London Museums Group Fifth Annual General Meeting
Thursday 5th November 2009, 11.00 – 16.30
The Flett Theatre, Natural History Museum
In Attendance
Alison Sharpe / English HeritageBen Travers / MLA London
Carol Seigel / Freud Museum
Caroline Burt / Kingston Museum
Caroline Ellis / The Women's Library
Catherine Bornet / V&A Museum of Childhood
Catherine Hamilton / Southwark Culture, Libraries, Learning and Leisure Service
Cheryl Smith / Islington Museum
Clare Zammit / National Portrait Gallery
Cressida Finch / Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Room
David Gaimster / Society of Antiquaries of London
Debi Linton / Grant Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy
Deborah Turton / British Postal Museum and Archive
Eileen Noon / Firepower
Fiona Davison / Museum of London
Geoff Pick / London Metropolitan Archives
Gillian Spry / Brent Museum
Ian Coles / London Transport Museum
Jan Metcalfe / Enfield Museum Service
Jane Hughes / Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons
Jason Finch / MLA London
Jean Knight / Friends of Carshalton Water Tower
Joe Carr / Brent Museum
John McMahon / MLA London
Judy Lindsay / Central St Martins College of Art and Design
Julie Hall / Lewisham Local History and Archives Centre
Julie Ricketts / Institute of Education
Kevin Flude / Old Operating Theatre, Museum & Herb Garret
Lottie Collins / Harrow Museum
Mark Dennis / Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Martin Wyatt / Handel House Museum
Meg Thomas / Wandle Industrial Museum
Melanie Repetski
Mick Scott / Keats House
Nigel Sadler / MLA London
Paddy McNulty / MLA London
Pontus Rosen / Foundling Museum
Rachel Tranter / Orleans House Gallery
Richard Sved / MLA London
Rosie Atkins / Chelsea Physic Garden
Samira Teuteberg / London Museums Hub
Sarah Bardwell / Handel House Museum
Sarah Campbell / Central St Martins College of Art and Design
Sophie Lillington / City of London Corporation
Susan Buhr / Hampstead Museum
Susan Kirby / Tower Bridge Exhibition
Tate Greenhalgh / Natural History Museum
Teresa Wild / Natural History Museum
Val Munday / Enfield Museum Service
Vanessa Miller / Freud Museum
Yvette Shepherd / MLA London
Appologies: Nicky Boyd, Caroline Worthington, Peta Cook, Helen Chatterjee, Sam Mullins.
Rachel Tranter, LMG Chair, and Teresa Wild, Director of Policy and Planning, Natural History Museum welcomed delegates to the meeting.
1. Chair’s update, Rachel Tranter, LMG update
Rachel Tranter delivered an update about LMG’s achievements over the past 12 months and its future direction. Key achievements included:
§ MA reception attended by more than 100 people. The reception complemented the conference themes of change and partnership. LMG has promoted strong partnerships in London, strong governance for the London Hub and a strong voice for London’s museums.
§ 3 major events hosted by LMG for over 200 delegates from London’s museums during 2008-09.
§ Renaissance London worked with over 100 non-Hub museums, providing a reminder of the unique contribution of smaller museums.
§ London’s museums contributed to the Mayor’s Story of London project. Renaissance investment towards that work will continue next year, working to a new timescale.
§ The London World City project started this year as part of the Cultural Olympiad and will involve 20 of London’s museums as partners to the Hub museums.
§ The Learning Revolution festival of learning included 40 events held over 10 days.
§ LMG is committed to continuous improvement through the Local Authority Museums Improvement Programme. RT expressed thanks to MLA London for levering funds towards this programme from Capital Ambition.
§ West London’s Museum Group is growing stronger and has refocussed with Miranda Stearn acting as Chair.
§ Shortlisting of Orleans House Gallery for the 2009 Gulbekian prize shows the importance, contribution and potential of London’s small museums.
RT thanked: LMG’S committee for their contribution, citing in particular Kevn Flude, Helen Chatterjee and Peter Cook who step down this year. (RT noted that new committee members will be welcomed.); Geoff Pick, Martin Wyatt and Judy Lindsay, ( who has recently becomeMA Council member for London) and Teresa Wild; Melissa Bentley, MLA London for her continued and valued support; Sam Mullins who had provided support and a strong link between the Hub and the LMG Commitee.
