Agenda item

This report updates members on the current progress of the York Museums and Gallery Trust (YMT) towards meeting the targets agreed in the Partnership Delivery Plan running until 31 March 2013. 

Members considered a report which updated them on the current progress of the York Museums Trust (YMT) towards meeting the targets agreed in the partnership delivery plan running until 31 March 2013.

The report set out the ways in which YMT had addressed the key issues (stabilising visitor figures, delivering new income streams, creating new exhibitions and interpretative services, creating an education strategy, increasing use and involvement by residents, achieving high visitor satisfaction and cataloguing the collection) between October 2012 and April 2013 and gave an outline of what would be developed moving forward.

The Chief Executive of the YMT was in attendance at the meeting in order to present the report and answer any questions from Members. She drew Members attention to the following issues:

·         The biggest current project was the York Art Gallery Development Project – all collections and fitments had been removed from the building and building was now being checked for asbestos and potential structural issues before main building contract began in October. The glass ceiling had been cleared in the central part so the original space was now viewable.

·         The Art Gallery was reopened to the public for one last time on Saturday 2 February for the display of the York Bayers Tapestry and a small exhibition of contemporary quilts. Amongst other activities available on the day, visitors were encouraged to draw on the walls of the downstairs galleries. 3600 visitors attended the event.

·         While the gallery is closed, some of the paintings have been sent on tour – in May the exhibition of some of the most famous paintings, Masterstrokes opened at The Collection in Lincoln. It was considered beneficial to keep the collections in the public eye and to be able to see how other museums exhibit them.

·         Work continued on the other major development at York Castle Museum. New exhibition spaces were being created – the first exhibition to be held in these new spaces was on World War 1 – this was Heritage Lottery Funded (HLF) and the final submission for round two funding had been sent to HLF of which the outcome would be know by the end of June 2013.

·         During closure of the Art Gallery, York St Mary’s had become an art gallery, concentrating on contemporary work.

Members were invited to visit the Art Gallery to see the space before building work commenced and it was suggested that this visit take place within the next 2-3 weeks. ¹

With regard to visits from schools, Members asked how many schools had visited the Castle Museum and Yorkshire Museum.² YMT representatives agreed to provide that information to Members. Members suggested that by offering a taster session at a school, it may encourage the school to organise a visit to one of the museums.

Members discussed the space behind the Art Gallery. They were advised that in order to populate Exhibition Square as a civilised place, the intention was to have a cafe at the front of the Art Gallery, although seasonal catering could be possible at the back too. The Head of Culture, Tourism and City Centre  stated that it was hoped that an artist’s garden/sculpture garden behind the gallery could be created which would relate specifically to the Art Gallery, and that they had talked to the Henry Moore Museum and York Sculpture Park about options for this area.

RESOLVED:             That the update on the performance of the York Museum’s Trust be noted.

REASON:                  To fulfil the Council’s role under the partnership delivery plan.