centre.
1616. There are ways to provide a quality service to all citizens, which the Causeway Museum Service has demonstrated.
1617. Mrs E Robinson: Museums services are central to our culture. They allow us and our children to explore the past, our roots and our heritage. Recently, pieces of wood were found in Ballymoney. The manager of Ballymoney Museum discovered that the wood is a sixteenth-century plough, which the museum is recreating. Museums are living, vital organisations. Museums are, sometimes, considered dead areas where — as Ken Robinson said — a frustrated grandfather —
1618. Mr K Robinson: I did not say “frustrated”. [Laughter.]
1619. Mrs E Robinson: A fond grandfather might take his grandsons to a museum on a Saturday afternoon. I recall that that happened in Belfast. Museums should excite children. Furthermore, children should remember their experience and appreciate how vital museums are to Northern Ireland’s structure.
1620. Mr McCartney: Your submission mentions that the NIMC should remain until a museums policy is established. Do you believe that the NIMC should continue to exist? If so, in what form?
1621. The Chairperson: That question will be grouped with Ken’s.
1622. Mr K Robinson: I will not ask a frustrated question. You mentioned the loss of curatorial experience. What is the reason for that loss? What steps could be taken to ensure that any ensuing gap is filled?
1623. Ms Perry: The NIMC’s role will be considered during the policy process; its role could change, it could be strengthened, or other structures could be established. We cannot be prescriptive about that matter, but those functions must be strengthened and enhanced. However, they must be maintained at least until a new policy is established.
1624. Mr K Robinson: Will you explain the loss of curatorial experience and expertise?
1625. Ms Perry: From conversations with my colleagues in the sector, I understand that in the past we relied on the specialist curators from the Ulster Museum to identify an object such as the piece of sixteenth-century wood that was mentioned. Those curators have been a terrific asset, because they have a vast repository of knowledge that they have passed on to us. Moreover, they hold much wider collections than us. The reorganisation has resulted in the loss of knowledge. I admit that, in the past, we benefited from that service being free of charge. Some of our local provenance is in their stores, and they have cared for, and conserved, that material. However, although it is difficult to assess, the reorganisation has impacted on us.
1626. Mr K Robinson: Will the reorganisation result in fewer curators or will they spend more time on administration than on searching for artefacts?
1627. Ms Perry: I cannot speak for the national museums. However, the networks in the Ulster Museum and at Cultra are no longer available. Many curators have taken the voluntary redundancy package, and some have been promoted.
1628. Mr K Robinson: It is generational; people move on and take their expertise with them. Are those gaps being filled at the lower end?
1629. Ms Perry: I understand that people move on. To date, the knowledge does not appear to have been transferred in the institution. That may be happening.
1630. Mr K Robinson: Is that an aspect that the Committee should be addressing?
1631. Ms Perry: I certainly think so. There is a fantastic collection there that —
1632. Mr K Robinson: Yes, but unless there is someone there who can unlock its secrets, it is just an old piece of wood.
1633. Ms Perry: I may be getting on my own bandwagon here, but I believe that local museums are doing far more to allow access to their collections at present.
1634. Mrs E Robinson: It was actually the local manager at Ballymoney who had the expertise to ascertain the authenticity of the piece of wood.
1635. Mr McCartney referred to the NIMC, which I understand will be in place until 2010. A chasm exists, and I am sure that the Committee is going to come up with an absolutely super-duper policy to address that. During the period of policymaking, we must retain a structure that preserves the kind of expertise and calibre that currently exists in the NIMC. We must look to the future and create a particular kind of a structure that the NIMC currently fulfils. In doing so, we must maintain not only the council’s current functions, but whatever functions the new policy stipulates are proper for such a body to carry out. The policy must include a means of implementing that.
1636. Furthermore, I agree with Ms Perry in that the policy must address funding for museums. Ballymoney Borough Council is small. In order to build the museum, it had to provide £2·5 million for a new building — not all for the museum, but as part of the extension of the town hall to house the museum. We then had to apply for a 75% grant — almost £300,000 for a £400,000 project — to fit out that museum, and that work is being conducted in a highly professional manner. Some Committee members here are from areas where the penny product brings in £250,000 while in Ballymoney, we struggle to attain £40,000. Therefore, there is a discrepancy that makes it more difficult to fund what we do. That is despite the fact that we have a resident expert who understands that a piece of wood is a plough from the sixteenth-century. [Laughter.]
1637. The Chairperson: Thank you for your presentation and for answering the Committee’s questions.
1638. Ms Perry: I have left some leaflets for Committee members. Those leaflets detail some aspects of the scheme that we are extremely proud of.
1639. The Chairperson: I welcome Chris Bailey, who is the director of the Northern Ireland Museums Council, and Briony Crozier, who is the assistant director.
1640. You have provided a good written submission to the Committee. The Committee has heard the council mentioned several times in the recent past and, in the main, contributors have been very supportive of your work. Will you please make brief opening statements? The detail can then be drawn out through the members’ questions and your answers.
1641. Mr Chris Bailey (Northern Ireland Museums Council): Thank you very much for the invitation to come before the Committee again to discuss museums. We very much welcome the Committee’s commitment — through this inquiry — to the concept of creating a museums policy. The council feels that such a policy will have a beneficial impact for generations to come.
1642. In my short presentation, I will touch on three themes: the policy for museums; supporting strategies and their outcomes; and how the policy could be built. In doing so, I hope to address some of the questions that the Committee has posed.
1643. In the concluding part of my presentation, I will outline some of the key issues that are of concern to the Northern Ireland Museums Council.
1644. What do we mean when we talk about policy? By definition, policy is a principle of action adopted or proposed by a Government, which, given the word’s etymological root, would or should be in the interests of the state and its citizens. Governments around the globe have supported museums, some more than others, in recognition of their unique contribution to the development of the state and its citizens. Two websites — www.culturalpolicies.net and www.european-heritage.net will provide members with an appreciation of the various approaches that have been adopted by countries throughout Europe and further afield.
1645. Differing circumstances, such as history, resources and legislative background, and, possibly, political priority, determine the relative weighting of cultural policy priorities — hence the variation in approaches among countries. Those variations are well worth examining as we develop our policy, for obvious reasons. Yet, amid such diversity, certain common aspirations emerge, the bones of which have been identified in the Committee’s terms of reference for its inquiry:
“building a joined-up museums sector that will, over the long-term, deliver real benefit to individuals, communities and the economy”.
1646. I note that the Committee is quoting directly from the proposed vision for the national strategy for museums in England, which is being developed by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, which is an arm’s-length body associated with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The Museums Council of Northern Ireland would counsel against putting too much faith in the policy models of others. We must find our own solutions to our own issues. They may echo those of others, but it would not be appropriate to assume that another country’s approach is directly transferable, no matter how tempting that might be.
1647. Valuable lessons can be learned by examining the approaches of others, but, rather than imitating, I would prefer to be imitated. The scale of our museums sector will allow us to develop an exemplary service. It would not be overly aspirational to extend the vision statement to read:
“We aim to stand as a beacon of best practice in building a joined-up museums sector that will, over the long term, deliver real benefit to individuals, communities and the economy.”
1648. Obvious questions emerge from that statement. What do we mean by “the long term”? What are the specific benefits to individuals, communities and the economy? If we knew the answers to those questions, we could set targets, measure progress, examine the impact, and, in turn, ascertain the value of investment in museums. With no formal policy in place, Government have few reference points by which they can determine the value of their investment in museums or its impact on social, cultural or economic development. With no vision for the development of the sector, and no strategic framework through which the potential of the collective effort of the sector might be unlocked, are we not bereft of a route map?
1649. From the various sessions of oral evidence, members will know about the exciting developments in the national museums of Northern Ireland and will have heard how the Mid-Antrim Museums Service, among others, has built a clear strategy. Similarly, the Somme Heritage Centre and the Derry Heritage and Museum Service have built a solid picture of what they do and why they do it.
1650. Obvious and accruing benefits arise from the commitment and dedication of individual museums and the people who work in them, but the development of the sector is fragmentary at the moment. How much better it could be if we had a comprehensive, joined-up strategic approach. It is as if we have a box of delightful jewels that could be turned into a beautiful necklace, and, by stringing the necklace, we could build a whole that would be more effective, beneficial and attractive than the sum of its parts.
1651. If we are to deliver real benefits to individuals, communities and the economy through our museums, the Museums Council suggests that there must a focus on some critical strategic areas. I am mindful that we are not here to write the policy; the Committee Clerk has made that clear on several occasions. However, I wish to demonstrate that, far from being an onerous task, the stringing of the necklace is a relatively straightforward exercise.
1652. Considerable research and thought has already taken place in that area. As members will be aware, there is a commonly accepted definition of a museum — it is a place that enables people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment, and it is an institution that collects, safeguards and makes accessible artefacts and specimens that it holds in trust for society. That definition and the accreditation standard should underpin our museum policy. Encapsulated in that definition are the two mutually dependent parts of the unique equation that make up a museum, namely the collections and the people.
1653. Our thinking on the matter is relatively straightforward. We must ensure that collections are adequately safeguarded, which means that they are housed in appropriate buildings, that they are looked after by appropriate standards by people with the requisite skills, and that they are developed in a cogent manner. We need to be really imaginative in the ways that we provide access to those collections, that we exploit them for their didactic potential — Briony will tell you more about our work in that regard — and that we ensure that more people know about the benefits of engaging with museums.
1654. To that end, we advocate that the vision for museums be underpinned by four strategic legs. First, infrastructure and resources, which will include strategies around museum buildings and the infrastructure, staffing and staff development, etc. Secondly, collections management, which concerns acquisition, disposal, care, management, conservation, research, storage, etc. Thirdly, the use of collections primarily as an education and learning resource, but also as an entertainment resource for the creative industries, among others. Finally, marketing and audience development, about which I am passionate. We need to ensure that the greatest number of people know about, and get the greatest benefit from, our museums.
1655. Some of those aspects are mutually dependent. They provide a framework around which specific outcomes and outputs could be devised, and against which fundamental issues and cross-cutting themes can be evaluated. We may discuss that in more detail.
1656. I touched on those four strategic areas in my presentation to the Committee in May, and I also highlighted the fact that the Minister had launched two reports: one on the mapping of museum collections and another entitled ‘A Survey of Museum Collections in Northern Ireland’. The reports are held in the Assembly Library if anyone is unfamiliar with them. We are currently doing three other pieces of research: a study on learning and education provided by museums, which Briony is heading up; a collections development strategy, which Heather McGuicken — our development officer — is heading up; and a study into marketing and audience development, which, for my sins, I have on my work plate. In addition, we have completed an overview of the capital development of the sector, and we will shortly be reviewing staffing provision in the sector.
1657. Such work provides a sound intelligence base, which should be a prerequisite for policy development. It provides a baseline and a snapshot of the current provision. Policy need not be a costly exercise. It becomes so only when there is a knowledge deficit and one has to buy in expertise to fill in the blanks. However, in the NIMC, National Museums Northern Ireland, and the museum sector generally, we feel that we have that knowledge to a good degree. In the light of that, at the end of last year, we proposed that a working group comprising ourselves and National Museums in the first instance be established to do the necessary research and the critical analysis as the first step towards developing that policy. In the first instance, DCAL should draw on the knowledge, expertise and professional insight immediately available in its arm’s-length bodies. That is a common approach elsewhere. I mentioned previously that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has charged the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council — one of its arms-length bodies — to develop a museums strategy for England.
1658. In the Republic of Ireland, the Heritage Council’s role is:
“to propose policies and priorities for identification, protection, preservation and enhancement of the national heritage”.
1659. That includes museums, and it does that through the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
1660. In Scotland, Museums Galleries Scotland, which was previously known as the Scottish Museums Council:
“works with museums and galleries towards achieving a shared vision.”
1661. In the museums sector, there is always a third party between Government and service delivery whose focus is on funding, development and advocacy. That is the case in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, the USA, and virtually everywhere throughout Europe.
1662. We also strongly believe that the museum development policy should not be restricted to one Department. The work of museums actively impacts on, and contributes to, wider Government objectives concerning tourism — which has been mentioned — community development, good relations, education, local identity, etc. That point, you will recall, was also emphasised by National Museums Northern Ireland when they gave evidence to the Committee.
1663. We have to move away from a silo approach and create a more integrated, flexible attitude in operating our funding patterns. The shared-future initiative and the local museum heritage review (LHMR) both hinted at that, although were not progressed to the degree that we thought would have been advantageous. In the LMHR, there were recommendations to that effect, and that was started in 1999. NIMC supported those recommendations, and geared up for playing its role in their implementation, but, unfortunately, there appeared little appetite to drive the initiative forward, to the disappointment of our organisation and the local museums sector. It seems now that the LMHR has withered on the vine.
1664. Here we are, nearly 10 years later, and we are not much further on. We are still discussing the issues at the same level. Will the same be said 10 years hence? It could be said that the local museum and heritage review fell by the wayside as attentions were diverted by the RPA. The RPA, which was announced in 2006, but started a lot earlier, envisages the transfer of NIMC’s functions to local and central government. I have already pointed out the need in our communities for a third party in the museums sector.
1665. From the oral evidence that the Committee has received so far, it is apparent that the implementation of the RPA, so far as it relates to NIMC, will prove extremely detrimental to the local museum sector and to Government. There are four reasons for that. First, rather than being informed by policy aspirations or strategic objectives, the RPA decision is concerned solely with changing structures, without an assessment of the impact of supporting evidence. Such a view approaches the issue from the wrong end, and is not a robust intellectual position to start with. Elsewhere, the ‘Renaissance in the Regions’ report provides a good example to suggest that should NIMC go, it, or an equivalent, would be reinvented after a period.
1666. Secondly, the thinking behind the RPA decision is now almost half a decade old, and the political imperative behind it has changed. At least, that is our impression from the discussions and meetings we have had with local councils over the last nine months. We have been in touch with all of the councils that run a museum, and made presentations to most. All reiterated their support for the work we do, all were agreed on the need for a museum policy, and all agreed that the accreditation standard should be the policy’s foundation. The vast majority saw little point in each of the new councils duplicating what we do, and recognise that economies of scale could be made in NIMC, or indeed in an evolved body working on behalf of the whole sector in future.
1667. Penultimately, the RPA decision is the wrong one for voluntary and independent museums. That is the fastest-growing part of the museum sector, with a 61% rise in attendances over the last five years. It would leave them without the necessary support, and would parallel the deficiencies felt by the independent museums in England with the implementation of the recommendations of ‘Renaissance in the Regions’. The Museum of Free Derry stressed the value of its independence in telling the story of its community without interference; that reflected the sentiment generally felt in the sector. Maintaining such a principle will maintain a vibrancy and diversity, which, in turn, will establish what is unique about our museum sector, thus making it more effective, and hence more sustainable.
1668. Finally, the RPA decision is the wrong one for Government. We act as a bridge between local museums and Government. Approached one way, we act as a conduit for Government initiatives being rolled out in the sector. Approached the other way, we can reflect the aspirations and achievements of local museums’ contributions to the Programme for Government. Acting on behalf of the sector, we have, over the last four years, unlocked additional resources for local museums at a rate of 92p for every £1 that DCAL provides, and in relation to the grants that we provide, for each £1 provided by our organisation, we unlock or lever £1·69.
1669. Such additionality; such value for money is only possible through our current constitutional and charitable status, which would be lost under the review of public administration proposals. In the light of the above, we ask that the Committee give serious consideration to recommending that the review of public administration decision regarding NIMC be rescinded. To proceed with it would be tantamount to cutting the string on which our beautiful necklace may hang, before it has even been fully threaded.
1670. Thank you for listening. I and my colleague Briony are more than happy to take questions.
1671. Mr McNarry: You are both very welcome. As usual, Chris, you were a breath of fresh air, although I must say that we were taking pretty long breaths while listening to your presentation, which was a bit of an abuse of what we are here for. Nevertheless, it was important because I fear that, in other cases, we have become a showcase lobby opportunity for some who appear before us.
1672. As the Committee draws close to reporting, what thoughts do you have on what type of process should emerge to formulate what we are looking for in recommending a good policy? Can you say whether the NIMC has a view on the establishment of a national art gallery and where that would sit within a museums policy?
1673. It is fair to say that there is great interest in our inquiry and a lot of people are looking for money. They have good ideas and interesting properties, but they do not seem to have homes for them. That is an interesting point that has emerged from some of our deliberations.
1674. How do you think an overall policy can encapsulate guidance for the distribution of central funding? Would that lead to anything different to what we have? Have we not a set of leagues of establishments, like the Premier League, First Division and Second Division?
1675. Are you aware that any private money is being considered for injection into museums?
1676. Mr Bailey: With regard to the formulation of policy, the Committee’s catalysing power will be vital. We and our colleagues in National Museums, and in the museums sector generally, have a vital role to play as knowledge-holders. We should not be formulating policy: there are procedures for doing that through the Departments. Nevertheless, I stress the need to embrace a much wider set of stakeholders in policy formulation. There were various stages put forward at the end of 2006: the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure put forward terms of reference for devising a policy. That process is universal, and will be adopted on this occasion. However, I stress that, given the immense public interest in what our museums do, we need — as someone else said this morning — a bottom-up opportunity to input into that.
1677. We have no specific view with regard to a national art gallery. There could be very great merits in that. Many aspects of such a proposal could address, for example, enhancing access to our art collection. However, that is not the only method by which one could do that: there are many other ways, including utilising the network of local museums and having much greater opening up of touring exhibitions, etc.
1678. It is an intriguing proposition. Elsewhere, such large institutions are valuable in producing a sense of identity, particularly in capital cities, and in helping the economy by bringing in tourism. However, I would not say that we would automatically pin our flag to that proposal. It needs to be looked at as a component of our policy.
1679. Providing a home for material is vital; therefore, we have guidelines for museums as they become the home for material that is out there. People love gifting to their local museums, because they know that that is valued at a local level. Local museums are vital for developing a sense of local identity; therefore, it is important to strike a balance between having national collections and a network of local museums.
1680. That leads on to the point about having a league of establishments. I remind the Committee of the notion of a jewelled necklace — scale does not necessarily indicate importance. It does to an extent, however, when you consider that, in 2007, more than 509,000 people visited the non-national museums, and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure’s strategic plan gives a target number of 585,000 visitors to the national museums in 2009 — albeit with the Ulster Museum closed. It is clear that they are two parts of the same equation.
1681. Mr McNarry talked about private money in particular.
1682. Mr McNarry: I talked about two things. In relation to money, I asked whether you believe that the policy must encapsulate guidelines for the distribution of central funding. I then asked how likely you consider it that someone will leave a lot of money to a museum, or that a commercial interest might introduce sponsorship for museums.
1683. Mr Bailey: In relation to the distribution of public money, the advantage of having the policy and the strategic framework is that the anticipated outcomes will be detailed in those strategies, so the public money will go towards achieving those outputs. The policy will provide a measure against which the value of that investment can be assessed.
1684. The amount of private money coming into the museums sector is pretty limited; there is not a great pot of that and, given the current economic climate, I do not anticipate there being a great deal more. However, private-sector input is a different matter. If that is considered in broader terms, we found that the non-national museums had 281 employees in 2006, with 170 volunteers working alongside them. Coupled with that is the amount of material and artefacts that are being gifted to local museums, which are especially valuable given that acquisition budgets are so small.
1685. Particularly notable are the gifts that were given to the Newry and Mourne Museum, the museums in Derry, and the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum. Also notable is the dedication and commitment of the various “friends of museums” organisations that raise money for the museums — of the 38 museums, 16 of them have friends organisations. Therefore, it is evident that private input is quite notable.
1686. Mr Shannon: Thank you for your presentation and for the information that you brought to the Committee. I am quite interested in — and agree wholeheartedly with — your point about donating to local institutions. There is a story in today’s ‘News Letter’ about the Linen Hall Library in Belfast tonight celebrating 40 years of its political collection. Tom Hartley has been involved in that, and I understand that it showcases the spectrum of political life over the last 40 years.
1687. Throughout this inquiry, the Committee has met some people who say that they want museum services to be centralised and the number of museums reduced. However, local councils have come along and proposed ideas for their areas, where their museums have niche markets, and have argued that those museums must be retained.
1688. How can that all be brought together for people who may want to visit a few locations in order to see museums dedicated to, for example, military history? Various councils appear, rightly, to be paddling their own canoes when it comes to ideas for themed museums — aircraft, marine, and so on. How can those ideas be pulled into a presentable strategy that takes on board all those views, but that delivers for — and remains palatable to — all interested parties? That may be difficult to answer because there are so many views to consider, but it is an important question to tackle.
1689. Mr Bailey: I will make a stab at it. It is a complex, but not an either/or equation. It is not a case of “centralise or localise”. It is a combination of establishing the most useful way of solving particular problems and of ensuring best value for money. It is worth considering economies of scale in relation to some services — for instance, museum storage. I am not certain, and it requires more investigation, but there may be merit in museums introducing central storage.
1690. Members have heard evidence that services at two museums benefit from the co-operation of a number of councils. The economies of scale involved work well in those areas. It remains to be seen, however, whether similar economies may emerge in that context when we have fewer local authorities.
1691. I do not know whether fewer museums would be better. The question is: what functions do we want existing museums to perform? Local museums with collecting policies that are governed by geography — mainly local authority museums — tend to collate the social history of a specific area. Therefore, the distinction between them is not that great.
1692. However, many local museums are now seeking a theme that provides a unique selling position. That means reflecting local identity, as well as delivering on a theme that is vital to all of Northern Ireland. For example, the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum tells the linen story on a Northern Ireland-wide basis. The Tower Museum within the Derry Heritage and Museum Service not only tells the story of Derry, but also of the Girona and the Spanish Armada. The Northern Ireland Museums Council has held discussions with Craigavon Museum Services about developing an inland waterways theme. For tourism in particular, the dispersal of such themed museums around Northern Ireland is vital. However, a critical mass of attractions must be achieved.
1693. From my perspective in marketing and audience development, they must also be interlinked and sold as a package, as part of the overall museum offer. At present, as implied by Mr Shannon, local authorities adopt a fragmentary approach by making cases for their own individual projects. The strategy must be joined up, which may be a role for the Northern Ireland Museums Council. That must be examined as part of the centralisation of resources in the future. The council is also building a learning framework for museums in Northern Ireland in an effort to establish a joined-up approach to museum services. Briony could offer more detail on that.
1694. Ms Briony Crozier (Northern Ireland Museums Council): I agree with Chris that there is not an automatic dichotomy between centralised and localised services, because it is possible to provide centralised strategies that enable greater efficiencies across localised museum venues.
1695. For example, in 2005, funded by the Big Lottery fund, we partnered the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in the development of a Second World War website, which aims to provide artefacts across all the museums in Northern Ireland, both national and local. Images of those artefacts and images of archived material, which is held by PRONI, are on the Internet.
1696. That was a one-off project that was made possible through Big Lottery funding, and it was the first museums and archives joint website in Northern Ireland. The museums sector and PRONI had been trying to produce separate websites, but our partnership enabled greater efficiencies. The project, which provides 13 learning packages, has been well used and it shows the power of information and communication technology (ICT) in digitising museum resources and making them more accessible to everyone in Northern Ireland, irrespective of the location of the user and the museum.
1697. Chris mentioned the learning report on which we are working. In 2009, we will publish a report that will be the first comprehensive survey of the learning services that are provided by the 38 accredited museums that are open across Northern Ireland. The facts and figures will then emerge. We are undertaking a comprehensive survey of all the museums, which will consider the education programmes that are provided, the staff and resources that need to be made available to museums and the constraints to developing partnerships to a greater degree.
1698. Centralisation and localisation was mentioned. As shown by the evidence from the Mid-Antrim Museums Service and the Causeway Museums Service, community engagement is one important area in which museums can co-ordinate. Community engagement is being worked on in a larger regional area by bringing one or two officers to work across several council areas. The 11 council model allows great scope for doing that.
1699. Over the past seven or eight years, the Museums Council has funded a substantial number of education and outreach posts. Although we have not been the biggest funder of those posts, we have been the most frequent. We have helped to lever an additional £1·46 for each £1 that we have put into education posts. Two of those posts were made permanent, and 21 of the accredited museums have an education officer.
1700. There is great scope to do more. The survey’s early indications show that learning provision is outstanding in some museum services, but that it is fragmentary across Northern Ireland. When I refer to learning, I mean both the formal education work that is done with schools and further education colleges, and the work with communities and adult groups. A centralised body — whether it is NIMC or a successor — is needed to provide that capacity, expertise and research on such areas to develop co-ordinated strategies that bridge that central / local gap.
1701. Mr McCausland: When do you think that a museums policy should be introduced?
1702. Mr Bailey: Although it does not answer the question, a policy should be introduced as quickly as possible. Realistically, it could not be delivered in less than six months. Pragmatically, I would like to see it within that timeframe, and it would be unacceptable if it went beyond a year.
1703. Mr Brolly: I do not understand why six months would be needed, because the policy seems to be well done already. We have spoken about that before, Chris, and I know what your views are. We recommend that the Northern Ireland Museums Council is kept as the body that is in charge, because of your experience, expertise and the research that you have conducted. The Department’s proposal to bring in outside consultants to work on a museums policy seems superfluous and expensive.
1704. Mr Bailey: I very much welcome your sympathetic outlook towards the council. Our attitude on the use of consultants is “proceed with caution”. A considerable intelligence base already exists, which the Department must evaluate and use before it starts to fill in the blanks. I am not saying that we have all the answers.
1705. You asked why it would take six months to introduce the policy. I believe that there is leeway during that period to allow not only ourselves and our colleagues to have input, but to imbed it and seek the views of a wider group of stakeholders. There are also requirements under the equality legislation — equality impact assessments and so on must be carried out.
1706. Mr K Robinson: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. As ever, it was totally comprehensive.
1707. The word “fragmentation” crops up again and again. You are in a unique position in that you seem to have the trust of all the other contributors who have appeared before the Committee. They trust your expertise and judgement, and you are fighting for that sector in a selective manner and not just by hitting everything that stands in your way. You have given us examples of the money that you have been able to lever in; for every pound that DCAL or the ratepayer puts in, you can find £1·46 and £0·92, depending on the circumstance. You are generating funding and giving money to the people on the ground who most need it.
1708. I am not a frustrated grandfather, but I am a frustrated schoolmaster. There are tremendous opportunities within formal and informal education settings to get your message across. It totally frustrates me that many young people — and not-so-young people — do not know who they are or where they have come from, and do not have a clue where they are going to, even though all around them we can see influences on the land, the way we talk, the way we act and the way we view society. How do we break that mould and move beyond the classroom?
1709. Sheila Speers is a name that springs to mind — that tells you the era in the Ulster Museum that I am talking about. She took groups of children around the museum, taking artefacts out of their cases and allowing the children to touch them. I still remember the look in the children’s eyes as they lifted the Stone Age axe. I asked a simple question then: please can I have a box of items to take to my school so that more pupils can get their hands on them? I was told that, unfortunately, that was not allowed. Have we broken through that invisible barrier now?
1710. Ms Crozier: Yes, very much so. To give NIMC a plug again, we fund the development of many loan boxes. Museums will give out boxes to schools and so on, or the outreach officer will bring them to the schools. I mentioned officer posts earlier, and those officers have an outreach role, too. They do not just stay within the walls of the museums; they go out into the community, too.
1711. Mr K Robinson: I am talking about the early days, when educational officers in museums were trying to break out and officialdom was pushing them back in. They possibly wanted to hand items out, but somebody somewhere was saying no, that the items might break if touched, and so on. However, if a child’s interest can be stimulated at that early stage, the impact can be lifelong.
1712. Ms Crozier: Again, our survey will show the areas of education that are well served and those that still need to be developed. To date, the information shows that Key Stage 2, the latter end of primary school, is well served, as is the early part of secondary school. Development is needed for the older children, the post-16 age group, and for the younger children at Key Stage 1, who may never have visited a museum except as part of a family visit. All the museum representatives who we spoke to are willing to carry out the work, and many have the expertise to do so. It is simply a case of building on that work and developing strategies that can facilitate it.
1713. Mr K Robinson: Community groups are a tremendous untapped resource. On many occasions, I have seen community groups visiting the Ulster Museum, under the tutelage of different bodies. Chairman, if you think that I am going on a bit, you should hear yourself sometimes; I am making up for that today. I have seen the look of wonder on the faces of those groups of visitors. Suddenly, little snippets of information that they had are fitted into an overall framework. They begin to realise who they are and that things that they did that they were perhaps a wee bit uneasy about socially are quite acceptable. They learn that that behaviour has evolved because of an experience of their family, generation or area.
1714. Recently, the Committee visited Londonderry where representatives of the Museum of Free Derry told their story. The Apprentice Boys also attended that session and wanted to tell their story. However, they were at a stage where they were unsure how to do that. Does the framework enable people to tell their story and ensure that we do not stifle them in officialdom?
1715. The Chairperson: Please incorporate Dominic’s question into your response.
1716. Mr D Bradley: A couple of weeks ago, an American educationalist visited the Education Committee. He commended our ability to construct effective policies, but he doubted whether we achieved outcomes from those policies. Should targets — and a means of measuring them — be incorporated into policy? Is that concept in keeping with the museums policy? Moreover, should the policy incorporate some form of review mechanism in order to assess its effectiveness?
1717. Northern Ireland’s curriculum has been revised and now contains less content. This week, new syllabuses that contain less content and place more emphasis on skills have been delivered to schools. Will your education programme be modified to reflect that new curriculum? Do the programmes make allowance for delivery in the Irish language and the Irish-medium sector?
1718. Mr Bailey: Community groups are our bread and butter. They make return visits, and we must engage those people. They are engaged in increasing numbers. We publish the attendance figures of accredited museums in our annual report, and those figures increase every year. The museums face a greater challenge because visitors are becoming more informed. They are becoming experts, and groups have an in-depth knowledge about their specific theme or interest. For example, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, the Museum of Free Derry, Milford House Museum and the Naughton Gallery at Queen’s University prove that point. That puts pressure on museums to ensure that they are on top of their game and know where to access the information about their collections.
1719. Digitisation is a key means of dispersing more expertise. The Committee heard earlier about the possible diminution in curatorial expertise in the sector. The NIMC instituted two initiatives, one of which was a small grant fund — which was hugely oversubscribed — to allow museum curators to find time to research their collections. The Ballymoney Museum secured one of those grants, through which it identified that the piece of wood mentioned by Councillor Evelyne Robinson was a sixteenth-century plough. Furthermore, through that research, they found one of the earliest Iron Age, or possibly Bronze Age, butter churns.
1720. Top-quality research is vital, and — as Ken Robinson said — the days when museum curators claim to know everything are gone. Relationships are improving between the museum curator, experts and, indeed, people with private collections outside the museums. That is a vital aspect of the development — vital to the liveliness and sustainability of the museums sector.
1721. “Fragmentation” is an emotive word that we have all used when referring to the absence of joined-up thinking or to the failure to exploit the potential that may accrue from a more joined-up sector.
1722. That leads me on to —
1723. The Chairperson: Please be brief, Chris. The Minister is due to join us now to discuss creative industries.
1724. Mr Bailey: I will.
1725. I approve of policies, outcomes, target measuring and reviews — so long as we have the appropriate strategies in place and we have considered the appropriate outputs and outcomes. That is the way to assess whether we are getting value for money.
1726. Briony will talk about the new curriculum and the Irish language.
1727. Ms Crozier: Museums are adapting to the revised curriculum and many museums that have education officers have adapted their education programmes to meet it. It opens up new opportunities for schools to use museums in all sorts of different ways, either in the classroom or by going out to museums.
1728. Museum staff must have consistent and regular training. The vast majority of education staff in museums have educational qualifications and come from teaching backgrounds. They know schools and the education sector, but they need ongoing training in partnership with the education and library boards or the education and skills authority, when it is established.
1729. We are not responsible for delivering education programmes themselves, but we are responsible for researching what the museums are doing. The early indications from the report that we will produce next year show that few museums provide services in Irish. Provision for languages generally is an aspect that deserves attention.
1730. The Chairperson: I must draw this to a close. If you want to raise additional points with us, please put them in writing. We must keep strictly to our timetable, and the Minister’s presentation comes next. Do you have you a final comment, Chris?
1731. Mr Bailey: A prime example of joined-up thinking was when Newry and Mourne Museum applied to us for money to provide hand-held audio translating machines that could accommodate numerous languages and could be used during tours. One of the languages was Irish, and money was received from Foras na Gaeilge. That not only met the language and tourism agendas, but the access agenda. It is that sort of joined-up thinking that we must strive for.
1732. Thank you very much.
1733. The Chairperson: Thank you, Chris and Briony.
Members present for all or part of the proceedings:
Mr Barry McElduff (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley
Mr Francie Brolly
The Lord Browne
Mr Raymond McCartney
Mr Nelson McCausland
Mr Pat Ramsey
Mr Jim Shannon
Witnesses:
Mr Campbell |
The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure |
|
Mr Colin Watson |
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure |
1734. The Chairperson (Mr McElduff): Good morning, Minister, Colin and Hazel — you are welcome to the Committee. Members have a copy of a written submission that was sent to the Committee by the Minister and the Department. I now invite the Minister to address the meeting, after which members will have the opportunity to pose questions.
1735. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure (Mr Campbell): I thank the Committee for the opportunity to attend this meeting and to present the Department’s view on the proposed development of a museums policy for Northern Ireland. Hazel and Colin will assist me with the most difficult questions.
1736. I assure the Committee that I am committed to ensuring that the highest possible standards for our museums are, and continue to be, in place. Museums are attractions for the local population and for our ever-increasing number of visitors. Inevitably, the provision and development of museums is linked to the availability of resources — unfortunately, that is a fact of life.
1737. The pressures that exist — even for an organisation on the scale of National Museums Northern Ireland — mean that prioritisation is necessary. The Committee may be aware of the report prepared by the Northern Ireland Audit Office entitled ‘Collections Management in the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland’, which was the subject of a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee. That report highlighted the conflicting priorities of storage, the improvement of public facilities and the enhancement of the collections.
1738. The per capita spend on museums in Northern Ireland compares favourably with other parts of the UK. Northern Ireland is second to Wales — we spend £7·73 per capita, compared with £8·37 in Wales. In England, the figure is £7·22 per capita, and in Scotland it is £4·62.
1739. I am aware that the Committee has taken a great deal of oral evidence, and members are now well versed in the facts and figures that relate to many of our museums and services. I am sure that members are familiar with the museum landscape here, but it would be useful to set out the views of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) on the relationship to the sector in order to put some of my subsequent comments in context.
1740. My Department’s prime responsibility is for National Museums Northern Ireland, which holds collections of national significance at its four main sites: the Ulster Museum; the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum; the Ulster American Folk Park; and the Armagh County Museum. The Armagh County Museum is unique in that it is the only local museum that is funded directly by central Government. That has been recognised, and the museum will be transferring to council ownership under the proposals of the review of public administration (RPA). National Museums also has responsibility for the W5 science centre at the Odyssey.
1741. National Museums is undertaking a major reform and modernisation programme aimed at reducing costs and creating a modern museum service. The Committee will be aware that we eagerly await the reopening of the refurbished Ulster Museum in 2009. Looking to the future — and with the important caveat that it will be subject to competing priorities and funding — I am aware of the aspiration to have a national art gallery and for greater recognition for our industrial and maritime heritage. Furthermore, a number of external organisations have rightly pressed the case for greater recognition of our military past. I am open to considering how those aspirations might be met. More information and discussion is needed.
1742. Nationals Museum’s revenue funding for 2008-09 is £12·85 million, and the total capital programme for 2008-11 is £26·3 million. That is a welcome investment after many years of an infrastructure deficit.
1743. The local museums sector comprises 38 accredited museums, and, in addition, there are approximately 150 other heritage organisations that hold collections of artefacts. About 27 of those operate like a museum, although they are not accredited. The Department provides support to local museums in Northern Ireland through the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC). Councils and museums that benefit have indicated to the inquiry their support for the Museums Council.
