leeds museums and galleries

You’ll be surprised when you see what we’ve been up to

Highlights April 2012 – March 2013

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The new ACE funding has enabled us to deliver some projects which make a real difference to our user experiences. Already we have refurbished the sculpture galleries in Leeds Art Gallery which has transformed how visitors experience our sculpture collections; we have restored the Drawing Room and reinstated the servants quarters rooms at Lotherton Hall, which have given a whole new dimension to a visit to the house; and we have refurbished both the Kirkstall Abbey and Abbey House shops and filled them will products inspired by the collections.

A review of 2012 cannot pass without mention of the Olympics. Our Stories of the World exhibition Treasured! was curated, designed and delivered by our team of young people known as the Preservative Party which has been one of our most successful temporary exhibitions at the City Museum; we were part of the Leeds Canvas project for Artists Take the Lead and we used the whole episode as an opportunity for

contemporary collecting from visiting teams, Olympic volunteers and torch bearers.

We could have done none of this without the support and

engagement of our partners and stakeholders across the city, the region as well as nationally and internationally. We cherish these relationships and recognise that through them we are a stronger and more successful service.

Lastly, we want to thank all our staff, volunteers and partners in helping us to deliver one of the premier museum services in the UK and we look forward to another

successful year ahead.

HELLO!PLEasEd tO MEEt yOuThis last year has seen our service shift up a gear with the impact of our new status as an Arts Council England Major Partner Museum.

…we have welcomed in excess of 1 million visitors to our sites for the fourth year running, over 38,000 school children and over 1.1 million visitors to our websites…

In terms of our users, we have welcomed in excess of 1 million visitors to our sites for the third year running, over 38,000 school children and over 1.1 million visitors to our websites, putting us up there with some of the elite museums of the world.

Like most years it is hard to pick out the highlights amongst the incredible amount of activity that goes on across our sites.

as one of only sixteen museums services to have been awarded Major

Partner Museum status by Arts Council England, we have the opportunity to deliver our ambitions to be more outward facing, more inclusive and more enterprising, whilst at the same time caring for and using our collections for the benefit of everyone we come into contact with.

Camilla Nichol Head of Collections

3www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries

A lively, interactive museum which was short-listed for the Guardian ‘Kids in Museums Family Friendly Award’ in 2011. Wander the beautifully created authentic Victorian streets for a glimpse of life in 19th century Leeds. www.leeds.gov.uk/abbeyhouse

Once the world’s largest woollen mill, Leeds Industrial Museum presents a fascinating insight into the city’s industrial heritage. Witness the 1920s cinema, steam engines and the spinning mule. www.leeds.gov.uk/armleymills

One of the best preserved Cistercian monasteries in the country. Feel a true sense of the past as you stroll through its tranquil grounds, surrounded by stunning parkland on the banks of the River Aire. Find out more about this famous Leeds landmark in the Visitor Centre at the abbey. www.leeds.gov.uk/kirkstallabbey

Home to one of the best collections of British art outside London. It showcases a wealth of art by well-known artists and presents a dynamic temporary exhibitions programme. www.leeds.gov.uk/artgallery

Four floors of interactive and exciting galleries. Come face to face with the Leeds tiger, step into Ancient Worlds to meet Nesyamun, the Leeds mummy, and dig for fossils in the Life on Earth gallery. Changing special exhibitions, as well as weekly family friendly clubs and activities. www.leeds.gov.uk/citymuseum

From elephant skulls to a Medieval log boat, this purpose-built store and conservation facility houses objects from Leeds Museums and Galleries collections which are not on permanent display. Visitors can discover many more treasures with regular behind the scenes tours and family activities. www.leeds.gov.uk/discoverycentre

A beautiful Edwardian country house with a bird garden, red deer park and formal gardens. Lotherton Hall is a treasure trove of arts and crafts with fine collections of paintings, silver, ceramics and beautiful costume galleries. www.leeds.gov.uk/lothertonhall

One of the country’s great historic houses and estates, Temple Newsam is a stunning Tudor-Jacobean mansion set within 1,500 acres of beautiful parkland which includes a working rare breeds farm. The house and farm offer an ever-changing programme of guided tours, activities and events for all ages. www.leeds.gov.uk/templenewsamhouse

A fully restored working watermill in a riverside setting. See the power of water as two huge waterwheels drive the mill. Visit the blacksmith’s workshop, manager’s house and discover all about life on this attractive island which is rich in wildlife. www.leeds.gov.uk/thwaitemills

Our sitEs

We are part of Leeds City Council and sit within Culture and Sport. Our wider Directorate is City

Development.

Within our department we have four core teams which are:

1. site development: ensuring the high quality visitor experience

2. Collections: caring for and developing the historic collections

3. Learning and audience development: enhancing life-long learning

4. Commercial: managing and maximising income generation.

Thanks to our Arts Council funding we are able to complement these core departments with other more outward facing teams including Audience Development, Partnerships and Community Engagement.

How we are structured

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Colle

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Digital Media

Volunteering

Engagement

CommunityFu

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PartnershipsDe

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SeniorManagement

Team

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Leeds

Discovery

Leeds

Kirkstall

Tem

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Thw

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Gallery

Industrial

Museum

Centre

CityM

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Abbey

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Our collections and our sites underpin all that Leeds Museums and Galleries are and do. We are responsible for a collection of over 1.3 million items from many disciplines, a small proportion of which are on display at any given time. It is our key aim to share these collections and to share the stories they can tell in a variety of ways.

Fresh insights, new knowledge, community perspectives and high quality visitor experiences all underpin our approach. We aim to refresh displays to ensure they are relevant, reflect current knowledge and are engaging for our visitors.

4 Our strategiC aims

Our stratEgiC aiMsManage our collections, sites and information to the highest possible standards and maximise their impact.

Key achievements:■ 15 major exhibitions delivered

attracting more than 500,000 visitors, including Pharaoh King of egypt in partnership with the British museum and treasured! delivered by our Youth Panel for the stories of the World Programme.

■ Upgraded our collections management system, the museum system (tms).

■ Five aHrC-funded PhD projects in progress, including a new academic partner, York University.

■ Conservation – pugin chair, red cross banner, two dresses and 1,637 items treated.

■ Over 82,000 items catalogued and digitised.

the Drawing Room at Lotherton Hall, created for Colonel and Mrs

Gascoigne in 1903 was restored to its former glory last year.

New silk was hung on the walls and elaborate window drapes and festoon blinds were carefully recreated to the original designs. The silk was woven in Bangalore in southern India using the latest computer technology which exactly reproduces the historic pattern. Meanwhile, the Empire-style electrolier which hangs from the ceiling was refurbished and the walls repainted. Even the door handles were re-cast with new silver plate.


restoration work was undertaken on Lotherton Hall’s Servants’ Rooms

which formerly housed the Oriental collection on the ground floor. They are: the Brushing Room, the Housekeeper’s Room and the Servants’ Hall which were built as part of the Edwardian extension to the building in 1903.

Television series such as Downton Abbey and Servants: The True Story of Life Below Stairs have prompted renewed public interest in the lives of the people who worked in country houses as well as those who lived there. Visitors to Lotherton Hall often asked if they can see the servants’ areas and so a decision was taken to restore the rooms in response to this interest.

The original architect’s plans were available at Lotherton Hall and valuable source material was located. The inventory lists from 1905 enabled staff to identify some of the original objects which were housed in these rooms and replace lost items from Leeds Museums and Galleries extensive collections.

The intention is to develop the interactive community use of this space to tell the story of the people who worked at Lotherton Hall. Where possible the story is being told in the first person and there are special areas with handling objects for both the young and the not so young!

the edwardian Drawing room LOtHErtOn HaLL

the servants’ rooms LOtHErtOn HaLL

Research enabled us to compile information and piece together how the rooms could have looked in Edwardian times and to source fireplaces, lighting, wall coverings and fabrics which complement the period interiors on show in the rest of the house.

the exhibition Liberty and Anarchy featuring artwork by Nike Savvas

pushed how Leeds Art Gallery worked as an institution to engage with both artists and audiences. The exhibition afforded an exciting opportunity for the Learning Team to engage with diverse audiences, through the theme of sensory experience within art and in galleries.

