Welcome to the 24 Hour Museum news in brief page for the week ending January 21 2007. This page is updated every weekday.
19.01.2007 - Culture Minister acts to protect remains of 18th century ship
Culture Minister David Lammy (pictured) has taken action to protect a wreck, believed to be that of the Dutch East India Company vessel Rooswijk, discovered in 2004 by divers in the Kellet Gut area of the Goodwin Sands, off the Kent coast.
The Rooswijk was an armed merchant vessel which vanished in a storm in December 1739, one day out from Texel, a Dutch Coast Island, on her second voyage to the East Indies. None of the 250 people aboard survived and there were no witnesses to her fate.
David Lammy's decision to 'designate' the well preserved remains under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 follows a recommendation from English Heritage. The newly discovered shipwreck - and the 150m area around it - will now be protected to allow future investigation and the prevention of accidental damage at the site.
19.01.2007 - Deaf-led visual arts organisation wins Arts Council England grant
Salon, the UK’s only recognised deaf-led visual arts organisation, has won a second Grant for the Arts to continue its pioneering work.
The deaf-led visual arts organisation is committed to facilitating the professional development of deaf and hard-of-hearing visual artists across the South-East and is the only one of its type in the UK.
Awarded by Arts Council England, the £59,277 grant will contribute towards the costs of running an innovative phase two activity programme across the region over two years, including a five-day residential workshop in partnership with Stour Valley Arts and artist-led workshops at Modern Art Oxford.
19.01.2007 - Rare wartime film footage gets second airing in Wales
Recently discovered film footage of the top secret WWII munitions facility at Valley Works at Rhydydmwyn, near Mold in Wales is to get a second public airing - due to popular demand.
The Valley Works was a top-secret munitions facility and played a strategic part in the Allied effort during the Second World War. It is now under the ownership and management of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and North East Wales Wildlife.
"Despite years of research into this site, the activities that took place here during its heyday, and for a considerable period afterwards were shrouded in mystery," said DEFRA Site Manager Grant Webberley. "We're hoping that someone will be able to recognize and identify some of the buildings, and shed even more light on this site's history."
The film will be screened at 7pm on Thursday, February 1 at the Rhydymwyn Valley Nature Reserve, Nant Alyn Road, Rhydymwyn, CH7 5HQ. Places are limited and are available on a first come, first served basis. The screening will not be open to anyone under 16 years of age.
18.01.2007 - Tarmac quarry gets go-ahead at Thornborough Henges
North Yorkshire County Councillors this week approved scaled-down plans by Tarmac to extract sand and gravel on a site east of Nosterfield Quarry at Ladybridge Farm, North Yorkshire, approximately 1km away from Thornborough Henges.
Unanimous approval was granted on January 16 2007 for the extraction of 1.1 million tonnes of sand and gravel from the quarry extension, which campaigners say is too close to the Neolithic henges and sits in the midst of an equally important wider archaeological landscape.
In February 2006, the County Council rejected a similar application from Tarmac after concerns were raised over the impact of quarrying on the archaeology.
The go-ahead is the latest development in a long-running campaign and counter campaign by Tarmac and a number of public pressure groups - who describe the henges as the Stonehenge of the North. Campaign group The Friends of Thornborough Henges maintain that a report by the council's Minerals Officer, which led to the council's decision, was "seriously flawed".
The council meanwhile say the decision was taken after Tarmac reduced the extraction area from 45.75ha to 30.9ha and the extraction would only be granted subject to Tarmac entering a legal agreement to ensure the protection of archaeological interests.
18.01.2007 - Captain Cook Museum tries to raise cash for Cook sketches
The Captain Cook Memorial Museum is attempting to raise £200,000 to buy a set of John Webber drawings from an American collector.
Webber was appointed as a draughtsman and landscape painter on Cook's third great voyage and made many on-the-spot sketches and watercolour drawings when back on board the ship. The sketches the museum is attempting to buy date to 1779 and show natives of Kamachatka, Siberia.
The Museum is submitting a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £170,000 as well as investigating other major grant giving bodies in order to raise the funds.
18.01.2007 - National Railway Museum welcomes back Thomas the Tank Engine
The National Railway Museum (NRM) will welcome Thomas the Tank Engine this coming February with a series of day out with Thomas' family events throughout February.
Visitors to the museum between 10am to 5pm from February 10 to 25 2007 will be invited to join the Number 1 blue engine and meet various characters from the series. They will be able to take train rides and enjoy face painting, badge making, mask making and other activities.
To book tickets in advance, call the 24-hour TicketWeb booking line on 08700 600 100 or online at www.nrm.org.uk and follow the link to TicketWeb.
18.01.2007 - National Trust and Prince’s Youth Trust training initiative gets £1.2m Big Lottery Fund backing
A new partnership between the National Trust and The Prince’s Youth Trust will give hundreds of young people the chance to learn new skills at heritage sites across England. The scheme, which will identify training opportunities in areas such as conservation and customer service, has been made possible by a £1.2 million grant from the Big Lottery Fund.
The initiative, entitled Getting into the Past, will give training to disadvantaged young people in 11 National Trust properties, boosting their confidence and putting them in touch with local heritage.
"The National Trust is delighted to receive this award," said Fiona Reynolds, Director-General of The National Trust. "It will enable nearly 700 disadvantaged young people to receive valuable work experience and to be inspired by the special places we look after."