1744. The Museums Council provides advice and guidance to local museums, and also co-ordinates training and operates a small grants scheme, among other activities. It lobbies central Government on behalf of its members, including local councils, about the museums sector. The RPA, as agreed by the Assembly, concluded that the functions of NIMC should transfer from central Government to local government. My Department is considering how best to implement the Assembly’s wishes and achieve that transfer.
1745. That gives some indication of the Department’s connection to the museums sector, for which I have direct responsibility. I will now turn to the specifics of the terms of reference. The Committee has taken evidence from various groups on the impact of the lack of a museums policy on their organisations. I have no doubt that each will have outlined the genuine difficulties that they face. Government clearly has a role to play in directing and influencing the museums sector.
1746. In considering the development of a formal policy, my Department had to weigh up departmental priorities and resources. The view is that there are legislative powers and working practices in existence, and there is no high priority to allocate the time and precious resources required to develop a policy. I do not see a formal policy as being a panacea for all the issues facing the museums sector, particularly those areas for which central Government has no direct responsibility, namely, museums owned and funded by councils or voluntary-based organisations.
1747. I do not subscribe to the view that, in the absence of a formal policy, the museums sector in Northern Ireland lacks direction or control. I will provide a few examples. The legislative framework for museums is the Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998. The Order sets out the arrangements for the establishment of a board of national museums and its functions in relation to collections; management; the promotion of understanding and education through those collections; and financial arrangements. The Order also sets out legislation in relation to museums that are provided by councils. For example, councils are obliged to consult the Department prior to the planning of a new museum. That consultation provides the Department with the opportunity to stress the importance of having sustainable museums, and to try to avoid overextending the sector.
1748. The Department has governance over the two main museums bodies — National Museums Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Museums Council. Those organisations are subject to governance practices, which include corporate and business-planning processes, management statements and financial memoranda, and accountability arrangements whereby the appropriate checks and balances are made. That provides museum services with ongoing strategic direction.
1749. The Department encourages the accreditation of all museums as a means of ensuring the quality of the product, as well as to meet national standards. It can, for instance, help to facilitate loans between museums, not just in Northern Ireland, but on a UK and worldwide basis. It is essential that our museums maintain accreditation parity with their counterparts across the UK. Accreditation enables museums to assess their performance, as well as supporting them in planning and developing their services. The scheme encourages museums to reach minimum levels in museum management, user services, visitor facilities and collections care. That helps to foster public confidence in museums and it provides a benchmark for grant-making bodies, sponsors and donors that want to support museums.
1750. Funding is always to the fore in these debates. I am sure that many contributors would like more money for their organisations and would perhaps envisage a policy that contained a funding package. However, the development of a policy and additional funding do not necessarily go hand in hand. Visitor numbers and studies have shown that museums have great value for tourism and education. For example, the Ulster American Folk Park was named as the visitor attraction of the year at the 2008 Northern Ireland tourism awards. In the past financial year, 165,000 people passed through its gates — the highest number in its 30-year history.
1751. Museums also contribute to our quality of life. The Department commissioned its own study into the social and economic contribution of museums, art and sport. That study showed that some of the other areas in which museums contribute include employment creation; the knowledge economy; community focus; and the fostering of social cohesion and cross-community involvement.
1752. The Committee will be aware that the Department previously gave consideration to the development of a museums policy, but that did not proceed due to competing priorities and resource implications. We must be careful that we do not unduly create expectations that would be difficult to fulfil. However, I welcome the fact that the Committee chose to consider a museums policy for Northern Ireland, and I look forward to receiving a report of the Committee’s findings in due course.
1753. I am happy to take questions.
1754. The Chairperson: Thank you, Minister. As an MLA for West Tyrone, I am pleased that you acknowledged the ongoing success of the Ulster American Folk Park. However, I will now revert to my role as Chairperson. In your written submission, you stated that the Department operates under the legislative framework of the Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998. It strikes me that you and the Department seem to hold the view that legislation equals policy. Witnesses told us that there needs to be a vision for museums in a policy. Where is the vision in the legislation?
1755. Some people suggested that the legislative framework is simply an operating manual for museums, and that a vision is missing. In your opinion, is legislation the same as a policy?
1756. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: No, it is not. I assume that the Committee understood what was meant by “resources”, as I mentioned it four or five times during my opening statement.
1757. I am conscious that the development of a policy could be costly. If I were able to acquire the costings to allow a policy decision to be taken — which did not impinge or impact on the delivery of a high-quality museums service — I would be prepared to consider developing a policy. However, that has not been the case. Hazel will elaborate on the previous considerations of a policy and the implications that they had for the Department.
1758. Ms Hazel Campbell (Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure): As the Committee is probably aware, some time ago the Department conducted some work on a local museums and heritage review, the outcome of which was a wide-ranging study. However, that study was difficult to progress, because there were so many stakeholders involved. Although the Department made sterling efforts to progress that study, it proved difficult, and interest in it flagged. The Department has not said that it will never re-examine the issue, but it has made it clear that it does not have sufficient resources to do so at present.
1759. The Chairperson: Is it fair to say that, in 2003, the Department said that it would implement the recommendations of the report?
1760. Ms H Campbell: Yes, it is. However, that was in conjunction with other Departments — it was not just a DCAL report. The Department did establish a subgroup and chaired six of its meetings. However, as time progressed, it was clear that the subgroup was not meeting its initial objectives and was not progressing.
1761. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: My understanding is that, the more that the subgroup met, the more difficult it became to resolve problems. Is that a fair assessment?
1762. Ms H Campbell: Yes; a lot of different stakeholders were involved, which was part of the problem. The interpretation of “heritage” was also an issue. The subgroup got bogged down in such debates instead of trying to identify clear priorities to develop.
1763. The Chairperson: The Committee regards a focus on museums as relatively narrow, so a policy could have been achieved.
1764. Mr McCartney: Thank you for the presentation. As the Minister said in his opening remarks, many witnesses gave evidence to the Committee, and the representatives of the local and independent sector all spoke highly of the Museums Council. Minister, what is your view on the future of the Museums Council?
1765. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: I am considering how best to manage the transition over the next 18 months to two years. I have not come to a final conclusion on how to do that. However, I recognise that there is a supportive stance across local Government for the Northern Ireland Museums Council. I acknowledge that the submissions that the Committee received were very supportive of the Museums Council, which will play an important role in determining the outcome. We are not yet at that point, but we will get to it over the next year to 18 months.
1766. Mr McCausland: I thank the Minister for his presentation. Following Hazel’s point about previous work that was done on the issue, something that arose in discussions was that the breadth of that work was too wide and ambitious. The term “heritage” can mean a thousand things, from every local-studies group in every wee village in the back of beyond to major organisations, such as the Ulster Historical Foundation. If the policy was more focused on museums, it would be much more feasible.
1767. The other point to emerge was that many studies on museums have already been done, and there is also significant local expertise. Some witnesses who gave presentations to the Committee had considerable experience in their field. Could we not save a great deal of money, and avoid paying a fortune to consultants, by requesting that some work be done in-house on a more modest level? Often, when consultants are appointed, they question the experts, write down the answers and give them to the Committee. In-house work would put less strain on the Department’s budget.
1768. Mr McElduff: They might change the opening paragraph in that response, Nelson.
1769. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: We are getting to the cusp of the matter now. Previously, when heritage was included, as Mr McCausland outlined, the subject matter was extremely wide. Now that it has narrowed, the task is slightly easier, because the remit is clear.
1770. Before coming to today’s meeting, I asked about museums policies in England, Scotland and Wales. It transpired that views on the subject are diverse. Scotland does not have a museums policy and has no plans to develop one. England and Wales each have a strategy, which could be dressed up as something approaching a policy, but they differ considerably from each other.
1771. I want to avoid going down a particular route for the sake of ticking boxes. I want to ensure that the excellent product is maintained and improved. We must choose the most cost-effective route to meet that objective. I am not convinced by taking the policy route, but I will study any report that the Committee produces. However, I must take the wider picture into account, but even when I do so, the issue is not clear-cut. There is no vast body of opinion that the policy route is the one to deliver.
1772. Mr McCausland: If it reassures you, Minister, no one is terribly hung up on, or heavily wedded to, the word “policy”. It is question of a “vision” — a word that was used earlier — of the future, and common understanding. Perhaps “strategy”, in which a degree of vision is implicit, is a better word.
1773. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: That is fine; I am happy to consider the matter.
1774. Mr Shannon: It is good to see you here again; we will keep that seat warm for you every week.
1775. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: Thanks a lot.
1776. Mr Shannon: One of several recurring themes in the inquiry was free entry to museums, which would meet our objective of generating more visits. Is anyone in the Department examining that possibility? The Committee feels that free admission is critical to what it is trying to achieve.
1777. Another recurring theme mentioned by many groups was the need for a link between DCAL and other Departments to work on tourism, education and the oft-used words of the shared future. Have you, at any stage, considered that to be of such importance that it should form part of your Department’s strategy?
1778. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: I will ask Colin to answer the question on free access to museums.
1779. Mr Colin Watson (Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure): As members know, admission to the Ulster Museum is free, as it is a national museum. The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and the Ulster American Folk Park charge for entry. It is a question of resources, because the money from admissions helps to run the museums.
1780. Mr Shannon: Perhaps the two museums that charge offer something slightly different than other museums. The issue of free entry was mentioned by many deputations from smaller museums. I am keen to know how free entry to smaller museums can be achieved.
1781. Mr Watson: Ultimately, there is free entry for the national museums, such as the Ulster Museum. In other parts of the UK, national museums also try to offer free admission. It is a matter for local councils to decide whether smaller, local and voluntary museums can afford to offer free admission. They fund and maintain those museums. It is not a matter for the Department to intervene on local councils’ policies on their heritage, tourism and museum provision.
1782. The Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure: As we examine the Museums Council’s approach during the next year to 18 months, I want to consult with other Departments on how local government in particular is affected. Therefore, links will be forged through consultation and the discussions that will be held with a range of bodies in order to ensure that the correct result is achieved.
1783. Mr D Bradley: Good morning, Minister. I think that I am correct in saying that the majority of stakeholders who appeared before the Committee or sent in written submissions are positive about and supportive of a museums policy. However, the Department’s view seems to run counter to that. Some leading experts in museums are of the view that it would not take a great deal of time or resources to develop such a policy. If I understand you correctly, you say that you are wary of a museums policy because it might create expectations of resources that are greater than those that you have at your disposal. Although a policy obviously entails resources, that might involve the redistribution of resources based on changing priorities. There is no doubt that all sectors will fight for greater resources in the future.
1784. Why do you believe that the development of a policy will take such a long time and involve considerable resources, given that experts in the field are convinced that it could be done in a relatively short period of time? One person said that it would take no longer than six months, because much of the necessary information is readily available.
1785. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: It boils down to what people expect a museums policy to deliver. It appears to me, having read and listened to people’s concerns, that the museums policy is looked on as a vehicle to deliver a particular outcome, which, most people would accept, is a desirable outcome. I have to consider whether the vehicle that will achieve that outcome is cost-effective. For example, will achieving that outcome be possible within a short time frame? Will it be possible without considerable expense? If the answer to both of those questions is no — it is not possible to achieve that outcome within the constraints of a short time frame and, say, at a six-figure sum — I must examine whether I can achieve the same objective without having to go down the laborious route of devising a museums policy.
1786. I am merely saying that I am not convinced. I will ask Hazel to explain the previous departmental position, as regards whether it related to other areas where a policy was not introduced. We could set aside the 2003 inquiry, for example, which was wide, cumbersome and did not achieve the objective. Indeed, that policy may have coloured judgement to some degree.
1787. Ms H Campbell: The development of Government policy demands a minimum of three months’ consultation with the relevant stakeholders. Their views must be considered, and even that is done after the initial research has been conducted. I do not doubt that there are people capable of helping the Department to examine the issue, but that could not be turned around within six months.
1788. Another point about a vision, and related issues, is that national museums have a corporate strategy that sets out their vision and way forward. Therefore, what is being considered is the vision for the development of the local museums sector. The Department believes that, because local museums service local councils and communities, any policy development must have an input from those local communities and councils. Given the number of councils and groups with which the Department would have to consult, the process could take quite a while.
1789. Mr D Bradley: The refurbished Ulster Museum was mentioned. Does it, or will it, have facilities to provide presentations, literature and educational resources in Irish and other languages?
1790. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: I am not sure. I was going to say a couple of things about the Ulster Museum. I will find that out and respond to the Committee.
1791. I recommend that the Committee visits the Ulster Museum. I was there recently, and to me, it is a fantastic facility that will do everyone proud. I do not know the answer, but I will investigate what languages other than English will be provided. I will then forward that information to the Committee.
1792. Lord Browne: The Minister indicated in previous answers that he was financially constrained in drawing up a museums policy, yet there is a comprehensive sports policy on which approximately half of what is allocated to museums is spent. About £22 million a year is spent on museums. There is an extensive capital programme of £18·3 million for the next three years. Why is there no policy that will benefit both national and independent museums, when the policy on sport spends only half the amount that it is allocated to museums?
1793. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: Hazel provided the national museums’ perspective. If I wanted to examine more closely the possibility of introducing a museums policy, it would apply more particularly to local museums. However, as we all know, each Department is examining their budgetary constraints, which I suspect will be tighter over the next 12 months that they were over the past 12 months.
1794. If someone were to say to me that the resources to develop a museums policy were available, and I were convinced that it was a better way of achieving an end result, I think that I would be even more open-minded about it. The difficulty remains that the cost factor is likely to become more restrictive rather than to ease. I invite Hazel to respond on the issue of the lack of a museum strategy in comparison with a sports strategy.
1795. Ms H Campbell: The sports strategy was developed over many years. I am conscious about what you said about resources: the strategy will cost more than £100 million to deliver. The Department does not have funding for that in the investment strategy for Northern Ireland (ISNI). It is clear that it takes a long time to develop such a strategy.
1796. I believe that a good strategy is now in place for the development of sport, but that took a long time and a wide-ranging consultation was involved. We hope to be able to launch and deliver that strategy, but many resources will be needed to do so. Therefore, the same sorts of issues are involved, and delivery will come down to priorities.
1797. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: The shorthand version of what Hazel said is the expectation level might rise. What happened with the sports strategy is an example of what could happen with a museums strategy. The difficulties of implementing a policy lie with getting the resources and compacting the time. Overcoming those difficulties may raise the bar of expectation on what could be delivered. Some people might say that that is no bad thing, but additional resources would then be required to meet those expectations. There are no easy answers, but Lord Browne raised a relevant point.
1798. The Chairperson: Is the Department saying that the development of a museums policy is not high priority?
1799. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: Five minutes ago, I said that I am not intrinsically opposed to an outcome that most people would determine as leading towards a museums policy. Everyone agrees on that outcome. However, I am not convinced that a museums policy is the best route to get there because of the costs and time constraints that are involved. I would prefer to consider another route that leads to the same destination.
1800. That said, I will consider the Committee’s final report. I am prepared to consider other cost-effective mechanisms by which to implement a policy — and reasons and rationales for doing so — which leads to the same direction, but I do not currently see those.
1801. Mr Brolly: The Committee has received consultations, presentations and submissions from most of the councils that run museums. That information is available to the Committee and the Department. I think it was Raymond McCartney who mentioned that the groups that made submissions commented on the competence, experience, expertise and good work of the Museums Council. The submission from the Museums Council, which was delivered by Chris Bailey, was probably the best submission that we received. In fact, it encompassed everything that a museums policy might include.
1802. The Chairperson: Do you think that we are nearly at that stage, Francie?
1803. Mr Brolly: I think so. As I have said several times, there is no need to speak to independent consultants outside of the Museums Council, because they will go to Chris Bailey anyway, write down what he tells him and will send the bill.
1804. The Chairperson: Nelson made that point earlier.
1805. Mr McCausland: Information does not need to be taken from an individual or one organisation. Hazel mentioned that there are 26 councils, but four or five councils are grouped together into a museums service, with the result that we do not have to deal with all 26 councils.
1806. The Chairperson: The Mid-Antrim Museums Service is one example of that.
1807. Mr McCausland: Those local groups, the Museums Council and the national museums are the players that are needed.
1808. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: I will certainly consider that again during the next year, and I look forward to seeing the Committee’s report.
1809. Mr McNarry: I am a bit gutted, Minister, to hear what you have said, especially after all the effort and time that we have put in. You have heard that a consensus has developed among members as a result of the evidence that we have taken. I take your point about policy and strategy, and I listened to the point that you laboured on expectation. You have not been convincing in saying that you are open to being convinced, but I am nevertheless working on the basis that you are.
1810. The Chairperson: That is a possibility.
1811. Mr McNarry: Yes. Is it possible that you could ally expectation with aspiration? Can you factor in the aspiration for the added value of increased visitors and tourism, which all the museum presentations mentioned, and which seems to have convinced most of the Committee? That appears to add value to and to generate the capacity for spin-offs for communities. I underscore my disappointment, but will the Minister give the Committee any more hope?
1812. The Chairperson: Further to that, you talked about a different vehicle, but is there an alternative to a policy?
1813. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: I referred to England and Wales adopting their own strategies. I will not indulge in different descriptions of what amounts to similar projects. I stick to the position that I remain to be convinced. I do not want to go down a route that is costly. I am in no doubt that, if I were to do so, museums would say that if x amount of money had not been spent on drawing up a policy, x, y and z could have been achieved.
1814. Mr McNarry: The Committee is saying that it thinks money can be saved on drawing up a policy. You are not offering any Budget costs. However, the point has already been made by Mr Brolly and Chris Bailey about the fact that a policy can be put together.
1815. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: The Department must have a degree of independence, professionalism and of consultation that will not be achieved in as short a period as six months. Whatever it may save, that will cost money. I merely say that I remain to be convinced. Regardless of whether there is another mechanism — the Chairperson referred to a “strategy” — I want to put in place the most cost-effective mechanism to deliver what is a very good-quality product.
1816. The system that has operated over recent years will change over the next two years. However, I am not convinced that the policy route should be followed. I am prepared to consider what might replace that route; whether it is a strategy or whatever, provided that it ticks the Department’s boxes on time constraints and other issues. If a mechanism can be devised that gets a strategy, possibly similar to that in England and Wales —
1817. Mr McNarry: That may not be an argument; are you willing to listen to that argument?
1818. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure: Yes.
1819. Mr McNarry: That is fine.
1820. The Chairperson: I thank the Minister and his officials for their engagement with the Committee.
Antrim Borough Council
Ards Borough Council
Armagh City & District Council
Causeway Museum Service
Craigavon Borough Council
Department of Culture, Arts & Leisure
Derry City Council
Mr William Dickson
Down District Council
Fermanagh District Council
HMS Caroline Committee
Heritage Lottery Fund
Mr Erskine Holmes
Ilex Urban Regeneration Company
Living Memorial Museum
Mr Brian Mackey – Curator of the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum
Mid - Antrim Museums Service
Milford Building Preservation Trust
Museum of Free Derry
National Museums Northern Ireland
Newry & Mourne District Council
North Down Borough Council
Northern Ireland Museums Council
Northern Ireland Regional Curators Group
Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
Mr A.M.M. Steven
Strabane District Council
The Naughton Gallery
The National Trust
The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group
Mr Ian Vincent
16th June 2008
Ref: H/1 GS
Linda Gregg
Clerk
Committee for Culture, Arts & Leisure
424 Parliament Buildings
Stormont
BELFAST
BT4 3XX
Dear Ms Gregg
Further to receipt of your letter dated 27th May 2008, requesting comments on your Committee’s proposed inquiry into ‘The Development of a Museum’s Policy for Northern Ireland’. Accordingly, I would ask that you note the following points made on behalf of Antrim Borough Council.
Antrim Borough Council’s Development & Leisure Services Department has strategic responsibility for the provision of cultural facilities. There is no formally accredited museum provision within the Borough of Antrim, however, the Cultural Services section provides for the temporary display of exhibitions and collections of a heritage nature or theme. Council is a ‘Supporting Member’ of the Northern Ireland Museums Council and this membership entitles Council to advice, training and other assistance.
Council owns and manages two cultural facilities that incorporate heritage related programming, namely Clotworthy Arts Centre and Pogues Entry Historical Cottage. Council has appointed staff with responsibility for heritage development and their activities are informed by a draft Cultural Strategy 2008-2011, which is presently open to public consultation. The types of activities undertaken by heritage staff include exhibition research, curatorial support and care of historical artefacts.
Over the next 3 years, Cultural provision within the Borough will increase through investment in facilities including the restoration and development of Antrim Castle Gardens and the redevelopment for cultural use of the old Courthouse building in Antrim town centre. A stated objective of the aforementioned Castle Gardens project is to secure full museum accreditation for refocused heritage facilities at Clotworthy Arts Centre. Council is working alongside the Northern Ireland Museums Council to achieve that objective.
Antrim Borough Council fully supports the proposal of Committee to undertake an inquiry into ‘The Development of a Museum Policy for Northern Ireland’. Furthermore, we would hope that such an inquiry would address issues relating to anticipated changes to local government legislation and our obligations arising from the Review of Public Administration.
Council is aware that museum provision across Northern Ireland is managed and financed by both public, private and independent sector interests. Furthermore, local authority museum provision accounts for upwards of fifty percent of the sector. Council’s main concern over museums is sustainability, both in terms of visitor numbers and the resources required to manage such services. We would hope that any future policy or recommendations addresses our concerns over sustainability and provides strategic direction for all stakeholders, including local government.
Antrim Borough Council has an interest in ensuring that any museum offerings contain themes relevant to a local area alongside cohesive and well-researched display/archive material. Our view is that local museum provision should not be a localised version of a regional or national museum. It is also our view that any future policies should be closely aligned to the Northern Ireland Curriculum, so that educational benefits can be fully maximised.
Please extend my appreciation to Committee for their consideration of these points and I look forward to receipt of any future updates on policy development, in due course.
Yours sincerely
Gary Shaw
Cultural Services Manager
10 June 2008
Linda Gregg
Clerk
Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure
Room 424, Parliament Buildings
Stormont
Belfast
BT4 3XX
Dear Ms Gregg
The Council acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 27 May regarding an inquiry into the Development of a Museums Policy for Northern Ireland and now reply accordingly.
With reference to the Armagh City & District Council area there are a number of exceptional museums some which are in central government management and some outside this framework. The Council is committed to drawing forward tourism and the role of museums are important as an attractor for visitors. The Council welcome the planned review which will involve the development of a formal policy looking at the long term sustainability, development and investment in the museum sector. Such a joined up approach will facilitate and enhance the role this sector potentially can make to tourism and the local economy. As it is proposed the Armagh County Museum will transfer under the RPA, the council would welcome input into discussions on this facility. The Council would further add that at a local level in Armagh there are a number of other very specialist attractions under the control of DCAL that should also be considered for example Armagh Observatory and Armagh Planetarium.
The Council look forward to receiving further updates as this inquiry progresses.
Yours sincerely
Strategic Director of Regeneration and Development
6th June, 2008
The Causeway Museum Service (CMS) was set up in 1996 as a partnership between Coleraine, Limavady, Ballymoney and Moyle local authorities to develop and deliver sustainable museum services across a region which represents about one quarter of the area of Northern Ireland. It was the first regional museum service in Northern Ireland and continues to provide cost-effective models of best practice.
The work of the Service is underpinned by the CMS Regional Development Strategy 2005 – 09. Coleraine Borough Council leads the partnership, acts as employer for regional staff and is engaged in establishing the lead museum. Each council is responsible for a fully accredited museum and collections contain material of international and national, as well as of local significance.
CMS is committed to the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council(DCMS) Accreditiation process as a way of guaranteeing and bench-marking sustainable, transparent standards of practice and service to stakeholders, including ratepayers, elected representatives, audiences, donors and staff.
The CMS has established a reputation across the British Isles and beyond for developing and delivering museum services to and in partnership with local communities, a claim validated by the overwhelming success of the April 2008 national seminar ‘Engaging Your Community’ which was supported by HLF, RoI Heritage Council, Group for Education in Museums, and the constituent councils.
A dynamic and frequent temporary exhibition programme sustains the support of local people and provides on-going access to the rich collections. These displays are of high standard and attract growing audiences. The regional element promotes and sustains local distinctiveness whilst at the same time promoting area synergies. At least 2 regional exhibitions are delivered every year and have included ‘Flight – when dreams became reality’ and ‘Illumination – which toured outside the area – ‘Salmon, glittering prize of the Causeway’, ‘Our Lives – Legacy of World War II’.
Validation of our expertise in developing museum services, exhibitions and community outreach is supported by inclusion of CMS representatives on regional, national and international platforms e.g University of Ulster undergrad and post graduate seminar delivery, University of Pisa conference panel, Virginia Association of Museums seminar, HLF conference sessions, NIMC training workshops and conference sessions, Tyne and Wear Museums conference workshop, Irish Museums Association sessions and workshops and Heritage Council RoI Panel of trainers for Museum Accreditation.
The CMS model of partnership working delivers economies of scale, effective access to specialist expertise and sustainable, distributed services, both through the museums themselves and to external collaborators. Examples of external collaboration include the exhibition ‘Schools Days – the best days of our lives?’ in conjunction with staff and students of the University of Ulster; the Mountsandel e-learning resource with the EHS, NMNI, Conservation Volunteers and local schools; and as lead partner in the proposed Northern Ireland Community Archive Network with the BBC, Dept of FP ‘MygroupNI’, Belfast City Council and NIMC.
In recognition of our experience, the CMS has been consulted by a number of NI Local Authorities on the process of developing shared museum services and developing community outreach : e.g Strabane District Council, North Down District Council, Newry and Mourne District Council and Down District Council.
CMS also provides advice on museum governance, collections management and visitor services to community organisations and their local collections such as Garvagh Museum( not Accredited), North Antrim Masonic Lodges, Gelvin Community Association
In 1992 the Northern Ireland Museums Advisory Committee (NIMAC) recommended the establishment of 7 – 9 regional museums and that local authorities co-operate to provide regional services. NIMC continued to support this recommendation through its Regional Museum Policy. The Causeway Museum Service arose out of these suggestions in 1996, with Coleraine as the designated regional museum. NIMC NIMC commenced a review of the implementation of its policy at the time of the DCAL/DOE Local Heritage Review in 2000.
NIMC currently administers Accreditation in Northern Ireland for Museums Libraries and Archives Council, Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Support for national museums comes directly from DCAL with some essential support for local museums through the medium of NIMC, in the form of advice, small scale funding and training. Notably NIMC has no funding stream to support museum capital projects. CMS has benefited from the advice, funding and training available through NIMC and has been in receipt of grants for specimen purchase, collections care, staffing and exhibitions. Crucially, such funding often acts as leverage for other monies from HLF, local government, the Art Fund, etc. The current term of NIMC extended only till the end of this current financial year threatens to remove what little central government support our local museums receive
Museum sector throughout NI, including the CMS, has the capacity, experience and knowledge to assist and advise DCAL on the development of a formal policy for museums in Northern Ireland.
4.1 Impact of lack of formal policy
Central government ( DCMS) has generated a series of important initiatives relating to museums, but with devolution even when policy might apply, necessary funding has not followed. Examples are free admission to national museums (N. Ireland has the only charging national museums in these islands), the Renaissance in the Regions project which recognised and directed substantial public funding towards local collections - but only in England - and changes in the Accreditation system which are causing potential problems locally. This contrasts with a strategically supported, well funded, locally appropriate system which is raising standards south of the border. Especially in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland the importance of museums has been recognised in policy, implemented by dramatically increased resources. Whilst some capital has recently been allocated to our national museums, the level of specimen purchase money remains negligible in comparative terms and curatorial expertise has been dissipated. Both these factors impact substantially on local museums.
One of several effects as experienced by CMS and its constituents is that applications for capital funding have been undermined by lack of central government direction and policy, both in terms of uncertainty and lack of focus. In this context, a comparison of HLF museum funding between Scotland and Northern Ireland is instructive. The situation has been exacerbated by NIMC’s commencement in 2000 of review of the implementation of its policies, reinforced by the Museums and Galleries NI Order 1998 which maintains the discretionary nature of museum provision by local government. This means that Northern Ireland is failing to attract money for infrastructural development which is going elsewhere, to the detriment of the local population, future generations and the important tourism market.
The lack of government policy derives from, and follows through to, an absence of support and advocacy that leaves museums, crucial elements of our heritage and services, including education and learning, vulnerable. More widely, it places museums well down the public agenda and ignores the wider role they can play in society across a number of areas, and make it difficult to connect with policy and provision in areas such as education, community cohesion, equality, social and economic development and tourism. The policy vacuum also results in NI capital museum projects being assessed outside any role in an overall framework and outside a sustainable context. In other instances, funding has been concentrated in particular areas or regions whilst others remain substantially under-resourced, maintaining the existing situation of ad hoc provision which has prevailed historically since the rejection of the flawed structures suggested by the Malcolm Report in the 1970s. The current position under RPA of NIMC, whose functions were due to be transferred into central and local government in 2008, and which now has been extended only until the end of this current financial year further exacerbates the situation.
4.2 Departmental guidelines
CMS has no awareness any departmental guidelines.
4.3 Levels of public and private sector investment in Museums in NI
4.4 Examples of best practice and research
CMS Community Outreach Project 2005- 2008 funded by HLF, taking museums skills out into communities has provided a number of case studies for best practice to engage communities:
this resulted in the aforementioned CMS ‘engaging your community’ in April 2008 national training seminar.
In 2004 Dr Wilson of University of Ulster published her study on CMS ‘The Role of Partnerships in the Delivery of Local Government Museum Services – a case study from Northern Ireland.’
4.5 Way forward
Expedite the development and support for NI museums policy in consultation with the museum sector and other key stakeholders, that is supported by a programme of implementation.
The new museums policy will need to address the impact of devolved government in Northern Ireland on the sector
Accreditation be formally used to as the benchmark for funding and public recognition as a museum
Strengthen the position of museums within Local Authorities in such a way to ensure sustainability and security for the collections and investors
Maintain and support the functions of NIMC until at least the NI Museum policy and programme for implementation is in place.
The Causeway Museum Service would welcome the opportunity to provide oral evidence or any other input the Committee would seek
Yours sincerely
Chair of Causeway Museum Service Committee
Conservation & Heritage Service
Lough Neagh Discovery Centre
Oxford Island NNR
Craigavon,
BT66 6NJ
2 June 2008
The Committee Clerk
Room 424
Parliament Buildings
Belfast
BT4 3XX
Dear Ms Gregg
Thank you for your letter dated 27 May 2008, which was addressed to our Chief Executive.
We strongly support the development of a Museums Policy, however, given the extremely tight time schedule given in your letter, we have been unable to bring these issues to our Museum Committee and our Leisure Services Committee.
As a result, our submission is very brief and we would have welcomed more time to give consideration to the Terms of Reference. We would request that you permit us to make an oral submission to the Committee in due course.
We have however, made some points which are attached.
Yours sincerely
Rosemary Mulholland
Head of Conservation & Heritage
Craigavon Museum Services, in existence from 1993, is based at Oxford Island in Craigavon and has a large local and social history collection. We manage 3 sites – Craigavon Museum at Waterside House, the Barn Museum and Moneypenny’s Lockhouse as well as delivering an outreach programme to the community. We are currently seeking to develop the museum on a theme of the Inland Waterways and have acquired objects to support this project.
1. The Museum Service would support the development of a Museums Policy for Northern Ireland to validate and reinforce the principle of Central Government support for local museums.
2. We would welcome that existing support structures, delivered by NI Museums Council (NIMC) are retained at least until this Policy becomes operational. NIMC has supported Craigavon Museum Services through advice, training and funding. Currently Craigavon Museum is applying for Accredited status and has received guidance on this from NIMC. We feel it is essential that the development of a Museum Policy is centred on the Accreditation Standard, ensuring the highest quality of service and collections care.
3. While we feel that NIMC has made a very valuable contribution to our work, the forthcoming Review of Public Administration means that we will no longer continue to operate in relative isolation, but will have to re-assess our Museum provision with reference to the two Councils areas we will join with in 2011 – ie Banbridge District Council and Armagh City Council. This is of specific importance to us at present, given our proposed re-development as a Waterways Museum.
4. The absence of a Province-wide policy makes it difficult to plan ahead strategically and could lead to the overlap or duplication of services already offered elsewhere. Our Museum would benefit from a joined-up approach to collections development and learning which strategically links the Museum sector. Indeed, we would welcome the opportunity to link our development with that of Central Government departments eg tourism and education. We would hope that a Museum Policy will help us to move forward and to address these issues.
5. In summary, we would welcome your consultation with museums and other stakeholders in this process to ensure that museums can appropriately protect and develop their collections and heritage assets in a strategic manner.
Barry McElduff MLA
Chairperson
Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure
Room 424
Parliament Buildings
Stormont
BELFAST
BT4 3XX
Dear Mr McElduff,
I am writing to you concerning the Committee’s Inquiry into the development of a museums policy for Northern Ireland.
I understand that Departmental Officials have previously, through correspondence and evidence to the Committee, set out the current position of the Department in relation to development of a museums policy.
Nonetheless, I felt it appropriate that we formally contribute to the Committee’s Inquiry and I enclose our submission.
Yours sincerely
[signed]
Gregory Campbell MLA
Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Inquiry into the development of a Museums Policy for Northern Ireland.
Submission from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is responsible for National Museums Northern Ireland which holds collections of national significance at its four main sites: the Ulster Museum, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum the Ulster-American Folk Park. and Armagh County Museum. The National Museums Northern Ireland also has responsibility for the W5 Science Centre at Odyssey, Northern Ireland’s landmark Millennium project.
Through its collections, National Museums Northern Ireland promotes the awareness, appreciation and understanding by the public of art, history and science; the culture and way of life of people; and the migration and settlement of people.
The Department is also responsible for the Northern Ireland Museums Council which acts as the main channel of government support to local (non-centrally funded) museums.
The National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland were created by the merger in 1998 of the Ulster Museum, Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and Ulster American Folk Park. The organisation operates on a split-site basis with its main activities being carried on at Belfast Botanic Gardens, Cultra and Omagh.
The Board of Trustees of the organisation operates under the legislative umbrella of the Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998. All 15 members are ministerial appointees.
National Museums Northern Ireland also currently runs Armagh County Museum which will transfer to local council under RPA.
National Museums are currently undertaking a major reform and modernisation programme aimed at reducing costs to affordable levels and putting in place structures to support the operation of a modern museum service. In parallel with this, a capital development programme is in train, one of the projects being the refurbishment of the Ulster Museum due for completion in 2009.
Revenue Funding for 08/09 is £22.7m. The total Capital Programme for 2008-11 is £26.3m. A breakdown of the major capital expenditure is as follow:
The Department currently funds the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC). Annual funding, £279k for 2008/09, allows the Council to provide services for and on behalf of small museums – council, independent and voluntary through giving advice, co-ordinating training, accreditation and a small grants scheme.
The RPA concluded that the functions of NIMC should transfer to central and local government. Which functions and where they will transfer to is being considered by the Department.
We would expect to conclude this consideration in the Autumn of 2008.
The Department would offer the following comments on the issues raised in the Terms of Reference:
1. In terms of museums policy, the Department operates under the legislative framework of the Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998. The Order sets out how National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland will be provided and the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Trustees of National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland. The Order provides a policy framework to enable District Councils to provide and maintain museums and galleries in their council areas and sets out the consultation arrangements between Councils and the Department when new museums are being planned.
In addition to this legislative framework, the Department has Management Statements and Financial Memoranda (MSFM) with National Museums and the Northern Ireland Museums Council. Under the terms of the MSFMs these bodies provide corporate and business plans which are agreed by the Department on an annual basis. The Corporate and Business Plans provide the on-going strategic direction for museums services and are reviewed on an annual basis.
The Museum Registration Scheme (now called the Accreditation Scheme) was established to raise and maintain standards across UK museums.
Accreditation enables museums to assess their current performance, and it supports them in planning and developing their services. The Scheme encourages museums to reach minimum levels in museum management, user services, visitor facilities and collections care. This helps foster public confidence in museums. It also provides a benchmark for grant-making bodies, sponsors and donors wishing to support museums. The Northern Ireland Museums Council administers the scheme in Northern Ireland on behalf of the Museums, Libraries, and Archives Council.
