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The Beach
Why is this case study relevant?
This project worked in partnership with the Inverness Business Improvement District to encourage people to spend time in the city centre. It is an example of working with new partners. It is an example of Culture and Business working together on common goals.
It was also an excellent opportunity to highlight Inverness Museum and Art Gallery’s (IMAG) collections and develop relationships with other arts and natural history based groups.
Last but not least it was a wonderful, engaging, and fun way to inspire the public about their local archaeology and natural history.
What happened?
The Beach was built in Falcon Square in the centre of Inverness, the base was lined with paintable materials. We worked with a number of groups including the Highland Council Countryside Rangers and the Highland Print Studio.
Each weekend while the beach was in place an activity would occur.
On the first weekend IMAG worked with artist Lizzie Mcdougall to encourage people to paint images onto canvas and then glue them onto the base of the beach. This would eventually be covered in sand and over the next few weeks people would be encouraged to dig up the treasures of Inverness. Lizzie had already painted images from the museum on the base so people would also encounter iconic objects from the museum.
This proved to be a success and a wide range of people (young people, older people and families participated)
Some other activities included:
• Activities associated with the wild life of the Moray Firth lead by the Highland Council Countryside Rangers and helped by the Assistant Curator (Learning and Access) from the museum and objects from the museum’s natural history collection.
• A print making workshop with natural materials led by the Highland Print Studio
• A day of Archaeology at the beach led by local archaeologist Cait McCullough and assisted by the Assistant Curator (Learning and Access) from IMAG and included handling objects from the museums Archaeology collection. In this workshop participants were encouraged to dig up the treasures and learned about local archaeology.
Some Participants spent the entire day at the beach or returned several times.
What was learned?
IMAG learned a lot from this project about working with partners, particularly the city centre authorities. The project was very successful, and would have led to others, had the lead-Curator not left the employment of the museum at this point.
What is the wider relevance?
Other museums can learn from this project the potential benefit of raising the museum’s profile by creating a second presence in another part of the city centre. This project also helped to demonstrate through a very high profile activity, how the the museum is active in the community.
What type of evaluation was done?
Feedback from people who attended the Beach event, said that:
• This was fun
• I didn’t know where the museum was
• Great day out
For Further Information
For further information about the project, please contact Catharine Niven, Senior Curator, Inverness Art Gallery and Museum catharine.niven@highland.gov.uk. For further information about Inverness Art Gallery and Museum, please see their website www.inverness.highland.museum
Associated Images
Categories
Learning
Access
Marketing
Project Start
1st Jul 2008
Project End
1st Aug 2008
Published
22nd Dec 2010
Who Led?
Inverness Museum and Art Gallery
Who else took part?
City Centre Partnership Inverness was the main project partner with Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. Other organisations involved include: Highland Council Countryside Rangers, Highland Print Studio, Cait McCullough (archaeologist), Lizzie Mcdougall (artist and storyteller), young people and families across Inverness.
Who Paid?
In kind: IMAG and Highland Council Countryside Rangers; Inverness City Centre Management