SELLING EGYPT
Two Opportunities for Artists to explore museum collections
The Atkinson, Southport and West Park Museum, Macclesfield
Introduction
Selling Egypt is a project that focuses on the relationship between collections, creativity and enterprise, and in particular
the Ancient Egypt collections of museums in the North West. This is a small-scale, ambitious project - a catalyst for a
group of museums to think differently about their collections, to test new ideas and ways of working in how they ‘sell’ their
collections – intellectually, creatively and commercially. It has been supported by Arts Council England as part of its
Strategic Support Funds for museums; the project is one of 11 museums in the North to have successfully secured this
funding. It is a 12-month project during which we want to explore many different aspects of our Egyptian collections.
There are two opportunities for artists to explore our collections and develop creative responses; one opportunity is to
work with the Ancient Egypt collections at The Atkinson, Southport, and the other opportunity is to work with the Ancient
Egypt collections at West Park Museum, Macclesfield.
Background Context
The North West has the highest concentration of Egyptology collections outside London, major collections in Liverpool,
Manchester and Bolton, plus smaller collections in Blackburn, Burnley, Macclesfield, Southport and Kendal, have
collections amounting to nearly 70,000 objects as a result of collecting by wealthy industrialists. This critical mass and its
links to the heritage of the region have been the starting point for our project - recognising that Ancient Egypt is woven
into the unique narrative of the North West’s heritage.
Selling Egypt is a partnership focussing on maximising our collections; it is being developed by The Atkinson, Southport;
Bolton Museum; Towneley Hall, Burnley; Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery; West Park Museum, Macclesfield. The two
artist Commissions are part of this project, but based at just two of the partner venues.
Our collections provide unique insights to the civilisations of Ancient Egypt, but reveal much about Victorian England,
presenting another strand of the history of the industrial revolution. In the 1880s Egypt was of the moment; interest in
Ancient Egypt was fashionable and affordable – it was the thing for up and coming wealthy industrialists to invest their
wealth in and give themselves cultural standing. It was relatively little known, and excavated material may have been
more affordable at a time when classical antiquities were out of reach. It reflected a preoccupation with individual
improvement; and the roots of civilisation. Another narrative is about 19th century women as sponsors, patrons, travellers,
explorers and archaeologists, without whom our museums would not have remarkable collections.
Summary
The available budget for each Commission is £4000 + VAT; plus £500 for expenses.
Artists are invited to apply by submitting a proposal that includes:
 A concise description of your work, cv including referees, and outline of why you are interested in the opportunity
 Up to 10 images of relevant work
 Which collection – The Atkinson or West Park – you wish to work with, or whether you are happy to be considered
for both
 How your work and practice relates to the collections, including relevant experience
 Your approach to the Commission – with an approximate idea of how many days you would expect for research
and development; An indication of how many days you will work on the Commission and daily rate
Deadline for applications for these Commissions:- 12noon Friday 11 July 2014
Key staff from both organisations will be involved in selecting artists for these Commissions.
It is conceivable that a short-list of artists may be interviewed in the week beginning 21st July.
The Commission will be awarded by Friday 25th July, and needs to begin by early September at the latest.
Further information about both Commissions: Jane Brown, Museum and Gallery Officer, The Atkinson
+44(0)151 934 2054, Jane.Brown@sefton.gov.uk
Commission 1:
Artist Commission to work with the Goodison Egyptology Collection, the Atkinson, Southport
The Atkinson has been awarded almost £1m Heritage Lottery Funding to develop new museum spaces as the final part of
its ambitious refurbishment programme. The new museum provides, for the first time, modern display spaces with high
security and environmental controls. It also puts on display The Goodison collection of Egyptology for the first time in
nearly half a century.
This collection contains 1,000 of funerary and domestic artefacts dating from the Predynastic Period (before 3100 BC) to
the Coptic Period (c2nd century AD). The main part of the collection came from Mrs. Goodison who lived in Crosby and
travelled in Egypt during the late 19th century bringing back many artefacts which she later bequeathed to Bootle Museum.
When the museum closed in 1974, the collection was relocated to Southport where it remained in store, unable to be
displayed because of the lack of appropriate conditions.
When the new Museum opens in autumn 2014 the Egyptology collection will be focus on enormous interest from visitors,
not just because of the level of public interest in Ancient Egypt, but because the collection is so little known. Whilst it does
not compete with National Museums Liverpool and Manchester Museum’s collections – it was described by the Secretary
of the Institute of Archaeology at Liverpool University, as ‘the best small one that I have ever seen”.
Brief
Many objects in our collections are not monumental, representing instead the small scale evidence of daily life and ritual,
of body adornment, games and domestic activity. There are numerous objects that you could hold in one hand, that give
an insight to the visual imagery, the art and craft traditions and techniques of the Ancient Egyptians. In our museum
displays we are increasingly focussing on life than after-life, on real people rather than mummified bodies.