2. As per (1) above, the current legislation and the business planning and governance processes with the National Museums and the Northern Ireland Museums Council provide the necessary strategic direction for national and non-national museums. It is a matter for the owners/funders/trustees of non-national museums as to how their individual museums operate and develop.
3. The Department commissioned Price Waterhouse Coopers to produce a report “Social and Economic Value of Public Libraries, Museums, Arts and Sport in Northern Ireland. Phase 1: Designing a Model”.
The Committee may find this report useful in their deliberations over the benefits to society from museums. There are no print versions of the report, however it is available on the Internet at http://www.dcalni.gov.uk/valcal_-_final_report_dec_2007.pdf
4. The Department first gave consideration to the development of a Museums Policy in 2006. At that time the Museums Association (UK) were contacted regarding museums policies in the rest of the UK.
They provided the following information at that time:
In Wales, the agency for Museums, Libraries and Archives (CyMAL) is part of the Assembly Government. As they have a cross-sectoral approach, their policy and strategy work has tended to deal with a theme across all the sectors, and they don’t have a museum policy as such. It is likely that a national museum strategy for Wales will be developed though this will be aspirational, rather than government policy.
In Scotland, the Scottish Museums Council is a membership organisation (not an NDPB but does receive Executive funding). They take a lead on strategy for Scottish museums but this excludes the national museums, so they can not take a complete overview. There is no overarching national strategy document.
In England, DCMS undertook a consultation in 2005 called “Understanding the Future” which aimed to look at the big questions about the future of museums. A working group is currently determining how to take this forward. But it is not clear whether what will emerge really is a proper national strategy, or something much smaller scale.
We understand that the present position is:
In Wales a study entitled ‘Spotlight on Museums’ will feed into a body of work already underway to develop a new strategy for the sector in Wales. Consultation is currently being carried out with the profession in Wales and beyond, with involvement from the Federation for Museums and Art Galleries of Wales, who have carried out a number of meetings across Wales to discuss the strategy and what it might contain. The draft document will be ready to go through the Welsh Assembly Government Policy Gateway process week commencing 23 June 2008.
In Scotland, Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is funded by the Scottish Government to deliver their objectives for museums and galleries. Neither MGS nor the Scottish Government has a written policy specifically for museums, and there are no plans to develop one at the present time.
Policy is defined through a number of frameworks that set out the priorities, approaches and way forward for the Scottish museums and galleries sector:
In England The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has tasked the MLA (Museums Libraries and Archives Council) with delivering a unified national strategy for English museums, building on, developing and concluding the process behind 2005’s Understanding the Future: Museums and 21st Century Life, and the 2006 document Understanding the Future: Priorities for England’s Museums. It is planned to deliver the strategy at the Museums Association conference in Liverpool in October.
June 2008
1.1 This paper has been prepared by Derry City Council in response to the current public consultation exercise initiated by the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure into The Development of a Museum’s Policy for Northern Ireland. Derry City Council welcomes the opportunity to respond to this inquiry.
1.2 Derry City Council’s Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan refers to the importance of strengthening the City’s role as Regional City for the North West as identified within the Regional Development Strategy (RDS) 2025. This and other related Council Strategy including the Development Department’s Integrated Strategy and Policy documents further articulates the vision contained within the RDS through a number of key objectives and actions which relate to encouraging culture, arts and tourism development.
1.3 In particular, the Development Department’s Integrated Development Framework recognises the strengths of Museum services within the Culture and Tourism Theme. This is further emphasised in the Council’s Corporate Plan 2006 – 2009 which places significant importance on achieving ‘ a culturally rich region made up of confident, safe and healthy communities’.
1.4 Derry City Council Heritage and Museums Service collects, manages and presents the history and heritage of the region, enabling enjoyment and leaning for all and the enrichment of peoples lives.
1.5 In 2008-09 the Heritage and Museums Service has an annual budget of more than £996,800, and manages 4 museums: the Foyle Valley Railway, the Harbour Museum, the Workhouse Museum, and the flagship of the service, the award-winning Tower Museum. In 2007-08 these museums received more than 35000 visitors.
1.6 The Heritage and Museums Service has 5 key aims : To manage our collections; Provide enjoyable exhibitions; Build new audiences; Contribute to the preservation of the built heritage; Provide learning opportunities to the widest possible audience.
1.7 Heritage and Museums Service will be leading Council’s efforts on a number of major projects including the application for World Heritage Status; the Plantation commemoration programme; developing the Foyle Valley Railway site; and developing the heritage components of the regeneration of the Ebrington site.
1.8 Derry City Council Heritage and Museums Service works closely with the museums sector in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, including the Northern Ireland Museums Council and the Heritage Council. The Heritage and Museums Service also has strong links to local and National museums on a cross-border basis.
2.0 Committee’s Terms of Reference – Main Points of Consideration
2.1 In line with the original terms of reference, the following is Derry City Council’s response to the main areas of consideration in corresponding order
2.2 To consider the impact on museums in Northern Ireland resulting from a lack of formal Departmental policy and museums over a number of years.
The lack of a museums policy has had a number of effects:
2.3 To examine/consider the Departmental guidelines currently used in place of a formal policy.
Local museums contact with current Departmental guidelines/provision is through the provision of the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC)
a. Project grant aid including specimen purchase grant aid
b. Advocacy and advice services
c. Strategic leadership for the sector
d. Training
e. Accreditation/registration system for museums
With relatively little resources NIMC have made an enormously beneficial impact.
2.4 To draw on research and evidence on best practice on policy for museums which results in building up a joined-up museum sector that will over the long-term deliver real benefit to individuals, communities and the economy and the associated outcomes
For example, Derry City Council has been working for a number of years to develop the product offered through the city’s cultural tourism attractions. These attractions are community based and articulate the story of that community and its historical role in the development of the city and region. Council officers are currently working with non-statutory cultural tourism providers such as the Apprentice Boys of Derry, Saint Columb’s Cathedral, Museum of Free Derry, First Derry Presbyterian Church and the Long Tower Precinct to develop the cultural tourism offering of the Walled City. It is worth noting that most of the financial support secured for these venues has come not from DCAL or NIMC but from DETI, DOE (EHS), DSD and other non-governmental sources (HLF, IFI etc.). Given the importance of the cultural tourism product in attracting visitors to NI and in educating our own communities it is important that these venues are nurtured and sustained to maturity. In Derry alone Saint Columb’s Cathedral and the Museum of Free Derry attract in excess of 80,000 visitors per annum. It is therefore important that any Development of a Museum’s Policy for Northern Ireland considers the relevance of non-statutory, community based museums as well as statutory service providers in the sector.
2.5 In conclusion Derry City Council believes this inquiry is of significant importance and accordingly supports the following principles.
a. Derry City Council support the following principles with regards the development of a museums policy and the proposed alterations to local museum provision under the Review of Public Administration.
b. A museums policy for NI be developed
c. The policy should be based upon the accreditation standard
d. The current support structure (ie. Northern Ireland Museums Council) for non-national museums should be retained until specific mechanisms have been put in place to replace these functions
e. Central government support for non-national museums must be maintained as is the practice across the UK and Republic of Ireland
A Submission By William Dickson
31 Broadway Parade, Belfast, BT12 6JX
Telephone: 90292631 Email: billy.Dickson@ntlworld.com
Served 38 years in the Ulster Museum as a supervisor in charge of work teams, specializing in art and object handling.
I have a copy of a policy framework for museums in the United Kingdom. It is a draft for consultation dated May 1998. I imagine that the process has long since been completed. Due to heavy work commitments I have not been able to investigate what policy is now in force by the Museums & Galleries Commission. In 1998 I was in general agreement with the draft policy but I would now like to make some points for your consideration. They deal mostly with the collections as I believe a lot of time, effort and expenditure is spent in associated activities surrounding the collections but little about the collections themselves and how best to look after them. Without the collections we have no ‘real’ museums.
1. Greater effort should be made to put on display a wider range of objects from the collections. Millions of objects throughout Northern Ireland museums are seldom or never seen by the public.
2. Collections should be cared for by highly trained and experienced staff in the areas of conservation and handling. This is certainly not the case at the moment.
3. Public funding should be directed firstly at areas of museum work which directly effect the collections.
4. Sufficient resources to manage collections should mean that collections should not suffer from poor storage, environmental problems, lack of training, insufficient gallery invigilation unsuitable equipment and research time in a wide range of museum activities. Approved standards should be clearly defined for all staff.
5. Greater efforts should be made to involve the whole community in the use of the museum. Where possible facilities should be offered free. Intellectual and ‘class’ barriers are not as easily removed as physical barriers. My view is that museums are seen by a large section of the community as the preserve of the middle and upper classes. Evening events also tend to cater for the elite. Determined efforts should be made to change this view by making sure that museums are used by the whole community and better still used by the whole community together.
6. Pressure should be resisted to cut costs my reducting warding staff that can only led to an increase in damage to objects. The presence of a warder / gallery assistant greatly reduces the risk to objects. The main areas of risk to objects are when they are being moved or on display.
7. Easy access by the public to collection stores would be difficult if not impossible due to lack of space. If a museum has a small room close to the store (s) it could be used as a viewing room where individual items could be brought and viewed by a member of the public who has made a prior appointment, however even this is not without risk and the best practice is to have the objects on display in proper conditions. One way to display a greater range of objects over a shorter period of time is to make a section of a gallery available to display items which are not necessary related to each other and a notice to explain the reason for the display. Items should be changed frequently. Another idea is to have a painting or object of the month display.
8. In order to ensure that collections are cared for by people with appropriate knowledge, expertise and skills a recognised national qualification for all handlers should be established.
9. In addition to publishing policies, public meetings should be held outside the museum, perhaps in a local leisure centre. For national museums regional meetings could be arranged.
10. Self-assessment schemes could be further developed through national training at regular intervals.
11. An exchange scheme could be developed where experienced staff could work in other museums, thereby developing ideas and helping basic standards and practises.
12. As old buildings and even some new ones present high risks in the display, storage and movement of objects clear guidelines in the construction of museum buildings should be established. Buildings which fail to measure up to the basic museum standards should not be given any recognition.
13. I do not believe that people outside museums fully understand the nature and complexity of museum work. Unlike industry, museum work demands as the norm ‘on the spot assessments’. A heavy unwieldy object is one thing but when it is priceless work of art then the way you move it must be given a lot more thought. General industry produces standard goods but museum handlers can expect the unexpected with a wide range of objects and materials from feathers to concrete.
14. To sum up, museum policy should first centre on its collections and how best to make them available to the general public and at the same time involve the same general public in getting involved in having a meaningful say in their collections and museums.
Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure
By Sharon O’Connor, Director of Cultural and Economic Development, and
Mike King, Curator, Down County Museum
1.0 Existing Regional Museum Development Policy
2.0 Designation of Regional Museum Services
3.0 Museum Accreditation
4.0 Reorganisation of Public Administration
5.0 Partnerships
6.0 Central Government support
7.0 Recommendations
Down County Museum continues to operate a Museum policy which promotes the provision of a museum service which has a “Co Down” remit (in its entirety as opposed to confined by this Council’s boundaries).
The Down County Museum plays an important role which reflects key aspects of history and heritage of Down, managing a collection and developing educational resources and exhibitions which tell the story of Co Down, for example the local history of the farming and fishing industry.
Down District Council continues to prefer the Regional Museum Development Policy, developed by the Northern Ireland Museums Council in conjunction with regional museum services run by local Councils in the 1990’s.
In this Policy, the Northern Ireland Museums Council provides definitions of three categories of museums in the Province:
Regional Museums are defined as those serving the people of defined territories, administrative districts, historic counties or similar geographical areas within Northern Ireland. They have a comprehensive role, covering archaeology, history, industrial history, folk culture, art and natural history of the particular areas they serve.
In 1992, the then Minister for Education accepted the definition of a regional museum service set out in the Report of the Northern Ireland Museums Advisory Committee as follows:
‘All museums acquire, conserve, research, communicate and exhibit artefacts of cultural or environmental significance. Any regional museum [service] in Northern Ireland must engage in all of these activities. Thus, such museums should be limited in number, and we recommend that they should be characterised by:
The NIMC Policy aims are to see 7-9 regional museum services established in Northern Ireland, although these are not all yet in place. Down County Museum, operated by Down District Council for 27 years, is clearly a Category 2 or Regional Museum, which meets all the criteria given above.
Down District Council believes that there should be a clear policy, backed by central government, to show the benefits of a limited number of regional museum services.
At the end of June 2001, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Department of the Environment issued The Report of the Local Museums and Heritage Review Steering Group. This Report supported the establishment of a system of designation of regional museum services.
The Report endorsed NIMC’s Regional Museum Development Policy, and stated that ‘it is crucial that regional museums’ designation is more than a nominal recognition for participating museums’. It is recommended that there should be an explicit process for formal designation of regional museum services based on agreed criteria, and that this should confer tangible benefits for those achieving the designation. It is envisaged that this will take the form of eligibility for special designated funding.
On a practical level, each designated regional museum service would consist of a ‘lead’ museum, with the capacity to provide regional services, and to attract special strategic funding on the basis of its partnership projects with other museums and heritage organisations.
The establishment of a process for the designation of regional museum services provides a real opportunity for Down District Council to gain recognition for its commitment to the development of what is in effect a County-wide museum service over a period of 27 years. In this context, designation should be established in order to support the future development of the Museum service in the long-term, with central government ‘enhanced support’ and ‘special designated funding’ being provided to sustain the services provided.
We urge the development of a regional Museums strategy which embraces both cultural and natural heritage, and takes a broad view of provision throughout Northern Ireland, whether it be through government departments, local authorities, independent trusts or voluntary organisations. Its overall aims are to strengthen the arrangements for the preservation, interpretation, promotion and educational use of the heritage of Northern Ireland, in accordance with the principles of quality of provision, increased access, complementarity between providers in pursuit of common interests, and value for money.
Almost all local authority museums in Northern Ireland, including Down County Museum, have passed the current round of Accreditation assessments, administered by the Northern Ireland Museums Council and submitted to the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council in London.
The status of Accreditation, in demonstrating the maintenance of the highest professional standards in museum management, is of the utmost importance, and its achievement should be central to the new Museums Policy.
Within each new Council established under RPA, regional museums should be at the centre of a nexus that embraces maximum co-operation with the heritage sector, while recognising the unique role of the accredited museum in collecting, preserving and making accessible genuine artefacts for the benefit of the public. Consideration should be given to making museum provision a statutory responsibility of the proposed new Councils in order to ensure that the network of regional museum services envisaged in previous Reports becomes a reality and no area is left without a service able to preserve the material heritage of its diverse communities.
In light of the boundaries associated with new Council structures, the sub regional role of museums may be as under-resourced and fragmented as it currently is with local Museums such as ours continuing to provide this service for the County without support from all areas reflected in the Museum’s work.
Down County Museum is an excellent candidate for future regional status, as a result of past Council funding. However, it is unlikely that the Museum’s present collecting area of County Down will be matched precisely by the boundaries of its Council funding base following local government reorganisation. It is more likely that the Museum will act as a headquarters for a Museum Service for South-East Ulster, providing museum services within an as yet unknown geographical area for a new Council. This does not prevent the Museum from continuing its established role in preserving and interpreting the heritage of County Down, but some flexibility will be required to ensure that the Museum remains a centre of excellence in the region in the context of adequate new funding arrangements.
In terms of the deficiencies in Museum services in collections management, conservation and storage, it is essential that the RPA opportunity ensured that better services are provided. Given the reality that the continued inadequate delivery of museum services will be carried by some Councils more than others, we believe that DCAL must ensure its active financial support to build professional regional Museum services is developed at local level. Such support should be considered in respect of conservation services, collections management and storage.
It is considered unlikely that other local authorities could be persuaded to financially support a well-established Museum which is based some distance away from the ratepayers it serves directly. Partnerships have usually worked in circumstances where partners have come together to develop a network of museum facilities, providing services within each partner area. The model for Down County Museum would be different, in that the Museum would probably provide services in partner areas by means of a service level agreement. Support services might be provided to areas with small local museums, or alternatively, a full branch museum might be established by service level agreement, if none presently exists. There would certainly need to be museum presence in each area served by such a regional centre as part of a partnership agreement.
Central government cannot require local authorities to enter into partnerships to fund regional museum services, however, DCAL have a role in developing regional policy and ensuring that services are appropriate and consistent in terms of access and quality. DCAL should also concern itself with establishing a heritage policy and strategy for Northern Ireland, setting policy priorities and providing a support structure for an integrated approach to cultural and natural heritage at all levels. In this context, the Council would wish to press for new funding, perhaps on a challenge basis, from appropriate government departments (DCAL, DENI, EHS) which will help local museums meet the strategic imperatives in relation to the heritage.
The main points of the position paper can be summarised as follows:
To: Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure
From: Fermanagh County Museum, Fermanagh District Council
Date: 23 June 2008
This written evidence has been prepared by Sarah McHugh, Manager – Museum Services, Fermanagh County Museum. Fermanagh County Museum, based at Enniskillen Castle, is run by Fermanagh District Council as part of the Leisure, Tourism and Arts Department. This is an award-winning Museum, Accredited by the Museums, Libraries and Archives, UK. The Museum’s mission is ‘safeguarding the history of Fermanagh as a source of enjoyment, education and culture for all’. The Museum acts as the heritage gateway to the County. Over 26,000 people a year visit the Museum and participate in a lively programme of events, workshops, summer schools as well as an innovative cross-border project with Cavan County Museum.
Recent successful projects at Fermanagh County Museum have highlighted the benefit of developing partnerships by linking into common, strategic goals. An overarching approach to museums in Northern Ireland would build a dynamic twenty-first century museum service at the heart of the region. A combined vision would celebrate the wealth and diversity of heritage in Northern Ireland, encouraging greater access to museum resources for both local audiences and visitors. A Museum’s Policy would help to foster:
Heritage is at the heart of a community, reflecting its history, identity and sense of pride. Museum exhibitions such as the Northern Ireland Museums Council’s touring show, ‘Our People, Our Time’ can encourage a greater understanding of the past as well as to promote social cohesion today. This exhibition highlighted the movement of people across the north of Ireland from initial settlement to present-day immigration. The exhibition toured to Fermanagh County Museum in 2006. It provided the impetus for the development of partnerships with local multi-cultural groups. It also inspired the annual ‘summer of cultures’ programme of activities at the Museum, highlighting traditional cultures in Northern Ireland as well as more recent ones.
The development of a Museum’s Policy for Northern Ireland would enable museums to become more outward-looking, dovetailing with other strategies such as ‘A Shared Future’.
The development of a strategic vision, with awareness of the bigger picture, is essential for developing sustainable partnerships with other institutions, nationally and internationally. 2006-2008, saw Phase 2 of a partnership between Cavan County Museum and Fermanagh County Museum, entited ‘Connecting People’ (Peace II Programme). This project enabled communities from Cavan and Fermanagh to meet and share their history, recognising shared heritage as well as respecting diversity.
There is much greater potential for museums to develop and sustain partnerships in the future. This will happen more successfully if a clear strategy is set out, highlighting common goals and the potential for joined-up thinking.
Sharing common goals enables a more effective use of resources amongst museums, encouraging joint problem solving, attracting increased funding and pooling material and expertise. The Heritage Lottery Fund’s ‘Collecting Cultures’ grant scheme was set up to encourage museums to think more strategically about developing their collections. Museums should not collect in a vacuum, duplicating collections, or passively acquiring objects without encouraging greater community involvement. Fermanagh County Museum, the Inniskillings Museum and Derry Heritage & Museum Service have successfully linked up to attract funding of £100,000 from the Lottery Fund’s ‘Collecting Cultures’ scheme.
‘Collecting Cultures’ is the first scheme of its kind. A Museum’s Policy would help to ensure that a museum culture change in strategically developing collections is long-term rather than project-based.
For museums to develop, they need to maintain and increase standards concerning all aspects of collection management from storage and conservation to access and education. The Accreditation Scheme has been critical in encouraging museums to analyse their strengths and weaknesses and develop strategic action plans for the future, avoiding a fire-fighting approach. In Northern Ireland, applications have been assessed and supported through training programmes and advice from the Northern Ireland Museums Council. An overarching Museum’s Policy would set future benchmarks for museums in Northern Ireland, highlighting current best practice and developing a service able to respond to change.
Gordon S Millington OBE
DSc(Eng), BSc, FIAE, FIEI, FICE, Hon FICE, FIStructE, FIHT.
Chartered Engineer
One Malone View Road
BELFAST
BT9 5PH
Phone
Home 028 9061 1303
Mobile 077 6803 3050
FAX 028 9029 0282
E-Mail gordon.millington@ntlworld.com
Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure,
Room 424 Parliament Buildings
Stormont
Belfast,
BT4 3XX
10 June 2008
Dear Sirs
Enclosed please find some comments which we believe should be of considerable use in developing a museums policy.
These comments are the result of the work of the committee set up to keep HMS Caroline in Belfast. It is a self set up committee with no remit other than that it gave inself.
We have not attempted to draw up a draft or suggested policy but rather to point out the lack of action to preserve the some remaining artefacts as representative of the great engineering and industrial heritage which made Northern Ireland a leading source of manufactured goods in the 17th and most of the 18th century.
The demise of industry in the Cork region from about 1800 coincided with the development of Northern Ireland as an industrial base. The development of Northern Ireland is well recorded by W E COE in his book The Engineering Industry of Northern Ireland and by W A McCutcheon in The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland.
It is now our duty to preserve sufficient of the machinery and the products of that period for posterity.
We must make it clear that the opinions expressed are those of our committee and not of any of the body who have helped or supported us
Yours sincerely,
Submission to the Culture Arts and Leisure Committee
By a group who started with the intention of keeping the Caroline in Belfast
1.1 ‘Belfast rose from being the 22nd largest town in the British Isles in 1800 to ninth largest in 1911, a rate of increase unmatched by any other town. By 1914 Belfast was the largest linen producing centre in the world, and had the greatest shipyard and ropeworks.’(Patton, 1993). Belfast’s industrial heritage is being neglected and when it is mentioned one could be forgiven for thinking that the Titanic was the only ship of note built in Belfast. The buildings, structures and machinery associated with industry and trading are an important part of this heritage; it is difficult to visualise the importance of, and the context for, one without the other.
1.2 Though much has been lost, there is sufficient built heritage remaining in the shipyard area of Belfast, and several ships, to create a real impression of the importance of its maritime heritage to which can be added much of the industrial heritage, steam engines, linen looms, fans etc. It is essential that the need for the retention of material heritage is appreciated and understood so that Belfast does not lose the real and have to try and replace it with a virtual experience.
2.1 The HMS Caroline committee has been suggesting to a few VIPs, Westminster MPs, the Lord Mayor of Belfast and various departmental officers that a solution might be to set aside an industrial heritage area near the Alexandra and Thompson Docks to celebrate all our heavy industries (which are now lost). But it is worth noting that the caisson gates and the hydraulic accumulator are still in place, but for how long? With the opening of the Thompson Dock and pump house to the public this summer a start has been made. An industrial heritage area solution would need the support of many government departments, the institutions already in the area and public and private funding.
2.3 Our vision is to pull all the possible stakeholders together, ideally under a neutral ‘champion’, forming a cohesive organisation. We believe that the artefacts for such an industrial (and maybe defence) heritage are available at present, but are fast disappearing – even any possible site may soon disappear.
2.4 Other artefacts which could be considered (and may help their owners/guardians maintain and preserve them) are: Nomadic, Result, Donaghadee Lifeboat (of Princess Victoria fame), a traditional timber fishing boat, maritime artefacts including an engine from the SS Divis – last of the ‘wee’ shipyard products (currently in UFTM at Cultra), McCutcheon’s collection of engines and looms from the Ulster Museum now in storage (Ulster Museum, Belfast), the barge at the Waterfront Pier (private), artefacts from Harland & Wolff together with may other items in private hands from the ropeworks, linen and tobacco industries, the aviation story of Shorts along with the Ferguson legend.
3.1 In 2005 Frank Robinson met the second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Sir James Burnett-Nugent, on HMS Caroline and discussed her future. The Royal Navy’s position was that they had no plans to decommission HMS Caroline but it was suggested that within 7-10 years financial constraints could change the situation. Sir James suggested that a small committee could be set up to explore a way of keeping the ship in Belfast using it for commercial as well as Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) purposes. Frank Robinson invited a number of people who had knowledge and expertise in maritime heritage to join this committee. It has never been formally constituted and meets 4-6 times per year. From the beginning it became clear that HMS Caroline could not be considered in isolation from the rest of the maritime heritage of Belfast.
3.2 We contacted Martyn Heighton (CEO National Historic Ships) and he visited Belfast on 22 June 2006. He prepared a short report based on his brief visit. During his day in Belfast he met HMS Caroline committee, representatives from Titanic Quarter (developers of large area of land surrounding maritime heritage), representatives from Science Park, Permanent Secretary of Department of Social Development and from the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum. Sean Neeson MLA, co-opted member of NHS, attended meetings during the day when he was available.
The Chairman met the Head of the NI Civil Service, Mr (now Sir) Nigel Hamilton. He explained the Committee’s vision and our frustration that no government department appeared to have the remit for maritime heritage. In a letter dated
22 January 2008 Sir Nigel stated that Paul Sweeney, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, would be contacting him. A meeting was arranged for 18 March.
In July 2007 two members of the HMS Caroline committee met the Lord Mayor of Belfast, explained the purpose of the committee and stressed the importance of the ship to Belfast. They outlined the committee’s vision of designating an area around the Science Park as an industrial, maritime and defence heritage space which would mark and celebrate the history of the industrial development of Belfast. HMS Caroline would then become part of a larger entity which would make more commercial sense. The Lord Mayor listened very sympathetically and agreed that the Titanic Tourist Trail around the Thompson dry dock was a poor representation of Harland and Wolff’s history.
The Lord Mayor requested a second meeting which was held in September 2007 with two City Council Tourist Officers present. The HMS Caroline Committee referred to a report commissioned in the 1990s which considered the future of the ship as a visitor attraction following her decommissioning. The City Council Officers were unaware of the report. A discussion followed on why HMS Caroline was not part of the Big Lottery bid for a Landmark project in Titanic Quarter which had the support of the City Council. It was agreed that a further meeting would be held; to date this has not happened.
In July 2007 the Chairman of the Committee met Ms Kerry Sweeney who is the NITB officer responsible for Titanic Quarter. She said NITB was keen to keep HMS Caroline in Belfast but was unaware of the importance of the vessel. The matter of NITB’s support for an iconic Landmark project which did not include HMS Caroline was also discussed.
The Chairman outlined the Committee’s vision of designating an area around the Science Park as an industrial, maritime and defence heritage space. She agreed to discuss this with her Chief Executive and other senior members of NITB. The Chairman has not heard anything further on this matter.
The HMS Caroline committee met with Norman Apsley, the director of the Science Park on several occasions; he is very supportive and interested. The Science Park has some funding from the N.I. Tourist Board to develop a Titanic Walk. The Science Park’s long term vision is to develop an engineering/science heritage area as part of a science park thus relating the past to the leading edge research and development being carried out at present and into the future. This vision appeals to the HMS Caroline committee as we can see this area being a focus for much of the industrial heritage from which Belfast developed as a great city and its relevance to the development of our future. It could also provide a home for much of the industrial equipment being displaced from the Ulster Museum. We can see it as an important part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage www.erih.net
On a 185 acre site with a one mile water frontage this private development states, in its promotional literature, that ‘the site on the east bank of Belfast’s River Lagan will be transformed into a new maritime quarter with the mixed uses of housing, business, leisure, tourism and education combined to create a vibrant new community for the city.’
Investment is projected to be ‘well over £1billion’ and there is great potential for the inclusion of Belfast’s maritime heritage as part of the development. However to date the concept has not embraced the existing heritage. There is a lack of understanding of the relevance of heritage to the development and the potential of capitalising on the existing outstanding maritime heritage. Titanic Quarter put in a bid for a Big Lottery project, entitled Titanic Experience, which involved creating an iconic building. This application was rejected.
As well as HMS Caroline we now have, in or close to Belfast, the Result, the SS Nomadic and the Confiance (the barge near the Waterfront Hall). These ships, the dry docks and the pumping station, as well as the industrial equipment recently removed from the museum, could build into a unique collection which, with an imaginative vision, would form an attraction without parallel in Europe
HMS Caroline was built in Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, and launched in 1914. She is currently the oldest floating fully commissioned ship in the Royal Navy and second oldest ship only to the HMS Victory. She was built in 1916 as a fast cruiser and powered by Parsons turbine engines, oil-fired boilers and had a top speed of over thirty knots (HSS is currently capable of thirty-four knots). This was revolutionary for the time. She, and her five sister ships (now scrapped) saw extensive active service in World War I, especially at the Battle of Jutland, and was later sent to the Far East following the 1919 peace. It is understood that she was brought to Belfast in 1923 at the request of Lord Craigavon to train the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves (the TA of the Navy) because funding did not stretch to the purpose-built facilities available in other ports in Great Britain. (A temporary measure which eighty-five years later is still fulfilling the same role). In 1923 a fast armed ship in Belfast did not sit well with the new Irish Free State neighbours and so her boilers and guns were removed and a drill hall added.
The vessel was built in Belfast as a tender to RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic and launched on 25 April 1911. She was fitted with a luxurious interior and used in Cherbourg for transfer of first and second class passengers. During World War I she served as a troop carrier and later continued to act as a tender for Cunard White Star. Under the name Ingenieur Minard she served as a troop ship during World War II. In 1974 Nomadic was bought privately and converted into a restaurant on the Seine in Paris.
In January 2006 Nomadic was purchased at auction by the Department of Social Development (DSD) for £171,320; she returned to Belfast on 18 July 2006. There has been considerable interest in the ship since its return. A trust has been formed, the Chairman is Denis Rooney and members include Sean Neeson MLA and representatives from DSD, Belfast City Council, Belfast Harbour Commissioners, Belfast Industrial heritage, Belfast Titanic Society and PSNI.
Since 1979 Result has been at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum in Cultra. Currently there are no plans for her future.
A privately owned barge with a small display of artefacts on board moored at the Waterfront Hall.
A three storey listed office block built in stages from 1900-1919. It housed the administration and drawing offices for Harland & Wolff. The offices of Lord Pirrie and Thomas Andrews were also in this building.
They remained in use until the 1960s and are now scheduled monuments.
This dock is 137m (450ft) long and the basin covers over 12 acres of water; it was the first graving dock built on the Co. Down side of the River Lagan.
This dock is 253m (830ft) long and was designed for the new ships of the nineteenth century.
Designed by Redfern Kelly, the Harbour Engineer; when constructed this was the largest graving dock in the world. In 1913 the Olympic, then the largest ship in the world, was the first to enter the dock. It remained in use until 2002 and is scheduled as a wet dock. It lies within the NI Science Park site.
This long rectangular single storey listed building served as a pump house for both the Thompson and Alexandra graving docks. Its innovative machinery is housed in a deep well within the late Victorian building. It is located within the NI Science Park.
At one time there were fifty of these steam cranes operating on a rail track system around Queen’s Island - now only three remain. They were manufactured in Leeds by the engineering company Smith & Rodley.
These is a large collection of Belfast and Northern Ireland manufactured equipment such as steam engines, looms. Spinning machinery etc. now in storage which we are lead to believe there is no intention of being on display in the museum after completion of the present refurbishment
Primrose Wilson CBE. BA (hons). SRN. Hon RSUA
Primrose was the founding Chairman of the Follies Trust which was established in 2006. She is Chairman of the Association of Preservation Trusts (NI); a trustee of the Irish Heritage Trust and the Ulster Historic Churches Trust. Primrose is a former Chairman of HLF (NI) Committee and was a trustee of the National Heritage Memorial Fund (2000-6); she was Chairman of Historic Buildings Council (NI) 1994-2000 and Chairman of the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society (1987-1994).
In 1994 she was awarded an OBE for services to conservation and the Historic Buildings Council and in 2001 was made an honorary member of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects. In 2007 Primrose was awarded a CBE for services to conservation.
Peter is a retired solicitor. who prior to his retirement he was involved in the setting up of many building preservation and other charitable trusts. Peter is a director of The Irish Landmark Trust Limited, and the Buildings of Ireland Charitable Trust, Hon Treasurer of the Northern Ireland Committee of The Art Fund (previously known as the NACF), a trustee of the Dunleath Organ Scholarship Trust, senior trust adviser of The Esme Mitchell Trust (a Northern Ireland charitable trust), and a member of the Belfast Literary Society.
Peter was a founder member of the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society; and has been a member of the Historic Buildings Council of Northern Ireland, a director of the Irish Architectural Archive, and chairman, of the Belfast Centre of the National Trust.
Chairman Historic Monuments Council; the statutory advisory body to the Department of Environment advising them on the protection, conservation and promotion of historic monuments including maritime heritage. Member of the Joint committee for Industrial Heritage and member of Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland and member of the Ulster Archaeological Society. Board member of the Independent Safeguarding Authority. Former Chief Executive of the North West Belfast Health Authority and visiting Professor University of Ulster.
Former Regional Director of National Trust in N I (1990-2000). Vice-President of the Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland. Director of the Ulster Architectural Society. Vice-Chairman of HEARTH. Chairman Hillsborough Castle Advisory Committee. Former Chairman of Historic Buildings Council and former member of Historic Monuments Council. Co-opted member of the Joint Committee for Industrial Heritage (former Chairman)
Chairman Historic Buildings Council - The statutory advisory body to the Department of Environment advising them on the protection, conservation and promotion of the historic built environment in N I. Member of the Joint Committee for Industrial Heritage (former Chairman). N I panel member for Historic Engineering Works (Institution of Civil Engineers). Member of Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland. Member of Follies Trust.
Gordon Millington was senior partner in Kirk, McClure and Morton, consulting engineers. A Vice President of the Institution of Civil Engineers and in 1997 was elected honorary fellows. He is the first Belfast resident to become President of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland. He was a founder member of the Irish Academy of Engineering of which he has been President. He was conferred with an Honorary Doctorship by Queens University. Dr. Millington is a former President of Belfast Rotary Club, Chairman of the Friends of the Ulster Orchestra and Ormeau Baths Gallery of Contemporary Art.
Frank Robinson
Chairman Keep HMS Caroline in Belfast Committee
June 2008
Barry McElduff MLA
Committee Chairman
Culture Arts and Leisure Committee
c/o Linda Gregg
Committee Office
Northern Ireland Assembly
Room 424 Parliament Buildings
Stormont
Belfast
BT4 3XX
June 10, 2008
Dear Mr McElduff,
The Heritage Lottery Fund is the UK’s largest non-governmental funder of heritage, investing over £4b since 1994. Northern Ireland has benefited in this time to the tune of £120m.
HLF’s investment in the museum sector in NI stands at £24m. HLF is delighted to have been able to invest so much to help to develop, upgrade and reinvigorate the museum sector across Northern Ireland.
The network of museums is not only providing valuable space to display and interpret our heritage but these attractions are also making a significant contribution to the tourism infrastructure and economic development of NI. HLF aims are to:
Total spend on museums to date is approx £24m across NI, levering in almost double that (£43m) in additional project investment.
HLF has funded:
The Heritage Lottery Fund believes that ‘heritage’ has an important role to play in society, in particular to help communities to understand themselves and where they have come from, and to give communities the tools and space to explore aspects of their heritage that are important to them. Museums have a particular and key role in this respect and this was reflected in a conference that HLF ran last year on heritage and identity: Digging Deeper: Sharing our Past, Sharing our Future.
Besides being simple repositories of precious objects and a resource for specialized scholarship, museums are increasingly regarded as fundamental to a thriving community. They can be generators of social cohesion, build local and personal identities, create opportunities for lifelong learning and provide an economic dividend through their contributions to regeneration and tourism. People working in museums are also increasingly aware of the need to be consultative, inclusive and representative of the different cultural traditions and heritage of the community they serve.
