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
Four new Trustees have joined the AIM (Association of Independent Museums) Board. The new appointments are Alex Ratcliffe, Head of Change Strategy & Implementation at the Department for Business & Trade; Philip Dolling, Formerly Head of BBC Events and Trustee with the National Museum of the Royal Navy; Dr Laura Crossley FRSA, a freelance consultant who has worked in museums for over a decade; and Christine Bernath, Defence and Regimental Museums Partnerships Manager at the National Army Museum.
Sir John Soane’s Museum has announced the appointment of Will Gompertz as its new Director as of 1 January 2024. Gompertz is currently Artistic Director at the Barbican, a role he began in June 2021. He was formerly the BBC’s Arts Editor, and previously served as Director of the Tate Galleries for seven years. Gompertz has written for The Guardian and The Times and has authored books on the arts.
Amgueddfa Cymru – Museums Wales has announced Kate Eden as its new Chair and Rhys Evans as Vice-Chair. Eden is currently Chair of the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee and Council Member and Trustee at Prifysgol Aberystwyth University. Evans is currently the BBC Cymru Wales Head of Corporate Affairs and Public Policy.
The Ashmolean Museum has announced the appointment of Dr Jennifer Sliwka as Keeper of Western Art. Dr Sliwka is currently at King’s College London where she is Senior Lecturer in Christianity & the Arts, a collaborative MA with the National Gallery London, and Deputy Director of a major international interdisciplinary project called The Visual Commentary on Scripture.
Historic England has announced Conservative peer Lord Mendoza as its new Chair. The head of Oxford University’s Oriel College was announced as the new Chair by Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer.
Openings
Rangers Football Club in Glasgow has opened its own Rangers Museum. Doors were opened on July 31 for the first time, highlighting the football club’s history and that of the wider Govan and Glasgow area. The museum opened with an exhibition featuring the works of Archibald Leitch, the architect responsible for the design of the club’s Ibrox Park home.
A new gallery has opened on the Isle of Cumbrae off the coast of Scotland, which will display local art. The Hunter Saville Cumbrae Gallery and Studio in Millport launched its inaugural exhibition which features the work of six professional artists who live and work on the island.
Exhibitions
A new exhibition documenting the history of Channel crossings has opened at Dover Museum. ‘Channel Crossings’ will include vehicles and objects used in crossing attempts, and will illustrate the story of crossings as a result of trade, endurance swimming, migration, and conflicts from the Roman invasion through two World Wars.
A rare Roman coin hoard acquired by Dorset Museum in 2022 has gone on display. The hoard was found in the parish of Askerswell in West Dorset in 2017 during a metal detecting rally. A total of 627 silver denarius coins were recovered. The new showcase display allows visitors a first glance at the hoard alongside the story of research, catalogue and eventual display in the Museum’s People’s Dorset gallery. Runs until 28 September 2023,
This winter, Yorkshire Sculpture Park presents a new body of work by ceramic artist and popular social media presence Florian Gadsby. ‘By My Hands’ will display a new body of work by the artist who has found fame sharing his craft on YouTube and TikTok. Runs 4 November 2023 – 25 February 2024.
Funded by Historic England’s Everyday Heritage Grants, ‘Talking Shop’ is a new exhibition at Stevenage Museum which will explore stories from the town centre. Archival footage and photography includes never-before-seen colour images such as the first of the Queen’s visit to Stevenage in 1959. Runs until 30 September 2023.
Funding
English Heritage will fund a newly announced apprenticeship programme with a £11m donation from the Hamish Ogston Foundation, the largest received in its history. The new programme is hoped to preserve the skill of flint-working by passing the trade down to a younger generation.
Largest ever donation to English Heritage will fund apprenticeship programme