Where are we going? RT noted that the recession requires museums to take a positive look forward, look for opportunities and the positive outcomes from the reorganisation of MLA. RT queried how training provision will be sustained. The presentation ended on the positive note “Partnership, Passion and Progress”.
2. Voting Procedure & Election for committee places
Geoff Pick outlined the voting procedure for the AGM. The LMG Committee includes 6 elected representatives from the Local Authority Museums and 6 from the Independent and university museums . Existing Local Authority representatives include Geoff Pick, Rachel Tranter, Cheryl Smith, Val Munday and Lottie Collins leaving one vacancy. With one nomination for that post from Caroline Burt from Kingston no election was needed and Caroline was welcomed to the Committee.
Four independent representatives will continue in post: Judy Lindsay, Martin Wyatt, David Gaimster and Ashley Jones. This left two vacancies, and with three nominations members were required to vote with only one vote per museum.
Rachel Tranter read out the candidate statement from Caroline Worthington, Florence Nightinale Museum who was unable to attend. Candidates, Sarah Buhr from Hampstead Museum, and Caroline Ellis from the Women’s Library at London Metropolitan Universtiy made statements outlining their experience and expectations from the posts.
Further to counting of votes Caroline Worthington and Caroline Ellis were elected to the LMG Committee. GP gave thanks to all candidates and noted that all would be counted on to contribute to LMG’s work in future.
3. Renaissance London update
Richard Sved, MLA London, Deputy Director
Richard’s presentation outlined the background to MLA London’s dissolution in March 2010. RS described arrangements for transfer of MLA London’s activities to the MLA London Field Team and the MDO function to the London Hub. Discussions regarding provision of training for London’s museums are continuing.
Fiona Davison, London Hub Manager
FD outllined the key achievements of the Hub and Renaissance in 2008-09:
More than 100 of London’s non-Hub museums funded and supported
Organised and funded the first volunteer of the Year award
Story of London Festival
Non-National involvement in the major World City Project as part of the Cultural Olympiad.
FD noted that this is an important time for museums and identified key opportunities and threats.
Opportunities: Funding, New Structures, Higher Profile
Threats: Pressures on core budgets, Uncertain future, Late CSR
All the signs indicate that Renaissance will continue in the longer term but the future is of course uncertain. FD noted some key areas for the Hub to focus on in future:
§ Environmental Sustainability – local/global – thinking about our impact
§ Local ‘Place Shaping’ – building communities – need wider appreciation of what we do.
§ Developments in Education – loosening of the curriculum creates opportunities for museums to act as a third space between school and work
§ Positive Activities for Young People – museums have experience in this area
§ Community cohesion
These are all things we do well and can evidence – even more important in a recession.
FD cited opportunities within London from the Story of London festival, the East London Line extension and the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
FD listed opportunities which will continue to arise through Renaissance funded major regional projects:
Reaching and Understanding Audiences
§ Audience Research
§ National Regional Loans
§ Marketing Advisory Visits – 4 more planned for 2010
§ Untold London – a web based platform allowing(?) Web 2 technology
§ Story of London Festival 2010 with London Futures as its theme
§ East London Line Extension linking scheme is in development with Transport for London. The Hub is working to ensure that the 10 museums along the line are represented at the planning stage to ensure adequate sign posting and marketing.
Collections
Exploring 20th Century London
Benchmarks in Collection Care – Collection Care Officer visits and surveys
Emergency Response and Salvage Training
Funding and Sustainability
Sustainable Museums – this strand is currently in development
Information Strategy and Records Management – New Hub Records Manager
Volunteer Manager Support
Learning Support
object Hamdling grants
Skills sharing programmes
Redbridge and Orleans House Commissions
Plus continuing support for museums in this area from the national Strategic Commissioing programme.
London World City
FD gave an update about the major London World City project. Partners have now been selected, funding is confirmed and the process of recruiting Youth Groups will begin soon.
MDF 2010
FD noted that there is new MLA guidance regarding MDF which identifies the themes of Sustainable and cohesive communities and Effective Sustainable Businesses. FD noted that it is hard to see how the Collection Care grants might be supported through the new guidance but she emphasised continuity and a commitment to museum development. The Hub will continue to buy free places training places for London museums.