The unprecedented levels of investment brought by HLF has wrought enormous change in institutions across the UK, large and small, creating improved housing for collections, modern and user-focused displays and facilities and opportunities for fresh interpretation. Hundreds of other grants have enabled museums and archives to enhance their educational offer, to explore new means of engagement and reach new audiences.
However, realisation of their full potential can be a struggle for many. To identify the barriers to success HLF consults regularly with practitioners in the museum and gallery sector, both when it reviews its strategic plans and on specific issues, and has regular contact with representative national bodies. Within these discussions, the following issues regularly recur:
The Heritage Lottery Fund would welcome the opportunity to expand on these points should the Committee invite us to give evidence in person.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Mullan
Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Northern Ireland
Ilex Urban Regeneration Company (URC) welcomes the opportunity to input to the DCAL Committee’s inquiry into The Development of a Museums Policy for Northern Ireland. As the key player in the sector of arts and culture throughout Northern Ireland DCAL and its agency ACNI will become increasingly important partners for Ilex within the regeneration framework of Derry ~ Londonderry over the coming years.
Established by the Office of First and Deputy First Minister and the Department for Social Development in 2003, Ilex promotes the physical, economic and social regeneration of the Derry City Council (DCC) area.
While the company works in partnership with a broad range of stakeholders to regenerate the Derry City Council area (148 square miles), it has specific responsibility to re-develop the two key sites of Ebrington and Fort George, two former army bases. Located on the east bank of the river, Ebrington covers 26 acres. Fort George is a 14-acre brown field site situated on the west bank of the river.
Ilex envisages mixed-use development of both sites which will engender a strong partnership approach to maximise their potential in education, tourism, retail and residential development. The revitalisation of the riverfront is a key objective of the company.
Ilex’s Regeneration Plan was launched in December 2005 by the then Secretary of State Peter Hain, MP, and has been adopted by Derry City Council as the blue print for regeneration in the city. The Regeneration Plan highlighted the existing critical mass of arts and culture in the city as a key economic driver.
The Plan paints a vision of a “major tourism city of international standing” and “a city of culture – engaged with the arts and creative activity at every level”. It goes on to propose “.. a permanent Art Gallery [at Ebrington]” and “an international design competition for an iconic piece of art ..” which has already been carried forward by the Secretary of State when he announced the North West Cultural Challenge Fund at the launch of the Regeneration Plan in December 2005.
In October 2006 the Masterplan for Ebrington was launched. Demolition on site has now been completed, leaving 14 listed buildings and a further 5 buildings of historical or architectural merit. The former army base was first established in 1841, the centrepiece being the vast Parade Ground overlooking the River Foyle and flanked on three sides by buildings dating from the 1840s. Ebrington will be developed as a mixed use site encompassing offices, retail, residential, tourism, arts and culture.
Ilex recently commissioned a Study to determine the feasibility of an Arts & Culture Cluster housed in the listed buildings surrounding the Parade Ground at Ebrington. At the time of writing the study is at an advanced stage. Potential components of the cluster could include:
As far as the drafting of the Arts & Culture Feasibility Study for Ebrington is concerned, the absence of a formal Northern Ireland policy on museums was unfortunate as it would have helped ensure that proposals and recommendations coming out of the Study are in line with government policy and best practice.
In the summer of 2006 Ilex met with the Arts Council as part of its consultation on the Draft Strategy 2006 – 2011 and also provided a written submission as part of that process. That exercise resulted in Creative Connections, the Arts Council’s Plan 2007 -2012 which outlines the course of the arts in Northern Ireland. Creative Connections is of particular benefit to Ilex as the application of arts & culture is a vital component of social regeneration. As such, the document is a primary source of reference for us.
As a separate issue, Ilex has had discussions with Derry City Council about the rationalisation of existing museums in the city and the possible location of some future on Ebrington. Possible rationalisation could include a Maritime Museum on Ebrington covering emigration, the Battle of the Atlantic, military memorabilia, etc.
To The Committee Clerk
In response to your call for submissions on the development of a Museum Policy for Northern Ireland I enclose two documents produced by the Living Memorial Sub Group of the cross-community organisation Healing Through Remembering*.
These are:
Without Walls – a report of the open call for ideas for a living memorial museum to the conflict in and about Northern Ireland Artefacts Audit – a report of the audit of artifacts relating to the conflict in and about Northern Ireland [Multiple hard copies of reports are available on request.] Healing Through Remembering is an extensive cross-community project made up of a range of individual members holding different political perspectives. They have come together over the last five years to focus on the issue of how to deal with the past relating to the conflict in and about Northern Ireland.
{For more information see www.healingthroughremembering.org]
The Living Memorial Museum Sub Group is a diverse range of individuals who have been meeting regularly over the last number of years to discuss and debate the concept of a Living Memorial Museum to the conflict in and about Northern Ireland. These reports were produced by the Sub Group to inform wider debate and their own considerations of this issue.
If you have any further queries please contact Kate Turner, Project Co-ordinator, Healing Through Remembering, (tel; 90238844, fax: 90239944,
email: cate@healingthroughremembering.org).
Alan McBride
Chair of Living Memorial Museum Sub Group Board Member of Healing Through Remembering
enc
*These reports can be accessed at www.healingthroughremembering.org
FROM:
Brian Mackey
Curator of the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum and Assistant Director of Leisure Services
(Cultural and Community Services Unit)
1. May I, as a person of 30 years standing in the local government museum profession in Northern Ireland, say that I welcome the Committee’s interest in the development of a comprehensive policy for Northern Ireland museums. Over many years going back to the Malcolm Report of the mid 1970s there have been several reviews and studies of Northern Ireland’s museums with recommendations but unfortunately none to my knowledge, have ever received more than passing interest. Real resolve to promote the best interests of the sector would seem to have been lacking. To be fair, the belated setting up of the Northern Ireland Museums Council was a huge blessing and I would particularly wish to say that I find it lamentable that this small organisation of relatively low cost in relation to its great benefits to the sector is now under threat of closure.
2. In relation to your Committee’s terms of reference I can only in the short timescale given make the following brief observations.
2.1 The lack of a positively endorsed formal Departmental Policy on museums has resulted in the sector not delivering on its full potential. As is evident throughout the world, modern national and local museums can bring great benefits to society if they are given the support to develop their potential.
2.2 I cannot comment because I do not know what guidelines are currently used by the Department in place of a formal policy.
2.3. This is important because I would expect expenditure on museums in Northern Ireland per head of population falls well behind those in all other areas of the United Kingdom.
2.4. Good research and evidence already exists of good practice in Northern Ireland museums and would be available from the Northern Ireland Museums Council and all the leading museums through consultation. When this is solicited the real benefits of museums to our society will be self evident and hopefully will be championed by the Department.
2.5. The sector will, I am sure, welcome the opportunity to make its views known and be delighted if the Department establishes a positive way forward that all can join in promoting for the overall benefit of Northern Ireland.
Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure
Inquiry into ‘The Development of a Museum’s Policy for Northern Ireland’
Submission from the
A regional partnership comprising:
Ballymena Borough Council
Carrickfergus Borough Council
Larne Borough Council
Newtownabbey Borough Council
This submission seeks to response to the above two points in the Terms of Reference.
1.1 Whilst it is useful consider the impact resulting from a lack of formal Departmental policy over a number of years, it is important to highlight that there was a formal policy for museum development. Indeed this policy is still extant - it has never been formally revoked.
1.2 In May1992, the Northern Ireland Museums Advisory Committee (NIMAC), established by government, submitted a report about the need for a Museums Council for Northern Ireland. Entitled ‘A Northern Ireland Museums Council’ the report includes extensive discussion on policy for regional museums in Northern Ireland. In April 1993, Minister Jeremy Hanley, at the then Department of Education for Northern Ireland, issued a statement in response to the NIMAC report which endorsed many of its recommendations, including those on the development of a limited number of regional museums. The core principles of the NIMAC report remain relevant today.
1.3 In the 1990s, NIMC worked with groups of District Councils in Northern Ireland to develop a comprehensive network of local museum services. Its Regional Museum Development Policy aimed to develop new regional museum services through partnerships between District Councils:
1.4 To date, two partnership services have been successfully established in Northern Ireland. These are:
1.5 In Mid-Antrim, some heritage/museum provision already existed in Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Larne and Newtownabbey. However, the District Councils that joined together to form the regional partnership were united in their shared desire to do more.
1.6 The Councils of Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Larne and Newtownabbey have pursued their ambitions within the government-endorsed framework of NIMC Development Policy. The establishment of the Mid-Antrim Museums Service has enabled the Councils to demonstrate a strategic and sustainable approach to development - crucial to the success of Lottery bids. The commitment of the partners to the overall strategy has made the individual museum projects mutually supporting. By working together, the Councils have been able to secure major funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the development of their museums. The Mid-Antrim Museum Service is currently the most successful applicant to the Heritage Lottery Fund within Northern Ireland.
1.7 The partnership approach has also supported service development across a number of key areas, including collections management and programming. It has made possible close and effective cooperation between museum staff within the four District Councils on a range of practical issues.
1.8 Overall the partnership approach has enabled successful development to take place in a way that would not have been possible otherwise.
1.9 The principles that underpin the development of the Mid-Antrim Museums Service are entirely congruent with the principles driving the Review of Public Administration in Northern Ireland.
1.1 Whilst it is useful consider the impact resulting from a lack of formal Departmental policy over a number of years, it is important to highlight that there was a formal policy for museum development. Indeed this policy is still extant - it has never been formally revoked.
1.2 In May1992, the Northern Ireland Museums Advisory Committee (NIMAC), established by government, submitted a report about the need for a Museums Council for Northern Ireland. Entitled ‘A Northern Ireland Museums Council’ the report includes extensive discussion on policy for regional museums in Northern Ireland. In April 1993, Minister Jeremy Hanley, at the then Department of Education for Northern Ireland, issued a statement in response to the NIMAC report which endorsed many of its recommendations, including those on the development of a limited number of regional museums. The core principles of the NIMAC report remain relevant today.
1.3 The 26 district councils in Northern Ireland are empowered to establish museum services under existing legislation, but are not required to do so. Historically there has been under-provision of museum services in several parts of the province.
1.4 In the 1990s, NIMC worked with groups of District Councils in Northern Ireland to develop a comprehensive network of local museum services. Its Regional Museum Development Policy aimed to develop new regional museum services through partnerships between District Councils:
1.5 ‘NIMC believes that the future development of high quality regional museums services will depend on partnership, which may involve various bodies but especially groups of district councils working together. It firmly believes that partnership-based regional museum services offer the best means of delivering the kind of museum provision for Northern Ireland that it wishes to see. Councils working in partnership will be able to achieve economies of scale, develop more cost effective and viable projects and make best use of the limited capital funding available.[1]’
2.2 To date, two partnership services have been successfully established in Northern Ireland. These are:
2.3 NIMC policy was based on the following definitions of museums in Northern Ireland: Category 1 is the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland (who fall outside the scope of NIMC responsibility); Category 2 relates to regional museums; and Category 3 relates to local museums. This tiered structure is also intended to guide the relative size of any new museum projects being planned. Within the context of a regional partnership museums service, one museum must take on the role of ‘lead museum’ and provide facilities and services on behalf of the other partners.
2.4 NIMC Regional Museum Service Development Policy was recognition of the difficulty that small District Councils have in providing the full range of services nowadays expected from modern museums (eg specialist education, outreach and conservation programmes).
2.5 In Mid-Antrim, some heritage/museum provision already existed in Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Larne and Newtownabbey. However, the District Councils that joined together to form the regional partnership were united in their shared desire to do more.
2.6 In 1995 Ballymena Borough Council commissioned a feasibility study[2] with the support of NIMC. This study recommended the establishment of a regional museums service for mid-Antrim. A regional partnership, comprising the councils of Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Larne and Newtownabbey, became operational following a further study in 1998[3]. The Feasibility Studies confirmed the aspirations of the District Councils and proposed a museum project in each area. They also recommended the development of a comprehensive range of educational, outreach, exhibition and events programmes.
2.7 The Mid-Antrim Museums Service was therefore established to provide a framework for this development. Allied to this was a desire to achieve best practice and value for money.
2.8 The new museums that have been successfully established are as follows:
2.9 The partnership approach has been key to the success of each Councils Heritage Lottery bids. The former Heritage Lottery Fund Manager in Northern Ireland, Kevin Baird has stated:
‘HLF always tries to ensure that quality projects are delivered in an efficient and strategic manner. The integrated approach offered by the concept of the Mid-Antrim Museums Service is one way in which that type of approach can be demonstrated to HLF.’ [4]
The Mid-Antrim Museum Service is currently the most successful applicant to the Heritage Lottery Fund within Northern Ireland.
3.1 Social development
The benefits associated with the regional museums service in this regard include:
3.2 Economic development
The benefits association with the regional museums service in this regard include:
The museum projects in Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne make a significant contribution to the economic regeneration of their town centre locations. All of the projects, including Sentry Hill, will provide a positive backdrop for business and help encourage inward investment by making their local areas more attractive as a location.
4.1 Sharing costs in order to provide a high quality service is a fundamental principle underpinning the partnership. The partnership approach facilitates co-ordinated and complementary development across District Council areas. It makes possible economies of scales and ensures that projects are cost effective. By working together and pooling resources District Councils can provide a level and quality of service that would be difficult to achieve otherwise.
4.2 An important example of this of is can be seen in regard to regional staff. The cost of the post of Museums Service Officer and a regional Access Officer is shared among the partner Councils.
4.3 The benefits of sharing costs also extends to programming. The Mid-Antrim Museums Service plays a dynamic role in providing a variety of leisure activities and learning experiences for local people and visitors from further afield. The partnership approach has made possible the development of joint exhibitions and integrated community outreach and learning programmes. The Mid-Antrim Museums Service has secured almost £250k from the EU Special Programme for Peace and Reconciliation on behalf of the four partner Councils towards this. The most recent Community History Programme is currently being extensively evaluated and the findings will be published at the end of June 2008.
5.1 The Councils of Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Larne and Newtownabbey have pursued their ambitions within the government-endorsed framework of NIMC Development Policy. The establishment of the Mid-Antrim Museums Service has enabled the Councils to demonstrate a strategic and sustainable approach to development - crucial to the success of Lottery bids. The commitment of the partners to the overall strategy has made the individual museum projects mutually supporting. By working together, the Councils have been able to secure major funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the development of their museums.
5.2 The partnership approach has also supported service development across a number of key areas, including collections management and programming. It has made possible close and effective cooperation between museum staff within the four District Councils on a range of practical issues.
5.3 Overall the partnership approach has enabled successful development to take place in a way that would not have been possible otherwise.
5.4 The principles that underpin the development of the Mid-Antrim Museums Service are entirely congruent with the principles driving the Review of Public Administration in Northern Ireland.
5.6 I am willing to engage further with the inquiry in my capacity as head of the museum service, should that be desired.
William Blair
Museums Service Officer
June 2008
[1] Implementation of the NIMC Regional Museum Service Development Policy – Consultation Paper (2000)
[2] A Museum Service for Mid-Antrim (1995) by Crispin Paine.
[3] Feasibility Study for the development of Museum Services for Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus & Larne (Crispin Paine and Heritage Resource Agency, with Paul Mullan Marketing and Planning) Promoting the development of regional museums services through such partnerships is NIMC policy.
[4] Letter from Kevin Baird to Mr H Francis of Larne Borough Council re Larne Museum, 8th November 2001.
Patrons: Mr. A. Mc Crum, Rev. J.W Mc Crum Miller
Milford House Museum
Milford House Gate Lodge
3 Ballyards Road
Milford
Co. Armagh
Telephone: 02837525467
23rd January 2008
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you on behalf of the Milford Buildings Preservation Trust, the governing body of the Milford House Museum in Co. Armagh. Milford House was the seat of the Mc Crum family one of Ireland’s premier linen manufacturing dynasties, the proprietors of the world famous firm Mc Crum Watson and Mercer Ltd. It was the first private residence in Ireland to be lit with hydroelectricity and is world famous for being the home of William Mc Crum who invented the penalty kick rule in football in 1890 in Milford village. The Milford House Museum is a small independent museum which aims to protect the remaining contents of Milford House and the Mc Crum family legacy. We receive no financial support from local or national government and are dependant on funds we raise ourselves.
We understand from the Northern Ireland Museum’s Council that the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure are to undertake an inquiry into ‘The Development of a Museum’s policy for northern Ireland’. We welcome very much the drive to establish the museum policy as we feel it will secure the long-term sustainability of independent museums who are struggling from lack of any formal policy and support.
The Northern Ireland Museum’s Council is a vital resource for local and independent museums. We are currently in the process of receiving accreditation and without the NIMC this would not be possible. Firstly if there was no NIMC there would be no accreditation as there is no one to advise, monitor or register museums. Independent museums would have no support either in advice or financial without NIMC. While I am a ware that there is a museums service in places such as County Antrim, the situation in places such as County Armagh means that with the exception of NIMC there is no support or strategy to assist and maintain independent museums.
Milford House Museum is in County Armagh so I feel it is important to look at our case as an example. Armagh City and District Council have no strategy to deal with independent museums in its area. There is neither interest nor obligation for them to
get involved and they do not support any local or independent museum. Therefore local and independent museums such as ourselves are entirely dependant on NIMC. Armagh Council does have a financial assistance policy but it does not include museums. So for such financial assistance independent museums depend on NIMC for assistance with small grants for basic conservation equipment which we ought to be able to get from our local councils. At present it is apparent to most local museum in northern Ireland that their local councils fail to understand the importance of local museums and how we struggle to survive.
If NIMC is abolished and there is no proper policy in place, then it will guarantee the destruction of most independent and local museums. We are aware of the reorganisation of local government. It is clear that when the new Councils are created they will have no experience, interest or obligation to help local museums. It is inevitable that a council managing a larger area with much more administration to deal with and which has no specific department to support independent museums under their jurisdiction then the local museums will suffer and be ignored.
Independent and local museums are a key part of preserving our past and are libraries of reference. They provide unique and irreplaceable benefits to individuals, communities and the local and national economy. It seems that the whole reorganisation of local government and removal of NIMC by the Assembly is being planned without any consideration as to the destructive effect it will have on museums. It is time that local and independent museums are treated equally and recognised as important as national museums in northern Ireland and we are all stakeholders in this.
While I have tried to address some of the key points in the Committee’s terms of reference, they are very pertinent issues which I find regrettably cannot be fully addressed within the short submission timeframe. Consequently I would like to male an oral submission to the Committee.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Kindest regards
Yours sincerely
Stephen Mc Manus
Trustee Director, Keeper of Collections and Company Secretary
Milford Buildings Preservation Trust is a company limited by guarantee
Registered in Northern Ireland with company number NI054298 Registered Office address as above
Registered as a charity at the Inland Revenue with reference number XR82797
Submission to DCAL Inquiry on
“The Development of a Museums Policy for Northern Ireland”
June 2008
Museum of Free Derry
55 Glenfada Park
Derry
BT48 9DR
(028) 7136 0880
www.museumoffreederry.org
info@museumoffreederry.org
1.1 The Bloody Sunday Trust (BST) is a community based education and history organization that was established in 1997 in order to address the legacy of Bloody Sunday and the events of that era, both in terms of the human impact and its historical significance. BST is managed by a voluntary committee of Bloody Sunday family members, political and community activists and academics, and employs three staff members. BST manages the Museum of Free Derry (MoFD) as a non-profit social economy initiative.
1.2 BST has recently completed Phase One of MoFD, a community museum set up to articulate the history of the civil rights and Free Derry eras from the point of view of those most involved in and affected by the events of that time. MoFD has also amassed an archive of upwards of 25,000 items that are made available to researchers when possible, and intends to make the archive more accessible with future extension plans that include dedicated classroom, conference, archive and research spaces. Full development plans for the £1.5m Phase Two will be made public in the summer of 2008.
1.3 A temporary version of MoFD was open on site for nine months in 2006, and succeeded in attracting more than 10,000 visitors. The temporary exhibition closed in October 2006 for renovation and the installation of a new multi-media exhibition and museum standard display cases, funded by Derry City Council, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and the Department of Social Development, bringing capital investment in this project to date to almost £400,000. A further £104,000 (NITB & DCC) will be invested in 2008 to complete the existing exhibition.
1.4 The new exhibition opened in January 2007 as part of the annual Bloody Sunday Commemoration. The museum was formally opened by Lawrence McElhinney, the last surviving parent of any of those killed on Bloody Sunday, Moazzam Begg, a former Guantanamo Bay internee, and Eamonn McCann, chair of the Bloody Sunday Trust. Reaction to the new exhibition to date has been universally positive, and visitor numbers for 2007 rose by over 40% on 2006, reaching a total of 14,301 for 2007. Visitor numbers for 2008 are currently up by a further 20%. MoFD was the second most visited independent museum in the north in 2007, its first proper year of operation (NITB figures).
1.5 But the success, or lack of it, of a museum such as MoFD cannot just be measured in terms of numbers coming through the door. We set up the museum to educate people about what happened here, and to give them a sense of the impact it had on us and others. It is this that is a truer measure of the success of such a museum. Some excerpts from our visitors’ book show just how much of an impact MoFD has had on those who have visited it:
“Thank you very much for your struggle. World is watching” – Sweden;
“Very powerful and emotional” – Belfast;
“Overwhelming” – USA;
“God bless those 14 dead” – ex-British soldier;
“Another step on our journey for truth” – Derry;
“A shocking and sad experience” – Germany;
“Very confronting and emotional” – Holland;
“A not too unfamiliar story” – South Africa;
“Extremely thought provoking” – England;
“Humbling” – Liverpool;
“An invaluable contribution to the education of the next generation” – Bristol;
“Stirring and upsetting” – Germany.
“This is the people’s place” - Derry.
1.6 With the opening of MoFD, BST has now created what is a very important expression of identity for this community, and something that it is hoped, and intended, will act as an encouragement to others to do the same. In this way the diverse perceptions of history in the north, which it is neither necessary nor desirable to try to force into one ‘accepted’ version of history, can be articulated by those best placed to do so, and then seen, understood and acknowledged by those with differing viewpoints.
1.7 MoFD is regarded as the positive legacy emerging from the events of Bloody Sunday. It is a unique project in that it is the first of its kind to emerge directly from one of the most important and traumatic events of the troubles, and attempt to address the impact, trauma and division of the troubles directly, through education and the exploration of the root causes of the conflict. It is also the first museum to deal directly with the troubles and as such will be an important input into the ongoing debate around how events of the conflict should be suitably remembered and recorded.
1.8 We have also tried to present the Free Derry period in a broad international context, to make the point that it is not necessary to see the events depicted in the museum, or other events in the rest of the north, solely or mainly in relation to communal conflict or to conflict between Britain and Ireland. The comparisons and parallels with Bloody Sunday cited in the museum include, for example, Wounded Knee, Sharpeville and Fallujah. Murals on the front of the museum currently highlight ongoing issues in Iraq and Palestine. The events we portray are specific to one community in one period. But they are not unique to this community or this period. We must learn from our own past. But we can also learn about our own past by drawing on the experiences of other people in other places, as they can learn from us. Our purpose is not just to record our history but to share it.
1.9 MoFD has applied for full museum accreditation under the Northern Ireland Museum’s Council, and is the first museum from the north to enter the Heritage Council of Ireland Museums’ Standards Programme. MoFD is also an institutional member of the International Coalition of Historic Site Museums of Conscience (the only museum in Ireland to be a member), and an integral part of the NITB/DCC Walled City Signature Tourism Project and DCC’s plans to achieve World Heritage Status for the city of Derry.
2.1 As a relatively new museum, and one that has emerged from a campaigning organisation rather than from a professional museum background, we do not feel ourselves to be in a position to comment, other than in the most general way, on the main issues raised in the invitation to make this submission.
2.2 On the issues raised, we would agree that the lack of a formal departmental policy on museums over the years, and the low level of investment in museums, has had a significant detrimental effect on this sector, and that more support should be given to help develop and support museums in the north. To this end, the work of the Northern Ireland Museums Council is extremely important, and we would urge that this be properly supported and resourced. The professional help and training that they provide to museums such as ours is invaluable.
3.1 Since MoFD is currently the only museum in the north to deal directly with our recent history, we do feel we are in a position to make more informed comment on how museums can be one model for how we deal with, and properly remember and learn from, the conflict of our recent past, and to highlight how and why we have set up MoFD as we have, how we intend that it contributes to the ongoing debate about our recent past, and how we hope it will act as an encouragement to others to embark on similar projects.
4.1 One of the causes of ongoing conflict between communities in the north of Ireland is the differing perceptions we all have of our history, especially our recent history. There is no escaping the fact that we have very diverse perceptions of history in the north of Ireland. We see the same events in drastically different ways. For example, was the Battle of the Bogside nationalist thugs attacking the RUC and peaceful marchers, or was it the Bogside community defending itself against sustained attack from the RUC and their loyalist supporters? There are very different points of view on this, and it is unlikely that they will ever become as one.
4.2 But is that necessary? Do we need to have, or want to have, one view of history in the north that is shared by all, one that ignores the diversities that exist?
4.3 We don’t think that there will ever have a consensus view, or that we need one. We all have our own views, diverse views, and we are entitled to have them. They are part of what we are. Our aim must be to reach a stage where this diversity is accepted, acknowledged and hopefully understood. Where it becomes a source of discussion rather than dissension.
4.4 We realize that many in the north will disagree with the story we tell in MoFD, but that is not the point. The point is that we have the right to tell it, others have the right to agree or disagree. All we ask is that they come to see the museum, learn about and understand our point of view, and acknowledge the fact that it exists and it is legitimate. We hope to see other such institutions created that will allow us to go and learn about perceptions we disagree with. In other words, there is no need for us to try to produce an agreed, compromised, version of our history. What we do have to do is accept, acknowledge and understand the diverse perceptions that exist. We simply have to agree to disagree.
4.5 One of the key beliefs behind MoFD is that, as a first step towards this, each community or group with its own distinct perception of history and its own story to tell must first articulate that story in its own way and on its own terms, and then make it available for others with different perceptions to come and see, and hopefully then to understand and acknowledge. We believe that this is a vital step, and one that we have undertaken in this community.
4.6 As communities follow this process we can all come to know, then understand, acknowledge and accept, what other communities have experienced, and how they perceive the experiences of others. This can then lead to an understanding of how and why people reacted as they did to what happened to them over the last 40 or so years.
4.7 The ultimate goal of this is not to produce a single agreed history of the north but to promote greater understanding and acceptance of diversity in the north.
4.8 Museums, if set up in the right way, can be an ideal model to achieve this. MoFD has already hosted many groups from areas that would have a drastically different perception of history than that outlined in the museum, but we do not try to impose our point of view, but instead present our narrative as what this community experienced and perceived, and leave it to others to decide whether they agree or disagree, or to challenge if they wish to do so.
4.9 We are now seeing many more groups from all across the north who are coming to MoFD not just to see what we have done, but also to look at it as a model for what they could do within their own communities. We see this as a very positive development, and will provide whatever help and encouragement we can.
5.1 One of the key issues that must be addressed for museums such as MoFD is who is responsible for telling the story. It is vital that all stories are told by the right people, i.e. those who were most involved in and affected by the events covered. A museum on the Shankill Road, for instance, needs to be set up by and for the people of that area before their story can be presented to others, the same for the Falls. Everyone must have the right to tell their own story, and be supported in telling their own story, although not in a way that is deliberately designed to hurt others.
5.2 We tell the story of the Free Derry community. We tell it primarily for the benefit of the Free Derry community, and we tell it from the point of view of the Free Derry community.
5.3 Ours is a subjective telling of the story and we do not claim to be anything more or anything less than that, and we do not apologise for that. But we do not tell it in a way that could be genuinely regarded as jingoistic, and we do not tell it in any party political way.
5.4 Most of those involved in the setting up and running of the museum had direct involvement in the issues and events covered in the museum and we consulted widely with others who were directly involved. The fact that two out of the three staff who work in the museum lost brothers on Bloody Sunday is a clear indication for anyone who visits the museum of where we come from and where we stand on these issues.
5.5 If you visit MoFD you will have Bloody Sunday explained to you by a man whose brother was the youngest person killed that day, who was a founding member of the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign, and who has devoted the last 36 years of his life to the fight for justice for his brother and the others killed and wounded that day. Who could tell the story better?
5.6 So ours is very much a first hand account of events, it is told by people who were directly involved in and deeply affected by these events, and not, as one contributor to the recent Healing Through Remembering consultation process feared, by, “polished professionals personally untouched”.
5.7 Is there anything wrong with this? Many would ague that there is, but we disagree. Yes, we tell a subjective story, but we do not tell a sanitized story. We don’t ignore events that we are uncomfortable with or that don’t support whatever political points of view that we as individuals may have.
5.8 Yes, we focus more on the experiences of local people, but we don’t ignore others. For instance, everyone who was killed in the Free Derry area between 1969 and 1972 is acknowledged, and we have a display giving, where possible, the same details on all of those who lost their lives, and where we were very careful to ensure that the same style of language and terminology was used in all cases, be they civilians, IRA volunteers, police officers or soldiers. We don’t believe in any hierarchy of victims, and to simply turn the existing one upside down in the museum would make us in every way as bad as those who insist on such a hierarchy in the first place.
5.9 There should be encouragement and support, financial and otherwise, for others to do the same. Who else could tell the stories apart from those who were most involved?
5.10 Is there one person, or one group, that everyone in the north would trust to tell their stories? The simple answer is no.
6.1 Another point that must be borne in mind is the issue of site. Where we tell these stories is as important as how. The issue of site should not be underestimated. It was very important to us when we were building MoFD that we set it up where our history happened. The museum sits right on the killing line of Bloody Sunday, in a building with very direct connections to the events of that day, and in the centre of the area where so many of the other events we cover happened. We find this invaluable. For visitors to know they are on the spot where the events they are learning about occurred makes it all so much more accessible for them. For us to be able to explain events by simply walking out the door and pointing and saying this happened here, or here, or here, makes the explanation so much more real. It is vital that, wherever possible, the different stories of the recent history of the north be told where they happened.
6.2 If we ignore, or don’t accept, the importance of the site of these museums, how can we find an acceptable and relevant site to commemorate events that happened across six counties and beyond? Is there a site anywhere in the north that would be acceptable and accessible to everyone, where the whole story could be told, covering the entire recent history of the north? Should it be in Belfast, where apparently everything should be? Should it be right in the centre of the north, equi-distant from everyone? Should a decision on a site be based on rail and road links, or on an equal balance between the communities living in the surrounding area?
6.3 Is there one place that everyone in the north would feel is right to have their stories told, or where they could go to learn others’ stories? The simple answer is no.
7.1 Unfortunately, for many in our ‘community relations industry’ driven society, a museum like MoFD, or others which may follow the same model, which would be seen in their terms to be exclusive, or more accurately not inclusive, or even worse, not balanced, is somehow inherently wrong, something that can just not be right under any circumstances. That to tell your own story automatically excludes others, that unless it is balanced with a story from ‘the other side’ you are wrong, that you are sectarian - because balance is always seen as a Catholic/Protestant, Unionist/Nationalist issue - that you are promoting divisiveness because your plan is not to get X Protestants and Y Catholics to visit the same display in the same room at the same time. This approach also assumes that the entire population of the north can be divided into Catholics and Protestants, which is not the case.
7.2 What balance should we have in the Museum of Free Derry? Our story is one of a community against a government, first Stormont and then Westminster, not of community against community. The Bloody Sunday massacre, to take the most apt example, wasn’t perpetrated by one community against another, but by the forces of the British State against a particular working-class community. It is by no means only in Northern Ireland that conflict has arisen between citizens and the government, nor has this happened only in societies divided into separate communities. We don’t feel any need to balance our story by promoting the particular partisan point of view that has been propagated as the official story over many years by legions of government and army PR officers and their tame press. Not every story in the north is sectarian, and one way to help address the problem of sectarianism in the north is to stop looking at every issue in purely sectarian terms.
7.3 As stated above, communities across the north must be given help and encouragement to tell their own stories as a means of promoting acceptance and understanding of the diversities that exist in the north. To insist on ‘balance’ or ‘inclusivity’ means to insist on compromise in how the stories are told, which takes away from the right of each community to have its own perception of its own history. There is nothing wrong with balance or inclusiveness, but it cannot be seen as mandatory. Unfortunately, too many people think that it is, and that it – a Protestant/Catholic balance - should be forced into areas where it isn’t actually relevant.
7.4 So can we have a single museum on the conflict in the north, an idea that is supported by many who would prefer to put a lid on our past rather than deal with it? It was suggested recently that this whole issue be left to the Ulster Museum, who could do a perfectly ‘professional’ job of telling the story of the conflict here. Without any disrespect to the Ulster Museum, who could undoubtedly do a very professional display presenting accepted facts and figures on the conflict, they can only add to the recording of the history of the north, they cannot offer as much towards the issues of resolution and reconciliation as a series of community-based subject and site specific museums.
7.5 One obvious question would be what terminology would a single museum on the conflict use? How would it refer to those killed here? Would it use the term “murdered” across the board for everyone who lost their lives, or would it differentiate, and follow the existing hierarchy that has created ‘innocent’ and ‘not innocent’ victims, and by extension, ‘innocent’ and ‘not innocent’ families of victims. For instance, if this museum referred to those killed by paramilitaries from any organisation as murdered, but not those killed by state forces, they would alienate those many families who lost loved ones at the hands of state forces, directly or indirectly, and those who support their campaigns for the truth. If they use the old RUC definition of murder in relation to state forces, i.e. that it is not considered murder unless a murder charge is brought, then they would alienate the same people. If they use the term murdered in relation to all state killings, then they would alienate those who support the role of the security forces during the conflict. If they don’t use the term ‘murdered’ at all, then they will alienate just as many people. This is just one obvious instance that highlights the impossibility of creating a single museum on the conflict in the north. If such a museum avoided issues like this, then it can only present a sanitized version of events and would have no role whatsoever to play in the resolution of these issues. Any such single museum of the conflict would be seen as an attempt to tell the ‘official’ story, when the reality is that an ‘official’ and accepted account of the conflict simply does not exist.
7.6 Community museums could and should use the terminology that they feel is right for them, the terminology being part of their community identity and part of the story they should tell and one part of the differing perceptions of our history that needs to be acknowledged and understood. If others then want to question or challenge the terminology used then that is also their right.
7.7 We have also been told of plans for a commercially driven museum on the conflict in the north of Ireland, and that some work has already been done on this. It goes without saying that this must be avoided at all costs. The problems of our history are something that we must find a way to resolve, not for anyone to make a profit from.
7.8 There may be ways to achieve a single display, where people’s stories can be told side by side on the same site, but this can only have any worth if these stories are still told by the right people. But this makes the assumption that we are ready to have our stories told side by side. Without highlighting any individual examples, do we, for instance, expect all the families of victims to want their stories told alongside the stories of their killers? All the stories must be told, they are all part of our history no matter how distasteful some of them might seem to others, but they also have to be told with sensitivity. If we wish to resolve these issues we must go through this process now, not wait until it has become old history, that can be dealt with easier, but when current and probably future generations have already had to continue to suffer the consequences of it.
7.9 So is there a way to tell a single history of the north in a way that everyone here could subscribe to? The simple answer is no.
8.1 The idea of our recent history becoming some sort of a tourist attraction is something that many people find offensive or hurtful. But we must face the reality that this is already the case. In Derry, Rossville Street, where MoFD is sited and where Free Derry Corner and the Bloody Sunday Memorial also sit, is now possibly the biggest draw for visitors to the city. Tours based round the conflict are already proving very popular in Derry, Belfast and other areas. Many, if not most, of the people who are now visiting the north have at least some interest in our recent troubled history, and this must be addressed. Many people who have visited MoFD have told us visiting the museum was the reason they came to the north in the first place. We will not allow tourism to become the main focus or raison d’etre of the MoFD. But we cannot ignore it either.
