Kilkenny Treasury a Unique Opportunity for Kilkenny S Collections, the Redevelopment Of

Kilkenny Treasury – a unique opportunity for Kilkenny’s collections, the redevelopment of the Brewery site, and Kilkenny’s creative companies

Introduction

There is an opportunity to develop the Smithwick’s Brewery site in Kilkenny City Centre as a treasury for Kilkenny’s collections. The proposed Kilkenny Treasury will be a unique centre of excellence focused on collections, both object-based and digital. The multi-disciplinary facility will combine spaces for exhibition, education, research and training with bespoke visible storage facilities. It will allow the heritage assets of the county to be cared for to the highest international standards, while providing stimulus for existing creative companies, and attracting new start-up businesses in the digital media and cultural field.

Kilkenny Treasury will set Kilkenny apart from other places through its links to cross-cutting research across STEAM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths). It will facilitate state-of-the-art research and training, alongside dynamic visitor and public engagement programming, while safeguarding collections of national and international interest to remain and grow in the county.

Kilkenny Treasury will act as driver for employment, education, and cultural tourism, while enhancing Kilkenny on a more complex level by cultivating a knowledge-based economy. It will provide a new approach to using the cultural assets of the area and allow these assets to be cared for to the highest standards, while unleashing their potential to stimulate new ideas and innovation.

Kilkenny is primed for this type of development because of its history and heritage, and its infrastructural support. Kilkenny is already rich in collections of national and international importance. Kilkenny Treasury will transform these into a core asset for the region. We should seize this opportunity to gain first mover advantage in the competitive world of regional town survival across Europe.

This document outlines the background to this idea, and its potential with regard to the collections and third level courses. It examines the benefits and risks, and investment needs. Case studies from the USA and Belgium are appended.

Partners

This idea is promoted by the Butler Gallery; the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCoI); the Heritage Council; Rothe House; and Kilkenny Archaeology Society. It will bring together the organisations and venues of Butler Gallery, Rothe House, National Craft Gallery, and the future St Mary’s. Potential links to the Kilkenny library service and Kilkenny archives could also be developed.

What is visible storage?

Visible storage is a method of maximising public access to museum and art collections that would otherwise be hidden from public view. Many museums and galleries have more than 90% of their collections in storage at any one time, and the technique has been recently adopted by institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, as well as many smaller collections. Visible storage has become an established concept as the struggle to make accessible collections in storage both physically and by digital means is universal.[1]

Background

While visible storage visitor sites are being developed in other countries, no such combined visitor/research/training/storage facility yet exists in this country or, as far as can be seen, in Europe. A related example is the new Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS) in Antwerp, Belgium, which describes itself as follows: “The MAS is more than a museum. It is a new city centre; a new meeting place where there is always something to see and do.” It combines five major collections and runs a major educational programme on its collections and the contemporary arts. The MAS opened in May 2011 and is the largest museum in Antwerp, attracting 599,265 visitors in 2014. However, it does not have a research and training aspect (see Case Study 2 below).

Economic value of museums and collections

Museums and collections are valued for their role in attracting tourists but are also important for creating a sense of place in a town or region and a sense of pride and wellbeing. Places with a strong sense of place find it easier to attract new businesses to start-up or relocate there according to IDA research. With its emphasis on citizen participation and engagement, cultural heritage has the potential to make a strong contribution to “smart cities”, an idea the EU is keen to develop; we need to foster the cultural heritage laboratory concept rather than the theme park.

What is a “smart city”?

A smart city (or smarter city) uses digital technologies to enhance performance and wellbeing, to reduce costs and resource consumption, and to engage more effectively and actively with its citizens. A smart city should be able to respond faster to city and global challenges than one with a simple “transactional” relationship with its citizens. Interest in smart cities is motivated by major challenges, including climate change, economic restructuring, the move to online retail and entertainment, ageing populations, and pressures on public finances. The European Union (EU) has devoted constant efforts to devising a strategy for achieving “smart” urban growth for its metropolitan city-regions. Arup estimates that the global market for smart urban services will be $400 billion per annum by 2020.

Other European countries and the USA have been much quicker to recognise the importance of cultural heritage for innovation and have invested substantially in digitisation schemes for objects, documents, and books. For example, the Dutch spend €5 million annually simply to store the digital version of their national library, while we spent €5.9 million for our entire National Library operations in 2013. Other countries, such as France, invest heavily in their regional and local museums and art institutions. For example, in France, a new branch of the Louvre has been opened recently (2012) in Lens, a post industrial town in the North East at a cost of €150 million.

In some cases, private companies are leading the way. Recognising the added value of their cultural heritage they are investing significantly in its care and conservation. Perhaps most visible to the public is the use of the Guinness archives that pop up in their advertising campaigns and are central to the Guinness brand, providing the rich content that is recognised across the globe. Guinness currently employs four archivists in Dublin to care for its collection.

Kilkenny’s creative economy

Heritage contributes to the long term sustainability of historic towns through its direct and indirect economic potential. The deserved recognition given to Cartoon Saloon’s Oscar-nominated films The Secret of Kells (2009) and Song of the Sea (2014) show the technical and creative competence now available in Kilkenny. Behind these skills is the rich folklore and heritage that inspired its founders, Tomm Moore and Paul Young, to retell the stories they loved in a contemporary format. Without knowledge of, or access to this heritage resource, we lose a source of inspiration and a link with place that is hard to measure. Other technology and gaming companies, also based in Ireland, would benefit from greater access to our valuable cultural heritage ensuring that Ireland’s creative reputation abroad is not just maintained but developed while shifting our work force from assembly line workers to creative developers.

The value of using culture and heritage assets as a catalyst for creativity has been recognised at European level through the Communication on Cultural Heritage “Towards an integrated approach to cultural heritage for Europe”.[2]

Collections in Kilkenny

Kilkenny’s collections include (but are not confined to):

• The Tony O’Malley Collection (a promised gift to the Butler Gallery for a wing dedicated to O’Malley in its future new home at Evan’s Home off John’s Street)
• The potential for a Kilkenny Design Workshops (KDW) collection
• Kilkenny Archaeological Society’s collection, which has a wealth of material that cannot be seen and should be available for public viewing
• St Mary’s collections of unique carved stone tombs and Kilkenny City Corporation regalia
• Digital heritage collections – the storage, and long term preservation of the digitised version of these collections, as well as local oral history and heritage collections, and the digital collections of regional and local museums

Third level courses in digital preservation and object conservation

Kilkenny Treasury will be the hub and provide the content material for third level and CPD courses on digital preservation and object conservation. These courses are not provided elsewhere in Ireland and could potentially attract students and researchers, and investors, from all over the world.

The courses could link with existing building conservation courses in Waterford IT, as well as conservation expertise and facilities in Trinity College, Dublin; the Digital Repository of Ireland;[3] and other third level institutions. Although there are conservation facilities at the National Gallery, the National Museum, the National Library, the National Archives, the Chester Beatty Library and Trinity College, Dublin, these deal with their collections only. The Heritage Council works closely with these conservation facilities in Ireland. The conservation courses could also support the work carried out in museums across the country which participate in the Museum Standards of Ireland Programme, which is co-ordinated by the Heritage Council.

Links to universities abroad can also be explored, especially through the Bishop Berkeley connection, to Berkeley, California, and Brown University, Rhode Island, USA.

The object collections in Kilkenny Treasury will benefit from much needed conservation care and on-going work from students supervised by expert staff.

Benefits

1. Third level education and research

There is a real opportunity for an academic centre of excellence to focus on research and development, both scientific and artistic, for both object-based and digital collections. Kilkenny is primed for this type of development because of its history, such as the Kilkenny Design Workshops, and its infrastructural support.

A high calibre educational facility also draws academic tourism, which in turn services the hospitality industry. Several third level institutions have departments, library collections, and research projects which would make them potential partners in this area. These include Trinity College, Dublin, and NUI Maynooth.

1. Cultural tourism

The collections on display and events ongoing in Kilkenny Treasury and around the city in Rothe House, St Mary’s, the Butler Gallery, and the National Craft Gallery will attract international and Irish tourism. According to Fáilte Ireland, cultural tourism is one of the main attractors for overseas visitors. In 2013, 3,723,000 overseas visitors engaged in cultural/historical visits on their trip to Ireland.[4]

1. SME and jobs stimulus

By bringing technology, design and industry together, Kilkenny Treasury will promote entrepreneurial culture within Kilkenny’s creative and innovative industries.[5] It will enhance the city on a complex level and cultivate a knowledge-based economy, as well as creating skilled jobs.

The use of digital technology allows us to re-visit, re-image and rediscover our heritage. Online access allows many more people the opportunity to engage with these collections, whether for learning, developing new businesses, or enjoyment. It also allows people from very different disciplines to collaborate, creating something that is fresh and new. This is the kind of creative work we see in animation, gaming and advertising – between architects and graphic designers, archaeologists and gamers and archivists.

Those who are part of the new and valuable creative industries draw on the imagination of previous generations bringing a fresh approach and new business opportunities to places and objects we know well of old.

1. Enhancing Kilkenny’s identity

Kilkenny Treasury will enhance Kilkenny’s identity and sense of place. Museums and collections play important role in creating a sense of place in a town or region, a sense of pride and wellbeing. As IDA research has shown, places with a strong sense of pride and place find it easier to attract start-up or relocating businesses.

