Five UK museums have joined forces to create The Museums Network

A group of UK museums have pooled their resources to share their expertise, exhibitions and create new online learning aids.

The Museum Network project has in effect created a ‘super-museum’ partnership, joining The Bowes Museum, Compton Verney, The Holburne Museum, Waddesdon Manor and The Wallace Collection.

The idea is to develop shared exhibitions, swap workshops and share the expertise of learning departments to maximise what they can offer the public. The latest phase of the partnership is a range of free e-learning resources for primary and secondary schools.

Launched at an event at London’s Wallace Collection on October 2 2006, the online resources include an update of the portraits and portraiture section of the Museums Network Website and the addition of brand new Greek and Roman myths and landscape portals.

As well as collaborating on exhibitions and events, Museum Network has created free online learning resources

The museums behind the Museum Network share a common bond – they are all bequeathed personal collections – and at the event three of the directors stressed that the partnership was about the connections it has created and the sense of confidence it instils.

“The sense of character that an individual gives to a collection is immensely appealing,” explained Alexander Sturgis, director of Bath’s Holburne Museum. “But what we all share is a desire and determination to reach out to a wider public.”

Loans between the museums help facilitate new exhibitions and a joint exhibition organised by Durham’s Bowes Museum and Compton Verney in Warwickshire has already been launched – Viva La Parisienne: Women Through The Eyes Of The Impressionists, which runs at Compton Verney until December 10 2006.

Although the terms of the Wallace Collection’s bequest mean it isn’t allowed to lend out its holdings the website has created an opportunity for a wider audience to share its treasures.

Compton Verney (pictured) has collaborated with the Bowes Museum to produce the project's first joint exhibition

Curators and conservators at the museums are able to benefit from placements at other Museum Network members.

Museum Network has been funded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Education and Rt Hon Chris Smith, former minister for culture, media and sport, spoke at the event:

“One thing we are beginning to realise is that using the web can become a terrific learning resource in school and at home. Learning experiences can be very much enhanced by museums and especially by projects like this.”

“Kids who pick up on this will hopefully experience things they haven’t come across before, inspiring them – it’s just terrific,” he added.

To find out more about the Museum Network events and view the learning resources, visit their website.