8.2 This was an issue for us when we were planning MoFD and realized that what we were building for educational and social reasons would also inevitably become a tourist attraction. But we also realized that if we were setting up a museum to tell people our version of events in this area, then why should we, or could we, put limits on who we tell that story to. It has also been our experience since MoFD opened that those who visit have come to learn for themselves about what happened here, that they are genuinely interested and not here for voyeuristic reasons. And, just as it is important for people across the north to come to fully understand all the different perceptions of what happened here, and why, so too is it important that people from further away are given the same opportunity. People are traveling here from all across the world to find out about what has happened in the north over the past few decades, we have a duty to ensure that they are told about it in the right way. This is not just “terror tourism” as recently stated in the assembly, but people with a genuine interest in what has happened here, many of whom have been affected by events here or similar events in other parts of the world. It is our experience so far that a museum like MoFD also being a tourist attraction does not cause a conflict of interest.
8.3 It is also a fact that the areas that were most affected by the conflict, places like the Bogside, Shankill, Falls etc, are also the areas that are still among the most deprived in the north and if museums such as MoFD, and associated activities, can help with the economic regeneration of these areas as well as helping deal with the issues caused by our past then that is an obvious added benefit. MoFD has already contributed to this by taking a derelict building that had become an eyesore and a magnet for anti-social activity and turning it to positive community use, and by, so far, creating and sustaining three jobs. Our status as a major tourist attraction helps us to do everything we set out to do, through generated income and through the funding we can attract to develop on tourism and economic grounds as well as social ones. Other museums in deprived areas can have a similarly positive effect.
9.1 Based on the points made above, we would therefore like to make the following points/recommendations to the committee:
9.2 That museums such as MoFD can have major benefits for society here across a number of different areas, i.e. as part of how we deal with our recent past, as socially and economically important parts of the community etc, and therefore should be supported across government departments, financially and otherwise. This should become policy across all relevant departments.
9.3 That to get maximum benefit from using the museum model as a means towards resolution and reconciliation, and not just recording, that communities across the north should be encouraged and given full support to set up their own museums or other ways to tell their own stories, and that others should then be encouraged to visit and come to understand these stories. This should involve subsidies for these museums so that no one is excluded from telling their own story, or seeing someone else’s, on grounds of cost.
9.4 That a series of community, subject and site specific museums is the best way forward to achieve all of the stated goals, and that any attempt to create a single, centralised and sanitised version of our recent history cannot achieve these ends, and would be more likely to do more harm than good. We must face our recent history and deal with it, not try to put a lid on it and leave it as a legacy for future generations to deal with.
9.5 That other models in other countries should be looked at, such as Memoria Abierta, who coordinate the work of a number of memory projects in Argentina, and that organisations such as the International Coalition of Historic Site Museums of Conscience (see www.sitesofconscience.org), who coordinate the work of many such museums across the world, including the Martin Luther King Historic site, District Six in South Africa and the Terezin Memorial in the Czech republic, should be asked to provide any help and advice they can on how our goals can be best achieved.
9.6 That the members of the DCAL committee visit MoFD as the only museum in the north that is dealing directly with our recent history and see the impact it is having on our visitors and the work that it is doing to achieve its stated goals, and view it as a model for future projects in other communities. The DCAL Minister has been invited to visit the museum, but has not yet taken up the invitation.
Tuesday 10 June 2008
1. To consider the impact on museums in Northern Ireland resulting from a lack of a formal Departmental Policy on museums over a number of years.
1.1 Comment: The Committee will note that the roles and responsibilities of National Museums Northern Ireland (hereafter referred to as National Museums) are prescribed by the Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 and will no doubt consider its contents. The Order uses our full legal title i.e. National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland. The context in which National Museums operates is set out in Appendix A which details our role and constitution.
2. To examine/consider the Departmental guidelines currently used in place of a formal policy.
2.1 Comment: It is worth noting that both the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure and National Museums only came into existence in 1998. National Museums was formed by the merger of the Ulster Museum (including Armagh County Museum), the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and the Ulster American Folk Park. W5 was created in 2000 as a wholly owned subsidiary company of National Museums.
2.2 National Museums receives the majority of its income via grant-in-aid through DCAL. There is regular discussion, including accountability meetings, on business issues and ongoing discussion about organisational change, focus and capital planning.
2.3 There are three key documents which are relevant in terms of how we operate in agreement with the Department.
(i) The Corporate Strategy (Appendix B) set outs the medium-term strategic approach
(ii) The Annual Business Plan is approved by the Board of Trustees and by DCAL. It sets out the main activities for the year and the Key Performance Indicators. For information I attach the current and most recent Business Plans (08/09 Appendix C and 07/08 Appendix D).
(iii) The Annual Report is approved by the Board of Trustees and DCAL before being laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly. I attach a copy of the latest Annual Report (06/07 Appendix E).
2.4 The documents detailed above outline a progressive approach to reform, modernisation, collections development and public engagement.
3. To examine levels of public and private investment in museums in Northern Ireland and to compare with other UK regions and the Republic of Ireland and to assess how the associated impacts on individuals, communities and the economy are measured and analysed;
3.1 Comment: The grant-in-aid settlements and the approach to funding national museums in the UK will be available via
3.2 Revenue
In the current financial year National Museum’s operating budget is £14.678 million. Of this £12.850 million is provided via grant-in-aid while £1.828 million is self-generated income from sources such as admission charges, retail & catering, corporate hire, sponsorship, donations and other grants.
In the three years prior to this financial year i.e. 05/06, 06/07 and 07/08 our grant-in-aid was flat-lined at £11.050 million, placing significant pressures on our operation.
3.3 Capital
Across the next three years (coinciding with the period of the current spending allocations) National Museums has been awarded a headline figure (subject to appropriate detailed approvals) of some £26 million.
This is projected to include phase one of a new Collections Resource Centre which would provide best-practice storage for a large proportion of our collections.
The Ulster Museum is being refurbished at a cost of £14.735 million – some £9.235 million of that from DCAL and £4.686 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project is due for completion in summer 2009.
4. To draw on research and evidence on best practice on policy for museums which results in building a joined-up museum sector what will, over the long term, deliver real benefit to individual, communities and the economy and the associated outcomes;
4.1 Comment: Recent substantive work analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the museum sector more widely as well as opportunities for development are as follows.
5. To seek input from the museums sector and stakeholders to establish views on a way forward for museums in Northern Ireland;
5.1 Comment: National Museums supports the development of a longer-term strategy which supports a bold vision for national and local museums as custodians of collections across time and as socially engaged partners in our community, supporting learning for all and tourism. This process should also detail:
5.2 We are committed to partnership across the museum sector and beyond in supporting collections care, collections development, access, research and loans.
5.3 We are embarked on our own strategy to place greater emphasis on learning and partnership involving the appointment of a new senior director to lead this work and the reconfiguration of our learning engagement.
5.4 We would wish to see greater investment in existing National Museum sites to ensure they are fit-for-purpose in the 21st century and looking to the future would wish to see additional investment in new projects to support (i) maritime and industrial heritage and (ii) a new stand-alone art gallery.
5.5 We believe that the current structure of National Museums offers an effective framework for managing our range of museums and developing new sustainable projects.
6. To report to the Assembly making recommendations to the Department and/or others.
6.1 Free entry to National Museums and Galleries in Great Britain has resulted in significant increases in visitor numbers. Whilst the extension of this policy to the Ulster American Folk Park and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum would have financial implications (in excess of £845,000 was generated in 2007/08 through paying admissions), such an extension would have significant benefits in terms of visitor numbers and access to our sites and collections.
6.2 W5, as a wholly-owned subsidiary, is funded in a different way from the rest of the museums. National Museums would wish to see W5’s future protected through a more secure funding mechanism than currently operates. We believe this is vital to the
6.3 It is important in planning for the future that museums and indeed the work of DCAL are not seen as sitting in isolation. The connections between the work of museums and that of the tourism sector (DETI), primary and secondary education (DofE), social regeneration and community development (DSD) and higher education (DEL) are critical in terms of both planning and delivery. Cultural planning as a whole should be integrated with cross-departmental vision and with delivery processes.
6.4 The issue of philanthropic fundraising is an important one as we engage in development projects. Tax recognition for donors is a critical issue and National Museums would welcome special arrangements for those who wish to gift money and works of art.
*Role and constitution of National Museums Northern Ireland
*National Museums Northern Ireland Corporate Strategy 2006-09
National Museums Northern Ireland 2008/09 Business Plan
National Museums Northern Ireland 2007/08 Business Plan
*National Museums Northern Ireland Annual Report 2006-07
* These appendices are available at www.nmni.com
Business Plan 2008-09
National Museums Northern Ireland
Delivering great visitor experiences…
Enriching the lives of citizens……..
Making tomorrow’s memories…..
Investing in our children’s future….
Providing learning for all….
Engaging with everyone….
Giving tourists a day to remember….
Introduction by the Chief Executive
Mission
Performance (KPIs)
National Museums Northern Ireland plays a unique role in our society across learning, tourism and the stewardship of important public collections. We sit right at the heart of our public life at home and we make effective connections for Northern Ireland across the world.
Our growing emphasis on visitors and other users while caring for our rich and diverse collections is based on a successful formula….providing memorable experiences for a broad audience and acting as a centre of excellence for knowledge and research in key areas across history, science and the arts.
As well as operating leading visitor attractions offering enjoyment with purpose we are involved in many partnerships which add value across education, community activity, social programmes and economic growth.
We are also, again with the support of partners including the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, investing in our museums for the future. The flagship £14.7 million Ulster Museum refurbishment project will approach completion during the year.
This plan sets out a range of ambitious objectives designed to improve our engagement with audiences and add value to the role of our leading museums. It covers:
Our expertise and active public programming already make a substantial difference to life for hundreds of thousands of people and to the image of Northern Ireland internationally. The aim of the 2008-2009 Business Plan is to make that contribution even more effective and to support the delivery of a new cultural vision for Northern Ireland.
Tim Cooke
Chief Executive
April 2008
To connect the collections, knowledge and public spaces of National Museums Northern Ireland with the widest possible audience to inform and inspire their understanding of the past, the present and the future of people, culture, places, and of the natural environment here and across the world.
Key Performance Indicator |
Target |
Target |
Collections:
|
99% 100% 4,000 |
99% 97% - |
Learning & Access:
|
30% 98,000 200 |
30% 94,000 200 |
Visitor Experience:
|
585,000 95% |
570,000 98% |
Profile & Communications:
|
2,370,000 |
2,300,000 |
Partnerships:
|
80 |
80 |
Organisational Leadership:
|
11 days |
12 days |
Funding, Finance & Resources:
|
28% £19.06 70% 22% |
26% £19.56 70% 22% |
Note 1: The Ulster Museum closed for refurbishment on 1 October 2006 and these projections identify the effect this will have on visitor numbers. * Includes W5 figures.
1. Develop an Exhibitions, Events and Outreach Strategy to make the collections more widely accessible to all.
2. Develop specific plans for an international art tour.
3. Devise an exhibitions and events programme for all sites for the period 2009-12.
4. At the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum:
5. At the Ulster American Folk Park:
6. At the Ulster Museum:
7. At the Armagh County Museum:
8. Implement revised opening hours at
9. Implement the new Digitisation Strategy.
10. At the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum:
11. At the Ulster American Folk Park:
12. At the Ulster Museum:
13. At the Armagh County Museum:
14. Improve access to collections through the development and provision of visitor information in alternative formats and languages.
15. Develop our engagement with visitors with disabilities including blind and partially sighted people.
16. Implement agreed recommendations from the 2007 usage and attitude research.
17. Implement 2008-09 marketing, public relations & corporate communications plans.
18. Re-brand National Museums Northern Ireland to establish a strong corporate identity.
19. Devise and implement an e-strategy to maintain dynamic websites and facilitate new e-learning programmes.
20. Deliver a comprehensive range of organised educational programmes to 98,000 children.
21. Develop specific education programmes in support of the Northern Ireland Curriculum and for other learners.
22. Deliver and evaluate a targeted outreach programme in order to broaden audiences and contribute to lifelong learning.
23. Develop strategic partnerships with:
24. Devise a programme of briefings and engagements to ensure key decision makers are fully informed of National Museums Northern Ireland role, contribution and vision.
25. At the Ulster Museum:
26. Develop an updated 10 Year Capital Development Plan taking into account funding through CSR 2007 and Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland (ISNI) 2, across all National Museums sites.
27. Produce a report outlining the options for the development and display of the maritime and industrial history collections.
28. Re-evaluate previous schemes for a new Art Gallery for Northern Ireland.
29. Complete an economic appraisal and feasibility study of storage options, including options for the development of a Collections Resource Centre with public access and learning facilities.
30. At the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum:
31. At the Ulster American Folk Park:
32. Implement a collections management and care framework defining policies and actions necessary to ensure that:
33. Improve storage facilities through the implementation of Year 4 of our planned maintenance programme.
34. Undertake a feasibility study on preferred option for the future restoration and display of the 19th century schooner, The Result.
35. Initiate an annual programme of planned maintenance of exhibit buildings at all open air museum sites.
36. Devise a curatorial fellowship programme.
37. Align collections based research programmes with the Research Strategy.
38. At the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum:
39. At the Ulster American Folk Park:
40. Implement the Longhurst Security Review improving the security and safety of visitors, staff and collections.
41. Further reduce environmental impact through improved performance in the utilisation of energy and reduced CO2 emissions.
42. Establish a Business Continuity Programme providing for management of business in the event of significant disruption.
43. Implement Estates and Accommodation Strategy
44. Complete the alignment of directorate structures behind key objectives and deliverables, ensuring that staff and financial resources are best used in support of corporate goals.
45. Implement further measures to reform and modernise working practices across the organisation.
46. Develop a performance management system aligning the personal development planning process with the Corporate Strategy.
47. Provide targeted learning and skills development opportunities for staff.
48. Communicate and monitor progress against Business Plan objectives via:
49. Promote and enhance policies, practices and procedures to meet statutory best practice in equality, corporate governance and work procedures.
50. Use the new staff accommodation and corporate headquarters to encourage increased engagement, communication, networking and knowledge sharing.
51. Establish an ‘intranet café’ at our corporate headquarters to improve information sharing, access to knowledge, training and discussion forums.
52. Devise and introduce new working and roster arrangements to:
53. Conduct a specific review of the visitor services function across the sites ensuring that:
54. Implement year 3 of the ICT Strategy.
55. Initiate an organisation-wide Commercial Strategy, specifically implementing the 2008-09 Commercial Plan.
56. Bring forward proposals to establish a Trading Company.
57. Develop detailed fundraising targets for capital projects 2008-11.
58. Develop detailed revenue fundraising scheme and targets 2008-11 to include.
59. Develop new arrangements to enable improvements in contracts management and buildings and estates management.
60. Review current procurement procedures for goods and services, establishing longer-term procurement solutions in consultation with Central Procurement Directorate.
61. Enable detailed in-year monitoring of the allocation of payroll and other resources by providing regular and accurate management information.
62. Formulate 2008-2011 financial projections and budgets under allocations made within CSR 07.
63. Adapt management reporting to include detailed trading accounts to inform the Commercial Strategy.
64. Develop a structured project accounting system to ensure that:
65. Review the draft National Museums Financial Procedures Manual and initiate relevant training.
66. Present the annual report and accounts for the 2007-08 year for audit and subsequent laying before the Assembly on a timely basis.
67. Reduce the level of outstanding audit recommendations (both internal and external) by 25%.
68. Undertake a review of current Corporate Governance arrangements to ensure that all financial policies and procedures accord with DCAL and DFP requirements.
69. Undertake a review of progress against the Strategic Outline Case (published June 2005).
70. Develop a new Corporate Strategy for 2009-12.
71. Implement all aspects of the updated Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult policy and procedures.
£,000 |
|
April |
500 |
May |
500 |
June |
500 |
July |
1,000 |
August |
500 |
September |
1,000 |
October |
1,000 |
November |
1,500 |
December |
1,500 |
January |
1,500 |
February |
1,500 |
March |
1,850 |
Total |
12,850 |
Whowhatwherewhenwhy , known as “W5”, is a charitable company limited by guarantee (Company Registration number: NI37861). The charity is registered with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as a charitable body for taxation purposes (Charity no: XR38795).
W5 was incorporated to manage and operate the Science Centre built as part of Odyssey, the Landmark Millennium Project based in Belfast and opened to the public in March 2001. The sole member of W5 is National Museums Northern Ireland.
The Board of Trustees of W5 is established as a sub-committee of the Board of Trustees of National Museums Northern Ireland, and is obliged to comply with any contracts or agreements pertaining to W5 and entered into by National Museums Northern Ireland prior to 31 March 2001. W5 prepares a separate Business Plan under the terms of the Tripartite Agreement dated 27 June 2000.
The Core Ideology of W5 is “to fire the spirit of discovery” and its core business is to “unlock the scientist and creativity in everyone”. Its core values are innovation, imagination and integrity.
Its strategic objectives are:
From: Gerard McGivern, Newry and Mourne District Council, Director of District Development
1. Gerard McGivern is Director of District Development in Newry and Mourne District Council. His remit is Enterprise Development, Tourism, Community Services, Sport, Recreation and Culture. The latter section provides an Accredited museum service for the Council area.
2. Newry and Mourne Museum is based at Bagenal’s Castle, Abbey Way, Newry. The 16th century castle and adjoining 19th century warehouse were restored with grant aid from the Heritage Lottery Fund and from Europe. Opened to the public in March 2007, the museum had 40,000 visitors in its first year. The museum is an important part of the Council’s Tourism Strategy. The Tourist Information Centre is located in the Reception area and a café is also on site. There are three permanent Galleries, a Temporary Exhibition space, a Reading Room and a Banqueting Room. A wide range of services are offered to the local community and to visitors, from curriculum-linked lessons for schools, guided tours, seasonal events for families to a Reminiscence loan box service.
3. At a recent meeting of Newry and Mourne District Council’s Museum Sub-Committee support was given for the delivery and implementation of a Museum Policy. As a Council which operates an Accredited museum at Bagenal’s Castle, Council welcomes a Museum Policy based upon the system of standards – the Accreditation Standard – which gives assurance that museums appropriately protect our heritage assets. We would also support a Museum Policy that validates and strengthens the principle of self-government and financial support for local museums, a principle which operates throughout the UK and Ireland.
4. The terms of reference for the inquiry into ‘The Development of a Museums Policy for Northern Ireland’ are to be welcomed. A Museum Policy would provide a strategic framework, allowing resources to be prioritised and partnership projects with other sectors, such as Education, to be implemented. A Policy would facilitate a smooth transition for local government museums with Review of Public Administration.
5. Newry and Mourne District Council’s museum service has significantly benefited from the advocacy, training and grant-aid offered by the Northern Ireland Museum’s Council. We support retention of this body until a Museum Policy is implemented.
Our Ref: 140177
North Down Borough Council
Town Hall
Bangor
BT20 4BT
5th June 2008
Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure
Arts and Leisure Room
424 Parliament Buildings
Stormont
Belfast, BT4 3XX
1. Thank you for your letter dated 27th may 2008 regarding the Committee’s planned inquiry into the development of a museum’s policy for Northern Ireland, and the opportunity to submit written evidence.
2. As a provider of a local Museum Service within the North Down area the Council welcomes this opportunity. The Council’s Service operates from the North Down Museum co-located with the Town Hall at Bangor Castle. Within the Museum a range of permanent and temporary exhibitions can be found. The museum’s collection is varied and includes a number of artefacts of significant importance including the Raven Maps (circa 1626), and the Bangor Abbey Bell (circa 825 AD). Additionally, staff provide an educational resource from the centre for the local community.
3. The evidence detailed in paragraphs 4 to 12 all relates to the Committee’s Terms of Reference point 5, “To seek input from the museums sector and stakeholders to establish views on a way forward for museums in Northern Ireland”.
4. With the advent of the Review of Public Administration (RPA) and the proposed creation of fewer but larger Councils, it is Council’s opinion that significant benefits of integration and scale can be achieved for local museums. Existing successful models, which have already previewed the principles of RPA, are Mid-Antrim and Causeway Museum Service.
5. Any such rationalisation would in Council’s opinion be achieved more easily if there is a Museum’s Policy for Northern Ireland. The creation of a network of designated Regional Museum Services based on the ‘hub’ principle of an existing museum assuming the role of lead partner could cover all of Northern Ireland. Existing and future ‘independents’ could be given the assurance they relate to a clearly defined Service. The ‘hub’ principle has been introduced in England already.
6. Central Government funding should only be directed to Accredited Museum Services.
7. The Services could enter into partnership projects with other heritage organisations. The lead or ‘designated’ museum should be determined on the basis of agreed criteria (to include being ‘Accredited’).
8. The Council believes that the powers of the N.I.M.C. should be transferred to Local Government (Councils) post 2011 along with the requisite funding support.
9. Vast-educational potential exists within local museums. This must be recognised in any formal policy. It is noted that no financial assistance has to date been made available for this from central government.
10. Museums as ‘neutral spaces’ must have a significant role to play relative to the Government’s ‘A Shared Future’ initiative helping citizens understand their common and individual heritage.
11. The UK–wide Museum Accreditation process is a rigorous test of a museum’s professionalism. The scheme’s maintenance must be given a high priority in any formal policy.
12. RPA espouses a future local government where partnership is key. Council believes that Regional Museum Services led by local Councils must be at the centre of any Northern Ireland Museum’s Policy. Through this maximum co-operation and efficiency within the ‘heritage’ sector can be achieved.
13. On behalf of Council may I once again thank you for this opportunity to submit written evidence to the Committee.
Yours Sincerely
E-Signed
S K REID
Director Leisure, Tourism and Community Services
Tel: 028 9127 0371
E-Mail: stephen.reid@northdown.gov.uk
The Development of a Museums’ Policy for Northern Ireland
Submission to the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee by the Northern Ireland Museums Council
The Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC) was established in 1993, by Ministerial order, as a non-departmental public body in receipt of grant-aid from the Department of Education. With the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) became the sponsoring department.
NIMC is constituted as a limited company with charitable status, managed by a Board comprising nominees of the Minister and representatives from the local authority museums in Northern Ireland, the National Museums & Galleries of Northern Ireland, members of local authorities in N. Ireland, a nominee of the universities in Northern Ireland, and representatives of the independent and service museums. Additional members of the Board are co-opted. Currently there are 15 Board members, who report to the Council’s membership at the Annual General Meeting and on other occasions. As a membership organisation, NIMC is responsive to the sector, providing leadership and advocacy in order to advance its interests.
The Council is the advocate and service provider for the 34 local and independent museums (the non-National museums) in Northern Ireland. It distributes grant aid for the care and preservation of collections, for enhancing public access to museum collections, and to enable museums to acquire artefacts. NIMC provides training for those working in the sector, manages museum standards, and provides advice and information. In addition, the Council develops guidelines on various aspects of museum practice, commissions sectoral research, gathers data for policy development and co-ordinate various regional projects. The Council is the conduit through which Government supports the sector, and as such, it is accountable to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.
The Northern Ireland Museums Council welcomes and supports the Committee’s intention to hold an inquiry into the development of a policy on museums. NIMC has advocated the need for such a policy for some years now. Indeed, the need for a policy has been accentuated given the failure to substantially progress the accepted recommendations of the Local Museum and Heritage Review (1999 – 2003) by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Department of the Environment, and in light of the unsubstantiated decision within the Review of Pubic Administration to transfer NIMC’s functions to the proposed new local district councils.
In this document we will address the six points set out in the Committee’s terms of reference, but given the very short time between their issue and the deadline for the return of submissions, we can only sketch out the principle concerns and recommendations and we look forward to elaborating upon them should we be invited to present oral evidence in due course.
1.1 The principle impact of not having an integrated development policy for museums in place is that the sector and government remain bereft of a clear vision on what museums can contribute to the betterment of the cultural, social and economic development of Northern Ireland.
Without a clear and achievable vision it becomes difficult to build robust strategies geared towards improving museums and what they do. Without a policy it becomes difficult for government and other funding bodies to measure achievement or value for money; to be able to assess developmental needs; or to ensure the sustainability of our museums and collections. And without a policy, strategies and an associated programme of work the public cannot see, appreciate or gain significant, planned benefits from what museums offer.
1.2 NIMC believes that a museums policy should not remain a ‘Departmental policy’ as this would be restrictive. The policy should allow the museum sector to contribute to DCAL objectives, but also to underpin and influence government policy more widely; for instance, in relation to tourism, economic regeneration, community development, social cohesion, local identity, community relations, and indeed, cultural enhancement. However, care must be taken to ‘root’ the policy focus upon museums so that their primary function is not lost sight of, and that their contribution to other agendas is developed and resourced pragmatically.
Clear objectives emerging from a museums policy would form the foundation for the development of partnerships between the museum sector and other sectors; partnerships based upon a sound understanding of the potential contribution and capacity of the respective partners. Currently, the absence of a policy means that joint initiatives are undertaken on a project-by-project basis, outside a broader agreed strategic context.
1.3 The absence of a policy, in NIMC’s opinion, means an absence of a framework to guide investment in museums. Thus, while the current level of capital investment is unprecedented, it is conceived on the basis of separate, individual sites rather than being informed by long-term objectives, or a strategy spanning the whole of Northern Ireland. By extension, without a policy and associated strategies the assessment and allocation of project and support monies could be seen as, at best, as maintaining the status quo without any sense of development, and at worst, an unstrategic and perhaps arbitrary process.
1.4 As indicated in the Introduction above, NIMC has been the conduit for government support of local museums for 15 years. The principle of central government support for local museums has operated throughout the UK and other countries for a considerable period. Such funding is provided on the basis of ensuring adequate protection for our heritage held outside National museums; to raise standards across the sector; as a means of ensuring equality of service provision and access to our heritage across Northern Ireland; as a means of building local identity; as a way of rolling out policy initiatives that include the whole museum sector; and to stimulate capacity and facilities at a local level. It is recommended that the Museum Policy does not abandon the principle of central government support for local museums without a detailed investigation as to the full consequences of doing so.
2.1 NIMC is unaware of any ‘guidelines’ that the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure currently operate in respect of museums.
2.2 Upon enquiry, DCAL indicated that the Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 offered guidance as to the statutory requirement the Department was obliged to fund. NIMC is of the view that the content of the Order is no substitute for a policy and indeed that legislative instruments should support rather than restrict the scope of policies.
Current legislation (Part III of the Order cited above) allows district council to provide and maintain museums on a discretionary basis. This may prove satisfactory for the future, or it may not. It is a matter which must be examined within the Museums’ Policy process. NIMC recommends that current legislation is not deemed inviolable as government moves to establish a policy for developing Northern Ireland’s museums.
3.1 The level of investment in comparison with other UK countries, the Republic of Ireland and further afield is a piece of research that will need to be undertaken as part of the background information for the policy. However, the direct comparison of headline figures is not a particularly informative exercise in itself. Supplementary information on what such money is spent on, and what its impact is, is of greater import.
3.2 The Accreditation Standard is the nationally agreed standards scheme for museums in the UK. To qualify, museums must meet clear basic requirements on how they care for and document their collections, how they are governed and managed, and on the information and services they offer to their users.
As such it benefits museum visitors and users, supports museum managers and their governing bodies in planning and developing their services, and it provides a benchmark for grant-making organisations, sponsors and donors. In view of this, it is recommended that the Accreditation Standard be adopted as an aspect of assessing the impact and progress of museums in the future.
3.3 In order to qualify for grant assistance from NIMC (ie from the public purse), local museums must meet the Accreditation Standard. However, not all of the important collections of Northern Ireland’s heritage reside in museums, and many of these collections receive support from public funds. Thus, currently, part of our heritage asset is protected by a respected standard’s scheme, but there are other important collections that are without the guidance and focus offered by such a scheme as the Accreditation Standard. It is therefore recommended that the museum policy examine the benefits of establishing a separate standards scheme for heritage collections held outside museums (but linked to the Accreditation Scheme) in order to comprehensively protect our heritage assets.
This issue was looked at within the Local Museum and Heritage Review; instigated in 1999, with a view “to strengthen the arrangements for the preservation, interpretation, promotion and educational use of the heritage of Northern Ireland…”
NIMC, was disappointed that the recommendations of that Review were not followed through to any great degree. Nevertheless, the study raised some salient points and its process offers valuable lessons in devising the museum policy.
3.4 In partnership with the Heritage Lottery Fund, NIMC commissioned a study on the economic impact of museums upon the economy of Northern Ireland. This study offered a snapshot of the position during 2004. No significant study has been undertaken on the social impacts of museums. As the next section of this submission states, it is essential that policy and strategies be underpinned by high quality research. In view of this it is recommended that the gathering and interrogation of data and intelligence, not only forms part of the process of devising the Museums Policy, but also becomes an integral and ongoing operational requirement.
4.1 NIMC believes that it is essential that the Museums Policy be based upon sound and detailed research. Research is a principle function of this Council, which maintains a considerable corpus of intelligence on museums generally and local museums in particular. NIMC has recently published Mapping Trends in Northern Ireland’s Museums and A Survey of Museum Collections in Northern Ireland, adding to its range of published material that has included a study on the economic impact of museums in Northern Ireland.
Currently NIMC is completing a groundbreaking study on learning in museums and will shortly be examining the needs for enhancing the marketing and promotion of local museums.
4.2 NIMC draws upon best practice and work undertaken by other bodies at home and abroad, with notable benefit. It is recommended that the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee also draw upon the research and achievements in other countries for its inquiry. In particular NIMC would suggest that it receives oral testimony from such UK bodies as Museums Galleries Scotland, CyMal, MLA (the Museums Libraries and Archives Council) and the Museums Association, as well as the Heritage Council in the Republic of Ireland.
4.3 It is recommended that during the course of devising the Museums Policy for Northern Ireland detailed research is undertaken to assess the relevant legislation, central and local government policies and strategies, and museum support structures, in a range of other countries.
4.4 The Northern Ireland Museums Council is the unique support structure for local museums. Under the Review of Public Administration it is envisaged that its functions be transferred to local government. This arbitrary decision was not the outcome of detailed research and its impact has not been evidenced or assessed. It is recommended that the form and mission of NIMC be maintained until at least the completion of the policy process in order to ensure continuity within the local museums sector. It would be expected that the effectiveness, efficiency and necessity for NIMC would be examined as part of the policy process.
5.1 NIMC believes that it is essential that museum professionals and a broad range of other stakeholders inform the policy building process. To do otherwise would be unacceptable and a folly, in as much as it would be to ignore a wealth of practical experience and insight. As part of the process of devising its Corporate Plan, NIMC drew up an extensive profile of stakeholders with an interest in museums. This can be made available as part of the museum policy process.
5.2 The process through which such involvement is garnered needs careful attention. NIMC has recommended to the Minister that a Steering Group (drawn from Government Department in Northern Ireland and elsewhere) and a Working Group (drawn from NIMC and the National Museums Northern Ireland) to deliver critical elements of the policy framework which could then be offered wider consultation. Such a process is not dissimilar to that employed elsewhere for devising museum-related strategy.
Given the timescale within which submission were required, it has not been possible to elaborate upon the various proposals set out above. NIMC would welcome the opportunity to provide the Committee with further oral evidence in due course.
1. The purpose of the Northern Ireland Regional Curators Group (NIRCG) is to enable museum directors and curators in Northern Ireland, who lead professional local government museum services, to meet together for mutual support and co-ordination of activities.
2 The content of this statement was originally agreed in June 2006, when the Group first became aware that DCAL intended to develop a policy on museums in Northern Ireland.
3. In the context of the present Inquiry, what follows is particularly relevant to the following Terms of Reference:
4. The NIRCG has been active since 1988, a time of unprecedented development in the local museum and heritage sector. A coherent museum policy has however not yet been forthcoming from Government.
5. In the current atmosphere of uncertainty it is recognised that reducing the number of local authorities might well assist the development and implementation of a coherent museum policy. Nevertheless, problems of management, adequate finance and accountability would still need to be addressed.
6. The NIRCG urges that a clear distinction be made between museums (which aspire to adhere to an internationally agreed definition) and “heritage” a much wider and looser term. Museums are the only institutions in our society which collect, conserve and display artefacts, and cannot reach the status of Accreditation without doing this and meeting rigorous UK standards. (Working with wider ‘heritage’ interests is of course only to be welcomed.)
7. Almost all local authority museums have passed, or are in the process of being assessed for, the current Accreditation round administered locally by the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC) and submitted to the Museums, Libraries and Archives Commission in London. The status of Accreditation is of the utmost importance and the NIRCG urge that its achievement be embedded in policy. With the uncertain future of NIMC, it is also urged that thought is given as to who in future will supervise and advise on Accreditation submissions in Northern Ireland.
8. NIMC’s other important roles in training, grant aid and general advice are in danger of being diluted or lost altogether. The NIRCG was instrumental in setting up NIMC.
10. The central pillars that have always underlined the aspirations of NIRCG for museums are:
11. The NIRCG asserts that:
This should give all museums, including associated ‘independents’, the assurance that they relate to one clearly defined service. Public money should not be expended on ventures outside each service. Each service would have a ‘lead’ museum with the service receiving funding on the bases of partnership projects with other museums and heritage organisations. The ‘lead’ or designated’ museum should be determined on the basis of agreed criteria (inc. being Accredited).
12. Although at present uncertain in detail, the way forward in Northern Ireland local government is clearly through partnership and regional museums must be at the centre of a nexus that embraces maximum co-operation with the ‘heritage’ sector at large while recognising the unique status an Accredited Museum has achieved.
13. Museums as ‘neutral’ spaces must have a significant role to play relative to the ‘A Shared Future’ initiative, helping citizens understand their heritage.
14. We would finally urge that museum provision be made a statutory responsibility of the proposed new Councils in Northern Ireland.
William Blair
Chairman
NIRCG
June 2008
President: The Rt. Hon. The Lord O’Neill Vice President: Dr. Garret FitzGerald Vice President: Sir Kenneth Bloomfield
Please reply to
Crunagh
9 Highfields Court
Lisburn
Co. Antrim
BT28 3GF
2 September 2008
The Committee Clerk
Room 424
Parliament Buildings
Belfast
BT4 3XX
Dear Sir,
I am the chairman of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI). The RPSI is one, of the many accredited Independent Museum in Northern Ireland (IMNI). I represent the Northern Ireland Independent Museums on the board of the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC).
There are 14 independent and voluntary museums in Northern Ireland, which meet the UK Accreditation/Registration Standard, although there are many other independent bodies which operate museums that have yet to seek or acquire the recognition of attaining the Standard.
Our sector is the fastest growing part of the museum family in Northern Ireland: our visitor numbers have risen 61% over the last five years, and we now attract over 205,000 people a year.
Collectively we hold 9% of all museum objects (the National museums hold 80% and local authority run museums 11%), but 37% of our holdings are of either National or International significance.
We therefore play a vital role in protecting and conserving fundamentally important parts of our heritage, and in ensuring that it can be enjoyed and used as a learning resource by as many people as possible.
I would like to thank the Committee for their interest in the NI Museum sector and welcome their drive to establish the Museums Policy for Northern Ireland. I wish, on behalf of the RPSI and the IMNI to make a submission to the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure on the development of a Museums Policy for Northern Ireland.
Given the short timeframe available for this submission and the sector of museum’s which I represent, I wish to direct my comments to terms of reference No.5 of the inquiry:
The definition of the functions of a museum is a place that Researches, Collects, Conserves and Interprets - the development of a museums policy for Northern Ireland needs to reflect this and show how it will facilitate and assist NI museums achieve this definition.
A number of Independent Museums in NI have achieved the registration and also the higher accreditation standard as set down by Museums Libraries and Archives and fulfil the UK National standard for museums. The Independent Museums in Northern Ireland need to be taken into account when developing a Northern Ireland Museums Policy.
The Museums and Galleries Commission (MGC) was originally established as the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries in 1931, in accordance with the recommendations of the Final Report of the Royal Commission on National Museums and Galleries (Cmd. 3401) of 1929. In September 1981 the Commission was renamed and given new functions. It was a registered charity and was incorporated under a Royal Charter which came into effect on 1 January 1987.
