Tourist bus set to hit the road thanks to development fund
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The Grampian Transport Museum at Alford has been announced as one of nine projects to be awarded funding from Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS), the national development body for Scotland’s museums.
Funding will see the Grampian Transport Museum receive £10,000 to support the restoration of a rare 1960 Bristol double deck bus.
The ride on the Bristol is to be the main attraction in a co-operation organised by Grampian Transport Museum with the National Trust for Scotland at Craigievar Castle to attract cruise ship passengers from the new port facilities at Aberdeen from Spring 2020.
Across Scotland as a whole, this funding will support projects as they look to the future through ambitious redevelopment, international partnership projects, and the preservation of important collections for the next generation.
The nine projects range from celebrating local family history through the refurbishment of a resource centre in Nairn Museum, to creating meaningful international relationships through connecting David Livingstone Birthplace with organisations in Malawi, Botswana and Zambia.
Future innovation will be at the forefront of a new interactive and immersive gallery space exploring robotics in surgery at Surgeons’ Hall Museum in Edinburgh.
The range of the funded projects highlights the diversity of objects and stories in the care of Scotland’s museums and galleries.
CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland Lucy Casot said: “We are delighted to support museums and galleries in Scotland to continue their ambitious approach to making the fascinating collections in their care accessible to everyone.
"The nine funded projects are looking to the future to create museums that are relevant and responsive to their communities and visitors.
"Many of the museums are using the grant to strengthen their position in these changing times through developing their financial sustainability, increasing use of digital technology in exhibitions, and creating peer to peer learning opportunities.”
The other projects are -
Edinburgh - Surgeons' Hall Museum, The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Surgeons’ Hall Museum will receive £60k of funding to support the development of a ‘Body Voyager’ gallery space exploring the topic of robotics in surgery.
This new space will be an immersive, interactive experience that will engage visitors in debate through innovative digital interpretation.
Perth and Kinross - Culture Perth and Kinross receives £59k to conserve more than 450 objects from the region’s Nationally Significant Collections of unique archaeological, social history and world cultures material.
These items tell the story of Perthshire and its people at home and abroad, from earliest times to the present day.
The objects will be conserved before many of them go on display in the new permanent galleries at City Hall Museum.
Dundee - Dundee Transport Museum receive over £37,600 to support their goal for long-term financial sustainability.
The funding will be used by the museum to create a 24-month Museum Development Officer post, who will work to establish the foundations for the museum’s financial future.
Fife - The University of St Andrews receive £56k of funding to develop the understanding and management of the collections in their care which include hazardous substances.
This project will widen the accessibility of the hazardous items in the University collection.
Highlands - The Highland Museum of Childhood receive £14,650 to support phase one of their redevelopment project.
The funding will reinvigorate the museum retail and reception space through refurbishment of the space and new shop stock.
The display area will undergo development with a refresh of the museum interpretation panels and labels.
During this initial stage the museum will invite the community to take part in their plans for development.
Highlands - Nairn Museum receive funding for a new Family History Centre to extend and greatly improve access and facilities for local historians, family history researchers, professional genealogists, visiting academics, and amateur sleuths in Nairn and the surrounding areas.
The museum will increase the accessibility of their popular resource through relocation of the centre, improved visitor facilities, and new IT equipment.
National - Scottish Contemporary Art Network (SCAN) receive £14k of funding towards an exciting programme of activity for Curatorial Leadership in Collections (CLiC), a network of curators from 10 contemporary art collections in museums and galleries around Scotland.
With match-funding from Art Fund and Creative Scotland, CLiC’s new Connect and Activate Programme for 2020/21 has a particular focus on exploring how contemporary artists can work with collections to develop fresh perspectives and nurture diverse audiences.
Lanarkshire - The David Livingstone Birthplace received £39k for a project which will develop working partnerships and networks between museums and organisations that hold collections relating to Livingstone in the African countries he explored.
