24 Hour Museum - official guide to UK museums, galleries, exhibitions and heritage
Gateway to Over 3,000 UK museums, galleries and heritage attractions
Skip to navigation
News In Brief - week ending February 24 2008
By 24 Hour Museum Staff
18/02/2008
Welcome to the 24 Hour Museum news in brief page for the week ending February 24 2008. This page is updated every weekday.
22.02.2008 - Arts Council England announces £1 million for Manchester International Festival
The Arts Council today announced the investment of £1 million from its strategic development funds to support Manchester International Festival's programme of work to 2011.
The announcement, which will see £500,000 awarded in 2008-09 and a further £500,000 in 2009-10, is part of a national drive to support artistic excellence and innovation.
The investment will support Manchester International Festival's work, building on the success of their 2007 programme to deliver an international festival in 2009 of original innovative new work created by leading artists from across the spectrum of the arts and popular culture.
The announcement comes days after an independent report for the Festival highlighted that the 18-day programme of events generated an economic value of £28.8 million for the North West region.
Image from the performance, Monkey: Journey to the West. Photo: Joel Fildes for Manchester International Festival
Image: painting of an 18th century soldier
22.02.2008 - General Wolfe campaign receives £80,000
The National Army Museum’s appeal to acquire a portrait of military hero General Wolfe has received its biggest grant to date - from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF).
NHMF, the nation’s ‘fund of last resort’ has agreed to contribute £80,000 towards the £300,000 needed to save an important portrait of General Wolfe - victor of the Battle of Quebec and hero of the Seven Years War - from export to a private collection overseas. The grant brings the total raised by the appeal campaign, whose supporters include TV historian Professor Richard Holmes, to just over £250,000.
The painting, by JSC Schaak, was sold at auction on June 6 2007, after the National Army Museum was outbid for it. After export of the portrait was temporarily stopped by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, the museum, which preserves the heritage of Britain’s armies from the middle ages to the modern day, formally expressed an interest in saving it for the nation.
Image: photo of Neolithic structures at Skara Brae
22.02.2008 – Orkney islanders invited to discuss management of Neolithic World Heritage Site
There will be a public meeting on February 28 in Orkney to get people’s views on the new management plan for the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site.
The plan is intended to maximise the economic and social benefits from the world heritage site (WHS) while protecting its environment and ancient monuments.
The public meeting is being held at Stenness Community School where members of the community can hear about developments over the last two years, like the WHS Ranger Service, conservation projects, and archaeological research.
The WHS is managed by Historic Scotland, Orkney Islands Council, Scottish Natural Heritage and the RSPB.
22.02.2008 – Arts Council of Wales funds new community arts projects
The Arts Council of Wales will provide £125,000 funding for community arts programmes across the Heads of the Valleys eastern area over 2008/09.
The funding will allow sustainable, professionally-led activities through ‘Head for Arts’, a partnership between four local authorities, Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Torfaen and Caerphilly.
Welsh Assembly Heritage Minister, Rhodri Glyn Thomas, welcomed the investment: "Participation in creative activity can develop individuals and communities, by bringing people together, developing skills, and working together. For many individuals it will also be the route into experiencing and enjoying wider cultural activity. I am delighted that the consortium of four local authorities will be working together to deliver this new service."
Underpinning the community arts practice is the aim to engender change, authorship and ownership.
Image: photo of three knobbly seeds
21.02.2008 - Seeds from self-destructive palm arrive at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank
Seeds from a rare new genus and species of palm tree have arrived at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew's Millennium Seed Bank. Botanists at RBG Kew announced the discovery of Tahina spectabilis, made in Madagascar, in January this year.
Around 1,000 grape-sized seeds, harvested by local villagers in collaboration with the Kew team, arrived at the Millennium Seed Bank earlier this week. The bizarre lifecycle of Tahina spectabilis – it is thought it grows for up to 50 years, flowers spectacularly once in its lifetime, then dies – means there may not be an opportunity to harvest more seeds from the 100 or so individuals that exist on the island for many years to come.
The seeds are now being studied to determine whether they can be stored alongside seeds from the almost 22,000 wild flowering plant species already conserved at the Seed Bank.
The massive 15-metre-high palm can even be spotted on Google Earth.
Photo: Hannelore Morales © Board of Trustees RBG Kew
21.02.2008 - Export bar on medieval record of heraldry
Culture Minister Margaret Hodge has placed a temporary export bar on the Dering Roll, a decorated manuscript roll of arms dating from the 13th century.