The MGC comprised 15 unpaid Commissioners appointed by the Prime Minister together with 46 professional staff (in 1999). It was funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (formerly the Department of National Heritage) and was responsible for giving advice on museum and gallery affairs to the UK government, including the Department of Education for Northern Ireland, the Scottish Office and the Welsh Office. It also advised the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Arts Council of England on museum and gallery related lottery applications. Its aims included promoting the interests of museums and galleries; advising institutions, developing agreed standards of good practice and encouraging the adoption of these standards; and raising standards through the administration of grant schemes. In the financial year 1998-1999 the MGC had a budget of £14 million. More than 80% of its funding was distributed in grant form.
The MGC had the following functions, in addition to its advisory role:
In December 1998 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced plans to replace the MGC and the Library and Information Commission (LIC) with a new body to be known as the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. This body was launched in April 2000; shortly afterwards, it was renamed Resource: the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries. Resource was responsible for the strategic direction of the museums, libraries and archives sectors in the UK, inheriting the responsibilities of the MGC and the LIC. Unlike MGC, MLA’s remit does not include Northern Ireland, except for the accreditation which is administered for MLA by the NIMC
The Northern Ireland Museums Policy needs to make provision for an umbrella body, such as the NIMC, which will promote the cause of local, regional, independent and voluntary museums:
Under the Review of Public Administration, the NIMC role is to be devolved to local councils. IMNI view this as a retrograde move as it will reduce the funding available and leave the independent museums competing with the Council Museums for support and funding in their council area.
Despite their large visitor numbers and their many dedicated volunteers and staff, IMNI feel betrayed and left out in the cold by the present DCAL policy. If the NIMC is to be diluted or worse still done away with, the IMNI will be left without a voice, and without a formal link to the rest of the NI Museum sector.
Yours sincerely
Johnny Glendinning
Chairman
A Limited liability company in Northern Ireland having it’s registered office at Whitehead Excursion Station, Castleview Road Whitehead Co Antrim BT38 9NA
Registration No. N.I. 10798 V.A.T. Registration No. (GB) 256 0880 51 Charitable Status Nos: XN48436 (N.I.) & CHY6141 (R. of I.)
The Naughton Gallery at Queen’s
Queen’s University Belfast
Belfast
Northern Ireland
BT7 1NN
Tel 028 9097 5353
Fax 028 9097 1336
s.mcanena@qub.ac.uk
www.naughtongallery.org
Linda Gregg
Clerk
Committee for Culture,Arts & Leisure
Arts & Leisure Room 424
Parliament Buildings
Stormont
Belfast
BT4 3XX
10 June 2008
The Naughton Gallery is a registered museum, having been assessed in 2003 for accreditation by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Association (MLA) via the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC). Since its establishment in 2001, The Naughton Gallery has become one of Belfast’s most sought after and exciting visual arts platforms, featuring a rolling programme of works from the University’s own collection, touring exhibitions and shows by local and international artists.
The Naughton Gallery presents up to six exhibitions per year and also co-ordinates commissions of new art works for Queen’s University. The University’s extensive art collection comprises gifts, bequests and purchases since the foundation of Queen’s College in 1845. The wide range of works includes paintings, prints, works on paper, sculpture, furniture, metalwork and silver. The collection is on display throughout the University with an impressive hang of over sixty portraits in the Great Hall.
The Gallery is open for 30 hours over 6 days a week. It participates in a number of local tourism initiatives including the First Thursday late night openings each month. The Gallery welcomes over 15,000 annual visitors including a significant number of international tourist visitors.
The Naughton Gallery and the University’s Art Collection operate on a budget of around £200,000 per year of which the University provides over £150,000. The remainder of revenue funding is raised from public bodies such as the Northern Ireland Museums Council and Belfast City Council(BCC)as well as corporate sponsorship and individual giving. In the past, project funding has also been provided by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI), the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, and the Department’s own Creativity Seed Fund.
As an independent museum, the Naughton Gallery is a member of NIMC. It is also a member of the University Museums Group UK (UMG), the Irish Museums Association (IMA) and the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
The Gallery and its small staff work closely with their associates in the museums and galleries sector across Northern Ireland, having formed fruitful and creative partnerships with independent, local authority and national museums for exhibitions and collection management projects.
The Naughton Gallery welcomes the drive to establish a Museums’ Policy for Northern Ireland and the terms of reference raise a number of pertinent issues which unfortunately, cannot be fully addressed within the short response deadline. Below are summary responses to the key points which I would be happy to expand upon at an oral submission.
1. The lack of a central strategic approach has raised considerable difficulties in forward planning for individual museums. Whilst the work of the NIMC has been vital and essential, without a formal Departmental policy there has been little opportunity to harness the work of the museum sector in the delivery of Government objectives and to demonstrate the ability of museums and galleries to effect social, economic, educational and cultural change.
2. The NIMC is scheduled to be disbanded in April 2009 as part of the Review of Public Administration. The main impact on the Naughton Gallery will be the loss of a powerful advocate and a not insignificant funder. The role of the NIMC as an advocate, accreditation assessor, training provider and funder for local authority, regimental, university and independent museums cannot be underestimated.
As a membership organisation, the NIMC is uniquely placed to lobby locally, nationally and internationally for the sector, disseminate information, benchmark performance, produce research and facilitate dynamic and productive partnerships and networks across the sector.
3. The NIMC has undertaken some important research into the state of Northern Ireland’s museums including a review of their economic impact of museums here (2003). There is an urgent need for an examination of the levels of investment in the sector in comparison with those in other regions of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
The Naughton Gallery is unique in Northern Ireland being the only museum attached to a university. University museums comprise 4% of the UK’s museum sector and range from quasi-national ‘high street’ institutions with historic buildings to small departmental museums buried in larger complexes or campuses.
A UK-wide survey of university museums and collections conducted between 1989 and 2001 identified around 400 museums of which 100 are regularly open to the public. Less than 40 university museums have dependable core revenue funding and most of those that do, hold ‘designated’ collections – collections of national and international significance.
At present universities with registered museums in Scotland and England have indispensable strategic funding partners to support stewardship: in England the funding is channelled by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and in Scotland it is distributed by Scottish Funding Council (SFC). There is no equivalent funding in Northern Ireland. In 2005 it was announced that from August 2009, monies for university museums would no longer be ring-fenced and a new delivery mechanism for university museum funding in England would be developed. AHRC Project Funding has allowed university museums to undertake specific projects which cannot be met with AHRC core funding.
In Northern Ireland the natural partner for a university with a museum would be the Department of Employment and Learning. Queen’s has the first registered university museum in Northern Ireland and had been actively working with the NIMC and DEL to establish a similar funding pool for Northern Ireland. However, the winding up of the NIMC and the imminent changes to funding situation in England, together with ongoing local political uncertainty have frustrated discussions with the Department.
There are strong external forces impacting on the capacity of university museums to fulfil their potential. On the positive side, Government policy is repositioning museums as instrumental to the delivery of its social and educational agenda. On the negative side, national and local funding for arts and culture in general is under serious threat.
University museums as a group have not been positioned strongly enough to prevent their marginalisation in both educational and cultural policy. There remains a particularly dramatic resource shortfall in those publicly accessible registered museums without AHRC/SFC core funding such as The Naughton Gallery.
The loss of such an umbrella organisation such as the NIMC will leave the Naughton Gallery, the only university museum in Northern Ireland, and the only registered art collection on public display in Belfast (outside the Ulster Museum), particularly isolated.
4. The geographical spread of museums and their visitors together with the resident population level would suggest the need for a strategic vision linking not only the local authority and independent museums but also addressing the role of the National Museums and their relationships within the Northern Ireland museum sector.
Any joined-up approach would need to consider an overarching strategy for conservation and collection management, exhibition and research, education and outreach together with marketing in order to maximise access to historic collections and build visitor figures. The involvement of all the appropriate agencies within the heritage, tourism, education and economic development sectors would be key.
Shan McAnena
Curator of Art
10 June 2008
The National Trust warmly welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee Inquiry into the Development of a Museums Policy for Northern Ireland.
We believe that, in the context of the significant changes which will take place with the implementation of the Review of Public Administration, a Museums Policy will be essential for Northern Ireland in order to:
The National Trust is an independent environmental and conservation charity founded in 1895 to preserve places of historic interest and natural beauty permanently for the benefit of the nation. The Trust enjoys the support of over 3.5 million members, including some 50,000 members in Northern Ireland.
The National Trust has been active in the protection of our natural, built and cultural heritage in Northern Ireland since 1936; this has been achieved through acquisition and ownership, through the provision and promotion of public access, and increasingly through partnerships with others.
In addition to considerable coast and countryside properties, the built heritage in the care of the National Trust in Northern Ireland includes nine major historic mansions and houses, five industrial heritage sites open to the public, over 200 listed buildings, 12 scheduled historic monuments, over 150 archaeological sites, most of the villages of Cushendun and Kearney, and two public houses.
Included in this portfolio are four accredited museums: The Argory, Castle Ward, Florence Court and Springhill, and preparations are in place for the registration of further properties. The collections in the museum-registered properties above represent a significant percentage of the material culture held in Northern Ireland outside of the national museums. Collectively these properties attracted over 135,000 visitors in 2007.
It is on the basis of this experience that we offer the following comments for the Committee’s consideration. Our comments are structured around the six points in the terms of reference for the Inquiry.
1. To consider the impact on museums in Northern Ireland resulting from lack of a formal Departmental policy on museums over a number of years.
While we believe that the museums sector in Northern Ireland has made considerable progress in recent years, with support from the Northern Ireland Museums Council, we believe that significantly more progress could have been made had there been an overarching policy in place.
We believe that an important opportunity was lost as a result of the failure to follow through on the implementation of the recommendations of the Local Museums Heritage Review which was conducted in 2003.
In the absence of a policy to guide future direction, the creation of new museums and the development of existing facilities has happened in a piecemeal way, rather than in a co-ordinated fashion, with the result that there is an absence of provision in some areas, and a risk of duplication in others. The key risk is that collections of local, regional, or indeed national significance could be lost.
2. To examine/consider the Departmental guidelines currently used in place of a formal policy.
We are unaware of any current guidelines which are used in place of a formal policy. The lack of accessibility of such guidelines further highlights the need for a Museums Policy which would provide, in one place, a clear vision and strategic framework to guide the future development of the museum sector. A policy is needed to ensure consistency across all local authorities, independent and government run museums in relation to standards of presentation, collections management, training etc.
3. To examine levels of public and private sector investment in museums in Northern Ireland and to compare with other UK regions and the Republic of Ireland, and to assess how the associated impacts on individuals, communities and the economy are measured and analysed.
It will be extremely useful for the Committee to gather information of this nature, which would demonstrate the positive social and economic contribution the museum sector makes in other parts of these islands. Given the very short deadline for this consultation, it is not possible for us to provide detailed information at this stage. However, the National Trust would be happy to provide further information based on our experience across England, Wales and Northern Ireland if requested.
We would also draw to the Committee’s attention the ‘Valuing our Environment’ (phase one) research undertaken by the National Trust in 2004, and while this research does not address museums and the built heritage separately from other natural and cultural heritage assets, the results clearly demonstrate the significance of the sector in driving tourism, providing employment and contributing to the economy. A copy of the summary of this report is appended.
The Northern Ireland Museums Council has also produced useful material in this respect, including their reports ‘Mapping Trends’ and ‘A Survey of Collections’.
Other aspects which the Committee may wish to consider include the contribution the museums sector makes in the provision of learning – both formal curriculum-based education for schools and life-long learning. For example, on an annual basis a total of some 18,400 pupils and teachers participate in school visits to the four registered museums in the Trust’s care.
4. To draw on research and evidence on best practice on policy for museums which results in building a joined-up museum sector that will, over the long-term deliver real benefit to individuals, communities and the economy and the associated outcomes.
It will be important to cross-reference current provision in Northern Ireland against that which is available elsewhere to ensure that the most up-to-date, robust policies are in place to enable museums to operate efficiently in an increasingly competitive and economically challenging climate.
5. To seek input from the museums sector and stakeholders to establish views on a way forward for museums in Northern Ireland.
The National Trust is of the view that collectively museums play an important part in the social, cultural and economic life of the communities in which they are sited. To secure this position, and to develop for the future, we believe Northern Ireland should aspire to have:
A clearly set out Museums Policy, to which all the key stakeholders have had an opportunity to contribute, would be the appropriate vehicle through which to achieve this goal.
A Museums Policy for Northern Ireland would also ensure that:
A Museums Policy would also make it much easier to ensure co-ordination and appropriate linkages with other cross-departmental strategies, for example in relation to tourism, education, protection of the built heritage.
Museums have a great deal to offer as champions of local heritage, promoting a sense of pride and a sense of place in a rapidly changing Northern Ireland. It is essential that a robust policy is put in place now to ensure that the sector has a strategic framework in which to operate for the future.
We hope the Committee will find these comments helpful, and the National Trust is happy to provide further written or oral evidence if required.
For further information, in the first instance please contact:
Diane Ruddock
External Affairs Manager
The National Trust
Rowallane
Saintfield
Ballynahinch
Co. Down
BT24 7LH
DDI: 028 9751 2301
e-mail: diane.ruddock@nationaltrust.org.uk
Palace Barracks
British Forces Post Office 806
Military Network (Holywood): (9)491 58606
Military Network Fax: (9)491 58627
Civil Direct Dial: (028) 9042 0606
Civil Direct Dial Fax: (028) 9042 0627
G1/5/05A
Clerk to The Committee for Culture Arts and Leisure
Northern Ireland Assembly
Room 424, Parliament Buildings
Stormont
Belfast
BT4 3XX
12 June 2008
Dear Ms Gregg,
Reference:
A. Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure unreferenced letter dated 27 May 08.
B. Meeting dated 3 Jun 08 attended by Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure with staff, Gen Sir Philip Trousdell KBE CB R IRISH with staff and John Gilmour, Director of Development, NMNI.
1. I write on behalf of The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group in response to Reference A and I would firstly like to thank-you for making allowance for this slightly delayed response which has allowed a much more considered and meaningful input to be made to the Committee.
2. The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group comprises 4 independent museums each with its own set of trustees. Whilst independent these museums have each forged strong links with the Military Galleries at The National Museum of Ireland in an effort to work towards telling a more complete story of Irish soldiery and there is opportunity to build on links with other military galleries both in the wider UK and worldwide in order to establish a world standard display which will in turn attract more visitors to Northern Ireland.
a. The Royal Irish Regiment Museum. The Royal Irish Regiment Museum embraces the history of the Royal Irish Rangers, the Ulster Defence Regiment and the present Royal Irish Regiment. This museum has been placed in storage subsequent to the closure of St Patrick’s Barracks, Ballymena; it will be re-constituted at a site in or close to Belfast subject to negotiations with the National Museums of Northern Ireland in accordance with Ministerial direction given at Reference B.
b. The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Museum. The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Museum is established in conjunction with the Fermanagh County Museum in the historic Castle complex in Enniskillen. This is an exceptionally successful museum which has recently raised substantial funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and private donations in order to complete a total refurbishment. The military museum will formally re-open on 11 Sep 08 although it will be open to the public from 1 Jul 08.
c. The Royal Ulster Rifles Museum. The Royal Ulster Rifles Museum is located behind the former Northern Ireland War Memorial Building at 5 Waring St, Belfast. This museum is poorly positioned and its future has been seriously affected by the sale of the former War Memorial Building to which the museum building is attached. It is likely in due course that the lease for the museum building will be sold by the MoD and this museum will then move into storage pending re-constitution at an alternative site in or close to Belfast.
d. The Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum. The Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum is based in Sovereign’s House, Armagh, an MOD owned listed building on the Mall in Armagh. The museum underwent a major refurbishment in 2003 following severe damage by the terrorist bombing of the adjacent courthouse in 1993. The museum was awarded Best Exhibition in Ireland in 2003.
3. Currently Northern Ireland’s extensive and rich military history is told in a fragmented and relatively in-accessible manner through the independent museums of The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group. It is our understanding that the telling of Northern Ireland’s military story forms no part of the National Museums of Northern Ireland (NMNI) long term strategy at present. It is our strongly held view that this omission, if not corrected, will have a seriously deleterious effect on the cultural and historical education of Northern Irish society; will represent a lost opportunity for increased tourism to Northern Ireland from foreign visitors with an Irish military heritage and could ultimately result in the loss to Northern Ireland of an exceptionally rich military collection and with it Northern Ireland’s military history. It is the recommendation of The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group that the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure incorporate the requirement for the establishment of a Military Gallery as part of the NMNI Strategy.
4. The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group has a medium term (3 – 5 year) objective, in accord with MoD policy for MoD funded military museums, to establish the Group as a single military gallery based on 2 sites, a subsidiary one at Enniskillen and one close to or in Belfast. The purpose of the military gallery will be to tell the story of the Irish Soldier in service to the Crown. An extended period of research, stretching back 5 years, has identified the NMNI Folk and Transport Museum site at Cultra, having most visitor potential, as an ideal location for the main part of the military gallery. Accordingly representatives of The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group have engaged with NMNI and with the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure (Reference B) to explore the possibility of entering into a partnership to establish a military gallery as part of the Cultra site. Ministerial direction was given at Reference B for NMNI to consult with The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group as to how best a Military Gallery could be incorporated into the Cultra site. Follow up meetings have yet to take place. It is the recommendation of The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group that the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure confirm the suitability of the Cultra site as a long term NMNI museum site to include a military gallery delivered in partnership with The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group and the MoD.
5. At present there exists a fragmented and segregated museum funding structure in Northern Ireland. Dependant on sector funding can be more or less accessible and this results in inequity and, in certain instances, a sense of discrimination. There is a wide range of funding sources currently closed to The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group and this has a serious effect on the Group’s ability to tell the story of the Irish soldier under the Crown to the population of Northern Ireland. This in turn impedes the efforts of the Museum Group to educate across communities and build the cross-community bridges essential to an inclusive society. It is the recommendation of The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group that the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure should establish an even playing field in terms of access to funding for museum development on which all accredited museums can compete evenly.
6. The umbrella body for museums in Northern Ireland over the past number of years has been the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC). This has been a most helpful body in supporting The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group in areas such as training, discussion forums, funding, and general advice on best practice in our sector. The NIMC has held the line in the absence of formal policy and has actively led the museum sector in Northern Ireland to the benefit of all. It is the recommendation of The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group that the concept of the Council should be kept and developed in such a way as to strengthen its position within the museums sector of Northern Ireland.
7. The Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group very much welcomes this initiative and the opportunity to comment on the development of future museum policy in Northern Ireland. Its recommendations are summarised as the need to establish a military strand to the NMNI long term strategy with a main military gallery incorporated into the NMNI site at Cultra. Access to funding should be harmonised across all museums and galleries providing a level playing field in which funding is made accessible to all accredited museums and galleries. Finally it is recommended that the Northern Ireland Museums Council be formalised as a body representing and supporting the museums of Northern Ireland.
Yours faithfully,
Colin
SUBMISSION TO: The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure
Northern Ireland Assembly
FROM: Ian Vincent BA MMusStud – (Museologist)
Trustee of the Somme Association (Hon.Sec.)
Curatorial Advisor to the Somme Heritage Centre/Museum
Former President, Ontario Museums Association
Former Treasurer, Canadian Museum Association
Former Head, Museums Division, Toronto Historical Board
DATE: 4th June 2008
Dear Sir/Madam,
Please find below a written submission based on your Terms of Reference, giving my views on the provision of a Museums Policy for Northern Ireland.
Having spent most of my working life in museums both here and in Canada, I most enthusiastically support any endeavour which will improve the provision of museums in the province.
Here are the relevant details of my background:
Masters degree in Museum Studies (M. Mus.Stud.) (1973)
BA (Hons.,) Modern History/Art History (1972)
Curator, McMaster University Art Gallery, Hamilton, Ontario 1973-1974
Lecturer in Art History, N. Ireland Polytechnic 1977-1976
Head of Education Department, Ulster Museum 1976-1979
Director, Guelph Museums, Guelph, Ontario 1979-1985
Director, George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, Toronto, Ontario 1985-1987
Head of Museums Division, Toronto Historical Board 1987-1996
Development Officer and CEO, Somme Association 1987-1989
Deputy Curator, Irish Linen Centre, Lisburn 1989-2006
As President of the Ontario Museums Association I was centrally involved in brokering a structure of museum funding between Ontario museums and the Ontario provincial government.
As Treasurer of the Canadian Museum Association I was involved in the work of the Association at a time when museum standards were being discussed and agreed with the Canadian federal government.
Although now retired, I am still actively involved in the museum world, being currently a Trustee of the Somme Association and also Curatorial Advisor (a position required under museum standards) to the Somme Heritage Centre at Conlig, owned and operated by the Association. This Centre is now a fully accredited museum (soon to be renamed ‘The Somme Heritage Museum’), having acquired a significant collection and made the adjustments necessary to meet museum standards. As a ‘special subject’ museum it lies outside anything considered in the Department’s current Guidelines. It is, however, a good example of a museum with a real, proven, audience (both here and abroad) which locally bridges the heritage of our two communities.
I believe that a newly created Museum Policy for the province could greatly assist all our museums in fulfilling their potential, thereby increasing their interest and value to the public at large. I would therefore like to congratulate the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure on their welcome initiative, and to offer my services in any way which might be of assistance.
Yours faithfully,
Ian Vincent
1 Belmont Road,
Lisburn BT28 3DB
Co. Antrim
Tel.: 02892 663353
Email: deirdre.vincent@utoronto.ca
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MUSEUMS POLICY FOR N. IRELAND
1.1 There have been a number of reviews of museum operations in the province over the years, but no examination of the sort of fundamental issues which would be raised in the formulation of an overarching museum policy. The lack of a formal Departmental policy over the years has led to a situation in which the various museum bodies in the province necessarily vie for government support without any set guidelines either for setting up new museums or for funding existing ones. The result is a ‘Give It a Go’ approach on the part of emerging museums, which tends to give rise to negative outcomes from frustration to failure.
1.2 The lack of a formal government policy has led to financial support for museums being centred almost completely on the National Museums structure, without considering whether or not this expenditure is geared towards providing the best possible museum service to the province.
1.3 Taking a broader perspective: for a geographical area with ‘two tribes’ vying for recognition of their differing aspirations, along with an influx of immigrants from elsewhere in Europe, it is essential that the Government of N. Ireland develop a philosophical framework in which formal shape and structure can be given to existing and future museums in the province.
Being educational institutions which record how communities think and feel about themselves, museums are essential for helping to build a sense of identity, emotional security and self-confidence – qualities whose increased development can surely benefit all elements of N. Ireland society.
2.1 It is understood that the Departmental guidelines currently describing the governance of museums in N. Ireland are to be found in the Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998: 1998 No.261 (N.I. 2). These guidelines describe the structure and mode of operation of museums in N. Ireland as consisting of the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland (Part II) and Museums and Galleries Provided by District Councils (Part III). They are, in essence, a statement of ‘What and How’ and avoid the governing question of ‘Why’, as noted in Section 1.0 above. They cannot adequately substitute for an appropriate formal policy.
2.2 In restricting the guidelines to only National Museums and District Council Museums, the Department is failing to recognize the legitimacy of those museums whose subject matter falls outside such a narrow definition.
While Part III (4) notes that “A district council may make grants towards the expenses of the maintenance or provision of a museum or gallery by any person”, the question that arises is this: why would a council provide a museum with funds if its purpose falls outside, or goes beyond, its local context? Just such a problem is faced by the Somme Heritage Centre/Museum, for example, which sits in the area governed by Ards Borough Council, although its subject matter is of international interest and it has a growing membership that extends worldwide.
2.3 The present funding structure as reflected in the current Departmental guidelines is highly restrictive and does not present a sufficiently flexible scheme to meet the aspirations of all legitimate museum operations in the province. By “legitimate” is meant all those museums which meet current museum standards as laid down by the Museums Association and monitored by the Northern Ireland Museums Council. This measure of legitimacy based on meeting established standards should undoubtedly feature in any future Departmental policy.
2.4 Because of unfolding political developments in the province, the guidelines section governing the role of District Councils (Part III) will have to be seriously reconsidered. Under the proposed reorganization of local Councils, the new Councils may well acquire responsibility for an existing museum, or museums, for which they had no prior financial or ‘emotional’ commitment. As a matter of policy, the Department should ensure that all existing legitimate museums and their collections find a committed ‘new’ owner.
3.1 Given the short period of time allowed in which to make a response to the Inquiry (two weeks) it is not possible to prepare a properly researched response to this section. However, the Northern Ireland Museums Council, in association with the Department’s own statisticians, should certainly be able to prepare an appropriate response in due course and circulate it to all those wishing to be involved – certainly by the next round of public meetings with museum associates, which should take place no later than the early autumn. Considerations re ‘Quality of Life’ issues, educational value, larger numbers of attendees than soccer games, community identity, return on investment etc., etc., are among matters that need careful examination and Committee Members should be exposed to them all. Central here would be fundamental questions regarding the proportion of public and private monies to be sought for each museum category, potential investment levels, control issues, etc., etc. As far as comparisons with the UK and ROI are concerned, care should be taken to ensure that only like institutions are compared with one another.
4.1 A Museums Policy for Northern Ireland should reaffirm the set of obligatory standards; it should also present a rational and coherent funding structure for all museums, not only National museums and those provided by District Councils. There has long been a demonstrable need for both, without which stable quality cannot be assured on a widespread basis.
4.2 The Policy should present a philosophical rationale dealing with how the various museums, taken together, would present a broad picture of the province’s cultural heritage to residents and visitors alike. The spectrum would extend from a National Art Gallery to community and special-interest museums.
4.3 Some focused research, either by the Northern Ireland Museums Council or by a panel established to further the review, should look at successful examples of best practice re structure and funding in other parts of the UK or further afield. The Province of Ontario, for example, in conjunction with the Ontario Museums Association, has devised a highly successful three-tiered system for funding based on specific standards.
4.4 The very worthwhile goal of a joined-up system of museums in the province is by no means a new idea; it was discussed to my knowledge, for example, by mid-management staff at the Ulster Museum as long ago as the 1970s. The idea was that the Ulster Museum, with a little more money and a broadened mandate, could supply conservation, exhibit design and museological services to other, smaller, museums in the province; it could also provide a greater circulation of artefacts that were held in the Ulster Museum but that were often of greater significance for elsewhere in the province. Then, as now, it was clear that the result would be an overall improvement to museum services. The approach is evidently still worthy of consideration.
(In at least one area in Germany this approach has already proved successful, but there are similarly successful models all over the world. Unfortunately, with the lack of an open forum up to now for any discussion of the development of a museum policy for the province, such alternative models have not been widely considered.)
4.5 There can be no long-term solution to the successful provision of an appropriate museums service in the province until an overarching policy with agreed philosophical objectives is formulated. From this can then be derived a new set of guidelines and financial arrangements.
5.1 The first step in the way forward for museums in Northern Ireland must be a thorough review along the lines of this current one.
5.2 There is a large amount of knowledge and experience in the museum community itself and the Committee should review submissions from across the whole spectrum – along with input from the Northern Ireland Museums Council, which seeks to represent the collective voice of museums in the province.
5.3 Among the stakeholders in the province are all those who hold collections in public trust and who undertake, through caring for and exhibiting these collections, to educate and stimulate the public at large. The public itself, as both audience and taxpayer, is of course the most significant stakeholder of all. Museums seek to provide an accurate and worthwhile learning experience for every visitor – whether that visitor is at primary school or has a PhD in the subject area. Even in the age of cyberspace, artefacts still have an undying magic of their own.
6.1 A preliminary report should be prepared by the Committee and presented to the museum community for comment before the Committee reports back to the Assembly and certainly before any implementation is undertaken.
6.2 Recommendations arising from any thorough reporting exercise should be given a real airing with members of the various museum communities before being forwarded in final form to the Assembly for steps towards implementation.
One word of warning: Caution should be exercised if the Committee should decide to engage the services of a consultant, as there are very few (if any) consultants in the marketplace who have ‘served their time’ in the smaller, so-called ‘field museums’ as opposed to the national or larger museums, where the conditions of service are very different.
Ards Borough Council
Mr Archie Walls
Armagh City and District Council
Ms Sharon O’Gorman
Mr John Briggs
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Ms Roisin McDonough
Ms Noírín McKinney
Mr Nick Livingston
Causeway Museum Service
Councillor Evelyn Robinson
Ms Helen Perry
Craigavon Borough Council
Ms Elaine Hill
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Mr Gregory Campbell MP MLA
Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Mr Colin Watson
Ms Hazel Campbell
Derry City Council
Mr Craig McGuicken
Down District Council
Ms Sharon O’Connor
Dr Mike King
Fermanagh District Council
Ms Sarah McHugh
Ms Bronagh Cleary
Heritage Lottery Fund
Mr Ronnie Spence
Mr Paul Mullan
Ms Stella McDermott
HMS Caroline Committee
Mr Frank Robinson
Ms Primrose Wilson
Dr Gordon Millington
Mid Antrim Museums Service
Mr William Blair
Milford Building Preservation Trust
Mr Stevie McManus
Museum of Free Derry
Mr Eamonn McCann
Mr Tony Doherty
Mr Adrian Kerr
National Museums Northern Ireland
Mr Tim Cook
Ms Amanda Lilley
Dr Jim McGreevy
Mr Paddy Gilmore
Newry and Mourne District Council
Ms Noreen Cunningham
North Down Borough Council
Mr David Howard
Mr Ian Wilson
Northern Ireland Museums Council
Mr Chris Bailey
Ms Briony Crozier
Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
Mr Johnny Glendenning
Mr Mark Kennedy
Royal Irish Regiment Museums Group
Lt Col (Rtd) Harvey Bicker
Ms Amanda Moreno
Mr Jack Dunlop
Major Colin Gray
Strabane District Council
Ms Clare Mullen
Mr Adrian Beattie
The Apprentice Boys of Derry
Mr William Moore
Mr Jim Brownlee
Mr Alistair Simpson
The National Trust
Ms Diane Ruddock
Ms Frances Bailey
The Somme Association
Dr Ian Adamson
Mr Ian Vincent
Ms Carol Walker
Ulster Sports Museum Association
Mr Ronnie Spence
Mr Nigel Carr
Mr Ryan Feeney
Research Paper 1
Research Paper 2
Research Paper 3
Research Paper 4
Research Paper 5
Research Paper 6
Research Briefing
June 2008
Eithne Knappitsch
Research Officer
Research and Library Service
Research Papers are compiled for the benefit of Members of The Assembly and their personal staff. Authors are available to discuss the contents of these papers with Members and their staff but cannot advise members of the general public.
Introduction
Museum Policy
England
National Strategy for Museums in England
Wales
CyMAL: Museums, Libraries and Archives Wales
France
Canada
Renewed Federal Vision for Museums in the 21st Century
Before looking at the question of policies for museums it is useful to outline what constitutes a museum. The International Council of Museums (ICOM), an international organisation of museums and museum professionals, provides the following internationally accepted definition:
A museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of people and their environment. (…)[3]
In 1998 the UK Museums Association agreed on a definition of museums which states that:
Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. … They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society.[4]
The Museums Association’s definition includes art galleries that have collections of works of arts and museums with historical collections of objects.
The UK–wide Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) has an Accreditation Scheme which sets out nationally agreed standards for UK museums. These standards are based on caring for and documenting collections, governance and management, and information and services for users.[5] This scheme was first launched in 1988 and was revised in both 1995 and 2004.[6]
In 2007 Northern Ireland had 21 museums Registered and in Phase Two of the Museums Accreditation Scheme, 2 museums were in Accreditation Process and a further 17 museums were Accredited Museums (a total of 40 museums).[7] The Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC), a registered charitable company that receives the vast majority of its funding from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure for Northern Ireland, provides information on all of Northern Ireland’s museums on its web site. NIMC is managed by a Board comprised of members from the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland, regional museums, district councils, nominees of the Minister of Culture, Arts & Leisure, a nominee of the universities in Northern Ireland, and representatives of the independent museums.
Museums policy is sometimes not dealt with explicitly in its own right, but may form part of a wider cultural policy. In recent decades cultural policies have been adopted by a broad spectrum of authorities ranging from local, regional or state governments to national governments. The majority of European countries now have some form of programme, action plan or policy for culture.
… the majority of European countries are now engaged in programmes of disengagement from the direct management and provision of cultural services by transferring institutions such as national museums to independent boards outside direct government control, while at the same time they are being required to earn in one way or another an increasingly large proportion of their annual expenditure. In some cases, the long-term objective is to require museums and related heritage facilities to become financially self-sufficient through increased earned income and fund-raising.[8]
The museum is now seen as “a place for fostering local development, for revitalizing the local social fabric through job creation, providing a forum for educational and various cultural activities, and working to attract tourism, etc.”[9]
Museum policy varies from country to country and sometimes from region to region to meet the specific needs of the area or cultural space in question. For example, the needs of Canada’s 2500[10] museums will vary greatly from the needs of Northern Ireland’s some 40 museums. Therefore, to talk about best practice in relation to museum policy becomes relatively anecdotal, as the specific needs of one country or region may vary greatly from the needs of another country or region.
Museum policy is essentially a legislative arrangement made by governments to establish and support museums. It involves administrative and financial elements and also input into the decisions taken by individual museums in establishing their role in the community. In general, it would seem that there is widespread agreement on the need for cohesive, strategic and supportive policies for the culture sector in general and museums sector specifically. Many national or local museum policy statements are currently under review or have recently been reviewed. While such policies are specific to the regions or countries in which they are implemented or under review, it is nonetheless possible to identify a number of common principles of current museum strategies:
In England the central ministry with cultural competence is the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). England has in the region of 1400[11] registered or accredited museums. The DCMS currently has four main priorities:
Over recent decades a number of significant developments have taken place in the museum sector in England, these have included:
A consultation process and debate on issues relating to the museums and galleries sector was initiated in England in 2005 and the results have since been published. However, these have to a certain extent been made redundant as a new national museum strategy is currently underway and should be completed later this year.[14]
The DCMS has given the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA)[15] the task of developing a unified national strategy for English museums “building on, developing and concluding the process behind 2005’s Understanding the Future: Museums and 21st Century Life and the 2006 document Understanding the Future: Priorities for England’s Museums”[16]. The MLA’s Head of Museum Policy, Hedley Swain, is currently heading this new strategy.
The vision of this new National Strategy for Museums in England’s is described as follows:
To build a single, joined up, museum sector that will, over the long-term, deliver real benefit to individuals, communities and the economy.[17]
The areas which are believed to still need development as regards England’s museums are as follows:
One key area of interest in terms of the new strategy for England’s museums is certainly the question of how museums can be directly linked to communities. In a presentation by Hedley Swain on the new National Strategy for Museums in England, the following means of connecting museums with communities and individuals were outlined:
The central ministry with cultural competence in Wales is the Department for Heritage.[20] In 2006 Wales had an estimated 143 museums: 89 were Accredited or Registered museums under the Museums Accreditation Scheme, with some others working towards achieving Accreditation.[21] The Welsh Assembly Government’s main aims for museums, archives and libraries are stated as follows:
A four-year programme for government, One Wales: A progressive agenda for the government of Wales[23], was introduced in June 2007. This programme includes making Wales’ rich cultural heritage available to all and sets out the following plans:
CyMAL: Museums, Libraries and Archives Wales is a division of the Welsh Assembly Government that was established on 1 April 2004.[25] CyMAL provides the Minister for Heritage with authoritative policy advice.[26] It also gives advice and financial support to local museums, archives and libraries and develops and implements policies. CyMAL is the Sponsor Division for the National Library of Wales and Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales (AC-NMW).[27]
Work to develop a new strategy for the museum sector in Wales is also currently underway.[28] A major survey of museums in Wales was carried out by CyMAL in 2006 to inform a new museums strategy for Wales. Of Wales’s 143 museums 106 participated in the study.[29]
As well as providing the Assembly Government with a tool to aid planning, the evidence gathered will provide the museum domain in Wales with a robust database covering many aspects of service provision and collections. The data will be revisited every four years to measure change and identify trends.[30]
The aims CyMAL outlined in its 2006-2008 Action Plan are as follows:
Providing financial support to help the development of museums, archives and libraries is one of the main goals of this Action Plan. On the 22 November 2007 the Minister for Heritage agreed to the continuation of the CyMAL Museum Grant Schemes providing developmental project funding for museums. These schemes provide assistance for local museums to[32]:
In France the Ministry of Culture and Communication has competence in the field of culture. France has some 1,200 museums and these operate as Musées de France, which is a category created by law in 2002.[35] Funding is made available to museums via the regions.