The Goodison collection focuses on small scale objects from everyday life with a particular focus on body adornment and
beauty: kohl pots, perfume bottles, beads and beadwork, amulets, rings, earrings, bracelets, even sandals; on games:
dice and gaming pieces; plus small figures, scarabs, shabtis and small decorative fragments. The moulds for coins and
amulets are particularly interesting to be used by contemporary makers. In terms of two dimensional imagery, the
collection of stele, tomb scenes, papyri, statuettes are visually striking and beautifully composed.
Aims
We want to make the most of the opportunity of the launch of the new museum by offering an artist or maker the
opportunity to explore and develop a creative response to The Goodison Collection. By involving artists and makers we
want to bring our collections to life, increase public engagement with original uses and meanings, as well as increasing
understanding of original processes and technologies involved in their creation.
We hope to find an artist or maker whose work has strong potential to develop as part of The Atkinson’s retail offer related
to the museum – possibly jewellery, textiles, works on paper or small scale objects. We are keeping this brief deliberately
open, but the retail offer is an important part of our ambitions for this Commission.
The Atkinson is offering an artist a Commission to : explore the collection and create a body of work that expresses their response to the objects and images in this
collection
 document and capture the research and development process for this body of work
 develop a 'limited edition' or group of works inspired by collections that could be progressed to sell in our shop.
 contribute research, development sketches and processes plus final works to a small touring exhibition that we
hope to develop early in 2015.
The Atkinson may negotiate with the artist to develop the work produced for sale in our Shop.
Project Management
The Commission will be managed by The Atkinson’s Museum & Gallery officer. Selling Egypt is part of a regional
partnership and progress on the Commission will be shared with the wider group.
Other Staff from The Atkinson: The Director and Commercial Development Manager will be involved in any discussions
and negotiations with the artist regarding selling work in the Shop. The Marketing team will liaise with the artist regarding
all press and publicity related to this Commission. The Community Partnerships Officer will liaise with the artist regarding
any related learning or engagement opportunities that extend this contract.
Commission 2:
Artist Commission to work with the West Park Egyptology Collection, Macclesfield Museums
West Park’s Egyptology collection was gifted to the people of Macclesfield by Marianne Brocklehurst, a remarkable,
pioneering woman of the Victorian era, and a talented artist and diarist in her own right. This Commission offers the
chance for the chosen artist to work with the objects, themes and stories of the West Park collection, from the everyday to
the extraordinary, and to design a range of products which, though firmly rooted in the traditions and imagery of Ancient
Egypt, has been created to appeal to the contemporary audience and customer.
Marianne Brocklehurst, the daughter of a prominent silk manufacturer in the town, travelled to Egypt in 1873/4 with her
friend Mary Booth - the travelling companions being known as the MBs. On their travels they met with Amelia Edwards
who became influential in British Egyptology. The collection started in the bazaars of Cairo and continued throughout the
trip. In Nubia, the MBs became fascinated with Nubian women and bought some of their silver bangles. At Luxor they met
the Abs el-Rasul brothers who had discovered the mummies of the pharaohs of the new kingdom in Cache I, and MB
bought five royal shabtis from them. She later purchased a mummy case for Shebmut.
The MBs last trip to Egypt was in 1890/1 when Cache II was discovered in the courtyard of Hatsheput’s temple at Deir elBahari, Western Thebes. Most importantly they were eyewitnesses to the event, and Marianne recorded it in two
important watercolour sketches. These appear to be the only eyewitness pictorial records of this event.
A number of donations and additions to the collection came to Macclesfield via the Egyptian Exploration Fund, and from
archaeological digs (including some by Flinders Petrie), creating a small, but very significant Egyptian collection,
including:- Cartonnage masks, mummified crocodile, ibis, hawk, cat, strings of beads, earrings and rings. Amuletic figures
and scarabs. Shabti figures. ‘soul’ houses. Polychrome-painted wood Shabti box. Polychrome-painted wood figurine of
Ptah-Seker-Osiris. Canopic jars. Palettes. Bronze figures of Queen Tye, Isis, Osiris and a cat representing Bast
Aims
Macclesfield Museums would like to offer an artist or maker the opportunity to explore and develop a creative response to
The West Park Collection. By involving artists and makers we want to bring our collections to life. The focus of the brief
will be to develop items which can add to the museum’s retail offer – possibly jewellery, textiles, works on paper or small
scale objects.
Macclesfield Museums are offering an artist a Commission to: explore the West Park collection and create a body of work that expresses their response to the objects and
images in this collection
 document and capture the research and development process for this body of work
 develop a 'limited edition' offer, together with a group of works designed to appeal to different categories of
customer (including school visits) inspired by our Egyptology collection, which will be produced to sell in our shop.
Project Management
The Commission will be managed by Macclesfield Museum’s Operations Director. Selling Egypt is part of a regional
partnership; a parallel Commission is taking place with the collections of the Atkinson, Southport; and progress on the
Commission will be shared with the wider group.
Other Staff from Macclesfield Museums, including the Museum Director and Retail Manager will be involved in any
discussions and negotiations with the artist regarding selling work in the Shop. The Marketing Officer will liaise with the
artist regarding all press and publicity related to this Commission. The Education Manager will liaise with the artist
regarding any related learning or engagement opportunities that extend this contract.