Welcome to the 24 Hour Museum news in brief page for the week ending June 3 2007.
01.06.2007 - New Museum of Bristol wants your memories
The new Museum of Bristol, due to open in 2009, is looking for contributions from people in the city to ensure it captures the real essence of the old port city.
The city council has launched a series of questionnaires to try and elicit any valuable stories that locals might have to tell about their home – memorable journeys, unusual workplaces, creative achievements or challenges faced are all welcome topics.
“Working with the public so closely in designing the content for our new museum is unprecedented,” said Julie Finch, Director of the new Museum.
“We really are leading the way nationally in this approach and it’s this that will make our museum different. Our collection of stories and memories is an exciting step along the way – we want as many people as possible to get involved.”
Go to www.bristol.gov.uk/mystories to donate your stories, or go along to see the Museum’s Lodekka bus at Hengrove car boor sale (June 9) or at Blaise Castle House Museum (June 10) and speak to Museum staff there.
Archaeologists working at a site due for development in Bedford have discovered a 19th century font that would have been sunk into a chapel formerly on the site.
Although it was known there used to be a 19th century chapel on the site in Castle Lane, the baptismal tank was still a surprise. It is thought the tank would have been sunk into the floor and believers would have been led down steps to be immersed in its waters.
Historic maps show the Providence Baptist Chapel was built in the 1830s, falling out of use in the 1890s when it was replaced by a larger chapel in Rothsay Road. It survived until the 1960s.
01.06.2007 - Medieval structures found in Shrewsbury
Archaeologists have been drafted in to investigate Shrewsbury’s theatre site for a second time after council architects uncovered what is believed to be a medieval chapel and hospital.
Following the discovery of the medieval St George’s Bridge in Frankwell last March, experts were again called in after council staff stumbled across stone walls which could date back more than 850 years.
Local historian David Trumper described the find as “very exciting” and said he believed the structure could be the site of a medieval chapel and hospital which was dedicated to England’s patron saint, St George.
31.05.2007 - New website explores the archaeology at Heathrow's Terminal 5
A new website has been launched detailing the archaeological discoveries made at Heathrow Terminal 5.
It allows users to trace the story of the site, from the forests of the stone age to the ultra-modern terminal buildings being constructed today. 3D visualisations and animations show how archaeologists think it may have looked in the past and how people there might have lived.
The project was developed by Framework Archaeology, a joint venture between Wessex Archaeology and Oxford Archaeology set up to work at BAA airports. The group has undertaken large-scale excavations at Heathrow Terminal 5 and Stansted and smaller scale excavations and evaluations at Gatwick, Southampton and Edinburgh airports.
31.05.2007 - Website launched to track progress of new Cardiff Museum
A new website, www.cardiffmuseum.com has been launched to keep people up to date with developments at the new Cardiff Museum, due to open in 2010.
Visitors to the bilingual Welsh and English site will also be able to keep abreast of things with details of the temporary exhibitions and events being held in the Old Library in the lead-up to the opening of the museum, and contact the project team via the site with ideas and stories that could feature in it.
31.05.2007 - Chatham Historic Dockyard to launch World Heritage Site bid
"Chatham's naval and military installations played a crucial role in creating and supporting Britain's navy and her global influence," said Joanne Cable, Medway Council's World Heritage Site Project Manager.
"They form an internationally important legacy that everyone in Medway can be proud of."
The launch will take place at Commissioner's House at the Dockyard where milestones of the bid for the next three years will be set out. Residents will be able to find out how to get involved in understanding, protecting and promoting their heritage and take part in a question and answer session.
In a seperate move, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport is considering withdrawing its 2006 nomination for World Heritage status for Darwin at Downe - Charles Darwin's home and workplace in Bromley, London. If the decision is taken to do so, it is still possible to submit a revised nomination to UNESCO at a later date.
30.05.2007 - Museum of English Rural Life celebrates its volunteers during volunteers week
The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) will be hosting a Garden Party on 6th June, to celebrate the important contribution made by volunteers to the work of the University of Reading Museums and Collections Service (UMACS).
Over 80 volunteers support activities and projects at the University's museums, from providing guided tours at weekends and cataloguing steam engine archives at MERL, to database work at the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology.
"Volunteers play an invaluable role at MERL and the other University museums," said Jennifer Allison, Volunteer Development Officer at UMACS. "They volunteer for many different reasons and we try to make sure they get as much out of their experience as possible.
"Some come to offer their spare time and meet people. Others are interested in gaining useful work experience in such areas as customer services or marketing."
The event coincides with Volunteers' Week, the UK's annual celebration of the work of volunteers, running from 1 - 7 June. For more information on how to get involved with Volunteers' Week 2007 go to www.volunteersweek.org.uk.
30.05.2007 - Large scale Alison Wilding sculptures donated to several UK museums
The Contemporary Art Society and The Henry Moore Foundation have announced that eight sculptures by British sculptor Alison Wilding have been presented, through the generosity of an anonymous private donor, to UK public collections including The Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester; Arts Council Collection; Tate; Manchester Art Gallery and Leeds City Art Gallery.
In 1998 the donor commissioned Alison Wilding to produce a body of sculpture on a ‘grand scale’ that explored the events of the Passion of Christ, once the most familiar story in the Western world.
The resulting sixteen scupltures were exhibited in 2000 at The Henry Moore Foundation Studio, Dean Clough, Halifax under the title ‘Contract’.
Since her debut in the 1980s Wilding has consistently produced ambitious and innovative sculptures, working on a variety of scales, and with a wide range of modern and traditional materials. This commission provided her with unusual freedom to essay new combinations of forms in the search to find abstract equivalents for a deeply human story.
29.05.2007 - Doodlers wanted to help out Jon Burgerman with Derby QUAD mural
Jon Burgerman, an international artist based in the East Midlands, will be creating a giant mural painting on the hoardings surrounding the QUAD arts centre building site from May 30 to June 10 2007.
You can come along and help create the mural between June 7 and 10, or simply watch the master of doodling at work. The mural will be in Jon's unique comic doodle style and will feature caricatures of the people of Derby.
Self-portraits of Derby residents have also been gathered and the best will feature alongside Jon's work.
Volunteers wanting to help out with the colouring and supervision of the hoardings on the four days in June should come along between 11am and 6pm. Volunteers are needed throughout the day. Contact Jonathan Willett at temp@derbyquad.co.uk or 01332 295934 for more information or to confirm your attendance.
29.05.2007 - Fermanagh County Museum develops heritage trails to unite locals with migrant workers
Fermanagh County Museum in Northern Ireland has teamed up with the Trade Union Diversity Project to hold a number of heritage trails and activities aimed at bringing together local people with migrant workers from Eastern Europe and further afield.
More than 100 people have already met to learn about the culture of Fermanagh and to share their experiences of living elsewhere.
"These trails and cultural activities are a wonderful way for people who have recently moved to Fermanagh to learn a little about the history and culture and what makes local people tick," said Sarah McHugh, Manager of Museum Services at Fermanagh County Museum.
"On the other hand, local people can learn a little more about the migrant workers who have made their way to this country. My hope is that new friendships are created as everyone meets together and learns a little more about each other."
29.05.2007 - Foundling Museum holds first major contemporary art show since 1740
The Foundling Museum, London's first public art gallery, is holding its first major contemporary art show since 1740 after inviting 15 artists to create works inspired by its art and social history collections.
The artists' responses, ranging from a wallpaper of children's names to a lollipop opera based on Handel's Foundling Anthem, will be on show during an eight-week exhibition from September 28 2007.
The Foundling was originally created as a home for abandoned children and became London's first public gallery thanks to the inspiration of one of the founding governors, the artist William Hogarth. It became a hub of philanthropic activity, where patrons could be encouraged both to contribute to the childcare fund and to support contemporary art.
29.05.2007 – Volunteers wanted in search for Bronze Age man in Sutton
The Sutton Archaeological Group is looking for volunteers to help in their search for a Bronze Age skeleton at a Barrow in the Wiltshire town.
The group has already uncovered tools, animal bones and plenty of pottery at the ancient burial site in Sutton, but the holy grail of human remains have yet to be discovered. Time is running out as their funding only lasts until 2008.
Anyone who is interested in coming along on a Saturday afternoon is urged to get in touch with the group’s secretary, Alex Tinker, on 01353 775256 or Liz Hawkins on 01353 777735.