If we were to choose a single verb to characterise French policy in the museum sector since the 1980s, we would be tempted to choose ‘to build’.[36]
In addition to a significant amount of building developments, as with other museums worldwide, in France museums have been forced to react to changes in public demand and in particular the increased demand for museums to be both educational and at the same time entertaining.[37] In France, again an emphasis on societal issues is evident.
Contemporary societies seem to be driven by a desire for multi faceted museums, where each social phenomenon seems open to collectionism.[38]
In 1990 the French National Heritage Institute (Institut National du Patrimoine) was created. The aim of this action, and its subsequent reform in 2001, was to provide specialist training for future curators to prepare them for both the scientific and management tasks they will later face.[39]
One of the main cultural policy priorities in France is devolution (in relation to budgetary matters) and decentralisation.[40] Up until the passing of the 2002 law, most national museums were under the joint control of two institutions: the Direction des Musées de France (DMF) and the Réunion des Musées Nationaux (RMN) and had to pay a proportion of their revenue to RMN.[41] These institutions provided administrative, financial and commercial backing. The reforms introduced in 2002 freed the museums from this strict control and allowed them to operate more independently. However, 20 per cent of annual revenue from entrance fees to the Louvre Museum and the Versailles Château and Park must be allocated to new acquisitions.[42] At the beginning of 2004, the Orsay and Guimet museums also adopted legal autonomy[43].
Reforms, while impacting the national museums, have had a much smaller impact on museums under local authority jurisdiction. The state continues to maintain a level of technical control over these through the decentralised regional cultural affairs offices. Local authorities must cover the ordinary operating costs of the museums under their control. The state’s responsibility, in conjunction with the regions, is limited solely to acquisitions.[44] Funds for acquisitions are often said to be too small. The actual level of autonomy local museums have depends on their location.
Some large cities have set up municipal offices which define the main museographic, scientific and budgetary parameters for the museums.[45]
As with elsewhere the question of funding is a problem facing France’s non-national museums. In terms of pricing, France has a variety of pricing arrangements. Paris decided in 2001 to introduce a free entry policy for its municipal museums, while throughout France a principle of free entry to under eighteens was introduced. At the same time, however, full rates for permanent collections have mostly increased.[46] Sponsorship for French museums has been on the increase since the introduction of a new law in August 2003. Incentives have been introduced for private individuals and businesses wishing to sponsor museums.
Over recent years, culture and leisure, education and entertainment have become more closely intertwined. France, like many other countries has recognised these developments and has responded with for example the introduction of Ecomuseums. One such museum is the Alsace Ecomuseum, which combines elements of theme or leisure parks and museums. Ecomuseums have become more popular: responding to new demands from society.
The central ministry with cultural competence in Canada is the Federal Department of Canadian Heritage. In Canada there are currently approximately 2,500 non-profit museums including large metropolitan galleries and small community museums, with total attendance at all museums totalling some 59 million visitors per annum.[47] The first comprehensive federal policy for museums in Canada was put in place in 1972. The objectives of this National Museums Policy were “decentralisation and democratisation” and it aimed to promote Canadian identity and values.[48] This policy was updated in 1990 when new funds were committed to museums, but later withdrawn amid serious government deficits.[49] As part of the 1990 Canadian Museums Policy key programs such as the Museums Assistance Programs (MAP), the Canadian Conservation Institute and the Canadian Heritage Information Network were moved to what is now the Department of Canadian Heritage.[50]
The Museums Act was enacted in 1990 with the purpose of creating four national museums to preserve the heritage of Canada. These four museums – the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canadian Museum of Nature, and the National Museum of Science and Technology – operate as independent Crown corporations, each having a board of trustees and a board-appointed director who is approved by the Governor in Council.[51]
A main goal of Canada’s museum policy is to facilitate the access of all Canadian’s to their cultural heritage. In addition to this the museum policy should help enrich, manage and preserve representative collections throughout Canada’s regions by supporting research and development and by providing services throughout the country.[52]
Canada’s Museums were singled out in the 2006-2007 Canadian Heritage Report on Plans and Priorities as a departmental priority, as was the enhancement of Canada’s Virtual Museum.[53] The Virtual Museum of Canada has worked closely with other museums across the country to develop digital content that attracts millions of domestic and international online users. This is managed by the Canadian Heritage Information Network which is currently undertaking research and developing approaches to introduce new interactive tools to increase both visitor participation and accessibility on wireless and handheld devices. A pilot project aimed at improving the Virtual Museum’s Learning Centre is also currently underway. These initiatives should facilitate greater accessibility to the Virtual Museum and easy connection with youth.[54] The Department also planned to implement “a software application that can be used by museums to measure economic impact”; and to develop “collaborative on-line space for museums to engage Canadians in active learning”.[55]
On February 11 2008, Bill C-42, An Act to amend the Museums Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, was introduced.[56] This Bill creates a new Crown corporation called the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) and sets out its purpose, capacity and powers. The CMHR is to be built in Winnipeg, which will make it the first national museum to be located outside of the National Capital region, and it will house the largest museum gallery devoted to the Holocaust in the country. The fact that the CMHR is located in Winnipeg addresses the 1990 policy aim of decentralisation.
Renewed Federal Vision for Museums in the 21st Century
In September 2005, all provincial and territorial ministers responsible for culture were unanimous in their support for a new federal museums policy.[57] As a result the Department of Canadian Heritage began developing a Renewed Federal Vision for Museums in the 21st Century. The Department identified three key issues that the policy should prioritise:
participation: increasing and diversifying active engagement in Canada’s museums by visitors, volunteers, members and other participants;
preservation: stabilizing and renewing significant collections; and
sustainability: strengthening the capacity of institutions to mobilize support from a variety of stakeholders and renewing the infrastructure necessary to support museum missions.[58]
On June 20, 2006 the Canadian Museums Association (CMA) in a Brief to the Standing Committee on Canadian heritage outlined its views on the need for a comprehensive policy on museums, including new investment to better safeguard and stabilise the existing museums.[59] The following recommendations for a new Canadian Museums Policy were put forward as guidelines by the CMA:
Community Impact: helping to develop and strengthen the contributions of museums to the communities they serve.
Sustainability: providing targeted support that assists museums in sustaining their operations and achieving excellence in research, preservation, and exhibitions.
Engagement: expanding on the active participation of the public. Engaging Canadians, volunteers, schools, diverse communities, etc.
Appreciation: building a culture of respect, intellectual curiosity, and appreciation of our heritage as a nation.
Participation and Inclusion: engaging Canadians from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds.[60]
The CMA believes that federal investment in museums (other than the four federal museums) is insufficient. In 2006 they stated that the funding level had remained the same since 1972 and that an increase of funding was needed to meet the demands of museums in the 21st century.[61] The Museums Assistance Program (MAP), which is the central program for museums across Canada, was still operating at 1972 levels in 2006, providing only short-term project funding worth $9 million per year.[62] In addition to problematic short-term funding and under-funding, key government programmes for museums are identified as antiquated. The CMA sees a new Canadian museums policy and new programmes as establishing museums as community centres of learning and connection, and providing approximately $75 million annually for museums across Canada.[63]
The new policy for Canada’s museums, a Renewed Federal Vision for Museums in the 21st Century, has not yet been adopted. A change in government has resulted in a shift in priorities, hence developments in the museum sector in Canada are now moving more slowly than before.[64]
[1]1 Presentation by Hedley Swain on ‘Developing a National Strategy for Museums in England’, http://www.mla.gov.uk/resources/assets//N/nat_strat_ma_12399.ppt (05/06/08)
[2] http://wales.gov.uk/topics/cultureandsport/museumsarchiveslibraries/?lang=en (09/06/08)
[3] http://icom.museum/definition.html (02/06/08)
[4] http://www.museumsassociation.org/faq (02/06/08)
[5] The Museum Accreditation Scheme, Museums Libraries Archives, http://www.mla.gov.uk/resources/assets//A/about_acc_13280.pdf (29/05/08)
[6] Mapping Trends in Northern Irelands Museums 2007, Northern Ireland Museums Council, http://www.nimc.co.uk/crossfire/files/page_8/7_file.pdf (28/05/08)
[7] Ibid.
[8] Patrick J. Boylan, Museums: Targets or Instruments of Cultural Policies?, Museum International, 58 (4) 2006, p. 9
[9] Françoise Benhamou and Nathalie Moureau, From Ivory Towers to Museums Open to the Community: changes and developments in France’s cultural policy, Museums International, 58 (4) 2006, p. 22
[10]10 http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0005551 (03/06/08)
[11] http://www.mla.gov.uk/resources/assets//A/accred_list_13188.pdf (09/06/08)
[12] http://www.culture.gov.uk/3094.aspx (06/06/08)
[13] Presentation by Hedley Swain on ‘Developing a National Strategy for Museums in England’
[14] Information based on correspondence with Hedley Swain, Director of Programme Delivery, Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
[15] The MLA is a company which is limited by guarantee with charitable status and which is sponsored by the DCMS. Its board members are appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and it is a non-statutory Non-Departmental Public Body.
[16] http://www.mla.gov.uk/website/policy/museum_policy (06/06/08)
[17] Presentation by Hedley Swain on ‘Developing a National Strategy for Museums in England’
[18] Presentation by Hedley Swain on ‘Developing a National Strategy for Museums in England’
[19] Ibid.
[20] Following the May 2007 National Assembly for Wales’ elections the Local Government and Culture Department was restructured.
[21] Spotlight on Museums, Welsh Assembly Government, December 2007, http://new.wales.gov.uk/depc/publications/cultureandsport/mal/museum1/1977415/CyMAL_-_Spotlight_on_Museums.pdf?lang=en (03/06/08)
[22] http://wales.gov.uk/topics/cultureandsport/museumsarchiveslibraries/?lang=en (09/06/08)
[23] http://new.wales.gov.uk/strategy/strategies/onewales/onewalese.pdf?lang=en (06/06/08)
[24] Ibid.
[25] http://wales.gov.uk/publications/accessinfo/drnewhomepage/leisuredrs2/Leisuredrs2008/1940076/?lang=en (09/06/08)
[26] http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/cultureandsport/museumsarchiveslibraries/cymalL4/?lang=en (10/06/08)
[27] http://wales.gov.uk/topics/cultureandsport/museumsarchiveslibraries/cymalL4/?lang=en (09/06/08)
[28]28 http://wales.gov.uk/topics/cultureandsport/museumsarchiveslibraries/cymalL4/publications/spotlight1?lang=en (09/06/08). A draft document should be available early this summer.
[29] http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/cultureandsport/museumsarchiveslibraries/cymalL4/publications/spotlight1?lang=en (04/06/08)
[30] Ibid.
[31] http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/cultureandsport/museumsarchiveslibraries/cymalL4/publications/spotlight1?lang=en (04/06/08)
[32] http://wales.gov.uk/publications/accessinfo/drnewhomepage/leisuredrs2/Leisuredrs2008/1940076/?lang=en (09/06/08)
[33] This is part of the Cyfoeth Cymru Gyfan / Sharing Treasures Scheme
[34] Inspiring Learning / Annog Addysg Grant Schemes
[35] Françoise Benhamou and Nathalie Moureau, p. 22
[36] Françoise Benhamou and Nathalie Moureau, From Ivory Towers to Museums Open to the Community: changes and developments in France’s cultural policy, Museums International, 58 (4) 2006, p. 21
[37] Ibid.
[38] Dominique Poulot, (2005) Musée et muséologie, La Découverte, Paris.
[39] Françoise Benhamou and Nathalie Moureau, p. 23
[40] Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe, http://www.culturalpolicies.net/web/france.php?aid=41 (05/06/08)
[41] Françoise Benhamou and Nathalie Moureau, p. 23
[42] Ibid.
[43] They adopted legal autonomy as public institutions of an industrial and commercial nature.
[44] Françoise Benhamou and Nathalie Moureau, p. 23
[45] Françoise Benhamou and Nathalie Moureau, p. 24
[46] Ibid.
[47] Brief to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: The Need for a New Canadian Museums Policy
[48]48 Brief to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: The Need for a New Canadian Museums Policy, Canadian museums Association, June 20, 2006, http://www.museums.ca/media/Pdf/cma_brief_june_2006final.pdf (04/06/08)
[49] Ibid.
[50] Brief to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: The Need for a New Canadian Museums Policy
[51] http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/bills_ls.asp?lang=E&ls=c42&source=library_prb&Parl=39&Ses=2
[52] Communications Canada, Canadian Museum Policy; Temples of the Human Spirit, Ottawa, 1990.
[53]53 http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rpp/0607/pch/pch_e.pdf (03/06/08)
[54] Canadian Heritage, Report on Plans and Priorities 2007/08
[55] Ibid.
[56]56 Bill C-42: An Act to amend the Museums Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, Legislative Summary, http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/bills_ls.asp?lang=E&ls=c42&source=library_prb&Parl=39&Ses=2
[57] Ibid.
[58] http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/ph/pubs/mus-pol-mus/07_e.cfm (04/06/08)
[59] Brief to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: The Need for a New Canadian Museums Policy
[60] Ibid.
[61] Brief to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: The Need for a New Canadian Museums Policy
[62] http://museums.ca/media/Pdf/keymessages.pdf (03/06/08)
[63] Ibid.
[64] Correspondence with Monique Horth, Deputy Director of the Canadian Museums Association.
Research Briefing
June 2008
Meadhbh Mc Cann
Research Officer
Research and Library Service
Research Papers are compiled for the benefit of Members of The Assembly and their personal staff. Authors are available to discuss the contents of these papers with Members and their staff but cannot advise members of the general public.
(1) Northern Ireland Museums Council - £263,000
(2) National Museums Northern Ireland – £14,977,000
(1) Tourism
(2) Knowledge Economy
(3) Regeneration
(4) Social cohesion and inclusion
(5) Education
(6) Employment/economy
Synopsis of previous briefing papers
Levels of Public Sector Funding for Museums in Northern Ireland
(PriceWaterHouseCoopers VALCAL)
Northern Ireland Museums Council: Mapping Trends in Northern Ireland’s Museums
The economic impact of museums in Northern Ireland
Museum Visitor Numbers in Northern Ireland
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Department for Culture, Media and Sport Levels of Funding
Levels of Public Sector Funding in Scotland
Welsh Assembly Government funding
The Republic of Ireland
Potential Benefits Arising from Investment in Museums xx
This paper provides an overview of the research that has been conducted into the levels of public sector investment in museums in Northern Ireland and a comparison with other regions in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
This paper examines the level of public funding in the museums sector in Northern Ireland, the other devolved regions and the Republic of Ireland. The information included highlights the breakdown of the funding allocations to the museums sector in each of the above mentioned administrations.
Two papers have been previously submitted in relation to the economic and social impacts of art, sport, libraries and museums in Northern Ireland. The first dealing specifically with the above mentioned impacts. The second paper outlining the abandonment of the second phase of the ValCAL study conducted by PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PWC).
The paper ‘Economic and Social impacts of Arts, Sports, Libraries and Museums in Northern Ireland’ examines the economic and social benefits that can be derived from sport, arts, museums and libraries in both the United States of America and the United Kingdom.
Highlighted in this paper was the role played by non-profit arts organisations in America and how they contribute to the economy and society. Non-profit arts organisations in the United States of America generates some $134 billion through its total economic activity per year; supporting some 4.9 million full-time equivalent jobs. The Bureau of Economic Analysis details that consumers spent $9.4 billion on admissions to performing arts events in 1998 - $2.6 billion more than admissions to motion pictures and $1.8 billion more than total spending on spectator sports. In Canada sport spending per annum totals almost C$16 billion and supports 2% of the jobs in the country. Estimates of health-care spending due to physical inactivity range from C$2.1 billion to C$5.3 billion annually, representing as much as 4.8% of total health care costs.
There are over 42 million visits each year to major museums and galleries in Britain with 43 per cent of the population attending a museum or gallery at least once during the past year. The public libraries in the United States of America currently have four strategies operating in relation to workforce development, including creating job information centres, expanding access to technology and tech training, providing targeted employment outreach and adult literacy training and community support centres. Sport related employment in England was estimated at 434,000 in 2005, accounting for 1.8% of all employment in England. In England, sport-related economic activity has increased from 1985 to 2000, representing an increase from £3,358 million to £10,373 million.
Impacts such as education, social inclusion, community cohesion and reduction in crime are complicated to quantify. Many of the benefits of these activities can not be measured initially in financial terms. Any benefits derived, will likely be seen at a local and community level rather than at a regional level.
This paper outlines the decision of the Project Steering Group in relation to the PWC ‘Research into the Social and Economic value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland (ValCAL) study and the abandonment of Phase 2 of the research into the economic modelling of quantifiable benefits of DCAL activity.
Phase 2 of the PWC study, was intended to test whether the available data could be used to build an economic model of DCAL activities. The requirement of the economic model was that it be robust and capable of being expressed in monetary terms. Evaluations are often uncertain and subjective evaluation itself can prove to be a costly undertaking. Indirect costs and benefits can prove more difficult to value, particularly if they have no market prices. An alternative approach to valuation is required in order to quantify potential social, health or environmental impacts. It is often difficult to assess the reliability of estimates emerging from a single study using a single method.
Areas that the project steering group has identified as problematic in relation to progressing to Phase 2 of the PWC report are as follows;
(1) The available data for the 4 DCAL business areas is not sufficient for the more stringent demands of economic modelling;
(2) The areas of Museums and Libraries are more straightforward in relation to DCAL intervention. However, arts and sport are more complex;
(3) Where data limitations were identified, assumptions from specialist literature would inform the economic model;
(4) Due to such data limitations, the economic model would be based on a high frequency of assumptions; and
(5) Only one of the 4 DCAL business areas, that of libraries, would be suitable for economic modelling.
The construction of a model inclusive of social benefits would rely heavily on assumption, which in turn undermines the robustness of the economic modelling itself. The PWC report states that this is due to the nebulous nature of social benefits. Libraries had the largest amount of available data for modelling; however this data varied in its ability to be quantified to the specifics of the economic model. The study states that a series of approaches could be taken in order to produce quantifiable benefits of DCAL activity. These include focusing on historical data, benefit ratios, the regional level and general themes rather than individual projects.
In Northern Ireland DCAL provides funding to a number of museums and museums organisations including the following[4];
Over the period 2007-2008, DCAL has allocated just under £18 million (£17,992,000) for the provision of museums in Northern Ireland. Of this amount the museum sector received the following[5];
The most universally accepted definition in the United Kingdom of a museum is that given by the museums Association in 1998[6];
“Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens which they hold in trust for society”
Out of the 37 museums surveyed (from the total of 40 museums in Northern Ireland) for this report, some 18 were run by local councils in Northern Ireland, 14 are independent or voluntary museums, 4 come under the National Museums of Northern Ireland and finally 1 operates within Queen’s University Belfast[7].
The Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 sets out how National Museums of Northern Ireland will operate and how local district councils may provide museums and galleries. Of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland, 9 councils currently do not run a museum or a museum service. These include the following[8];
(1) Antrim Borough Council
(2) Ards Borough Council
(3) Banbridge District Council
(4) Belfast City Council
(5) Castlereagh Borough Council
(6) Cookstown District Council
(7) Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council
(8) Magherafelt District Council
(9) Omagh District Council
Income of the museum sector can be seen to highlight the overall level of activity. It can also help in illustrating the level of “dependence” of the sector on public subsidy. Of the 38 registered museums in Northern Ireland 22 do not charge an admission fee and are therefore reliant on other sources of income such as grants and merchandise sales[9].
This report, ‘An Initial Review of the Economic Impact of Museums in Northern Ireland’, states that museums are dependent on public funding, with approximately 70% of funding originating from central government and a further 14% from local government sources.
Income also differs among the various types of museum, with National Museums receiving more income than other museums. National Museums accounted for just over 70% of the total income of the sector as a whole. The National Museums, (Ulster Museum, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and the Ulster American Folk Park) received almost 90% of government funding. If these four museums were to be excluded, the funding from central government accounts for 30% of the sector’s total income. National Museums received a much larger percentage of their income from central government while other museums and charitable/independent museums received a larger proportion of their income from sale and admission charges. In 2000/2001 the total expenditure by the museum sector in Northern Ireland was approximately £16.2 million, around 68% of which is accounted for by the National Museums. Over 67% of the sector’s total expenditure is on salaries and wages[10].
As part of the survey that was conducted for this Report, museums in Northern Ireland where asked to estimate what they put back into the local economy, the proportion of their expenditure that was spent within Northern Ireland and the proportion that was spent elsewhere. On average museums in Northern Ireland reported that they spent 85% of their expenditure (including salaries and goods and services) within Northern Ireland, totalling almost £14 million. There is also the multiplier effect as those employed by museums and those supplying goods and services recycle their income through the economy[11].
However, multiplier effects used elsewhere in similar studies suggest that the multiplier will fall between 1.1 and 1.4 i.e. for every £1 of direct expenditure, there is another 10p to 40p generated in the economy[12]. An economic impact study of the arts sector in Northern Ireland (Myerscough, 1996) used a multiplier of 1.2. Using the 1.2 multiplier, it is estimated that the impact of the museum sector in Northern Ireland is around £16.8 million. This is the equivalent to less than 0.1% of GDP in Northern Ireland, (which is estimated at around £17 billion)[13].
There has been an increase in visitors to museums in Northern Ireland by 22% over the past 5 years; over the same period £9.45 million was spent on capital development. All museums now have a web presence and 90% of all museums currently offer collections based sessions to schools. The number of full-time staff in museums fell by 9%[14].
The Northern Ireland Museums Council offers a number of grants to museums, in order to carry out various improvements to the services offered by the museums. The four types of grant and the total allocations during 2006-07 are listed below[15];
There is a lack of comparable data and studies into the economic impact of museums. One of the few studies that has been carried out was in relation to South West England[16].
The data in this study suggests that while Northern Ireland has fewer museums than either South West England or Scotland, National Museums in Northern Ireland tend to be larger, with an average income of just over £3 million, whereas all other museums in Northern Ireland had a smaller income than those in Scotland or the South West of England at an average of £120,000.
The major area of economic impact is in terms of visitor numbers where Northern Ireland museum visitors, (800,000) are just over 8% of the total in Scotland (9.8 million) although in terms of visitors per museum, the proportion is over two thirds of the Scottish average (21,000 per museum per annum in Northern Ireland compared with 30,000 in Scotland).
A NISRA recent survey (2000) estimated that in Northern Ireland there are 400 facilities that are categorised as, museums, archival centres, heritage centres or, historic and listed buildings that are not registered museums. Of these 400, 88% stated that they housed objects, documents or interpretive displays. Each of which are generating expenditure and attracting visitors in varying proportions; therefore, to provide estimates of the impact of all museums in Northern Ireland, would require further in-depth, primary research, which is beyond the scope of this study.
Myerscough (1996) noted that the total value of the arts sector in Northern Ireland (including, museums, galleries and performing arts) at that time was approximately £150 million and sustains over 5,000 jobs. Based on results from this survey we estimate that registered museums contributed approximately 10% of this value[17].
The Museums Branch of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has stated that the funding allocations as allocated in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review for the financial year 2008/09 are as follows:
National Museum Northern Ireland – £12.85 million (Recurrent)
£590K (Capital)
Somme Museum £30K (Resource)
The internal reallocation during the June monitoring process has meant that National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI) capital budget has increased to £7.911 million. However, this allocation includes £291K which has been awarded to cover an overspend in 2007/08 and this will be clawed back later in the financial year.
The table below shows the allocation of monies to various museums in England. The allocations for 2006-07 are taken from a total of £478 million, the 2007-08 allocation for a total of £522 million and finally the 2008-09 from a planned allocation of £534,052[18].
Museum |
2006-07 (£m) |
2007-08 estimate |
2008-09 plans |
|---|---|---|---|
British museum |
42,929 |
44,898 |
50,875 |
National Maritime Museum |
17,008 |
18,491 |
19,570 |
National museums Liverpool |
21,203 |
22,325 |
22,488 |
National Museum of Science and Industry |
37,329 |
38,484 |
39,158 |
Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester |
4,059 |
4,171 |
4,803 |
Museum of London |
7,931 |
8,809 |
0 |
In the case of the Museum of London, from 2008-09 responsibility for the museum has transferred to the Greater London Authority (GLA).
The Scottish Parliament’s latest figures in relation to the public sector investment of museums are listed below;
In total, £93.118 million was allocated to the whole museum sector including archives, galleries and monuments.
The Scottish Arts Council is the main channel for government sponsorship of the arts in Scotland. The table below highlights the planned budgets for this area for 2007-08 will be over £66 million, an increase of 69% on 2002-03. There is no correlation between the funding allocated and targets to be measured. Post devolution, the funding allocation has increased and by 2007-08 will have more than doubled[19].
Category |
£m |
Scottish Arts council |
42. 069 |
National Theatre |
4.000 |
Music tuition |
10.000 |
Scottish Screen |
3.308 |
Festivals |
4.325 |
Cultural Organisations |
2.36 |
Arts Research |
0.005 |
Total |
66.067 |
The Welsh Assembly Government has allocated £24.5 million to fund National Museum Wales in 2008/09. In addition, museums may also apply to a range of different schemes funded through the Welsh Assembly, e.g. Aggregates Levy Fund, Arts Council of Wales, Economic Development Funding and the Strategic Change Investment Fund. The amounts awarded vary from year to year.
The Welsh Assembly Government makes £405,000 available annually to local museums through CyMAL Competitive Museums and Sharing Treasures Grant Schemes. In addition, local museums may also apply to the joint Museum, Archives and Libraries cross sector grant scheme (£280,000).
The National Museum of Ireland received the following amounts in 2007;
Capital: €6,000,000 and Current: €13,512,000.
In 2008 it is due to receive;
Capital: €4,630,000 and Current: €14,428,00.
Other museums that the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism supports are;
In 2007 the total allocated to these museums was over €656,000 with a further €100,000 allocated for individual Regional Museum Projects under a scheme established in 2007.
In 2008 the total allocations for all these museums including the Regional Museums Programme is €819,000.
The rationale for supporting museums is largely centred on the premise that they constitute a public good. This suggests that the market (private or voluntary/community sector) may fail to provide museums for a number of reasons[20];
This rational proposes that government intervention can help to promote continued access to museums across all members of society. Government can also invest in areas where the benefits are mainly social and ensure the wider pool of benefits is realised by society[21].
The following points set out the objectives of the Northern Ireland Government document ‘Priorities and Budget 2005-2008’ and how museums can potentially provide benefits towards policy objectives[22];
Museums have the ability to foster social cohesion and cross community involvement. Museums provide young people with an introduction to civil society, through the free, neutral and safe space which characterises the museum, which is regarded as conducive to access. Museums can help foster a community focus and facilitate collective activity and interaction between citizens.
This PWC Report states that the following are potential benefits from the museum sector in Northern Ireland[23];
The Northern Ireland Museums Council highlights that expenditure by sector on goods and services has a 1.1 multiplier impact on employment. Therefore an estimate can be made that an additional 10 jobs in Northern Ireland are sustained by spend on museums by local authorities[24].
In 2004, the gross cost of museums to local authorities in Northern Ireland was estimated to be £3,737,535 by The Northern Ireland Museums Council and the net cost was £2,933,653. It is estimated that local authority run museums spend around £375,000 per annum on goods and services, of which approximately 85% (£318,750) is spent locally[25].
The total number of visitors to museums in Northern Ireland in 2005-2006 was 1,205,923. Of these 456,921 visited local museums and 749,002 visited national museums. Museums in Northern Ireland attracted an 8% share of visitors in 2004 to the country; spending approximately £37.8 million compared to £24.2 million spent in 2001. The PWC Report states that, museums have an important community function by providing a neutral space in which both of the two main communities can feel they have ownership. The Report further states that research shows that high levels of participation in museums by religion with the rate for the Catholic Community standing at 29% and 34% for the Protestant Community[26].
In 2001, there were over 164,000 school pupil visits to museums in Northern Ireland; the National Museums Council also estimates that over 30% of museums had formal involvement with adult education college and university courses.
The table below shows the number of participants in education programmes to National Museums 2004/2005[27]
Museum |
Number of participants in education programmes |
|---|---|
Ulster Museum |
32,669 |
Ulster Folk and Transport Museum |
23,793 |
Ulster American Folk Park |
28,619 |
Armagh Country Museum |
3,260 |
W5 |
39,051 |
Total |
127,392 |
[1] PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Social and Economic Value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland, 2007
[2] PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Social and Economic Value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland, 2007
[3] PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Social and Economic Value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland, 2007
[4] PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Social and Economic Value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland, 2007
[5] PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Social and Economic Value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland, 2007
[6] Mapping Trends in Northern Ireland’s Museums 2007, http://www.nimc.co.uk/crossfire/files/page_8/7_file.pdf
[7] Mapping Trends in Northern Ireland’s Museums 2007, http://www.nimc.co.uk/crossfire/files/page_8/7_file.pdf
[8] Mapping Trends in Northern Ireland’s Museums 2007, http://www.nimc.co.uk/crossfire/files/page_8/7_file.pdf
[9] An Initial Review of the Economic Impact of Museums in Northern Ireland Final Report 2003, http://www.nimc.co.uk/crossfire/files/page_8/2/file.pdf
[10] An Initial Review of the Economic Impact of Museums in Northern Ireland Final Report 2003, http://www.nimc.co.uk/crossfire/files/page_8/2/file.pdf
[11] An Initial Review of the Economic Impact of Museums in Northern Ireland Final Report 2003, http://www.nimc.co.uk/crossfire/files/page_8/2/file.pdf
[12] An Initial Review of the Economic Impact of Museums in Northern Ireland Final Report 2003, http://www.nimc.co.uk/crossfire/files/page_8/2/file.pdf
[13] An Initial Review of the Economic Impact of Museums in Northern Ireland Final Report 2003, http://www.nimc.co.uk/crossfire/files/page_8/2/file.pdf
[14] Northern Ireland Museums Council, Annual Report and Financial Statements, http://www.nimc.co.uk/crossfire/files/pages_53/11_file.pdf
[15] Northern Ireland Museums Council, Annual Report and Financial Statements, http://www.nimc.co.uk/crossfire/files/pages_53/11_file.pdf
[16] An Initial Review of the Economic Impact of Museums in Northern Ireland Final Report 2003, http://www.nimc.co.uk/crossfire/files/page_8/2/file.pdf
[17] An Initial Review of the Economic Impact of Museums in Northern Ireland Final Report 2003, http://www.nimc.co.uk/crossfire/files/page_8/2/file.pdf
[18] Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Annual Report 2008, http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/dcms_annual_report_08_01.pdf
[19] Choices for a Purpose: Review of Scottish Executive Budgets: Report of the Budget Review Group, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/publications/2007/05/23114346/6
[20] PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Social and Economic Value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland, 2007
[21] PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Social and Economic Value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland, 2007
[22] PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Social and Economic Value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland, 2007
[23] PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Social and Economic Value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland, 2007
[24] PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Social and Economic Value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland, 2007
[25] PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Social and Economic Value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland, 2007
[26] PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Social and Economic Value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland, 2007
[27] PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Social and Economic Value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland, 2007
(1) approximately 1400 registered or accredited museums
(2) Four main priorities of Department of Culture, Media and Sport include; opportunities for children to enjoy and engage with museums, invite a cross-section of people, benefit the economy and establish museums as value for money
(1) approximately 143 museums, of which 89 are accredited
(2) ‘One Wales: a progressive agenda for the government of Wales’ introduced in 2007
(1) some 1200 museums operating in France as Musées de France
(2) France National Heritage Institute created in 1990
(3) In 2002, a series of reforms granted museums in France more independence
(4) Ecomuseum have proved popular
(1) approximately 2500 non-profit museums
(2) Museums Assistance Programme was still operating at 1972 funding levels in 2006
(3) Virtual Museum attracts millions of domestic and international online users
(1) has allocated £17,992,000 for the provision of museums in Northern Ireland
(2) reallocation in the June monitoring process has seen the capital budget of National Museums Northern Ireland increase to £7.911 million
(3) 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review for the financial year 2008/2009 are as follows; National Museum Northern Ireland - £12.85 million (recurrent) and £590K. The Somme Museum £30K (resource)
(1) allocations for various museums in England will be taken from a planned total of £534,052 million for 2008-2009
(1) Scottish Parliament public sector investment in museums is as follows; National Museum of Scotland - £28.864 million and Non-national museums - £4.041 million
(2) a total of £93.118 million was allocated to the whole museum sector including archives, galleries and monuments
(1) Welsh Assembly Government allocated £24.5 million to fund National museums in 2008-2009
(1) €819,000 is the total allocation in 2008 for the National museums and Regional museums Programme in the Republic of Ireland
The table below shows the number of participants in education programmes to National Museums 2004/2005[1]
Museum |
Number of participants in education programmes |
|---|---|
Ulster Museum |
32,669 |
Ulster Folk and Transport Museum |
23,793 |
Ulster American Folk Park |
28,619 |
Armagh Country Museum |
3,260 |
W5 |
39,051 |
Total |
127,392 |
The educational programmes offered at the Ulster Museum include the following[2];
The educational programmes offered at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum included in the following[3];
The educational programmes offered at the Ulster American Folk Park include the following[4];
The educational programmes offered by the Armagh County Museum include the following;
The educational programmes offered by W5 include the following[5];
In 2004 Northern Ireland residents made approximately 68 per cent of all visits to Northern Ireland tourist attractions. The proportion of out-of-state visits to attractions in Northern Ireland was estimated to be approximately 32 per cent during 2004[6].
The number and proportion of out-of-state[7] visits by type of attraction are recorded in the table below. In 2004 more than half of all visits to places of worship (70 per cent) and historic properties (60 per cent) were made by out-of-state visitors. Museums recorded a high proportion of visits from Northern Ireland residents, with lower proportions of out-of-state visitors (22 and 18 per cent respectively)[8].
Visitor Attractions |
Estimated proportion of out-of-state visitors (%) |
|---|---|
Country/Forest Parks |
24 |
Gardens |
43 |
Historic Properties |
60 |
Museums |
22 |
Visitor/Heritage Centres |
49 |
Wildlife/Zoo/Nature Reserve |
18 |
Places of Worship |
70 |
Other |
39 |
In 2004/05 the per capita send on culture by Local Authorities varied considerably across Northern Ireland. For example, £0.11 was spent by Larne compared to £33.27 by Belfast City Council. The mean per capita spend being £8.10 and the median being £5.11 in 2004/05[10].
Local Authority |
Per Capita Spend (£) |
|---|---|
Belfast City Council |
33.27 |
Armagh City & District Council |
30.07 |
Cookstown Council |
26.79 |
Lisburn City Council |
17.91 |
Fermanagh District Council |
12.78 |
Coleraine Borough Council |
9.48 |
Down District Council |
9.05 |
Newry & Mourne District Council |
8.44 |
Antrim Borough Council |
8.10 |
Newtownabbey Council |
6.71 |
Omagh District Council |
5.83 |
Ballymoney Borough Council |
5.65 |
Derry City Council |
5.57 |
Strabane District Council |
4.66 |
Craigavon Borough Council |
4.03 |
Ards Borough Council |
3.51 |
Ballymena Borough Council |
3.14 |
Banbridge District Council |
3.06 |
Moyle District Council |
2.90 |
North Down Borough Council |
2.68 |
Dungannon & S.Tyrone Borough Council |
2.61 |
Carrickfergus Borough Council |
1.46 |
Limavady Borough Council |
1.34 |
Castlereagh Borough Council |
0.88 |
Magherafelt District Council |
0.50 |
Larne Borough Council |
0.11 |
Region |
Population |
Museum Sector Spend |
Per Capita Send (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
England |
49,138,831 |
522,000,000 |
10.62 |
Northern Ireland |
1,685,267 |
17,992,000 |
10.68 |
Republic of Ireland |
3,917,203 |
16,025,000 |
4.09 |
Scotland |
5,062,011 |
93,118,000 |
18.40 |
Wales |
2,903,085 |
25,185,000 |
8.68 |
Note: RoI converted using 1€ = 0.79GBP
Note: Museum spend has been rounded to nearest 1,000.