The chance has been given for a UK institution to buy the vellum document because of its extraordinary importance to the study of medieval English knighthood. The Dering Roll is 2.5 metres long and contains the coats of arms of about a quarter of the English baronage from the reign of Edward I, who owed feudal service to the constable of Dover Castle.
The Reviewing Committee of the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest has given the scroll a starred rating, meaning that every possible effort should be made to keep it in the country. Offers need to be made before April 19 2008 (with a possible extension to July). The recommended price is £192,500.
21.02.2008 – English Heritage calls for preservation of Nottinghamshire winding gears
The Coal Authority has proposed the demolition of winding gear at a former Nottinghamshire colliery in order for the site to be developed.
However, English Heritage has called for the two unusual structures, also known as headstocks, at Clipstone to be preserved as a memorial of mining history. Becoming redundant in 2003 when the last shift was worked at the mine, the gears are unusual for their German Ruhr Valley-style design and have already been given Grade II listing.
Image: photo of a Norman church tower
20.02.2008 – Ancient finds from Wearside church dig on public view
Archaeological finds including 1000-year-old walls and ancient burial vaults uncovered during recent excavations at a Wearside church are going on show on Saturday, February 23 2008.
St Michael and All Angels Church in Houghton has planned the second open day after more than 600 people turned up at the last one.
Other even older finds include sandstone blocks supporting pillars dating back to Roman times. They were probably recycled from a Roman structure by the Norman builders.
The work is being carried out in preparation for new stone floors being installed in the church as part of a £1m renovation.
To take a tour of the finds, go to Kepier Hall at the back of the church in time for an introductory talk at either 10am or 1pm, followed by tea and coffee and the tour.
20.02.2008 – Community arts project launched at Scottish Parliament
The National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) and Edinburgh’s Capital City Partnership have launched a new community art initiative, Parallel Lives 2: See the Future, in the MSP’s Foyer of the Scottish Parliament.
The project, which follows on from a first phase, aims to make key works in the NGS collection more relevant to diverse communities living in Edinburgh. Inspired by three important works from the NGS collection, it will investigate art as a catalyst for social change, asking participants to express their views on what an ideal society would be like.
The project will see communities and individuals interpret art and create their own works of art as a focus for local issues. They will collaborate with a professional artist to realise their ideas, and the works will be shown at the National Gallery complex in November 2008.
Image: an underwater photograph of frogmen holding a manx flag
19.02.2008 - Manx Museum to host Diving Conference
The final programme of speakers has been announced for the second 'Discover Diving' conference, to be held at the Manx Museum, Isle of Man, on Saturday March 1 2008.
Both the natural and cultural heritage of the underwater world will be discussed, with talks on the marine environment of the Isle of Man, how you can get involved and even a special presentation by Sean O’Connell on diving one of the most famous shipwrecks of all – the Titanic.
A variety of talks will be taking in shipwrecks, conservation work, marine biodiversity, aggregate dredging; whilst Adrian Corkill will present a talk about the quest for the wreck of the Vivid together with other sites around the Isle of Man.
The event will start at 10.30am and finish at 4.30pm, with visitors welcome throughout the day. The conference is open to all those with an interest in maritime heritage and admission is free.
Picture: divers from the Island proudly flying the Manx flag: (from left to right) Jeff Corkill and Michelle Haywood. Photograph by Ed Bimson.
19.02.2008 - Experts carry out essential maintenance on Victorian gasometer
Maintenance experts employed by Historic Scotland are spending two months inside a large Victorian gasometer to ensure an important piece of the nation’s industrial history is kept in good shape for the future.
The Biggar Gasworks, now a museum, date back to the mid-19th century and the days when coal was used to produce gas for towns across Scotland.
An internal inspection of one of the 6m-tall gas storage containers showed the time had come for a substantial programme of work to remove rust and apply special protective paint to inhibit future corrosion.
Image: a photograph of a sign saying art gallery
18.02.2008 - Designer for Cheltenham Museum extension revealed
A competition to select the designer of the new Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum extension has resulted in the selection of Oxford-based architects, Berman Guedes Stretton.
Praised for its simple elegance and eco-friendliness, the design uses reclaimed materials and natural ventilation and will increase exhibition and display space and improve visitor facilities.
For the first time, a dedicated space for the Art Gallery and Museum's extensive education, outreach, lifelong learning and arts development work will also be included in the new extension.
