Possible closure of (British) Theatre Museum

Fri Mar 3 09:46:18 EST 2006

Dear Colleagues,

The future of the (British) Theatre Museum is (again) in jeopardy.  The Heritage Lottery Fund just rejected its second application for funding.  Rumours abound: one of them is that the V & A will close the Theatre Museum site in Covent Garden and put everything into storage. We are being urged to write letters and / or emails of concern to Mark Jones, Director of the V & A (co-ordinates are listed below).  The opening days and hours of the Museum for research are already very limited and the staff is overworked.  Much of their collection remains uncatalogued: I met a retiring staff member last summer who told me that they have enough backlogged material to fill a football field.  In addition to getting in touch with Mark Jones, you can make your views known on a public site.  Go to http://theatremuseum.org/news_and_views/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=3
This site also has very useful links to comments by the public and quotations from the critics (with links to their full articles) about current and recent productions throughout the U.K. (with a concentration on London).  The information is not only helpful in figuring out which productions to see, but provides, from a scholarly perspective, what are often well-informed and articulate insights about recurrent issues in the creation and reception of British theatre.
--Denis Salter

What does the future hold for the Theatre Museum... 

Nearly 20 years after it opened, the future of the Theatre Museum is now uncertain following rejection by the Heritage Lottery Fund of its second application for funding. 
Recent press speculation has suggested that the V&A is likely to close the site in Covent Garden in order to save money, putting most of the collection into storage. 

A review is underway to examine all options for the future existence of the Theatre Museum in terms of the following: 
- the dedicated site in Covent Garden 
- the V&A site at South Kensington 
- the V&A store and study centre in Olympia 
- the Theatre Museum and V&A websites 

What are your views?

Last edited by admin on Thu Mar 02, 2006 5:05 pm; edited 2 times in total

This discussion thread is intended for Theatre Museum and other V&A staff to air their reactions to the following internal announcement: 

Future of the Theatre Museum 
23 February 2006 
To all staff at the Theatre Museum 

We thought that colleagues might appreciate an update on issues concerning the Theatre Museum, in the light of the recent decision by the Heritage Lottery Fund not to award a capital grant for redevelopment of the Covent Garden site. This decision has created some uncertainty for staff and there is also bound to be a degree of speculation in the press and other places. 

The Trustees discussed the future of the Museum at their meeting on 19 January (and the issue was also discussed by the Theatre Museum Committee on 14 February). The Trustees asked us to prepare a paper outlining options for the Museum, in the light of the HLF decision, noting that the Museum has now been turned down twice for capital funding. 

The review needs to report on a number of issues, including ideas as to how the Museum might be able to expand its exhibition programme (particularly touring); build on the success of PeoplePlay UK to accelerate the digitisation of the collections and improve on-line access; the right role for the education programme in the context of the forthcoming development of the Education Centre at South Kensington; and the potential for permanent displays at South Kensington. All of these areas, but particularly exhibitions and education, need to take account of the potential for partnerships with other major players in the performing arts (eg. National Theatre and the Royal Opera House) and our existing regional partners. 

This review will be looking at several options and one of those would be to leave Covent Garden. However, it should be stressed that the Trustees want information on several options and that no decision has been made. 

The review will probably be discussed at the Trustees meeting on 23 March. 

Ian Blatchford, Deputy Director 
Geoffrey Marsh, Director, Theatre Museum

      Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 11:38 am    Post subject: SAVE THE THEATRE MUSEUM   

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            Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 11:38 am    Post subject: SAVE THE THEATRE MUSEUM   

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      Dear Friends and Colleagues, 

      Some of you may have seen the disturbing gossip column piece in last Sunday's Sunday Times concerning the future of London's Theatre Museum. 

      This shocking and completely unexpected news has taken the museum staff completely by surprise, and the future now looks grim for the world's greatest collection of British theatrical memorabilia. The notion that Britain, of all countries, does not have a place in it's capital city for a museum devoted to the performing arts is incomprehensible. It is a national disgrace for a museum of such international standing to be closed in such a way, and I would urge you and/or anyone else you know who feels strongly about the future of the museum to write and protest to the Director of the V&A (who's decision this is) at the following address: 
      Mark Jones 
      Director 
      Victoria & Albert Museum 
      Cromwell Road 
      South Kensington 
      London SW7 2RL 
      email: mark.jones at vam.ac.uk 

      Regards 
      Patricia Daly 
      Dancing Times 
      45-47 Clerkenwell Green 
      London EC1R 0EB 
      UK 
      Tel: + 44 (0)20 7250 3006 
      Fax: + 44 (0)207253 6679 
      Email: patricia.daly at dancing-times.co.uk

      Last edited by TM Supporters on Fri Mar 03, 2006 1:25 pm; edited 1 time in total

__________________________________________________________
"When a people forget a language, they forfeit the heart of who they  
are and the ability to comprehend the stories that are central to their 
cultural, spiritual and emotional health."--Keren Rice.
____________________________________________________________________
"That's what hybrids were invented for: survival in changing ecologies."--Lisa Doolittle 
_______________________________________________________________________
"To celebrate this award, and the work it recognizes of those around the world, let me recall the words of Gandhi: 'My life is my message.' Also, plant a tree."  Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize for Peace.

__________________________________________________
Denis Salter
Professor of Theatre
McGill University
853 Sherbrooke St. West
Montréal, QC
H3A 2T6
Tel (514) 398 6550
Regular Fax (514) 398 8146
Computer Fax (309) 294 0444
denis.salter at mcgill.ca
d.salter at videotron.ca
__________________
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