The UCM bid was rated “outstanding” on all five major criteria.
UCM is one of 16 Major partner museums nationwide which will together receive £20 million a year in funding.
This is to support UCM’s mission to become a world-class centre of excellence for museum research, outreach, and learning for all ages.
The UCM bid focused on unlocking the university’s world-class collections, and the research activities which underpin them, to a larger and more diverse audience. While strong emphasis was placed on the university museums working with each other, the bid also recognised that these partnerships are themselves strengthened by the different identities and remits of each of the eight museums, and are further enhanced by working more widely with museums and cultural communities across Cambridgeshire and beyond.
Since 2003, The Fitzwilliam Museum has been the Cambridgeshire lead for the East of England’s Renaissance in the Regions programme, funded by the former Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) to strengthen and build capacity in regional museums. In October 2011, Arts Council England assumed responsibility for the Renaissance programme as part of their new remit.
The UCM is comprised of The Fitzwilliam Museum, Kettle’s Yard, The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, The University Museum of Zoology, The Whipple Museum of the History of Science, The Polar Museum/ Scott Polar Research Institute and The Museum of Classical Archaeology.
The Fitzwilliam Museum, the largest of the eight museums in the UCM, led the bid. Dr Timothy Potts, Director of The Fitzwilliam, said: “We are greatly encouraged and extremely grateful that Arts Council England has fully supported us in our ambitions. Between all eight museums, we offer access to a wide range of collections representing the arts and humanities, through the social sciences, to the physical and life sciences. All eight museums remain free of charge to visitors of all backgrounds, as well as providing a critical resource for research and teaching. We look forward to working closely with the Arts Council in realising the exciting potential of the UCM partnership – one that will benefit everyone, especially the public.”
Andrew Nairne, Director of Kettle’s Yard added: “Kettle’s Yard is delighted by this news. We look forward to working with the other university museums to develop pioneering arts and cultural programmes that excite and engage new audiences.”
Helen Lax, Regional Director, East, Arts Council England, said, “We are delighted that this exceptional group of museums have come together to develop an integrated cultural offer across their excellent collections, research and scholarship. University of Cambridge Museums made an outstanding proposal, demonstrating aspirations to continue to expand their reach by engaging with wider and more diverse audiences, and through broadening their activity. This highly significant museum grouping boasts a wealth of expertise, and has established a reputation as an international leader. We are sure that it will play a key role as one of our Major partner museums.”
In the Autumn, The Fitzwilliam opened Vermeer’s Women: Secrets & Silence to universal critical and popular acclaim and wide international news coverage. The exhibition broke all previous attendance records with over 150,000 visitors by its close on 16 January. Kettle’s Yard also mounted a very successful exhibition of works by Bridget Riley, and only last week the Polar Museum celebrated the 100th anniversary of Captain Scott’s party reaching the South Pole.
Arts Council England will be supporting this level of ambitious growth for all of UCM’s museums, by enhancing opportunities for more closely co-ordinated initiatives in collections care, outreach to new audiences, education, marketing and digital innovation. UCM is committed to fulfilling all five of the Art Council England’s main objectives. These include world-class excellence and leadership in all aspects of museum work; greater cultural diversity of audiences and numbers of people inspired by the museums’ collections and research (either through actual visits or the wider media, such as digital access); greater environmental sustainability and entrepreneurial innovation; and more opportunities for children and young adults to get involved.
Dr. Kate Pretty, Chair of the Joint Museums Committee which oversaw development of the bid, said: “Cambridge is fully committed to its museums, and their collections which constitute a great national treasure. We are very pleased that this partnership with Arts Council England will enable the museums to work together even more closely, making further links between the University and its partners in the Eastern Region.”
Image: In the Whipple Museum of the History of Science during Twilight At The Museums Credit: Sir Cam
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge