BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY INTERPRETATION CONSULTANT TENDER FOR THE MUSEUM FOR BIRMINGHAM PROJECT

Transcription

1 BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY INTERPRETATION CONSULTANT TENDER FOR THE MUSEUM FOR BIRMINGHAM PROJECT 03/02/2017 1

2 Contents 1. Introduction Project Details Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery The collection Audience development Project objectives and outcomes Interpretation Interpretation aims Interpretive framework Storylines Project Management Scope of services Key Project Dates (Tentative) Responses... 9 INVITATION TO QUOTE 03/02/2017 2

3 Freelance fixed-term contract: April 2017 to March Guide price: 30,000 including travel and subsistence 1. Introduction Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG) is undertaking a major programme of works to the Grade 2* Listed Buildings that are co-occupied with Birmingham City Council (BCC). The main BMAG objectives for the project are- a) redevelop the building in partnership with Birmingham City Council (BCC) in a way that reflects its historic significance while ensuring its long-term future as a museum and art gallery of international stature b) improve standards of collections care, documentation and research, maintaining a balance between public accessibility now and long-term stewardship for future generations c) create new displays that engage bigger and more diverse audiences with the collection d) embed the Museum & Art Gallery in the cultural life of the city and region e) contribute to BMT s financial and environmental sustainability f) create opportunities for learning, skills development, work experience, apprenticeships and employment 1 Subject to funding 03/02/2017 3

4 2. Project Details 2.1 Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery BMAG is the most visited civic museum in England. With visitor numbers of over 900,000 a year, it is the 69th most visited art museum in the world, more than the Ashmolean or the Guggenheim New York. Birmingham Museums Trust has the largest schools education programme of any cultural organisation in Birmingham and engages one of the most diverse audiences. City REDI (City Region Economic and Development Institute) have assessed BMAG s current economic impact at 32.2m pa through tourist visits, goods and services, employment and volunteering/skills development. BMAG was built in two stages. The spectacular wrought-iron mezzanine galleries in the Council House were built with donations from wealthy manufacturers including the Tangye brothers, who wanted a gallery to `improve the quality of the city s manufactures by placing before its artizans (sic) the finest in art and design. The fine top-lit galleries in the Council House Extension were built between with a substantial 1905 bequest from the newspaper proprietor and collector, John Feeney. The Feeney family continues actively to promote and protect the legacy of their ancestor. The Museum & Art Gallery is comparable in size and architectural quality to other major civic museums in Britain, Europe and North America. Both parts of the Council House Complex are Grade 2* Listed. It is an accredited museum under the national scheme administered in England by Arts Council England (ACE). 2.2 The collection Birmingham s museum collection is one of the city s greatest cultural assets, with an international reputation. Collected over a century and a half, it is one of the great regional collections of the United Kingdom, reflecting Birmingham s status as the Second City of the British Empire. Alongside Glasgow and Liverpool, it is one of the three great regional collections of the UK. Few regional or national collections in the world can rival it. It consists of 800,000 objects covering the disciplines of art, human history, natural science, and industry and technology. Key strengths of the collection include: The finest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world Birmingham manufacturing & industrial collections 19C British Arts and Crafts 18-20C Birmingham-made coins and tokens, particularly those linked to the Soho Mint The Staffordshire Hoard, largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered Ancient Near Eastern archaeology, among the top five UK collections Gemstone collection, finest in UK outside the Natural History Museum London 03/02/2017 4

5 Ancient Americas collection of international significance, especially Peruvian pottery and textiles 2.3 Audience development Birmingham s population is one of the largest, youngest and most diverse in Europe, with over 400,000 children and young people and over 450,000 residents from BAME backgrounds. Visitors to the Museum and Art Gallery however do not reflect the diversity of Birmingham. 31% visit in family groups, and 18% are from BAME backgrounds. Only 24% of BM&AG s visitors are from lower income backgrounds, compared with 53% of the city s population. Our ambition is to take one of the world s great historic, encyclopaedic collections and unlock its potential to inspire and engage these communities, most of whom are not regular museum visitors. We will use objects to tell stories about how people respond to the world and to each other historically, socially and creatively. We will develop the displays through a process of community engagement, acknowledging that there is as much knowledge and expertise outside the museum as inside it. We plan to take the opportunity to create completely new displays that will attract new and bigger audiences and showcase the collection. The Museum of Birmingham will be the first museum in the world to reinvent a major traditional collection as the common, shared heritage of a young, multicultural city. The Museum will explore the city s artistic, scientific, and industrial heritage using objects, social oral histories, images and aspects of intangible cultural heritage that tell stories sometimes painful and controversial stories - about why and how people came to Birmingham, and their experiences of growing up, living and working in the city. The people of Birmingham will take ownership of their collections and their Museum. 2.4 Project objectives and outcomes The project will reinvigorate an architecturally distinguished building that is one of the few remaining parts of the historic cityscape, and an important monument to the high-water mark of Birmingham s municipal pride. The redevelopment of Paradise Forum will make it more visible than it has been for some 50 years. The Bridge and Edmund Street are the focal point of the view through the new development, and the public realm here will mark the end of a cultural route leading from Symphony Hall past the Rep and the Library of Birmingham to a re-imagined Museum & Art Gallery. This project will address the following issues: Disabled access into the building and to all public spaces internally. Staff disabled access. New visitor facilities including a prayer room, toilets, public realm and meeting rooms. 03/02/2017 5