Note: population figures obtain from 2001 Census for UK regions and 2002 Census for RoI
Note: Per Capita Spend worked out by dividing total 2007 museum spend by 2001 population count.
Table based on funding allocations to the Museums sector in the various regions in 2007. The population statistics used in the table are taken from the 2001 Census. The Republic of Ireland population statistic is based on the 2002 Census carried out in the Republic of Ireland. Per Capita spend calculations are therefore approximate figures.
Ecomuseums originated in France, the concept developed by George Henri Riviere and Hugues de Varine, who coined the term ‘ecomusée in 1971. The title Ecomuseum refers to a new idea of holistic interpretation of cultural heritage, in opposition to the focus on specific items and objects performed by traditional museums. It is a museum that focuses on the identity of a place, largely based on local participation and aiming to enhance the welfare and development of local communities. The ‘European Network of Ecomusuems’ state that Ecomuseums are a dynamic way for communities to preserve and manage their heritage in a sustainable way.[11]
[1] PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Social and Economic Value of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland, 2007
[2] National museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland, Annual Report and Accounts 2004-2005 , http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0607/hc02/0284/0284.pdf
[3] National museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland, Annual Report and Accounts 2004-2005 , http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0607/hc02/0284/0284.pdf
[4] National museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland, Annual Report and Accounts 2004-2005 , http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0607/hc02/0284/0284.pdf
[5] National museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland, Annual Report and Accounts 2004-2005 , http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0607/hc02/0284/0284.pdf
[6] Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Survey of Visitor Attractions Annual Report, http://www.nitb.com/contentCache/files/a0741ffc-710e-4347-89e9-ca66696974c0/2.0.20080215151111000/research%20vis%20attract%202004.pdf
[7] Out of state visitor is defined as overseas visitors plus visitors from the Republic of Ireland
[8] Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Survey of Visitor Attractions Annual Report, http://www.nitb.com/contentCache/files/a0741ffc-710e-4347-89e9-ca66696974c0/2.0.20080215151111000/research%20vis%20attract%202004.pdf
[9] Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Survey of Visitor Attractions Annual Report, http://www.nitb.com/contentCache/files/a0741ffc-710e-4347-89e9-ca66696974c0/2.0.20080215151111000/research%20vis%20attract%202004.pdf
[10] Arts Council Northern Ireland, Local Authority Arts Expenditure survey 2003-2004 and 2004-3005, http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/news/2007/images/Local%20Authority%20Arts%20Expenditure%20Survey.pdf
[11] European Network of Ecomuseums, http://www.localworlds.eu/PAPERS/intents.pdf
Each year Scotland receives approximately 19 million visitors, of these nearly 90% (17.5 million) come from the UK and Ireland, with a further 1.6 million people visiting from overseas. Over 50% of international and almost 30% of UK visitors attend museums and galleries during their visit. Scottish people made up 50 % of the UK visitors[1].
The table below shows the total numbers of visitors to the National Museums in Scotland from 2002 to 2007.
Year |
Total number of visitors to national Museums in Scotland |
|---|---|
2002-2003 |
1.33 million |
2003-2004 |
1.3 million |
2004-2005 |
1.4 million |
2005-2006 |
1.5 million |
2006-2007 |
1.4 million |
The Welsh Assembly Government state that they do not as a rule collect visitor numbers to museums in Wales on an annual basis. However visitor information was collected as part of a survey entitled, ‘Visit Wales Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme’. The data in this research covers the period 2003-2005.
Commentary on the table below[2];
Museum Type |
2004 Visits |
|---|---|
Heritage Centre |
3,000 |
Independent |
282,527 |
Local Authority |
974,479 |
National |
1,297,212 |
National Trust |
225,740 |
Private |
5,104 |
Regimental |
23,375 |
University |
16,578 |
Total |
2,828,015 |
The table below includes the total number of visits to the Museums listed in England for the year 2003 – 2007 excluding virtual visits that have been made to museums.
Museum |
2003-04 Visitors |
2004-05 Visitors |
2005-06 Visitors |
2006-07 Visitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
British Museum |
4,622,169 |
4,778,200 |
4,485,482 |
4,902,259 |
Geffrye Museum |
86,529 |
79,959 |
79,408 |
76,907 |
Horniman Museum |
272,220 |
303,428 |
282,856 |
429,866 |
Imperial War Museum |
1,966,000 |
2,056,446 |
1,906,510 |
1,956,069 |
Museum of London |
381,528 |
556,545 |
481,866 |
471,786 |
Museum of Science and Industry Manchester |
381,932 |
481,039 |
411,547 |
408,469 |
National Gallery |
4,648,000 |
4,909,000 |
3,953,000 |
4,734,000 |
National Maritime Museum |
1,365,264 |
1,532,690 |
1,512,191 |
1,633,592 |
National Museum Liverpool |
1,525,520 |
1,537,590 |
1,608,133 |
1,694,065 |
National Museum of Science and Industry |
4,270,255 |
3,815,850 |
3,576,679 |
4,373,176 |
National Portrait Gallery |
1,425,655 |
1,468,875 |
1,528,628 |
1,664,894 |
Natural History Museum |
3,143,935 |
3,328,478 |
3,281,810 |
3,892,878 |
Royal Armouries |
380,000 |
432,755 |
394,720 |
376,269 |
Sir John Soane’s Museum |
94,054 |
87,165 |
84,624 |
92,141 |
Tate Gallery |
6,214,869 |
6,293,000 |
6,412,000 |
7,708,000 |
Tyne and Wear Museums Service |
1,341,710 |
1,673,907 |
1,568,901 |
1,493,156 |
Victoria and Albert Museum |
2,689,500 |
2,471,600 |
2,195,500 |
2,874,700 |
Wallace Collection |
236,255 |
288,009 |
219,214 |
277,648 |
Total |
35,045,395 |
36,094,536 |
33,983,069 |
39,059,875 |
The graph below displays the total number of visitors each year to museums in England. The graph recorders visitor numbers from 1998 to 2007.
(1) Definition of Culture used
(2) What percentage of visits to museums made by Northern Ireland residents?
(3) Definition of an out-of-state visitor to a Museum
(4) Republic of Ireland Museums Visitor Numbers
The definition of culture, in relation to per capita spend, from the Arts Council ‘Local Authority Arts Expenditure Survey 2003-2004 and 2004-2005’ document refers and originates from ‘The Recreation and Youth Service (Northern Ireland) Order 1986’; detailing the provision by district councils of facilities for recreational, social, physical and cultural activities.
The provisions that need to be met by district councils under the Recreation and Youth Service Order are detailed below.
District councils in Northern Ireland, under The Recreation and Youth Service (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 are” obligated to provide the following measures contained in the Order to the communities they represent and consequently allocate funding towards the implementation of such measures”[1].
Under the Order each district council in Northern Ireland needs to secure the provision of adequate facilities for recreational, social, physical and cultural activities. In order to achieve this, a district council may do any of the following [2] –
(a) establish, maintain and manage any such facilities;
(b) organise any such activities;
(c) assist, by financial contribution or otherwise, any person to establish, maintain and manage any such facilities or to organise any such activities;
(d) provide, or assist by financial contribution or otherwise in the provision of, leaders for such activities; and
(e) defray or contribute towards the expenses of any persons taking part in any such activities.
Information about Local Government Expenditure on the arts has been collected in the UK by the Arts Councils since 1992. There is consistency across the Arts Councils of England, Wales and Northern Ireland in relation to the survey used and methodology followed in order to collect data on local government expenditure on the arts.
The data recorded and provided in the Arts Council Northern Ireland ‘Local Authority Arts Expenditure Survey 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 ‘ document has been cross-checked with certified figures from the audit for spend on Gross Expenditure on culture and Heritage. This is sourced from the Department of the Environment (DoE) for the years in question (2003/04 and 2004/05).
The DoE provided certified figures for ‘Gross Expenditure on Culture and Heritage’ 2003/04 and 2004/05. The categories most relevant to the expressive and performing arts are[4]:
The remaining three areas which DoE collects data under are not relevant to this report. These are[5]:
Given that the DoE primarily gathers this information to audit public expenditure it therefore represents ‘Gross’ expenditure on cultural provision, i.e. it does not take into account income generated from the expenditure, for example, box office or sales.
For clarity and reliability the figures presented for the years 2003/04 and 2004/05 combine the gross expenditure for the two categories most relevant to the Arts to give ‘Total Expenditure’. These are:
Information in relation to the percentage of Northern Ireland visitors to Museums and the definition of an ‘out-of-state’ visitor’ is provided by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.
The Annual Survey of Visitor Attractions Report is designed to give an overview of the number of visits to the various attractions across the whole of Northern Ireland. Participation by attractions is voluntary. Attractions are asked to classify themselves from a given list of categories and the classifications which they provided were used in the analysis of this report e.g. workplaces, historic properties and museums / art galleries.
The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) state that in the context of the Visitor Attraction Survey, ‘out-of-state visitors’ refer to all visitors who are not Northern Ireland residents. As such, residents of the other constituent countries of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland and Wales) would be treated as out-of-state visitors.
In 2004 it was estimated that 22% of visitors to Northern Ireland museums were out-of-state. It therefore stands that, in 2004, 78% of visitors to Northern Ireland museums were Northern Ireland residents.
For the purpose of NITB research, a visitor attraction is defined as ‘…an attraction where it is feasible to charge admission for the sole purpose of sightseeing’. The attraction must be a permanently established excursion destination, a primary purpose of which is to allow access for entertainment, interest, or education; rather than being primarily a retail outlet or a venue for sporting, theatrical, or film performances. It must each year, and should be capable of attracting day visitors or tourists as well as local residents.
The table below contains attendance figures for cultural institutions in the Republic of Ireland [6].
Cultural Institution |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
Total |
National Museum of Ireland Archaeology & History |
255,345 |
n/a |
126,931* |
297,511 |
368,842 |
407,202 |
1455831 |
National Museum of Ireland Decorative Arts and History |
178,635 |
136,868 |
116,345 |
179,713 |
245,291 |
374,347 |
1052375 |
National Museum of Ireland Natural History |
108,070 |
118,705 |
124,185 |
135,885 |
153,905 |
108,615 |
749365 |
National Museum of Ireland Museum of Country Life |
131,001 |
112,720 |
98,546 |
106,028 |
100,967 |
113,430 |
662692 |
National Gallery of Ireland |
790,000 |
750,000 |
690,514 |
715,972 |
749,696 |
747,601 |
4443783 |
Irish Museum of Modern Art |
290,000 |
390,000 |
379,143 |
471,755 |
450,941 |
474,714 |
2375553 |
* Figure represents only 5 months due to building work that was being carried out
[1]The Recreation and Youth Service (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/nisi/1986/cnisi_19862232_en_1
[2]The Recreation and Youth Service (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/nisi/1986/cnisi_19862232_en_1
[3] Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Local Authority Arts Expenditure Survey 2003-2004 and 2004-2005,
http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/news/2007/images/Local%20Authority%20Arts%20Expenditure%20Survey.pdf
[4] Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Local Authority Arts Expenditure Survey 2003-2004 and 2004-2005,
http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/news/2007/images/Local%20Authority%20Arts%20Expenditure%20Survey.pdf
[5] Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Local Authority Arts Expenditure Survey 2003-2004 and 2004-2005,
http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/news/2007/images/Local%20Authority%20Arts%20Expenditure%20Survey.pdf
[6] The Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, http://www.dast.gov.ie/culture/attendance_figures.html
Arts Council paper on need for new art gallery
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure paper on the Cultural Forum
Heritage Lottery Fund
Local Museums Heritage review: Departmental Response
Ministerial response on language provision in the Ulster Museum
The National Trust
The Somme Association
Ulster Sports Museums
The importance of cultural institutions to the life and development of successful cities is recognised worldwide. Flagship art galleries such as the Guggenheim in Bilbao and Tate Modern in London have been the catalysts of massive social and economic regeneration, creating thousands of new jobs, restoring civic pride and attracting millions of tourists and local visitors. These galleries herald a whole process of sustainable urban renewal, acting as positive beacons for business and inward investment, giving regions the edge in the increasingly competitive tourism market, and providing lucrative financial off-shoots to the surrounding retail and hospitality industries.
Northern Ireland too can benefit from the “Bilbao effect”. A permanent art gallery of national and international standing in Belfast would enable the country to capitalise on the renaissance of arts and culture. We are one of the few remaining countries in the international arena not to benefit from the pulling power of a major gallery capable of housing a substantial permanent collection of our historic and modern visual arts. The potential wealth of art that could be garnered and displayed here would represent one of the major collections in the British Isles.
The new 21st century gallery would celebrate the achievements of our creative citizens and enhance Belfast’s growing image as a vibrant and competitive modern European capital city, through its arts and culture. Now is the time to build on what we have.
Culture and arts are increasingly acknowledged as catalysts in urban regeneration with the development of art museums and galleries acting as major economic anchors. Eminent international figures within the field of urbanism, such as Richard Florida (author of The Rise of the Creative Class) and Professor Graeme Evans (Cities Institute, London, www.citiesinstitute.org), have pointed to the importance that creativity and creative institutions and facilities play in the life and development of successful cities; Belfast City Council has itself been engaged with such findings in its State of the City series of conferences over recent years, and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland has played a major role in developing the provision of art centres across Northern Ireland’s towns and cities (see: Building for the Arts: Celebrating Ten Years of Lottery Funding and Ed. Gemma Tipton, Space: Architecture for Art) within just such a context.
There are many challenges and opportunities facing key art institutions in major cities across the world (such as simply managing large numbers of visitors, and adequately displaying the enormous holdings of such museums and galleries), but it is true to say that audiences are attending in huge numbers. This cultural phenomenon could be driven by a desire perhaps to find some deeper meaning in an increasingly secular society and art and culture may be a means for people to gain insights into the world. It may of course simply be that art is yet another commodity which must be consumed within Western capitalist society. Whatever the reason, the fact is that museums and galleries, while facing up to the challenge of remaining loyal to the institution’s purpose, now have the opportunity to capitalise on the interest and financial off-shoots of visitor numbers and a renaissance in art and culture. They can also play a significant role within wider social and regenerative agendas.
The purpose of this paper is to propose an outline vision for a twenty-first century gallery of national status and international interest in the heart of Belfast, designed to reflect the city’s status as the capital of Northern Ireland and increasingly sought-out tourist – and ‘cultural tourist’ – destination. In order contextualise the vision, a number of international examples of art galleries/museums and cities with relevant parallels, and some closer to home, are given below.
There are a host of instructive international examples of art galleries and art museums acting as creative centres and beacons for cities and powerful regenerative, rejuvenating agents. They are often highly iconic buildings, of architectural and visual interest in and of themselves in addition to the strengths of art collection and/or programming capabilities. The trend to erect such facilities is not new, traceable in the twentieth century to the New National Gallery in Berlin (architect: Mies van der Rohe) in the 1960s and the Centre George Pompidou in Paris (architects: Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers) in the 1970s, for example.
Other notable new buildings include: the Kunsthaus, Bregenz (Peter Zumthor, 1997); the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki (Steven Holl Architects, 1998); MUMOK, Vienna (Ortner & Ortner, 2001); the Modern Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, (Tadao Ando, 2002); the Kunsthaus, Graz (Spacelab Cook-Fournier, 2003); MoMA, Long Island, New York (Michael Maltzan and Cooper, Robertson & Partners, 2002); MoMA, New York City (Yoshio Taniguchi & Kohn Pederson Fox, 2004); the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, Ohio (Zaha Hahdid, 2004) and the De Young Museum, San Francisco (Herzog & de Meuron, 2005).
Perhaps the most powerful and iconic example of the new art gallery of the twenty-first century is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, in the Basque region of northern Spain. Designed by the American architect Frank Gehry, it opened in 1997 and its impact has become known as ‘the Bilbao effect’. The development of the Guggenheim in Bilbao represents much more than an art gallery alone; it heralds a whole process of urban regeneration, with culture as the primary catalyst. As such, it is indicative of cognate developments across America and Western Europe, as traditional industries decline and the labour market is transformed by competition from the developing world. The Basque Guggenheim exemplifies that the need to create new cultural industries, and to make our inner cities attractive and cultured places for business and tourism, has become a major economic imperative. Many other cities both large and small are now trying to emulate the ‘Bilbao effect’. Northern Ireland, and Belfast in particular, given its industrial history and troubled recent past, is no exception and indeed shares something of a special affinity with Bilbao in this regard.
Gehry’s Bilbao exemplifies the complicated and many faceted roles that such contemporary institutions have to play in the contemporary art world. Compared to their role a hundred years ago, (when Belfast largely missed out on the establishment of a significant facility) which was the safekeeping of exceptional works of art, museums and galleries are community, international and educational resources, business concerns, and agents of economic development. Gehry was commissioned by the Basque regional and Spanish governments and the Guggenheim Museum to design a building which would help to revitalise the economically depressed former shipbuilding and steel-manufacturing town of Bilbao. In the year it opened 1,300,000 visitors made the journey to view this architectural wonder. The transport infrastructure in the city was also rejuvenated, and in 2000 Bilbao had to expand its airport – the Museum in its first two years in operation generated more than 170 million dollars in revenue, and created 3,800 jobs.
The Bilbao Guggenheim is overwhelmingly a building of high architectural impact, as indeed are most of the examples of arts buildings mentioned above. The words ‘architectural icon’ are often (over)used in connection with new arts museums and while this does not necessarily have to mean ‘showiness’ (as a case in point one could consider the restraint of the Prado’s new addition by Rafael Moneo, 2007), cultural projects of this nature do require their own distinctive expression – they should be buildings of ‘event’. In terms of design Gehry at Bilbao takes care to complement the physical surroundings by reflecting elements of nearby buildings or the natural setting. The most obvious aspect of his approach is the highly sculptural element of his design. But his complex exteriors also reflect the new multi-faceted missions of the museums he is designing for. Analysing the exterior of the Guggenheim sets a tone for the experience to come.
The opening in 2000 of the Tate Modern at Bankside in London shows a similar foresight on behalf of Tate trustees and the Director Nicolas Serota who employed architects Herzog & de Meuron to carry out the transformation of a landmark listed building. Housed in a former power station the architectural integrity of the interior is still very much in evidence, especially in the huge Turbine Hall which is essentially untouched, and which now serves to present art on a scale which is often spectacular. This balance of open space and the more traditional arrangement of the white box galleries to the side makes a visit to Tate Modern a unique experience in its own right. The extension of the Tate Galleries in London and regionally in Liverpool (at the imaginatively refurbished Albert Docks) and St Ives illustrates the pressures facing cultural institutions in terms of accessibility and audience development .As the writer Steven Weil put it, museums have changed, ‘from being about something to being for someone’. New design emphasises the visitor as much as the objects, and reflects the great expectations we have of our cultural assets.
Set in an impressive waterside location at the heart of the redeveloped Salford Quays in Greater Manchester, The Lowry is another architectural flagship with a unique and dynamic identity. Rising from the regenerated docklands and designed by Michael Wilford, it is a welcoming building, designed to reflect the surrounding landscapes and flourishing waterways, in its glass and metallic surfaces, and it is complemented across the Manchester Ship Canal by Daniel Libeskind’s dramatic Imperial War Museum North. The Lowry opened on 28th April 2000, is a multifunctional space with a dedicated art gallery at its heart, bringing together a wide variety of performing and visual arts under one roof. The Lowry houses two main theatres and studio space for performing arts (1,730, 466 and 180 seats respectively) presenting a full range of drama, opera, ballet, dance, musicals, children’s shows, popular music, jazz, folk and comedy and gallery spaces (1,610 metres of floor space); showing the works of LS Lowry alongside contemporary exhibitions. A restaurant, cafes & bars are situated along the southern side of the building, with spectacular waterside views. The Lowry has become a ‘must see’ tourist attraction – not just a venue, but a destination. The Lowry increases opportunities for social interaction within the community and generates a spirit of participation.
mima – Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art opened in 2006 is a major new modern and contemporary art gallery which hosts an internationally important programme of exhibitions, presenting art and craft from 1900 to the present. It brings together the town’s art and craft collections for the first time. Designed by Erick van Egeraat Associated Architects, it is situated in the town centre between the Carnegie Library and Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s sculpture, ‘Bottle of Notes’. The modern and contemporary art collection comprises of over 1,000 paintings, drawings, prints, photographs and sculpture which include works by Ben Nicholson, David Bomberg, L.S. Lowry, Stanley Spencer, Gwen John, David Hockney and Bridget Riley as well as many young internationally acclaimed artists.
The city of Glasgow spearheaded its economic regeneration with a series of cultural developments, commencing with its now famous and popular Burrell Collection, followed up by the creation of The Lighthouse as Scotland’s main architecture centre in a refurbished Charles Rennie Mackintosh building, the provision of the Museum of Modern Art, and the restoration of the city’s fine municipal galleries at Kelvingrove (2006). Glasgow’s culturally-led regeneration strategy, which resulted in the city becoming European City of Culture in 1990, and capital of architecture in 1999 challenged its image of post-industrial decline, injected new optimism and confidence in to the business community with the local population revitalising its retail sector all of which led to a doubling visitors. It had a positive impact on inward investment and established the city as a cultural capital to rival Edinburgh. The post-industrialised context of Glasgow, like Bilbao, has direct parallels for Belfast.
Liverpool won City of Culture 2008 by pledging to commit to major regeneration across the city with a capital budget of £1.5 billion. The city was able to demonstrate an impressive track record of managing major regeneration with cultural facilities like Tate Liverpool, the Walker Art Gallery and FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) in place, further underpinned by the Liverpool Biennial of contemporary art. A further £55m was pledged for revenue. Belfast, by comparison, failed to make the shortlist; the reasons cited by the panel were that Belfast was not ready for the added challenge of being a leader of European culture given our continuing political instability and weak cultural infrastructure.
Dublin has its Museum of Modern Art, and cities across the UK have developed major artistic flagship galleries through the foresight of central and local government and the support available through National Lottery funds, with other notable projects beyond those detailed above including the Baltic Flour Mill, Gateshead, and the Walsall Museum and Art Gallery.
Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, lacks a major gallery dedicated to the visual arts. The examples above are clear evidence of the power of art and culture in urban regeneration. When the great cities of the British Isles were undergoing economic and industrial expansion in the late 19th and early 20thth centuries, many benefited from the establishment of museums and art galleries, largely with the express purpose of educating the working classes and demonstrating a cultured and enlightened council. Belfast was no exception and the Belfast Museum and Art Gallery was founded in 1925, following earlier pioneering efforts at the current site of the Old Museum Arts Centre (OMAC) (for further reference to the Victorian and Edwardian context, see Tritram Hunt’s Building Jerusalem: the Rise and Fall of the Industrial City and specifically to Belfast, Eileen Black’s Art in Belfast, 1760-1888: Art Lovers or Philstines?). In spite of the expansion in 1960s of the Ulster Museum (intriguingly, a bold and significant architectural design statement by Francis Pym), the museum and art galleries remain too small for purpose and only some 5% of the collection can be on display at any one time. For a city of 300,000 people, serving a conurbation of 700,000 and as the regional capital, with a population of 1.5million this situation is completely inadequate.
The idea of a gallery of national status for Northern Ireland, to celebrate and display the work of its artists of the past and provide a home for contemporary work, has a long history. For many years, it has proved impossible to find adequate space to exhibit the national art collections or show contemporary exhibitions at the Ulster Museum, a situation which has resulted in calls for the creation of an independent gallery.
This under provision was recognised by Alistair Wilson in A Time for Change (1996), his review of museums for the Department of Education of Northern Ireland which proposed the amalgamation of Northern Ireland’s three major museums:
… should a bid to create new art galleries through a further Millennium bid or other sources not succeed, a very substantial amount of capital will be required over the next few years to enable Northern Ireland to have art galleries of the standard it deserves
He suggested that:
The provision of new art galleries would enable the national collection to be properly displayed, whilst at the same time providing custom-built space for contemporary art as well as for artists in residence.
John Myerscough, in his study The Arts and the Northern Ireland Economy (1996), commissioned by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland the Northern Ireland Economic Council, also identified shortcomings in gallery provision. One of his proposals for improving the cultural infrastructure made direct reference to gallery provision:
A new space is needed to hang in-depth the existing collections of the Ulster Museum, provide space for new types of art, and mount international touring exhibitions; the collections of this new project would represent the best twentieth century holdings in Ireland and one of the best in the British Isles; it would be an institution of European significance with active educational, reference and research functions and would seek to achieve high volume access to the visual arts for people of various levels of educational attainment.
The creation of a new art gallery would be a cultural development that could lever considerable private investment and the projected impact – in terms of social benefit – will resonate throughout the communities of Northern Ireland. It would:
It is our firm belief that Belfast, and indeed the rest of Northern Ireland, urgently needs to adopt strategies which will have such an impact on the city and region. We have a unique opportunity to adopt a creative and positive approach to challenging negative perceptions about Northern Ireland which are so damaging to its cultural and economic interests and which have such a demoralising effect on the indigenous population.
This proposal for a new art gallery at Titanic Quarter fit for the 21st Century seeks to change the ways in which the arts are perceived and experienced. The people of Northern Ireland should have the opportunity to celebrate and pay tribute to the achievements of their creative fellow citizens as have the populations of other major regions of the United Kingdom.
We have unique indigenous collections of Irish and Northern Irish art held on behalf of our citizens between the Arts Council and MAGNI (at the Ulster Museum). The strength of the Arts Council collection lies in its unique representation of Northern Irish artists from the post-war period and its representation of particular artists from early works, through mid career and maturity, for example; Basil Blackshaw, Colin Middleton, T.P. Flanagan and David Crone to name but a few. The MAGNI collections contain a multitude of works of national and international significance, executed in a variety of styles and media. Amongst the earlier British paintings are portraits by Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds, whilst landscape artists include Richard Wilson and J.M.W. Turner. The Old Masters collection – small but significant – comprises works by Dutch, Flemish and Italian masters, with the best-known names being Jacob Jordaens and Pompeo Batoni. The Irish collection – the backbone of the entire holdings – contains works dating from the late seventeenth century to the present day, with paintings by well-known figures such as James Arthur O’Connor, Roderic O’Conor and Walter Osborne and also by illustrious Ulster artists like Sir John Lavery, John Luke and William Conor.
The Ulster Museum also owns a highly important collection of twentieth-century and modern art, by British and foreign artists. The modern section was built up during the 1960s, at a time when such works were considered challenging and experimental. During this decade, few museums collected contemporary art and the Museum was famous for the daring of its acquisitions policy. Notable artists represented include Karel Appel, Jean Dubuffet, Francis Bacon and the sculptor Henry Moore. Of particular interest is a small but important collection of American ‘Colour Field’ paintings by Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland and others. The 1960s collection, one of the most important of the period outside London, includes work by Patrick Caulfield and Bridget Riley.
The proposed gallery would celebrate the achievements of the past, but also provide a focus for the creators of the future. It could also contain a dedicated resource archive of material relating to the ‘Troubles’ which have drawn such attention to Northern Ireland over the past 25 years.
The gallery would be a place of creative recollection and sharing dedicated to artistic and cultural expression. It would provide:
Other facilities would include:
In order to take a project of this magnitude forward the process will have to be driven by a dynamic catalyst comprising ministerial endorsement and cross departmental support from DCAL, DSD, DETI and the CAL Committee, as well as ,crucially ,private sector investment. The Arts Council and NMNI as the specialist agencies can do much but political buy in at the start of the process is essential if the project is to get the serious consideration and analysis it merits. The input of the Tourist Board would also be desirable, the Strategic Investment Board, and Belfast City Council.
The first step of such a steering committee as partly described above would be to commission a robust and up to date economic appraisal to capture the vision and feasibility of such a project as well as identifying the procurement and funding mechanisms. The Arts Council has both the in house expertise and some capacity within its specialist staff to service this process.
The Cultural Forum began life as a working group to design a ‘template’ for district councils’ culture, arts and leisure plans. At its fourth meeting in April 2001, the group became the ‘Cultural Forum’ and had defined its purpose as:-
“to encourage local authorities to develop local strategies that promote the cultural well-being of an area and its people; to enable the sharing of good practice, and to monitor and evaluate local strategies”
The Cultural Forum held its last formal meeting on 22 February 2007. The next meeting was scheduled to take place on 7 June 2007 at Finaghy Library. This meeting was cancelled due to a realignment of work commitments and increased involvement of DCAL staff in post devolution activities.
The Cultural Forum comprises representatives from the following organisations:-
DCAL
DOE Planning Service
DE Education and Training Inspectorate
DOE Environment and Heritage Service (EHS)
Public Records Office NI
NI Tourist Board
National Museums Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Museums Council
Historic Buildings Council
Historic Monuments Council
Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside
Federation of Ulster Local Studies
Heritage Lottery Fund
It was agreed that the Chair should alternate annually between the Director of Sport, Museums and Recreation Division DCAL and the Director of Built Heritage, DOE EHS. DCAL chaired initially. EHS then took over and the Chair has not yet returned to DCAL.
The Sub Group agreed that data collection was important (LMHR 8.2). A small working group of the members was set up to look at this with assistance from DCAL Statistics Branch with the aim being to produce a data framework that could be used across the heritage sector. Other than that, no actual list of priorities was produced.
A strategy could only follow once priorities were identified and that stage was not reached.
Under paragraph 2.5 ‘think tanks’ were to be established as appropriate to develop aspects of museum and heritage policy. Paras 3.9 and 3.10 explain more fully. Progress on the development of policy was dependent on identifying priorities. The policy being discussed was around local museum and heritage provision. This has to be seen against a background where there was uncertainty over the changes to the role and number of Councils brought about by RPA. This probably contributed to the lack of momentum by the Group.
Options for implementation were never identified and therefore no proposals were brought to the Cultural Forum.
21 February 2006
From: Paul Mullan [mailto:Pmullan@hlf.org.uk]
Sent: 11 September 2008 15:03
To: Higgins, Mairead
Subject: Museums Enquiry
Mairead,
There are some additional points that we had planned for questions that were not asked. If they could be addedit would be great.
“A museum policy should include standards around access, learning and interpretation as well as curatorship, scholarship, accreditation, training and partnership. The vision for the development of collections should be underpinned by the idea of who we are collecting for and why. Links between the national, local and independent sector should be explored – eg sharing of artefacts, expertise, stories and resources. The process of accreditation should not be forgotten so that adequate standards are maintained and someone needs to be responsible for overseeing that process. It should link into wider policies eg a Shared Future (or whatever that becomes) and could be a vehicle for exploring the more challenging aspects of our recent past.”
Thanks
Paul
From: Paul Mullan [Pmullan@hlf.org.uk]
Sent: 15 September 2008 10:00
To: Higgins, Mairead
Cc: Stella McDermott
Mairead,
The Northern Ireland figure or £71.81 per head of the NI population puts us in very positive 5th position (after Scotland, London, the South West and the North East) out of 13 HLF regions/ Countries. £71.81 is set against a UK average of £72.08.
As I explained to the committee part of that spend is made up of a ‘per head of the population’ allocation which is averaged across the UK. On top of that is the Trustee’s budget, any variation betweek regions/ countries is explained by the ability to compete for a UK wide allocation at Trustee meetings. This is very competitive and can often be dominated by major instituitions such as the Tate, British Museum etc. Consequently London and Scotland do very well with their predominance of such organisations. This emphasises the need to ensure that in future major projects from Northern Ireland are of the highest of standard. The figures do show that we are punching above our weight but cannot rest on our laurels.
I hope the above clear and helpful to the committee.
Paul
NORTHERN IRELAND REGION - ROWALLANE HOUSE - SAINTFIELD
BALLYNAHINCH - COUNTY DOWN BT24 7LH
Telephone +44 (0)28 9751 0721 - Facsimile +44 (0)28 9751 1242
Website www.nationaltrust.org.uk
E-mail: Diane.ruddock@nationaltrust.org.uk
Direct Tel:
Your Ref:
Our Ref:
Date: 25 September 2008
Ms Mairead Higgins
Committee Clerk
Culture Arts and Leisure Committee
Room 424
Parliament Buildings
Belfast
BT4 3XX
Dear Mairead
I undertook to provide some additional information in relation to initiatives in England in relation to museums when my colleague Frances Bailey and I were giving evidence to the Culture Arts and Leisure Committee on 11 September.
I am pleased to enclose some additional National Trust publications:
1. ‘Ages of Elegance’ – a catalogue of the Springhill Costume Collection Travelling Exhibition (to which I referred, and which is on display at the Tower Museum).
2. ‘A future for the past’ – a leaflet explaining the National Trust’s work in the conservation of collections, which includes a list of other sources of information on the back page.
3. ‘When places come to life’ – a National Trust publication describing how we seek to use our properties as vehicles for discovering the world around us and connecting us with our history.
I also enclose a copy of the Trust’s response to ‘Understanding the Future – Museums and the 21st Century’ consultation, DCMS 2005. This response can be accessed at:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/consultations/NationalTrust.rtf
For your reference, the link to the full set of responses to this consultation can be found at: http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/3753.aspx
The above consultation led to the publication of ‘Understanding the Future, Priorities for England’s Museums’ which can be found at:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/consultations/cons_uf_prioritiesforenglandsmuseums.pdf
The Committee may also be interested in the following reports from the Department of Culture Media and Sport which can be accessed through the following links:
Libraries, Museums, Galleries and Archives for All – Tackling Social Inclusion
http://www.culture.gov.uk/PDF/libraries_archives_for_all.pdf
Working together: Local Authorities and DCMS
http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/working_together.pdf
‘Working Together’ is an collaboration between the DCMS and the Local Government Authority offering comprehensive guidance to councillors on delivery of public services around culture and sport.
I hope you will find this additional information helpful. While writing, I would like to reiterate the invitation to the Committee to visit one of the National Trust’s museum properties as the opportunity to experience a visit first hand may well be helpful to in the Committee’s deliberations.
Yours sincerely
Diane Ruddock
External Affairs Manager
9 October 2008
The witnesses from the Ulster Sports Museum Association will be-
Ronnie Spence – chairman
Nigel Carr – vice chairman
Ryan Feeney – member
The Ulster Sports Museum Association is a not for profit body that is recognised by HM Revenue and Customs as a charity.
The Association is seeking to create by 2012 an Ulster Sports Museum in the grade A listed building known as The Old Museum Building in College Square North Belfast that was the city’s original museum.
The main aim of the project is “to honour Ulster’s sporting past and to inspire our future champions”. It is also envisaged that the project will add to Belfast’s visitor attractions, help to secure the future of an important building, and contribute to the regeneration of part of the city centre.
As well as displaying sporting memorabilia, the Museum would use film and video to tell the story of Ulster’s greatest sportsmen and women. The aim would be to cover the most popular sports. There would be a room devoted to the George Best story and the special place of gaelic sports for a significant part of the community would be recognised.
Current estimates suggest the need to raise around £10m, which would include a contribution towards an endowment fund to provide part of an income stream towards annual running costs.
Initial approaches have been made to a number of organisations in the public, private and charitable sectors for assistance in raising the capital funds required. It is anticipated that part of the revenue funding will be met through private sector sponsorship.
The Association has received considerable support and advice from the existing museum sector. A concept plan has recently been circulated to a large number of interested bodies. The Association hopes to secure shortly some initial funding that will enable it to employ key staff and advisers who will assist in taking the project forward from concept to feasibility stage over the coming months.
CSR Comprehensive Spending Review
DCAL Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
DCMS Department of Culture, Media and Sport
DE Department of Education
DEL Department of Employment and Learning
DETI Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment
DOE Department of the Environment
DSD Department of Social Development
MAGNI Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland
NIMC Northern Ireland Museums Council
NMNI National Museums Northern Ireland
OFMDFM Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister
RPA Review of Public Administration
RPSI Railway Preservation Society of Ireland