From the Victoria and Albert Museum targeting hiring more male employees, to Somerset House reopening after last week's fire — here are the biggest museum, art and heritage stories from the UK over the past week.
UK heritage crime rises
Heritage sites across the UK are reporting an alarming increase in crime over the past year.
A staggering 92% of sites have said they’ve suffered a crime over the last 12 months — ranging from anti-social behaviour, physical abuse of staff, theft of metal, damage by vehicles, and even the theft of oil. The findings come from new research by the heritage insurer Ecclesiastical.
More sites had to temporarily close because of crime in 2023. 35% were forced to shut their doors compared to 30% the year before. Incidents of petty theft have also jumped, with 32% of heritage leaders reporting cases in the past year compared to 27% in 2022. Due to the increase in threats, 95% of organisations have introduced new measures to protect their organisations and deter criminals during the past 12 months.
The research comes just weeks after a major theft of unique Bronze Age treasures from Ely Museum, and the introduction of body-worn cameras for some staff at English Heritage sites.
Somerset House reopens after fire
London’s Somerset House will begin a phased public reopening tomorrow after a major fire shut the arts venue for a week.
25 firefighters and 20 engines originally helped to tackle the blaze which ignited last Saturday. There were no reported injuries. The Courtauld Gallery which is in the vast arts complex was unaffected and all the artworks were safe.
Yet the fire caused significant damage to the building’s west wing and it took 7 hours to extinguish. Speaking at the scene, London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Keeley Foster said: "The fire was located in part of the building’s roof space. The age and design of the building proved a challenge for crew.”
Visitors can from tomorrow return to exhibition The Lore of LOVERBOY. A spokesperson said the organisation was “very moved by expressions of support from around the world” since the fire.
British Museum's Hotung bequest
The full valuation of a 2022 bequest of Chinese antiquities to the British Museum has been revealed for the first time. Sir Joseph Hotung’s gift of nearly 300 pieces was worth £123 million, making it one of the most valuable donations in the museum’s history.
Hotung had long supported the museum, most notably resulting in his name on the China and South Asia gallery. At the time the bequest was announced, the museum hailed it as “one of the most significant bequests” it has ever received.
Khaleb Brooks chosen for Transatlantic slavery memorial
A 7-metre-tall bronze cowrie shell by artist Khaleb Brooks has been unveiled as the winning design for London’s new Transatlantic slavery memorial. The most popular of six designs in a public vote, it’ll be installed outside the London Museum Docklands.
Paid for by £500,000 of public funds from the Mayor, “it will sit well, both aesthetically and in terms of scale, with London Museum Docklands as its background” according to the museum’s Director Douglas Gilmore.
V&A wants to hire more men
The V&A has set an ambitious target for the next year — to hire more men. Currently 26% of the 1,000-strong staff are male, and the museum — which is currently hosting a hugely popular exhibition on Taylor Swift — says it wants this to increase to 30% by April.
The gender split is much more stark than other museums. For example the Natural History Museum next door reports a 60 per cent female to 40 per cent male employee split.
A spokesperson for the museum said they had "made good progress in recent years on creating a diverse staff body, but have more work to do on gender, ethnicity and social class.”
Ken Dodd museum coming to Liverpool
Liverpool is getting a £15m new museum to the late Sir Ken Dodd. The (brilliantly named) Sir Ken Dodd Happiness Centre will provide a permanent home for the comedian's entire archive, and the Happiness exhibition which was a smash hit at the Museum of Liverpool and closed in July.
Planning permission was granted last week with the aim of opening the venue in time to mark Dodd’s 100th birthday in 2027.
Gladiators of Britain exhibition announced
Think gladiators only battled to the death in Rome? Think again. A major new exhibition from the British Museum is to tour the country to explore the importance of this bloody spectacle in Roman culture in the British Isles.
It’ll open at the Dorset Museum in Dorchester before trips to Northampton, Chester and Carlisle. A major highlight will be the Hawkedon Helmet, the only confirmed piece of gladiatorial armour found from Roman Britain.
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