Artspace, the gallery’s open access area for intergenerational creative fun and learning, became Super Sensory. February half-term holiday was especially fun with a week of very different activities inspired by Nike Savvas’ installation. Id Aromatics helped Artspace users to look at the exhibition and turn their sensation of colour into a scent. Equal Voices used Nike Savvas’ work to reflect on colour stories captured in words, percussive music making and in electronic sound via computer software. Our SatARTday Club, Playground for very young people, resident Artists and formal education programme

also explored different ways of thinking about colour, shape and how we make ‘sense’ of our world.

The community programme produced two highlights when artist-led programmes for Pyramid of Arts and Artlink resulted in two extraordinary outcomes; one took the form of a large space-filling den which spilled out from its designated room to provide a play space for young people, whilst the second transformed a performance area, specially made available at the University of Leeds, into a room-scale experimentation of light, sound and animation.

Feedback was exceptional:

“Collaborating with the Leeds Art Gallery offered a great opportunity for our members to experience working with a new professional artist in an inspiring and creative environment.

“..it is one of the most creative and productive workshops I have ever done.”

“I enjoyed the multi-faceted aspects, the experimental nature and the collaboration…”

Liberty and anarchy LEEds art gaLLEry

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the last 18 months have seen huge investment in our locomotives and

supporting collection. This Designated collection has been the focus of a sustained effort to safeguard the future of the locomotives in our care.

By working closely with the National Railway Museum we were able to identify the core of our collection and begin seeking out partners for restoration. The culmination of this hard work came when an offer was received from the West Lancashire Light Railway to restore ‘Cheetal’ back to full steam.

The Leeds-built John Fowler & Co. locomotive was

We have made major improvements at Thwaite Mill to help maximize

the site’s resources and make the mill and surrounding land more sustainable.

The Visitor and Orchard moorings have been refurbished and will generate income each year. We were able to engage several boaters as active volunteers to help with maintaining the grounds and have been involved in a number of events including the Waterfront Festival and Party on Pirate

Island. A partnership, with the charity Canal Connections, has also been established to bring a community boat to the moorings.

Diversifying the uses of the Mills’ surrounding land has also been top of our agenda and Thwaite has played host to corporate events in partnership with Totally Tipi, Box Tree Events and Horti-Couture. The first event was ‘Snowflakes and Schnapps’, two Christmas parties in two tipis on the back of the island.

manufactured for export to India in 1923. On completion of its working life in 1985 ‘Cheetal’ came back to Leeds and was placed on static display. Now ‘Cheetal’ will be given a new lease of life. As John Roles, Head of Service, said, “It will be a really fantastic sight to see this locomotive looking good as new and steaming once again”.

We are optimistic that this model of seeking professional conservation partners can be rolled out to the rest of our at-risk locomotives. There are already plans in place to see similar works being undertaken on the 1902 Hudswell Clarke locomotive ‘Lord Granby’ and the 1882 Hunslet Engine Company locomotive ‘Hodbarrow’.

In addition to work on the locomotives, a huge amount of work has been done in the archives to create a usable and organised space for researchers and curatorial staff alike.

Locomotives work at armley LEEds industriaL MusEuM

Our stratEgiC aiMs

“It will be a really fantastic sight to see this locomotive

looking good as new and steaming once

again.”

in 2012 Leeds City Museum hosted a display from Durban e-Thekwini

municipality, a loan from their museums and art galleries who we have been getting to know well since a first visit from Leeds to Durban in 2010. Leeds has been twinned with Durban for over twenty years, and with the help of Leeds City Council’s International Relations, and some transport sponsorship from Corrocoat, Durban’s selection of artworks and historical pieces arrived in Leeds just before the Olympics started. They were installed in the World View gallery at the beginning of August. Jenny Stretton, from Durban Art Gallery, was key in organising the shipment and helping us prepare texts and labels.

The display included sculptures by the world famous artists Bafana Mkhize, Michael Zondi and Julius Mfete and a linocut with an anti-apartheid message from 1974 by the artist John Muafangejo. Modern African Christianity was represented by the distinctive white dress and headband worn by followers of the prophet Isaia Shembe, and by photographs of Easter celebrations of the Holy Ghost Zion church. The religious and social importance of traditional tobacco smoking and pipes in South Africa was highlighted by several Xhosa wooden pipes and a pipe bag. Durban’s vibrant market scene was captured by a painting by Joseph Manana. Amongst these works, was one of the brightly painted municipal waste bins, with their unique graphic design, that are a colourful reminder of modern South African style on many street corners.

Guy Redman, head of e-Thekwini Museums and Libraries, visited Leeds in February 2011 for a full discussion on our different museum and gallery services and how we could learn from each other. In the future we want to organise a bigger exchange of exhibitions or displays and there has already been talk of a lion for Leeds (stuffed not alive!) for the Life on Earth gallery.

World View gallery – the Durban connectionLEEds City MusEuM

Our strategiC aims

Diversification tHWaitE MiLLs

…there has already been talk of a lion for Leeds (stuffed not alive!)…

We have recently conserved and

re-mounted one of our amazing Heavy-footed Moa skeletons. These whopping birds were once common across New Zealand but soon became extinct with the arrival of humans. Our particular bird arrived in Leeds in 1868 – only the second ever of this species in the country (the other being at the Natural History Museum in London).

Once pride of place in the original museum, as shown in this picture, this bird languished in our stores in pieces when the Park Row museum was closed. It was grubby and in poor condition: one curator dismissed it as ‘perhaps only an ostrich’. Luckily, a PhD student working on our collections came across a photo of the Heavy-footed Moa on display at the old City Museum in about 1900. We took the photo to the specimen and – in one of those eureka moments – we rediscovered an amazing ‘lost’ specimen. With kind funding from ACE and the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society, the Moa is back on its feet and looking magnificent.

For many years I worked for community based charities supporting people with domestic and substance abuse issues. I also worked in a voluntary basis with the chaplaincy in various prisons around the north of England.

It was during my time as a Visitor Assistant at Lotherton Hall that I met Bill Burlingham who had been the Gascoigne’s chauffeur. I was inspired by him to collect

reminiscence and oral history about past employees and Gascoigne family members at Lotherton, all of whom were very generous giving stories, documents and objects.

I was delighted to get the opportunity to move into the new role of Assistant Community Curator where I could build upon this work. I am excited to work with such a wide range of people and have the opportunity to share

Lotherton’s wonderful history and collections.

In March we reopened the servants’ rooms and the Duty Calls exhibition at Lotherton Hall which gave me the opportunity and privilege to exhibit some of the social history research and fascinating stories about Lotherton I have gathered over the years.

PLEasEd tO MEEt yOu: Stephanie Davies – Community Curator

Our marvellous moa LEEds City MusEuM


WE welcome a large and diverse audience across our service, drawn in large part from Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region. We achieved in excess of 1.1m visits to our sites in the last full year, added to which are 800,000 unique visits to our website and 650,000 to the MyLearning website. Our performance represents a quarter of all museum visits across the whole of the Yorkshire and Humber region.

A large proportion of our visitors are families, but we do see variation between sites. Our schools programme last year welcomed over 38,000 booked school visits and reach approximately 10,000 pupils through outreach activities and our adult learning programme involved over 50,000 adults.

Deliver high impact and inclusive visitor experiences for an increasingly diverse audience.

Key achievements:■ Finalist in the guardian Family

Friendly museum awards.

■ several major improvements to public facilities in progress, in particular:

– VaQas accreditation awarded to all nine sites

– Lotherton Hall Drawing room restoration and servant rooms reinstatement

– Leeds art gallery sculpture galleries refurbishment.

■ annual visitor survey and non-visitor survey completed.

Our stratEgiC aiMs

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this project is focusing on the theme of ‘Love and War’ as part of the

WW1 commemorations with research by Dr Tracy Craggs.

