MGS announce latest cash awards

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Museums Galleries Scotland have announced details of their annual main grant awards. 12 museums and galleries across Scotland will benefit from a share of the funds amounting to almost £250,000.

The funds will allow the museums and galleries to improve the visitor experience for tourists and their local communities. Improvements include an innovative new ‘Museum of Mysteries’ touring museum facility from North Lanarkshire Council and a new interactive audio trail for the Tall Ship in Glasgow Harbour. Museums Galleries Scotland cash will help create 7 new or safe-keep existing museum jobs. The funds will also help create an international three-day conference to take place in Glasgow.

The Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine is the chief beneficiary, receiving almost £85,000. The cash will allow the Museum to develop their visitor experience through more sophisticated interactive exhibits. It also means they can implement important conservation work at the Denny Ship Model Experiment Tank in Dumbarton.

Chair of the Scottish Maritime Museum, Sam Galbraith, said:
“We are obviously delighted to receive this funding from Museums Galleries Scotland. Museums Galleries Scotland grants are an important additional source of funding that supports members. I am delighted that the work, by the staff of the Scottish Maritime Museum, in producing realistic and viable projects has been rewarded in this way. Grants from Museums Galleries Scotland allow us to implement our business plan and carry out improvements for the public benefit year on year.”

Joanne Orr, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland, said:
“Museums Galleries Scotland cash provides essential investment for the sector. This investment means that our members can complete projects that benefit the communities that they serve.”

“Museums Galleries Scotland grants allow our members to modernise displays and interpretations of their collections. This means our museums and galleries can meet and exceed visitor expectations and they can compete with other visitor attractions.”

Museums Galleries Scotland represent, through membership, over 350 museums and galleries across Scotland, which welcomes 25 million visitors and provides £800 million in value to the Scottish economy.

Museums Galleries Scotland grants are part of the funding package from the Scottish Government. Museums Galleries Scotland also manage funding for Recognised Collections of National Significance on behalf of the Scottish Government.

So far in 2010 Museums Galleries Scotland has awarded approximately £1,500,000 in cash to support the sector. The funding is awarded as Museums Galleries Scotland grants and funding to Recognised Collections.

ENDS

NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS
Museums and galleries across the country receiving Museums Galleries Scotland funding support. Listed in alphabetical order.

Almond Valley Heritage Trust (Livingston) – £17,750
To establish a website that will be the principle source of reference on the Scottish Shale Oil industry. Aimed to appeal to broad audience and offering family history research opportunities and place the museum at the heart of a community with an interest in the industry.

Auchindrain Trust – £16,000
Auchindrain is the only substantially unaltered survivor of the joint-tenancy townships that were the standard rural settlement type in the Highlands before agricultural improvement and the Clearances. The funding will contribute towards the cost of preparing a detailed plan encompassing the future management, maintenance, conservation and development of the site.

Clyde Maritime Trust – £9975
The Tall Ship in Glasgow Harbour can now introduce an interactive Audio Trail facility with their Museums Galleries Scotland award. Visitors will experience a tour of SV Glenlee at their own pace, with a full audio description of life on board a 19th century sailing vessel. The Audio Trail will come in both adult and child formats and in several languages.

Dalgarven Mill Trust (near Kilwinning, Aryshire) – £14,000
Dalgarven Mill Museum is near completion of the construction of a new building which will hold the presently widely distributed museum stores. The Museums Galleries Scotland award will help complete the final elements of the project allowing the building of storage facilities and work benches.

Dundee City Council – £3,405
This project provides an opportunity for a recently qualified conservator to put their learning into practice though applied conservation in one of Scotland’s leading local authority museum services. The intern will be benefit from guidance from a qualified and experienced conservator.

Glasgow City Council – £30,000
Museums Galleries Scotland is part funding an international three-day conference that will mark the Open Museum’s 20th anniversary. The action-research event aims to drive strategic development in Glasgow Museums and will look at how they deliver the city’s cultural and social objectives. It will facilitate creative, critical thinking with a group of interdisciplinary practitioners from Scottish and International museum, gallery, community and academic contexts. Through the conference the funding will help enable Glasgow Museums to become a centre of excellence for socially engaged practice.

North Lanarkshire Council – £15,235
Funding will go towards the Council’s ‘Museum of Mysteries’ project – an innovative, object focussed and exciting touring museum resource. Through a partnership with Cultural Co-ordinators and Dramaworks at the RSAMD the project will engage new audiences and develop a skilled workforce that will enhance current workshop delivery. Workshops will be designed in line with the new Curriculum for Excellence and provide opportunities for out of classroom learning and promoting partnerships with creative adults.

Scottish Maritime Museum Trust – £84,475
The museum will be able to undertake three projects with the Museums Galleries Scotland funding.
1. A new interactive trail of external exhibits that will link the Scottish Maritime Museum’s main building to the Quayside and the Museum Wharf where the listed Carola Steam Yacht – will be viewable through a period of the dry dock restoration.
2. A project to enhance the interactive exhibits and hands-on activities on offer at the museum will help ensure a fun experience for visitors.
3. The museum will also benefit from the recruitment of a Collections Assistant to work on the documentation, conservation and re-organisation of the archive collection at the Museum’s Denny Ship Model Experiment Tank in Dumbarton.

Scottish Mining Museum (Newtongrange) – £15,000
The marketing and events programme for the Scottish Mining Museum will receive a boost allowing the Museum to attract more visitors. The programme will be geared at reaching new local, regional and national audiences with a focus on attracting families looking for an educational but fun day out.

South Lanarkshire Council – £13,818
The funding will build skills amongst staff using the expertise of a staff member before retirement. Employees will gain valuable IT and object handling skills while ensuring the transfer of skills from experienced staff to new.

University of Aberdeen – £11,680
The funding will allow the University to build on the educational provision of their museums through the continuation of an Education and Access Officer post. Development of the museum services through partnership working with Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils has al. The funding from Museums Galleries Scotland will ensure that this work is further developed to help ensure a sustainable and successful service.

Find out more about grants offered by MGS Grants

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Published
21st May 2010

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