Our weekly feature rounds up the latest updates in museum appointments, openings, funding and new exhibits from across the UK.
Appointments
Stephen Fry has been announced as the new Patron of Dr Johnson’s House, a 300-year-old townhouse and museum.
Dr. Johnathan Dalzell has been appointed Director at Northern Ireland Museums council. Dalzell has previously worked in private and public sector research and education, and has coordinated large multinational research projects, and national statutory programmes for numerous stakeholders spanning the private, public and third sectors. NI Museums Council said the new hire is “keen to develop career themes around education, policy and socio-economic impact, whilst supporting and advocating for the local museum sector.”
The National Gallery and Art Fund havet announced two new Curatorial Trainees, Emma Meehan and Chloe Church, who will work on secondment with this year’s partners The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham, and Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, following six months of training at the National Gallery.
Petersfield Museum has appointed Hampshire poet Ellora Sutton as its first ‘Creative in Residence’, who in the new role will create a ‘found poem’ about the town.
https://museumsandheritage.com/news/petersfield-museums-first-creative-residence-crowdsource-local-poem/
Openings
Exmouth Museum has reopened after having undergone the repainting of its exterior and installed new signage. The museum has also been rebranded as The Exmouth Museum & Heritage Centre as part of the renovations.
Exhibitions
Hay Castle, due to open its doors to the public for the first time in its 900-year history at the end of this month after a major restoration project, will host the inaugural Portraits of Writers exhibition in its specially-developed gallery space from 27th May to 31st August 2022. The exhibition forms part of the Hay Festival programme.
The Museum of London has announced plans to celebrate footballer and England captain Harry Kane. Opening 21 May 2022, ‘Harry Kane: I want to play football’ features personal items, family photos and objects to document Kane’s career so far: from his first club, to winning golden boot awards and being named England captain.
Table to Tide: A Yorkshire Conversation is a new exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park by artist and designer Janine Burrows. Celebrating the Yorkshire landscape, the exhibition brings together a new body of work by Yorkshire-based designer, painter and illustrator.
The Science Museum has announced it is collaborating with Marvel, NHS, the National Grid, and University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre on its new gallery, ‘Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery’. It will open at the Science Museum on 3 November 2022.
https://museumsandheritage.com/news/science-museum-collaborating-marvel-nhs-national-grid-new-gallery/
Funding
Five major partners have been appointed by IWM as co-commissioners of its IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund, each to receive £250,000. The Hunterian in Glasgow; Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea; BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead; Ulster University in Derry-Londonderry; and Leicester Museums and Galleries. The programme has been funded by a share of the royalties from Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old, which was co-commissioned by IWM and 14-18 NOW to mark the end of the First World War Centenary in 2018.
The Royal Society announces the recipients of its Places of Science grants, which provide up to £3,500 to museums for engaging communities in local science stories.
https://museumsandheritage.com/news/36-small-uk-museums-awarded-funding-engage-communities-science/
Newport Museum and Art Gallery to go greener as part of £750,000 Welsh funding. The funding will be delivered as part of the Transformation Capital Grant Scheme, and will support Wales’ local libraries, museums, to develop and revitalise their facilities.
https://museumsandheritage.com/news/newport-museum-art-gallery-go-greener-part-750000-welsh-funding/