We are gathering together stories from ex veterans with a local connection to the Leeds/Yorkshire area who have served in

during the summer and autumn of 2012 a major project took place to

refurbish the sculpture display galleries at Leeds Art Gallery.

These spaces had been open to the public for over thirty years and were all looking tired and dated with poor lighting in particular, almost certainly they were not living up to very high standards set by the late Henry Moore who had a personal hand in the design of the sculpture gallery extension when it was built in the early 1980s.

With the help of Arts Council grant funding, with additional support from the Henry Moore Foundation, a full refurbishment programme took place. The funding was used to replace all the lighting systems throughout the gallery with carefully chosen LED lighting selected by our curators and conservators for its colour quality and accuracy of rendition for three dimensional artworks. Other improvements included the replacement of an old mesh ceiling system, refurbishment or replacement of flooring and the relining of many display walls which had been drilled and filled for several decades.

conflicts during the last 100 years for a display at Leeds City Museum. The stories will include love of comrades, love of country, even love of the ‘enemy’, as well as examples of people who met or were separated during periods of conflict and those who lost loved ones or suffered life

changing injuries. To capture as wide a range of experiences as possible, some of the films will be of family members who can recount the events of bygone conflicts through memories, photographs and letters, other interviews will be of those returning from very current conflicts.

The first display in the main gallery is Polychromies; Surface Light and Colour looks at qualities of surface in bronze, marble and stone sculpture, highlighting embedded, applied and reflected colour. Farrow and Ball, best known for their heritage paint colours kindly donated a vibrant red paint to be used on featured

There has also been a call-out for objects from families and veterans to accompany the films – letters, photographs, pieces of kit and uniforms, including a uniform that has seen recent active service in Afghanistan donated by a former RN Commando.

The display will invite people to explore the internal conflicts that individuals face during active service reconciling personal beliefs with the call to duty and powerful inspirational stories of love and sacrifice. Some of the veterans who are part of this project were Olympic torch bearers and this is how we first came into contact with them and their families. It is important that we make long-term relationships with the communities we engage and we strive to build upon previous projects. We aim to not only bring a diverse range of individuals physically in to our museums and galleries, but also to use their unique outlooks to inform our future work.

walls in the refurbished spaces. The Henry Moore Institute curates the Leeds Museums and Galleries’ sculpture collection as part of a longstanding and unique partnership with Leeds Art Gallery, an enduring legacy of the work of arguably Britain’s most famous sculptor.

Community history project: love and war LEEds City MusEuM

sculpture gallery LEEds art gaLLEry

www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries

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the community gardening project was born out of a desire to offer local

people an opportunity to grow food, socialise, learn new skills and spend time outdoors. With the support of the Feed Leeds initiative we formed a partnership with Hyde Park Source, an environmental community organisation that works with local residents, volunteers and young people.

The chosen area was originally a colour garden set up by a spinning group who visit the museum every week. They could no longer maintain the garden but were eager to see it put to use and not left derelict. We received very positive feedback on these ideas at meetings and through social media. The project is in its early stages but we have run several gardening sessions and already have regular volunteers who visit us every week.

We are currently focussing on demonstrating how to grow edible plants in small spaces using containers. This is invaluable for residents of the local area, many of whom do not have access to a garden or open space. With Hyde Park Source we will be applying for funding to restore the colour garden and run sessions on dye extraction and textile dyeing. We currently have a student intern researching Armley Mills’ connection to the local dyeing industry of Leeds.

Many of our materials are reclaimed or salvaged. With a composting heap, wormery and water butt we can demonstrate how to reuse and recycle available materials. Growing food locally also removes food air miles and reduces the intake of pesticides.

Our aims for the future include partnering with the local Healthy Living Network hub to run cookery classes with our food; creating bio-char from the garden waste; and developing plant dyes to complement the museum’s current micro-industry projects.

Community garden project LEEds industriaL MusEuM

Our stratEgiC aiMs

I manage our website www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries and the national learning website www.mylearning.org for teachers and learners from hundreds of arts, heritage and cultural organisations. I am also the lead for Leeds Museums and Galleries social networking and new media work, as well as experimenting with digital interpretation at our sites and running digital events like Leeds Hack.

I am currently embarking on a large project to make our collections database (TMS) available to the public online.

PLEasEd tO MEEt yOu: Dominique Attwood - Digital Media Manager

We are currently focussing on demonstrating how to grow edible plants in small spaces using containers.

Our strategiC aims

during a 12 week project, as part of the PhD project with Leeds University, we

engaged prisoners from HMP Wakefield in a series of workshops designed to explore perceptions of value.

The group of 34 were given opportunities to handle museum objects and discuss their worth. The objects Included: An early English watch; First World War silk postcard; Prehistoric hand tool and Victorian glazed brick. Finding inspiration from the handling sessions, the participants undertook personal projects to create artwork reflecting their own sense of value. Once their personal projects were completed, the prisoners were presented with the task of curating an exhibition by displaying their artwork in a ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ which was constructed within the confines of HMP Wakefield. The cabinet and its ‘curiosities’ have now been donated to Leeds Museums.

Every year from our annual visitor survey we get a good understanding of who

visits our attractions, why they visit, what they do, what they enjoy and what they would recommend improving. But what about those people who don’t visit?

For the first time in March 2013 we undertook a new research survey to help us better understand potential audiences in Leeds. Through a qualitative telephone survey with 501 people, we identified:

• levels of awareness

• perceptions of our service

• attractions they had recently visited in the region

• barriers and reasons for not visiting

• ideas to encourage and motivate them to visit

• factors they consider when they plan a visit to an attraction

• communication channels they use to source information

• as well as a profile of these potential visitors and their interests.

The final analysis presented some interesting results, both confirming our thinking and presenting new insight into this group’s interests, needs and behaviour. The research found awareness of most of our museums and galleries is generally high, there is a positive perception of our service, lack of time is the main reason for not visiting, motivations to visits include

free and affordable entrance and potential visitors are most likely to use the internet to find out about visits to attractions.

All this information is now being used to review and improve our visitor offer and experience, as well as to inform our community engagement work, support funding applications, tailor and target marketing activity and inform future research work with other audience groups.

adult Learning – What’s it worth? LEEds disCOvEry CEntrE

New research with potential audiences

After supporting Leeds Museums and Galleries marketing work for the past three years I am thrilled to now be establishing a new Audience Development Team. Building on the marketing work we have already delivered including a successful service brand, visitor surveys, site promotional work and family campaigns, we now have the opportunity to drive our work forward with a new programme of audience research and improved stakeholder communication. This will help ensure our marketing and promotional activity, as well as service development is more targeted and tailored to our existing and potential audience needs.

“[I have a] New enthusiasm for experiencing the arts and history. Curiosity and hunger to bring more of these into my life. This adds to a sense of identity and belonging in a way that simple routines of institution cannot.”

PLEasEd tO MEEt yOu: Lorna Brown – Audience Development Manager


WE aim to excel in all areas of our business. We strive to be more business-like and entrepreneurial without becoming a commercial business, acknowledging we fulfil a crucial social purpose. We have the ability to develop a robust financial footing by diversifying our income portfolio and making a significant contribution to the economy of the city region. We will remain true to our principles of widening participation working in partnership for the benefit of the city and its residents. We will be leaner and more efficient with greener museums, reduced operational costs and maximizing income generation opportunities providing confidence for the future.

Make efficient use of all our resources, maximising their potential and minimising waste.

Key achievements:■ significant improvement in retail

performance and development of new income streams including online retailing and a new ePOs system rolled out across the service.

■ several grants awarded including:

– Leeds art gallery programme

– Designated Development Fund for bird skin collections

– effective Collections funding for herbarium collections.

■ installation of a photovoltaic panel array on the roof the Discovery Centre to generate electricity to feed back into the grid.

■ Picture Lending scheme from Leeds art gallery now lending 350+ pictures to almost 200 members.

Our stratEgiC aiMs

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Our commercial operation continued its success story with the opening of

two stunning new shops at Abbey House Museums and Kirkstall Abbey which opened in April. These were part of an intensive programme of retail refurbishment and investment delivered over the last few years, which has now seen sales increase across the service by more than 150% since 2008. Last year’s sales alone increased by 14% despite having two outlets closed for a month whilst they were refurbished.

