A £249,000 grant is to allow The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery at the University of Glasgow to carry out a ‘crucial’ scoping project to shape the future of its venues.
The award, from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, will allow The Hunterian to identify what is required to revitalise its ageing buildings, safeguard its important collections, and serve the needs of its communities.
The Hunterian Museum, housed in the University’s Gilbert Scott building, has been open to the public since 1870. The Hunterian Art Gallery, in the William Whitfield building, was constructed between 1973 and 1981.
Dubbed ‘Unlocking the potential of The Hunterian: The changing museum’, the project will look to create a clear plan and set of activities to understand what is needed to achive the transformational change.
Aiming to put people at the heart of the work, the university said that the project will take a participatory approach and build equitable relationships with stakeholders and communities, giving them a central role in defining what The Hunterian will be for the next generation.
Through a programme of survey work, consultation, collaboration and co-production, The Hunterian will explore barriers to inclusion, opening up the collections to more diverse voices and working with them to develop future programmes and displays.
Caroline Clark, The National Lottery Heritage Fund director for Scotland, said, “We are very pleased that thanks to National Lottery players we are able to support this important project and invest in the future of The Hunterian collections and Scotland’s oldest public museum. Generations of visitors and researchers have enjoyed and learned from The Hunterian collections and this project will help to ensure they continue to provide an important and relevant resource.”
Steph Scholten, director of The Hunterian, added, “We are delighted to receive this funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to undertake this crucial foundational work. When our vision is realised, our collections will be protected, displayed in revitalised, sustainable venues and will meet the needs of all of our visitors. We will work with our communities to give them a central role in shaping the future of The Hunterian, creating spaces where people can think critically, and can come together to both challenge and find common ground.”