18.02.2008 - Memorial stone highlights history of St Augustine's Abbey
The history of England's oldest monastery, St Augustine's Abbey, was celebrated by Canterbury Christ Church University on Wednesday February 13, thanks to a £10,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The cash boost enabled the University to commission a large stone memorial to commemorate St Augustine Abbey's Outer Precinct, the remains of which stand in the University's North Holmes Campus and are part of Canterbury's World Heritage Site.
Created by local stone carver Gary Newton, the memorial depicts a 14th century monk working in the outer precinct, which housed a vinery, bakehouse, brewhouse, orchards, bee hives and allotments.
A large information panel and special leaflets have also been produced to tell the story of the Outer Precinct to visitors and the local community.
18.02.2008 - Museum on look out for sausage and pie memorabilia
Trowbridge Museum is looking for memorabilia on the town's Bowyer pie plant, which is due to close in March 2008.
An exhibition at the plant will look at the pie company's long association with the town, which stretches back 200 years to 1808. Pork Farms is closing the plant and moving production to Nottingham.
The exhibition will run from March 15 to June 14 2008 and curators would like to hear from anyone who has objects and stories they can contribute to it.
Image: a photograph of a small child looking at a large triptych in a church
18.02.2008 - Triptych travels from Liverpool Cathedral to London church
Following its exhibition at Liverpool Cathedral for the opening of the European Capital of Culture, a large-scale secular triptych by British figurative painter Nicholas Charles Williams has gone on show in one of London's most famous churches.
The work is being shown in London for the first time at St Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside until June 16 2008.
Williams is one of the most respected of the current crop of artists that are revisiting figurative realist painting to explore contemporary issues.
Picture (above): a child views the picture in St Mary-le-Bow Church, London.
18.02.2008 - Chinese Arts Centre receives EU funding go-ahead for international touring exhibition
Chinese Arts Centre, Manchester has been awarded 135,000 Euros by the European Commission to create a touring exhibition between Chinese Arts Centre, 501 Arts Space in Chongqing, China, and Infra Action in France and Sweden.
The visual arts project will take place in 2009/10 to create cultural links between the East and the West.
18.02.2008 - Prehistoric rock art discovered in West Argyll
Foresters in West Argyll have discovered a prehistoric rock carving which has been uncovered during the recent storms.
For over 60 years, the rock art has remained hidden and protected from the elements by a huge tree in Forestry Commission Scotland's Achnabreac Forest, which was blown down around three weeks ago.
The rock is believed to be around 5,000 years old and is inscribed with a dice-like carving. It sits high above the mouth of Kilmartin Glen and directly overlooks the rock art at Cairnbaan.
Its close location to the other rock art sites, visual relationship with both sites and the similar complexity of design suggests that all three sites are connected. The new site may hold the key to further understand the mystery around the rock art in Argyll.
"The importance of the site and the reasons for the carvings remain a topic of speculation and despite public and academic interest, the meanings of the symbols remains mysterious," said Andy Buntin for Forestry Commission Scotland in West Argyll. "But we do know that they date back to the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age."
E-news registration
E-mail story to a friend
Tell us what you think
Blitz And Dunkirk Veteran Thames Fireboat To Be Restored
News In Brief - Museums, Galleries And Heritage News
Massive Ted Hughes Archive Acquired By British Library
Art Fund Donates £1 Million To Save Titian's Diana And Actaeon
Youngsters Win Battlefield Trips To Mark 90th Anniversary Of Armistice
SEIZURE: Roger Hiorns And The Art Of Disappearing
Archaeological Dig To Uncover The Mysteries Of Carisbrooke Castle
Culture Secretary Andy Burnham Launches Library Debate
The Sackler Centre - The V&A's New Centre For Arts Education
T.M. Hemy Mauretania Oil Painting From QE2 Handed To Discovery Museum
English Heritage In Nationwide Search For Young History Presenter
National Trust Wades Into The Water And Flood Management Debate
Sir Christopher Frayling: 'Unlock Creative Potential Of Collections'
New Their Past Your Future Projects Bring Generations Together
News In Brief - Week Ending October 12 2008
Two Of Britain's Roman And Maritime Heritage Sites Get Major Funding Boost
Winners Of Young Archaeologist Of The Year Awards 2008 Announced
Shock And Gore - Controversial Artwork Opens Brighton Photo Biennial
Search this site
Home Page
News Page
Exhibition Page
What's On
Trails Page
Website of the Week
Letters Page
Welsh Home
Graphical Version
Copyright © 24 Hour Museum
Information published here was believed to be correct at the time it was prepared. Welsh language pages developed with CYMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.