At the beginning of June our new and exciting Custom Prints Service was launched enabling our customers to

have beautiful Leeds Museums and Galleries art prints delivered to their door, ordered in the comfort of their home or on a visit to the Art Gallery shop. Also at this time, Leeds Museums and Galleries targeted the global market with the launch of a new online shop which

introduced specially commissioned product ranges inspired by the people, places and cultural collections of Leeds, some of which are currently available and already hugely successful across our sites.

Over the last couple of years the commercial operation has undergone a complete transformation, bringing with it a new and dynamic approach to museum souvenir and gift retailing and introducing newly commissioned artist-led product ranges that excite our customers and deliver significant increases in profit year on year.

New museum shops open their doors

PLEasEd tO MEEt yOu: Mary-Ann Irbins – Heading up TradingI started working with Leeds Museums and Galleries in 2010.

I conducted a complete review of the commercial operations, which

resulted in a new and dynamic approach to museum souvenir and gift retailing. I was delighted last year to be invited to head up the trading and retail operation which has enabled me to focus on the development of new and exciting

shop environments, innovative new stock ranges and continue to

increase sales and profit for Leeds Museums and Galleries.

Last year’s sales alone increased by 14% despite having two outlets closed for a month whilst they were refurbished!


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I have been a fundraiser for over ten years with experience in both Leeds and London, and across both faith and arts fundraising disciplines. My speciality is raising funds from individuals and businesses, having helped secure donations from both into the tens of thousands of pounds. I am a full member of the Institute of Fundraising, and a leading committee member of the Yorkshire branch of the Institute of Fundraising.

I am thrilled to be taking up this new role as the service embraces a proactive and strategic approach to fundraising.

During the first few months of the post I have been assessing both the need and the potential for fundraising. Following this, two ‘asks’ will be developed: one which cuts across Leeds Museums and Galleries; and one for each of the specific sites. Each ask will also look to be incorporated, or at least be harmonious, with those of our associated societies and friends

groups. Over the coming two years, we will be able to assess the potential and desire of donors to give to us, and start to build effective partnerships with key sponsors (business and private) which will be sustainable into the future.

This investment in fundraising will make our service more resilient, and allow us to better invest the funds from our key partners: Leeds City Council and Arts Council England.

Our stratEgiC aiMs

Our strategiC aims

PLEasEd tO MEEt yOu: David Israel – Fundraising Manager

in December 2012 we were able to purchase and secure for the city the

rare and fascinating West Yorkshire Hoard. This hoard is made up of four finger-rings, a brooch fragment, a gold ingot and a lead spindle whorl.

The items date from the seventh to eleventh centuries and illuminate the medieval history of Leeds. The city took the hoard to its heart and the final cost to secure it was made by public donations of £185,000, after an extensive national fundraising campaign supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Art Fund and Friends of Leeds Museums and Galleries. The hoard is now on display in the Leeds Story Gallery at Leeds City Museum.

West Yorkshire Hoard LEEds City MusEuM

PLEasEd tO MEEt yOu: Helen Langwick – Partnership Coordinator

I joined Leeds Museums and Galleries in 2007 as the Curator of Exhibitions at Leeds City Museum. Working in the newly refurbished building was a fantastic experience and gave me the opportunity to develop the temporary exhibitions programme from scratch.

Earlier this year I was appointed to the role of Partnership Coordinator for the Service and now take a more strategic overview of how we work with other institutions and groups to make our sector more sustainable in this region.


WE aim to use our status as a Major Partner Museum to not only grow our own service but to benefit the wider museum community.Working in partnership with regional museums, taking a lead on regional strategy and operating on a national level are key areas for our effort. We aim to build strong relationships with other institutions, share our expertise, lead on partnership initiatives and be a source of support.

We have well established development and appraisal procedures giving everyone the opportunity for professional development. We are also pursuing ways to reach people from different backgrounds to encourage them to become the leaders of our sector in the future. Our volunteer and internship programmes are designed to encourage community role models, promote broader participation and make our service relevant to a range of communities.

Provide strong regional leadership by collaborating with partners and ensuring a diverse, skilled and motivated workforce.

Key achievements:■ Commencement of arts Council

england major Partner museum programme.

■ Lotherton Hall single estate completed its first full year showing an increase in visitors and visitor satisfaction as well as important developments in visitor facilities and infrastructure.

■ 30 internships hosted across the sites working on collections-related projects.

Our stratEgiC aiMs

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some of the roles developed so far this year include: researching and

cataloguing a variety of small finds from the archaeological and numismatics collections; self-led research using the Local History Library; volunteers for a community colour garden and developing an edible planting area.

This last financial year, volunteers gave in excess of 1,800 hours of their time for which we are extremely grateful. This has enabled us to undertake projects that otherwise would not be done, such as the cleaning of the ceramics collection and the medal collection and has added approximately £21,600 worth of value to the service.

A short film clip will go on to the volunteer website showing two of our teams at work in the Discovery Centre to highlight the sort of projects volunteers are involved in. Going into the new

Leeds Museums and Galleries are one of three host

organisations for biology curatorial trainees in the UK.

These Heritage Lottery Fund funded traineeships last for one year and equip trainees with all the skills they need to enter the museum profession as a natural science curator. The scheme recognises Leeds’ massive in-house expertise: we have trained two people so far and are just about to embark on the third year of this project. Our large and important natural science collection, and the wide-range of uses we put it to, allow us to train individuals on a huge range of topics. Trainees work with curators, collections, learning officers, front of house staff and conservators as well as spending time at the Natural History Museum and with other natural science collections across the country.

financial year, there are many exciting opportunities to be developed for volunteers especially with the 1914 centenary commemorations and events in the offing.

We presently have 65 volunteers (including a small team of 14-24 year olds volunteering at Leeds City Museum) who volunteer on a regular basis and it is hoped that we will expand the programme to at least 100 in the coming year through the development of new roles.

support from our volunteers

training the next generation

This last financial year, volunteers gave in excess of 1,800 hours of their time for which we are extremely grateful.

My role is to coordinate and support a team of volunteers working across all sections of museums and galleries and to develop the programme so as to provide opportunities for a diverse range of people. This

includes volunteers, interns and work experience students. The aim is to enable people from different backgrounds to share their knowledge and

skills, learn new ones and contribute to the aims of our service.

PLEasEd tO MEEt yOu: Wendy Breakwell -

Volunteer Coordinator


the Museum Registrar is often described as ‘the museum’s

conscience’. It is a key responsibility within any museum to ensure the collections are looked after and adhere to legal and ethical standards and guidelines.

Leeds Museums and Galleries has been running an innovative and unique training programme for registrars in partnership with the University of Leeds, School of

Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies for two years. This past year we have had a trainee on the programme, who has successfully gone onto the post of Assistant Registrar at the Museum of London.

The team presented the project to the European Registrar’s conference in Edinburgh in November to wide acclaim and much interest has been generated from this across Europe and in the US.

Another key aspect of the project is training existing Registrars across the UK through CPD sessions. This year we ran a session entitled ‘can we insure this cake?’ This looked at the practical considerations of contemporary art for registrars.

Looking forward, plans are in place to run an extended traineeship from September 2013 and for more CPD sessions.

registrar traineeships

Our stratEgiC aiMs

intErnsHiP: Leah Mellor – Community History Cataloguing

i have spent 30 days working with Marek Romaniszyn, in the Community History

team at Leeds Discovery Centre, documenting his digital film archive and a collection of London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic objects.

The digital film archive contained around 70 films that needed to be documented retrospectively. The films included the ‘Contemporary Collectors’ series, ‘Faith in the City’ and ‘A Greener City’ which had accompanied an exhibition or display at the Leeds City Museum.

I watched each film, taking detailed notes on what was said by the interviewees and, where possible, took direct quotations from the films. These were then entered on ‘The Museum System’ database.

Having ensured that each film had a full database record, I then created a DVD playable copy and a MP4 data copy of each film. Seeing all 140 discs neatly labelled and lined up in their storage boxes was surprisingly satisfying!

By far my favourite series of films was ‘Faith in the City’: I have always been interested in religion and belief and these films taught me a great deal about different faiths, of ordinary people practising religion in Leeds.

I also documented a collection of London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic articles. Many of these objects related to the Olympic and Paralympic experience in Leeds and included the lamp that carried the Paralympic flame to Leeds and a wheel-guard from the Canadian Wheelchair Rugby team, who stayed in Leeds during their pre-Games training.

It was really useful to see the entire process from beginning to end. I also learnt how to pack objects with acid-free tissue paper, using rolls of tissue-paper to cushion the folds of textiles. More than anything, this project improved my confidence when handling objects.

I have really enjoyed my time as an intern here and have gained valuable experience,


especially in documentation. I have also gained a good awareness of conservation and outreach work, simply by speaking to members of staff and sitting-in on outreach sessions. I have recently secured a full-time curatorial traineeship at the Herbert Museum in Coventry and the skills and experience I learnt during my internship at the Discovery Centre undoubtedly helped me to secure this job. I am very grateful to have been given such a great opportunity.

19

Last year was the third year of the Leeds Museums and Galleries intern

programme and it has proved to be a great success for us as a service and also for the students and recent graduates who have taken part.

In the dress and textile department, during 2012,

one intern was given the

opportunity to

work on a collection of 1920s and 1930s dresses. The successful candidate, a post graduate dress history student, from Finland, was very enthusiastic and keen to complete an internship as she really wanted to learn some of the necessary skills she would need to help her on her way to achieving her ambition of becoming a museum curator. She was fully trained on how to work through the collection of dresses, to improve the documentation and also to repack the dresses. The benefit

of the work completed by the intern was almost immediate as various students from both Leeds College of Art and Huddersfield University were working on projects looking at 1920s fashions. With improved documentation and general storage, the collection is now a lot more accessible and we know more about what we had in the collection and are able to easily show the students objects from the collection to help them with their work.

When our Head of Collections and I first discussed me taking up a Masters

Degree I wasn’t expecting the service to be in a position to offer me the opportunity to study as part of my role. To my surprise the service did and of course I took this opportunity and grabbed it with both hands.

The prospect of studying a Masters Degree whilst developing a Designated Collection seemed a task beyond me but through working closely with the University of Leeds and having the support of the museums service the two activities became complementary, indeed they both fed into one another. The University exposed me to

theoretical frameworks from which to recognise, analyse and improve practical work, whereas, the museum service offered the opportunity to apply these studies in my day to day work. A challenging balance of theory and practice but also a rare chance to examine the museums’ work and expand my own understanding.

This period of study wasn’t just about critical debate but it offered me the chance to spend ten day days working with the national collections of prints and drawings at the British Museum. This was quite possibly the most significant outcome of my studies which has improved my confidence in developing and caring for the Leeds’

prints and drawings collection considerably, I am certain that this opportunity will also be an asset to me in my future career.

intErnsHiP: Dress and Textile Internship

Our assistant Curator of fine art goes back to his books: Theodore Wilkins, Master of Arts

PLEasEd tO MEEt yOu: Lucy Moore – Archaeology CuratorMy fairytale began in September 2010 as an intern at the Discovery Centre, documenting the fabulous numismatics collections. Six months later when my internship sadly came to an end, I continued volunteering. The skills I gained working with the collections here led directly to my success in getting a four month placement at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford working in the Heberden Coin Room. I returned

to Leeds and continued volunteering throughout 2012, encouraged by my supervisor to expand my skills and to give

talks on behalf of the museum and to lead community workshops.

When a temporary vacancy for Archaeology Curator arose, I applied hoping at most to just get an interview. Luckily for me I got the job! Working with broader archaeology collections is the most fantastic opportunity and my colleagues are fantastically supportive of someone so early in their career. From an intern, to a volunteer, to a member of staff, I have been constantly supported and valued. I am sure I will be proudly telling future employers that Leeds Museums was the organisation that gave me the springboard to a bright career in the museum sector.



in October 2012 Leeds City Museum and The Grammar School at Leeds

joined forces to develop and deliver a high quality family learning programme at the City Museum.

The partnership has enabled the museum to host regular activity days for families during the school holidays on a larger scale. The grammar school provide funding for extra staff, resources, and performances, student volunteers, teachers and other staff to help run and plan the events. The museum would be unable to put on events of such educational value without the partnership

and extra expertise provided. All this means that more people get an exciting experience engaging with the museums collections.

So far we have run three events, ‘We Love Animals’ during October half term, ‘We Love Ancient Egypt’ during February half term and ‘We Love Leeds’ during spring half term. These events are hugely successful regularly attracting over 2000 visitors, who have explored and enjoyed our Natural History, Egyptian and Social History collections. We are planning our next event at Spring half term called ‘We Love Leeds’ exploring local history.

Starting as a Yorkshire initiative under the previous Renaissance programme, www.mylearning.org has become a nationally recognised resource supported by the Arts Council England and now covers arts, culture and heritage. If you feel like you would like to be involved with My Learning, as an advocate to schools, a content provider or otherwise, please get in touch at [email protected].

My Learning was approached by the M&S archive in 2012 whilst

developing the new online learning offer. My Learning is a national digital learning resource for teachers, launched in 2006, hosting primary source content from libraries, museums and archives and currently managed by Leeds Museums and Galleries.

Having recognised the benefits of partnering up with a website dedicated to their target audience from the cultural heritage sector, the archive approached the team and a contract was formed. This is the first time My learning has worked in this way, securing funding for the project from Marks and Spencer.

The website lists over 230 organisations and hosts over 300 resources including thousands of images, interactive games, worksheets, film and more. As a result of a very dedicated editorial team, a

national teacher’s panel and quality primary source content, the website is getting closer and closer to the million unique visits a year mark!

Founded in 1912, Leeds Art Fund is one of the oldest supporting ‘friends’

organisations for the visual arts in Great Britain. We were delighted to help celebrate their centenary in 2012 at Leeds Art Gallery by staging a series of exhibitions and lively programme of events. During their 100 year history they have helped to acquire more than 430 works for our collections. This has included artists such as Warhol, Bacon and Moore. They continue to play a vital role in supporting us in the purchase of contemporary and historic art, conservation and educational activities.

Leeds Art Fund was founded by the then Vice-Chancellor of Leeds University, Sir Michael Sadler, and curator of the Art Gallery, Frank Rutter.

The centenary has marked a new chapter for the Leeds Art Fund, bringing new members and an opportunity to renew their commitment to high quality acquisitions and support of our programmes. We are grateful to them for the passion, knowledge and support of their membership for the fine and decorative arts and their continued involvement with Leeds Art Gallery, Temple Newsam and Lotherton Hall. Established in the days when Leeds Corporation had no acquisitions budget, Leeds Art Fund’s help to secure great works of art for Leeds is appreciated as much now as it was then.

www.mylearning.org

my Learning the Leeds art Fund Centenary 1912 - 2012

Our stratEgiC aiMs

Family learning LEEds City MusEuM Partnership with The Grammar School at Leeds

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the Leeds Philosophical and Literary society

the temple Newsam Learning Partnership trust tEMPLE nEWsaM HOusE

the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society (LPLS) formed in 1822 and

is still going strong. The society’s collections form the basis of Leeds Museums and Galleries and from them we have inherited some incredible things.

The LPLS collected prolifically throughout the 19th century. Leeds was a rich town and science was big business. The great and the good vied with each other when it came to obtaining specimens. The result is an enormous natural science collection with treasures from around the world: Dodo bones from Mauritius, tigers from the east, tropical butterflies, polar bears, orang-utans… all brought to Leeds to further the scientific education and status of the city.

