Museum Moves is supported by D J Willrich Ltd
D J Willrich Ltd (DJW) have nearly 40 years’ experience in helping Museums, Theme Parks, FEC’s and Visitor Centres tell their story using appropriate Technology. Based in the New Forest, on the South coast of England, and having started from the Audio-Visual Department at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, we have now developed our portfolio and are internationally recognised.
Appointments
The Museum of London has announced two new appointments to its Board of Governors, who will take up their roles with immediate effect. Bridget Banton and Samir Patel have been appointed to “bring their skills from digital, creative and communications industries” , the museum said, as it moves to a new home in Smithfield.
Comic Relief CEO among two board appointments at Museum of London
Openings
Blackpool’s Showtown Museum will open on 15 March 2024, it has been revealed, with tickets going on sale from Autumn 2023. Originally planned for a 2021 opening, construction on the museum then began in 2021 and doors were last planned to open in April 2023. The new opening date follows the first photos of its interior, which were shared earlier this year.
Exhibitions
The Young V&A has unveiled new details of its first exhibition, ‘Japan: Myths to Manga’. Divided into four sections – Sky, Sea, Forest, and City – the exhibition will take visitors “on a journey through Japan, exploring how popular stories have shaped art, design, and technology across the centuries”. Divided into four sections – Sky, Sea, Forest, and City – on display will be over 150 historic and contemporary objects including visual art, animation, origami, robots, fashion, film, and photography. From 15th century Japanese art to the Tamgotchi, the debut exhibition will also offer a selection of hands-on activities designed for children and families. Runs 14 October 2023 – 11 August 2024.
A collection of rarely seen drawings by David Hockney goes on display at The Charleston this autumn. ‘Love Life’ is a collection of Hockney’s early works; illustrations of everyday objects, still lifes and architectural works. The exhibition, organised by the Holburne Museum, features many drawings on loan from private collections. Runs 23 September – 10 March 2024. (Pictured above)
The Model Tram, Trolleybus and Railway Exhibition returns to the National Tramway Museum, Crich Tramway Village this weekend. Eight layouts will be present which will include a new 51/4-inch gauge demonstration layout, built at the Museum, for the Robert Whetstone 1/8-scale model trams, which will be in operation for the public to view. Each model took up to three years and 3500 hours to build. Runs 19 – 20 August 2023.
At Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, an upcoming exhibition will explore the life and work of photojournalist Lee Miller through clothing. Beginning in Paris in the late 1920s and ending in Sussex in the mid-1950s. The wardrobe, from which many items have ever been seen in public, will be set alongside Miller’s photography. Runs 14 October 2023 to 18 February 2024.
Charles Dickens Museum has a new exhibition exploring “one of the most pivotal partnerships” of Dickens’ life, his friendship and collaboration with writer Wilkie Collins. ‘Mutual Friends’ will display original letters, historic objects, and interactive displays, and tell the story of the more than 15 year friendship which included both co-writing and a moustache-growing contest. Runs 15 November 2023 – 25 February 2024.
An exhibition of work by Renoir will open at the end of next month at the Guernsey Museum at Candie. ‘Renoir in Guernsey, 1883’, celebrates the 140th anniversary of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s stay in Guernsey and the inspiration that he found on the island. Currently on display in France, it is staged in partnership with Guernsey Museums and the Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny, including a host of major international loans. Runs 30 September – 17 December 2023.
Funding
Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life in Coatbridge has received an initial award of £148,000 from the National Lottery heritage Fund for consultation, feasibility studies, and research into a multi-million-pound development project; ‘Summerlee: New Stories, New Audiences, Better Lives’. Hoping to enshrine the legacy of Scotland’s industrial past, the project grant could lead to a subsequent application of £3.4 million, part of a £6.4m total cost for the project.
Events
The Association for Heritage Interpretation has announced the ReBalance Conference 2023. Taking place in Lincoln, the event will “explore balance, equity and the environment – changing the climate of natural and cultural interpretation”. The programme’s speakers Professor Anne Chick from The Sensational Museum with a session on “using co-creation to change how museums work for everyone” and, the inventors of the Social Value Engine, a digital tool that quantifies the indirect benefits of cultural and environmental projects. The event will also see the winners of the 2023 AHI Engaging People Awards announced at a special dinner. More info.