1. Shared services and efficiencies

Kilkenny Treasury provides a highly efficient networked approach to managing the cultural assets of the area, and allows these assets to be cared for to the highest standards. Skills and staff could be shared between the venues Rothe House, St Mary’s, Butler Gallery and National Craft Gallery. This would create a high-skilled team in curation, conservation, education and research, benefiting the city and county.

Risks

While there are risks associated with the proposal, there are greater risks for the city and county should it not be considered. These include the loss of valuable collections to other parts of the country or abroad, as well as the risk of becoming a second string region in Ireland.

1. Kilkenny Design Workshop collections

The Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCoI) has been working on the establishment of a permanent national collection of KDW objects. However, it cannot further the work on this initiative as there is no suitable exhibition or storage space available. As a result, KDW objects cannot be collected by DCCoI. Individuals have made contact to donate KDW objects, but until a secure storage and permanent exhibition space is granted these donations cannot be accepted. As a result many of the objects from KDW are being passed on to those who may not be aware of their historical and design value so there are dangers that the opportunity to develop this important collection is being diminished as time passes.

1. Tony O’Malley collection

Without proper storage facility, the Butler Gallery may not be in a position to provide a home for the internationally important Tony O’Malley collection, which is a major bequest made to the Butler Gallery by Tony’s wife Jane O’Malley. The Butler Gallery has exciting plans with Kilkenny County Council to develop a new venue in Evans Home as part of the Medieval Mile project. This significant collection presents an extraordinary opportunity to highlight the work of Tony O’Malley, a former Freeman of the City, and is intrinsic to audience development both nationally and internationally in this new development. However, even if this development is completed, the new space will not contain adequate storage space to adequately care for this collection, in which case the O’Malley family may choose to give the collection to another institution outside Kilkenny, which would be a huge loss to the county as a whole and to visitors both nationally and internationally.

1. Rothe House & Kilkenny Archaeological Society

Kilkenny was home to the first archaeological/historical society in the country, established in 1849. For various reasons in the early 20th century the society and its collection moved to Dublin, forming the Royal Society of Antiquaries and the original collections of the National Museum of Ireland respectively. Due to limited resources and space, the collections are currently under threat and may be dispersed yet again to other institutions around the country.

1. Second string

Kilkenny runs the risk of becoming a second string region in Ireland by losing out on the potential that the creative industries bring to a town and region. Many areas in Ireland, such as Galway, Sligo, and Waterford, are competing on this level. Kilkenny is fortunate in its geographic location, the potential for redeveloping a large section of the city centre, and in its collections. We should make the most of this opportunity.

Investment

Investment from various partners will be needed to establish this facility, including national bodies, the local authority, and the local players. Corporate sponsorship for a world class research, educational, and cultural centre is also a viable possibility. Multi-purpose cultural/educational/digital media facilities such as Kilkenny Treasury have attracted sponsorship elsewhere. International examples include the MIT Media Lab, which has over 80 corporate sponsors:

http://www.media.mit.edu/sponsorship

On a national level, UCC’s programme, IGNITE, has several sponsors including the Bank of Ireland:

Revenue generation

There are several potential revenue streams which could support day-to day running costs. These include fees for provision of services, such as object conservation and digital preservation. Revenue may also be raised through fees for courses.

Further work is needed to examine the start up and running costs of Kilkenny Treasury, as well as the facility’s potential to generate revenue.

Case Study 1: Luce Center for American Art, 5th Floor, Brooklyn Museum, New York

The final phase in the creation of the Luce Center for American Art concluded with the opening of the 5,000 square-foot Visible Storage ▪ Study Center. The dense display of objects in the Visible Storage ▪ Study Center offers an inside look at how museums work, and provides a glimpse of the breadth and scope of the collections. Although the building is large, only a small fraction of the permanent collections can be displayed in its limited exhibition gallery space. Whereas only about 350 works are on view in the adjacent American Identities exhibition, the visible storage facility gives open access to some 2,000 of the objects held in storage. These are available for viewing and research by students, scholars, and the general public.

The Visible Storage ▪ Study Center is a working facility, just as the other storerooms in the building that are not open to the public. As in the closed storerooms, the works held in visible storage are available for study, and maintained under proper conditions of temperature, humidity, and light levels.
Although this is an operating storage facility rather than a conventional exhibition gallery, it has been designed to welcome and orientate the visitor. Selected “focus objects” are displayed on coloured shelves, with texts offering additional information in booklets hanging from the cases. There is also a searchable database available in the centre and online, with detailed information about the objects. See http://americanart.si.edu/luce.