We are lucky that, unlike many of their

forebears, the LPLS are still very active. Although their collections passed to the City at the beginning of the 20th century, we still have a close relationship with the modern Society. From science fairs to firework displays - and through their generous funding of new acquisitions – the LPLS is still a large part of the scientific museum in this city. temple Newsam is proud to be part of

The Temple Newsam Learning Partnership Trust which is a cluster of schools and partners who work together for the benefit of the community as a whole. Temple Newsam House sits at the heart of this community and has contributed to the family learning programme and provided a special venue for celebration events, the Trust Members Forum quarterly meetings and a range of activity days and events.

Over four years, the partnership has covered topics ranging from the Knights templar, Light and Dark, work based on local artist Ashley Jackson, storytelling, physical theatre, the Queen’s Jubilee and Chinese New Year. Developing literacy and numeracy skills have always been included in the projects as well as social and team working skills, building confidence and independent thinking.

In Spring half term the YMCA brought a group to the house to explore the theme of ‘Bedtime Stories: the Queen Anne State Bed’. This linked in with a temporary exhibition based on bedtime and life in the country house. They key themes of the day were literacy and creative development as well as core objectives of improving dialogue between families and the group, confidence building and supporting cultural identity.

The day included an investigative trail of the beds and bedrooms in the house where families were encouraged to help each other find items in the house and work together to finish the challenges set. Activities such as this showcase Temple Newsam as a House that is more than museum.

Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society collected prolifically throughout the 19th century. Leeds was a rich town and science was big business.

Temple Newsam House sits at the heart of this community and has contributed to the family learning programme and provided a special venue for a range of activities and events.


real World science Partnership

We recently joined the Real World Science partnership in association

with the Natural History Museum, London.

The project aims to “…engage and inspire secondary school students to…gain confidence as…scientifically literate individual(s) who feel prepared to discuss scientific issues.”

Leeds Museums and Galleries, along with other partners, (Manchester Museum, Great North Hancock, Stoke Museums, Vivacity Peterborough, Oxford Museum of Natural History and Woolaton Hall (Nottingham Museums) has been developing and piloting a new workshop on the subject of Human Evolution for KS3 and KS4 groups. The findings from each pilot will feed into the final workshop layout.

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WE are committed to giving children and young people a voice in shaping our service and our programmes.We are dedicated to providing opportunities for children and young people to engage with our service regardless of their background, to express their opinions on our service and influence the decisions we make, to have opportunities to play and participate in cultural events in our service and we work hard to ensure they and their families are included and involved.

Provide outstanding learning experiences and opportunities for children and young people.

Key achievements:■ sandford award achieved for five

sites.

■ myLearning website going from strength to strength – 650,000 visits to the site, integration of a range of new learning resources from the east midlands and first agreement made with a commercial organisation.

■ established the Preservative Party.

Our stratEgiC aiMs

Our strategiC aims

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Throughout the two years we have learnt how to work well as a team, as well as individual skills that are transferable for the future.

We are the Preservative Party, a group of 14 young people aged

14-24 working alongside Leeds City Museum to break the stereotypes held by young people towards museums and vice versa.

We meet with our leader Esther, who keeps us motivated and interested in the group, on a weekly basis to work on projects including ‘Treasured’ an exhibition

exploring the journeys of objects to Leeds. We are currently creating a Facebook timeline of Leeds during WW1.

Throughout the two years we have learnt how to work well as a team, as well as individual skills that are transferable for the future. We think that the group has given us ‘valuable experience’ for later life (Poppy, 18), whether we were planning to go into museums or take a different route.

Those of us who were already interested in museum work have been encouraged to take part in this sector, using this as an ‘eye opening opportunity’ to see ‘behind the scenes’ (Theo, 16).

We hope the Preservative Party continues to work with Leeds City Museum and to further our input into future exhibitions and projects.

the Preservative Party LEEds City MusEuM


‘Treasured! Smuggled? Stolen? Saved?’ has been developed by an exhibition team of seventeen 16-23 year olds. You’ve met us in character as we guided you on your journey through the exhibition. To create ‘Treasured!’ we split into four teams: Objects, Interpretation, Design, and Marketing. These teams conceived and directed every element of the exhibition you have seen today.

exhibition process by following us on Twitter, reading our blog, and visiting the Community Corridor on the

Visit our Facebook page to vote on whether you think the objects in the exhibition were smuggled, stolen, or saved.

@Treasured2012, #Treasured2012 www.mostlyolderthanmygran.org www.leeds.gov.uk/treasured2012

This exhibition is a response to Precious Cargo, a project led by young people, inspired by Yorkshire’s world collections. It is part of Stories of the World, one of the projects at the heart of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

Meet the Exhibition Team


as part of its Youth Engagement work, Leeds City Museum has been

setting live briefs for students from local colleges to respond to.

Second Year Media students from Leeds City College piloted this programme in

2012 when they visited the museum, and identified that the films in the central space were not making the best use of the technology available, and were not very engaging for visitors.

The students worked with museum staff to develop a concept, and filmed at locations across Leeds. The final film – ‘Who Am I?’ was officially opened on the 28th February, and has impressed visitors and museum staff alike for its contemporary style and engaging storyline. It follows four characters from the museum who journey through Leeds asking ‘Who am I?’ and find themselves seeking the answer at Leeds City Museum.

The students found they could work in a real environment, with professionals, such as the museum’s AV technician; and Leeds City Museum has gained a lively and thought provoking introductory video, made by young people, to engage young people.

“This is something I will never forget and I will tell many people about [it]’

“I feel honoured to have our films played in the museum because we are only students and still managed to produce something to a professional standard”

Last year for Wool Week staff at Leeds Industrial Museum, Armley Mills

decided we would like to do something memorable to take part and really help celebrate this occasion.

Inspired by the wonderful ‘Join the Flock’ project run by Eden Arts in Cumbria, where they turned pompoms into mini sheep. We decided to try and make life-sized sheep from pompoms so the museum could have its own flock.

To help us create our own flock we invited local schools and groups to join in. We didn’t really appreciate quite how many pompoms making a full sized sheep would take and as a result we have ended up with sheep of varying sizes. However, we all

think, they are much more appealing because of their unique qualities.

We would like to thank everyone who has taken part,

robin Hood Primary school

Hilltop Primary school

Halton District Brownies

moortown Nursery

the Leeds south east trefoil guild

Batley Hall Nursing and residential Home

Visitors to the museum’s 30th Birthday party

and members of museum staff.

City College arena Films LEEds City MusEuM

Our flock of sheep – schools project LEEds industriaL MusEuM

Our stratEgiC aiMs

The film follows four characters from the museum who journey through Leeds asking ‘Who am I?’

We decided to try and make life-sized sheep from pompoms so the museum could have its own flock.

‘Treasured! Smuggled? Stolen? Saved?’ has been developed by an exhibition team of seventeen 16-23 year olds. You’ve met us in character as we guided you on your journey through the exhibition. To create ‘Treasured!’ we split into four teams: Objects, Interpretation, Design, and Marketing. These teams conceived and directed every element of the exhibition you have seen today.

exhibition process by following us on Twitter, reading our blog, and visiting the Community Corridor on the

Visit our Facebook page to vote on whether you think the objects in the exhibition were smuggled, stolen, or saved.

@Treasured2012, #Treasured2012 www.mostlyolderthanmygran.org www.leeds.gov.uk/treasured2012

This exhibition is a response to Precious Cargo, a project led by young people, inspired by Yorkshire’s world collections. It is part of Stories of the World, one of the projects at the heart of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

Meet the Exhibition Team


Leeds Museums and Galleries were proud to be part of the London 2012

Cultural Olympiad programme, Stories of the World.

We worked with 17 young people aged 16-23, who curated their own exhibition which explored how a group of unusual objects found their way across the world to end up in Leeds. The young volunteers devised and designed the gallery; researched and interpreted the objects; and installed and marketed the exhibition. For the group, this project was a unique opportunity to get experience in museum and work place based skills, as well as becoming passionate experts about the objects; and Leeds City Museum gained a great exhibition which attracted over 58,000 visitors!