National Trust properties currently selected for year one of the project are Gibside, Wallington, Clumber Park, Hardwick Hall, Belton House, Kedleston Hall, Tyntesfield, Kingston Lacy, Stourhead, Cotehele and Saltram.
Getting into the Past will be launched later this year. To find out more, contact the Prince’s Trust on 0800 842 842.
18.01.2007 - Heritage organisations make case for investment in heritage
In anticipation of the Government's forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review, some of the UK's key heritage organisations have produced a report setting out the benefits of investment in the historic environment.
Valuing our Heritage was prepared by Heritage Link, English Heritage, the National Trust, the Historic Houses Association and the Heritage Lottery Fund, and makes the case for targeted increases in funding to a number of key areas.
The report asks for money to support the implementation of a new heritage protection system; increased funding for maintenance and preservation of places of worship; the restoration of English Heritage's grant in aid to 1997 levels and further investment to get a broader audience involved with the historic environment.
17.01.2007 - The Great North Museum Project: Work On The Hancock Begins
The six foot tuna and the 10,000-year-old giant deer antlers have all been packed away – now work has begun on the building of the Hancock Museum in Newcastle Upon Tyne, closed for a major refurbishment since April 2006.
The back extension of the museum is being knocked down to be replaced with a new wing that will house a special exhibitions space for the blockbusters the Hancock is well known for. The £26 million Great North Museum project will also see a new learning suite and a purpose-built library constructed at the Hancock.
“This is the first part of the museum redevelopment that can be seen from the outside of the museum and it is very exciting,” said Project Manager Lindy Galliland of the initial works.
“I want to reassure people that we are not demolishing the museum and that it is only the back of the building which is not part of the original structure that we are removing and extending.”
The new Hancock Museum is due to reopen in 2009 as a flagship visitor attraction.
16.01.2007 - Bury Council loses Art Fund support after sale of Lowry
The UK art charity, The Art Fund, has announced that it will no longer consider funding applications from Bury Museum and Gallery in the wake of their controversial sale of a Lowry painting, A Riverbank.
It's the latest response to the sale, which went ahead in November 2006 despite vociferous opposition from The Art Fund and others, and follows expulsion from the Museums Association and withdrawal of official museum accreditation by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
16.01.2007 - Jerwood/Artangel Commissions awarded to Clio Barnard and Roger Hiorns
Two major commissions have been awarded to filmaker Clio Barnard and sculptor Roger Hiorns as part of the Jerwood/Artangel Open.
The winning commissions will be developed and produced by Artangel for presentation in the UK between 2008 and 2010. A third commission will be announced later this year.
The open submission competition is a collaboration between the Jerwood Charitable Foundation, Artangel, Arts Council England and Channel 4. See www.thejerwoodartangelopen.org.uk for more information.
16.01.2007 - Soldiers make D-Day model for D-Day Museum in Southsea
Three recuperating soldiers have made a scale model of the Omaha Beach D-Day beach landings of June 1944 for a new display at the D-Day Museum, Southsea.
Sergeant Anthony Baker, Sapper Paul Leach and Warrant Officer Phil Smith made the model after a visit to the Normandy beaches while patients at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre in Surrey.
The model depicts American troops and vehicles fighting their way on shore under withering fire from German defenders. The landings on Omaha were depicted in the film, Saving Private Ryan, and saw heavy casualties - over 3,000 in the first few hours.
15.01.2007 - Thames Whale goes on display at Guardian Newsroom
The conserved skeleton of the Northern Bottlenose whale that swam up the Thames on January 20 2006 is to go on display for the first time at the Guardian Newsroom.
The free exhibition at the Guardian and Observer archive and visitor centre, is on from January 22-27 2007 and tells the story of the whale's journey and the attempt to rescue it.
Included will be the whale skeleton and a preserved fin, both on loan from the Natural History Museum, as well as photography and a short film by acclaimed documentary maker Paul Burgess.
The whale captured the imagination of the British public and of people all over the world when it swam up the Thames and eventually died. Its remains were taken to the Natural History Museum where it has been prepared by members of staff from the Museum's scientific research collection (pictured above).
15.01.2007 - National Trust responds to 'Miss Potter' mania
As excitement builds around the release of 'Miss Potter,' the film about the life of Beatrix Potter starring Renee Zellweger, The National Trust is working to open Beatrix Potter's residence, Hill Top, more than usual.
Hill Top has been open to the public since 1946 and is visited by thousands of people from all over the world. The little farm was the first place that Beatrix bought in the Lake District and was the inspiration for several of her books and artwork.
The shop and garden will be open free of charge every day from January 8 2007 (10.30 - 16.00), while the house will open for weekends only from March 3 and then from Saturday to Wednesday from March 31. A number of extra open days are planned for the summer.
15.01.2007 - Modern Scottish ecclesiastical icon is assessed for preservation
The Archdiocese of Glasgow has appointed conservation specialists to investigate possibilities for the long term future of St Peter’s Seminary, Cardross.
The A-listed building is one of Scotland’s most important 20th century historic buildings, yet despite being a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Gold Medal winning design, changing educational practices in the training of priests has meant that it has become surplus to the church’s requirements.
Now the Archdiocese of Glasgow, Argyll and Bute Council, and Historic Scotland are working in partnership to investigate the long-term future of the site. Avanti Architects have been contracted to set down the options for the long term future of this celebrated modern Scottish icon.