6 New commercial spaces- retail, catering, venue hire. Goods access and object movement within the building. Expanded learning facilities. New and rationalised gallery spaces addressing orientation issues, especially in the mezzanine galleries, and ICT Increase sustainability e.g. through the use of renewable energy, better controls and improved security systems. Expand Galleries in to some existing office areas. 3. Interpretation 3.1. Interpretation aims To create a visitor experience that is engaging, inspiring and enjoyable for the target audiences To highlight the outstanding quality and breadth of the collection To support BMT s strategy to grow and diversify audiences To tell new stories about the collection that are relevant and of interest to Birmingham s young and diverse population To actively involve audiences and communities in shaping the interpretation through a range of methods including consultation, coproduction and community-led activity To improve accessibility of the collection and support visitors to learn about the collection in a variety of ways To create multi-disciplinary displays that juxtapose and present objects in thought-provoking and meaningful ways To embed digital interpretation, integrating the online and exhibition experience 3.2. Interpretive framework In order to provide a framework for interpretation and orientation we have identified a structure of zones, themes and stories. Zone - A zone is an area of the museum consisting of one or (usually) more galleries. Each zone will contain a number of related themes. Zones are signposted by an anchor object. Large, impressive, distinctive, aesthetically pleasing or intellectually intriguing. Visible from a distance and immediately recognisable. Iconic. Tells a good story. Eg Warwick Vase, Lucifer, prototype car. Theme / gallery - A theme corresponds to a discrete area or gallery. Each theme/gallery contains a number of story displays consisting of one or more cases. Displays will be multidisciplinary and based on narrative. The interpretive framework should respect the historical and cultural context in which objects were produced and used. Galleries and themes are signposted by a gateway object. Explains the theme of the gallery. If you don t look at anything else you ll still get the gallery. 03/02/2017 6

7 Story display - A story display has a narrative thread. It may answer a question, or tell a history, or explain a process. It respects the context in which objects were made and used. Stories/cases have a key object. Attract attention hook for story Storylines We have identified around 20 themes of around 100 stories that will enable us to make connections between collection areas (see Appendix A). The current displays include 5,000 collection items, around 1% of the collection. We seek to increase this number. 4. Project Management The project is currently being led by the Director and the Director of Engagement, supported by a Project Officer. 5. Scope of services The Interpretation Consultant is required to develop an Interpretation Plan, and outline Audience Development/Activity Plan and Audience Research Report. The Interpretation Plan is the main part of the brief for the Exhibition Designer(s). These 3 plans will be included as supporting documents in a Stage 1 application to HLF. Subject to funding, the plans will be developed in more detail during the next, HLF Development Stage of the project. Key tasks: Review existing research and planning documents including: audience and community research, audience development plan, BMT strategic plan, collection survey of significance (work in progress), interpretation guidelines, storyline list and completed storyline templates. Work with curators and engagement staff to develop individual story displays as far as possible within existing resources Work with the engagement team to consult and engage target audiences and communities with the storyline proposals to inform how the stories develop Produce an Interpretation Plan for inclusion in the HLF application to include: o Interpretation hierarchy that lists the storylines under themes/galleries and zones (reviewing and where necessary redeveloping the current list) o Indicative floor plan locations for each gallery and zone o A map of the target audiences for each gallery and storyline, ensuring that the overall plan meets the project s audience development objectives and the interests of audiences and communities o Learning and social outcomes for each target audience 03/02/2017 7

8 o Identification of anchor and gateway objects for each zone and theme o Three worked up story displays for three galleries o Completed Display and Interpretation Guidelines (building on the existing document) to include display standards and description of interpretation strategies to be deployed in the development stage, including digital. Produce an outline costed Audience Development/Activity Plan including audience development objectives, list of engagement and learning activities for each target audience, learning and social outcomes, quantifiable targets, resources and costs. The scope of the Activity Plan includes: learning programmes for all target audiences; volunteering; community consultation and co-production activities; outreach; online digital engagement; traineeships and apprenticeships and CPD opportunities such as those for teachers. Produce an Audience Research Report that summarises research done to date and the research undertaken on the storylines. The Interpretation Consultant will be required to work closely with the internal project team, external community and academic partners, and will be the lead point of contact with the Exhibition Designer. All documents produced will be the intellectual property of Birmingham Museums Trust. 6. Key Project Dates (Tentative) KEY DATES (Tentative) DATE July 2017 October 2017 April 2018 April _October 2018 ACTIVITY Draft Proposals for HLF Bid to Board. HLF Stage 1 submission including Plans and information from RIBA stages 0, 1 & 2 HLF Stage 1 decision Commencement of Stage 2 application process (if stage 1 is successful) BCC Cabinet approval to proceed to Stage 2 October 2018 April 2019 April 2019 September 2019 September 2019 December 2019 September September 2022 September 2022 HLF Stage 2 submission with plans to RIBA stage 3 HLF Stage 2 decision Technical design Tendering (assumes traditional single stage tender) BMAG main contract works and fit out BMAG redevelopment Complete Museum for Birmingham launched to the public 03/02/2017 8

9 7. Responses 7.1. Appointment Dates / Milestones. Queries to be raised by 12 noon 1 st March 2017 Tenders returned 12 noon 8 th March 2017 Tender interviews 17 th March 2017 Appointment/contract in place April 2017 Commence Services - April 2017 The above dates are forecast dates and could be subject to change Submissions will be assessed on the following basis: Cost/day resource (30%), relevant experience (50%), qualified references (20%). 7.3 Application process Applicants are invited to provide a written response to demonstrate how they would approach this project, with the number of days required and the total fixed fee including all associated costs. The information should be returned with a CV highlighting relevant experience and a minimum of 2 appropriate referees to: John Cooke Senior Project Officer, Birmingham Museums Trust m: e: john.cooke@birminghammuseums.org.uk ` The closing date for applications is -12 noon 8 th March /02/2017 9

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