As Calum, one of the exhibition team said, “I am so glad that I am helping to brush the dust off these objects and get them up on display for the thousands of people who we hope will come to our exhibition. Seeing all these objects was fun and a great experience and will be something to tell the kids.”

treasured! smuggled? stolen? saved? LEEds City MusEuM

Stained GlassBelgium, 1914 – 1918

Trench Art France, 1914 – 1918

Trench ArtFrance, 1914 – 1918

DollGermany via London, 1920s

Dolls’ Clothes Wardrobe Austria, 1920s

Tomb Pots Peru via London, 100 – 800 AD

Charm from the Mahdist Revolt Sudan via London, 1883

Painted Coffin Cartonnage Fragment Egypt, 1000 – 300 BC

Jericho Floor PlanPalestine, 1950s

Mummy Bandages Egypt, 1000 BC

Shabti Egypt, 1000 BC

Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing Butterfly Malaysia, 1980s

Ivory Africa, 1980s

IvoryAfrica, 1980s

Cobra Skin Handbag India, 1980s

Python Skin Handbag Africa, 1980s

Samurai Armour Japan 1840 – 1880

Plate MoneySweden via South Africa, 18th century

Canoe Money Thailand via Manchester, 18th century

Gold Foil Money China via Manchester, 2008

10,000 Mark NoteGermany, 1922

10,000,000 Mark NoteGermany, 1923

TheWorldComestoLeedsSee some of the amazing journeys our objects have made to get to Leeds. Have you ever travelled as far as any of our objects?

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The 174 objects which made up the exhibition were previously not on public display.

3 Woollen skirt

A woollen skirt which was produced in 1947 at Armley Mills for Jean Tempest, the daughter of the owner, Ernest Tempest. It is made from a wool blend that was hand-selected by her brother.

2 Woodhouse ridge, by John atkinson grimshaw

A rare and fine watercolour of a Leeds landscape by one of Leeds’ most famous artists, John Atkinson Grimshaw.

1Lady muncaster’s workbox

A Regency workbox, made for Lady Muncaster, granddaughter of the last Viscount and Viscountess of Temple Newsam containing all the requirements for an elite woman’s needlework.

26 Our COLLeCtiONs

Central to our service are the collections; an estimated 1.3 million individual objects, which include our historic buildings, across a vast range of disciplines.

Our collections derive from across the world, cultures and time – spanning some five billion years of Earth history. It is an ever-growing collection and this is only made possible through gifts, bequests, purchases and the generosity of a range of supporters and funders. Over £400,000 was raised in support of acquisitions.

Our COLLECtiOns

Our tOP tEn(ok, eleven) acquisitions for 2012-13

LOaNs We have sent our collections all over the UK and to italy, Japan, germany and Usa. that’s 1,118 items loaned to 171 venues worldwide, more than double the previous year.

10 gold post medieval seal matrix

Possibly a love token from the early modern period inscribed with ‘thy vertu merits more’ and featuring a distinctive bleeding heart motif.

8 elizabethan cup and cover

An Elizabethan silver- gilt cup and cover (now known as The Hurst Cup) made by Affabel Partridge, London, 1578 and was supposed to be a court gift from Elizabeth I.

4 Cauldron

Iron cauldron found bricked up in a basement in Spencer Place, Chapeltown, probably placed there by the original builders.

7 alexander mcQueen coat

A ‘military look’ coat from the autumn/winter 2012 collection of McQ by Alexander McQueen.

6 Pawnbroker’s balls

Pawnbrokers Balls from Zermansky’s Pawnbrokers, North Street, Leeds. Donated by the family of the late Pearl and Cyril Manning.

9 statues of Krishna and radha

Painted marble statues of the Hindu deities Krishna and Radha, dressed in gold coloured robes, headdresses and garlands, acquired from Leeds’ Hindu Temple.

11 Wheelchair rugby wheel from the summer 2012 Paralympics

Wheelchair Rugby Wheel used by Zak Madell while competing at London 2012 and signed by himself and the rest of the silver medal winning Canadian Wheelchair Rugby Team.

5 Paul de monchaux, song, 2005

Sculpture inspired by the life and work of Winston Churchill, this work was the culmination of the BBC Two series ‘Great Britons’ in which Churchill was voted overall winner by viewers.

28 Our maJOr exHiBitiONs

Over 15 major exhibitions over the last year – here are the highlights…

at a gLaNCe:■ silver 70s (Jan – april 2012)

Leeds City museum

■ Pharaoh King of egypt (Feb – June 2012) Leeds City museum

■ art on Our time(23 mar – 26 aug 2012) Leeds art gallery

■ Portraits of the Queen by Cecil Beaton (may – June 2012) Leeds City museum

■ Drawing : sculpture (sept – Nov 2012) Leeds art gallery

■ treasured! smuggled? stolen? saved? (July 2012 – Jan 2013) Leeds City museum

■ Dawn Chorus (sept 2012 – march 2013) Leeds art gallery

■ Contested ground (sept 2012 – July 2013) Leeds art gallery

■ Polychromies: surface, Light and Colour (Nov 2012 – march 2014) Leeds art gallery

■ the Northern arts Prize (march - June 2013) Leeds art gallery

■ Liberty and anarchy : Nike savvas (Dec 2012 – Feb 2013) Leeds art gallery

■ Natural Beauty (Jan – June 2013) Leeds City museum

■ Fate and Fickle Fortune (Jan – Dec 2013) abbey House museum

■ Northern Life and Landscape(Feb – Nov 2013) temple Newsam House

■ Duty Calls (march 2013 - Jan 2014) Lotherton Hall

■ Dressed For Battle (march 2013 – Jan 2014) Lotherton Hall

Our MaJOr EXHiBitiOns

Our Pharaoh King of Egypt

exhibition featured highlights from the British Museum’s world-class collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts, and explored the myths and realities of kingship, through an array of

fascinating objects, interactive displays

and family trails.

this exhibition travelled back to a time when high-waisted flares were fashionable, Leeds United were

FA Cup champions, furniture was brown and prawn cocktail was the height of sophistication!

PHaraOH KiNg OF egYPt February – June 2012

Leeds City Museum

siLVer 70s January – April 2012 Leeds City Museum

A BRIT ISH MUSEUM TOUR

11 February - 17 June 2012 FREE ENTRY Leeds City Museum Millennium Square, Leeds www.leeds.gov.uk/kingofegypt

Blue-glazed shabti of the pharaoh Seti I with a painted spell from the Book of the Dead. From the Valley of the Kings, Egypt, 19th Dynasty, c.1285 BC. © The Trustees of the British Museum

Supported by the generosity of the Dorset Foundation

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drawing Sculpture brought together a selection of artworks that explore

interconnections between the languages of drawing and of sculpture. They moved between these disciplines, using the medium of drawing to create works that might be defined as sculpture and the materials of sculpture to create three dimensional drawings. this unique exhibition showcased

80 works acquired for Leeds Museums and Galleries by Leeds Art Fund. In 2012 the society celebrated its centenary collecting over 430 pieces of art including work by Lowry, Warhol, Bacon and Turner. This exhibition brought a selection of these works together for the first time ranging from sculpture to painting.

POrtraits OF tHe QUeeN BY CeCiL BeatONMay – June 2012 Leeds City Museum

treasUreD! smUggLeD? stOLeN? saVeD?

July 2012 – January 2013 Leeds City Museum

DraWiNg : sCULPtUreSeptember – November 2012 Leeds Art Gallery

art iN OUr time23 March – 26 August 2012 Leeds Art Gallery

DaWN CHOrUsSeptember 2012 – March 2013 Leeds Art Gallery

this display brought

together new works acquired between 2011 and 2012 as part of the gallery’s new partnership with the Arts Council Collection supported by Christie’s.

Painting, sculpture and moving image by Tomma Abts, Becky Beasley, Varda Caivano, Ruth Claxton, Michael Fullerton, Graham Gussin, Georgie Hopton, Haroon Mirza, Elizabeth Price, Cullinan Richards, Ben Rivers, DJ Simpson, John Smith, Renee So, Jon Thompson, Bedwyr Williams and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye were seen together for the first time.

this regal exhibition, staged as part of the celebration of Her Majesty

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, was a touring show organised by the V&A, London and featured portraits of Queen Elizabeth II by royal photographer Cecil Beaton. The photographs of the British royal family by Sir Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) were central to shaping the monarchy’s public image in the mid-20th century.

© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

this intriguing exhibition displayed a number objects that had never been on public show. The exhibition

explored the unusual, and often exciting, journeys that objects undergo before ending up in museum collections. A shrunken head from Ecuador, a Buddhist skull cup from Tibet and a meteorite found in Kansas, were just a few of the items that have journeyed to Leeds. Developed, designed, curated and marketed by a team of Young People Treasured was part of the Stories of the world Cultural Olympiad.


LiBertY & aNarCHY: NiKe saVVasDecember 2012 – February 2013 Leeds Art Gallery

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Our MaJOr EXHiBitiOns

CONtesteD grOUNDSeptember 2012 – July 2013 Leeds Art Gallery

POLYCHrOmies: sUrFaCe, LigHt aND COLOUrNovember 2012 – March 2014 Leeds Art Gallery

On the occasion of the Leeds Art Fund Centenary this display draws on the

gallery’s rich collections, exploring the revision of the landscape tradition in British art throughout the last century and the meaning of that tradition for artists today.

the most prestigious art prize in the North

returned to the Art Gallery earlier this year with a new exhibition of work by four artists, each competing for £16,500 prize money and the title of sixth Northern Art Prize winner. It featured new and specially reconfigured work by shortlisted artists Rosalind Nashashibi, Emily Speed, Joanne Tatham & Tom O’Sullivan and winner Margaret Harrison with her two pieces ‘The Last Gaze’ and ‘In Common Reflections’.

Liberty and Anarchy rained down in a colourful display at Leeds Art Gallery with the first UK solo exhibition for more than a decade by Australian

artist, Nike Savvas

tHe NOrtHerN art PrizeMarch – June 2013 Leeds Art Gallery

Located in the newly refurbished

sculpture galleries this exhibition looks at qualities of surface in bronze, marble and stone sculpture, highlighting embedded, applied and reflected colour in work that ranged from Antonio Canova to Rebecca Warren.


Fate aND FiCKLe FOrtUNeJanuary – December 2013 Abbey House Museum

DUtY CaLLsMarch 2013 – January 2014 Lotherton Hall

DresseD FOr BattLeMarch 2013 – January 2014 Lotherton Hall

NOrtHerN LiFe aND LaNDsCaPeFebruary–November 2013 Temple Newsam House

NatUraL BeaUtYJanuary – June 2013 Leeds City Museum

abbey House Museum is hedging its bets during 2013 with an exhibition

looking at all aspects of good and bad luck.

the Duty Calls exhibition at Lotherton Hall is one of a series organised at

historic houses throughout the region in association with the Yorkshire Country House Partnership.

this exhibition explores how clothes and style have been effected by war

- from the clothes worn by those on the home front to the designers’ love of the military look.

this exhibition at Temple Newsam House, looks at works of art made

by the Leeds artist Julius Caesar Ibbetson (1759 - 1817) who painted life and landscape as he saw it.

natural Beauty was a two part special exhibition at Leeds City Museum that ran from 1st February 2013 to 30th June 2013. Part one was a natural history exhibition with

a difference as photographer Sara Porter focused on our collections examining taxidermy, insects, eggs and skulls. Part two of the project will be our own wildlife photography competition! The winners and runners up of this competition will be displayed in an exhibition running from January 2014 to July 2014 in the special exhibitions gallery at Leeds City Museum.

32 Our FeeDBaCK

Our FEEdBaCk

Wow!! A real amazing experience, learnt so many new things and had a really good day out! For free admission you cannot complain about anything, I would have definitely paid to go into this museum as everything was interesting! The best part was definitely seeing a real mummy! Mummy Nesyamun. It was so amazing, and really interesting! I went with my partner, and we found it great, great for all ages!! So much to see and do!!!!!

An excellent visitors centre that describes how the abbey operated in the past. It also has the river Aire running past, and makes it an even more attractive place. I loved the feel of the place, and it makes me jump every time I drive past it.

This is the most intriguing place. The way in which a complete range of equipment is run off water-wheels through belts, shafts and cast iron gears is a fascinating education.

Temple Newsam House is a real find, beautiful place and so many rooms to explore. I recommend to anyone this place. Lovely grounds and rare breeds farm to explore also.

This is a super Gallery that has some world class work in it – it is great to go back time and again and be inspired by what you see. It is perfect for a morning or afternoon and the range of work is excellent. It also has a superb craft gallery where you can buy some super quality work and then relax in the fine tiled restaurant.


It’s been an amazing year at Leeds Museums and Galleries. Watch this space.

Our most visited local attraction. A joy to watch our grandchildren enthusing about what is here from the jewel of the cobbled street and the shops of the time to the interaction projects and dressing up, they are always full of stories of the day on returning home.

We took the grandkids to this beautiful old house mainly to see the bird gardens, which was home to lots of different types of birds, from owls and parrots to flamingos. After enjoying a snack at the small café, we decided to have a walk through the Hall itself. We were pleasantly surprised at what we saw. A very good day out and within easy reach of the M1 motorway.

We visited Armley Mills yesterday and had a wonderful time. We were there for about three hours and all the staff were informative, helpful and friendly. We were treated to a very interesting talk and demonstration of how cloth used to be made. We loved the recreation of an old fashioned cinema and also seeing an old comedy film. The museum is in a lovely setting with canal side walks nearby where you may be lucky enough to spot a kingfisher.

What a joy and pleasure to see these exhibits. It makes me feel very proud to know that these amazing objects are on my doorstep.

Discovery Centre

Leeds Art Gallery Leeds

City Museum

River Aire

A65

A61

A64

M1

A1M

A1

M621

M62

Abbey House

Armley MillsIndustrial Museum

KirkstallAbbey

Lotherton Hall

Temple Newsam

Thwaite Mills

Ring Rd

York Rd

Water Mill

Museum

34 Our aUDieNCes

Who do we engage with across Leeds?

Our audiEnCEs

at Leeds Museums and Galleries, we build long-term sustainable partnerships. The map below shows all the organisations we interact with on a long-term

basis across Leeds. It includes, schools, libraries, arts organisations, other museums, universities, colleges and youth clubs.

KeY

Long term sustainable partnerships

schools

Libraries

Our sPONsOrs aND sUPPOrters 35www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries

Arts Council England

Heritage Lottery Fund

CC Imaging

AS Frames

Ark Display Graphics

Dale Photographic

Pictures Plus

The Grammar School at Leeds

Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society

The Civic Trust

The Thoresby Society

The Leeds Art Fund

The Friends of Leeds Museums

Morris & Co

The V & A Purchase Grant Scheme

The Princes Trust

Sound Leisure Ltd

Leeds Fashion Works

Leeds College Art and Design

Canal and Rivers Trust

Canal Connections

Hyde Park Source

BTCV

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

Breathing Green

The Art Fund

Hainsworth

Lt Col Henry and Mrs Patricia Hurst Bequest

Tomasso Brothers Fine Art

Corrocoat

Arts Council Collection Partnership supported by Christie’s

Australian Government/ Australian Council for the Arts

Brown Shipley Private Banking

Contemporary Art Society

Henry Moore Foundation

Logistik

Norwegian Embassy London/ Office of Contemporary Art Norway

Northern Art Prize

Park Plaza Leeds

A big thank you to all our sponsors and supporters over the last year.

Our sPOnsOrs and suPPOrtErsOur audiEnCEs

Follow us on Twitter @leedsartgallery

Follow us on Twitter @leedsmuseums

www.audioboo.fm/leedsmuseums

www.youtube.com/leedsmuseums

www.flickr.com/leedsmuseumsandgalleries

www.facebook.com/leedsmuseumsandgalleries

www.secretlivesofobjects.blogspot.com/


www.artspaceonline.org

www.mylearning.org


leeds museums and galleries

Documents

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interactive museum

successful year

major partner museum

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new status

century leeds