Contemporary Collecting Wales – year two.
The Contemporary Collecting Wales project was able to continue in 2012-2013 with funding from CyMAL Museums Archives Libraries Wales.
John Marjoram, Museum and Heritage Consultant continued to deliver the project guided by the Steering Group of museum curators.
Year two of the project consisted of three main parts:
1. A survey of Welsh museums about objects of post 2000 date in their collections and how they reflect contemporary collecting activity
in other ways.
2. A public survey conducted by a market research company.
3. A series of workshops for museum staff to discuss issues around contemporary collecting to gather evidence of attitudes and activity
within the sector.
1. The Museum Survey
The 2012 survey followed on from the survey of sports collections (post 1950) undertaken in the previous year, and gives a good impression of
what contemporary collecting is being done by museums in Wales. The response rate for the 2012 survey of post 2000 material was 75% which
gives confidence in the resulting conclusions. The following is a synopsis and commentary on the results. Appendix 1 shows the survey form.
In general collecting of modern material is limited. Although most collecting policies include the acquisition of contemporary material (‘up to the
present day’ being a typical phrase) many are limited by a strong emphasis on a local connection. Although this has often always been the case,
in a time of mass production of many artefacts, often overseas, making a connection to the locality is difficult and potentially stifles collecting
zeal. Much collecting is reactive – either by occasional donations from the public, or more often by curators reflecting specific local events such
as changes in buildings (often recording by photo only), local elections, the millennium, and cultural festivals (eisteddfodau, the Urdd) etc.
Curators may feel they are being proactive in this respect but it can make for an unrepresentative sample. Some collection activity has targeted
ethnic minorities, new communities and marginalised members of society but whilst a valid area for collecting this too can skew how collections
will be viewed in the future, without clear evidence of why it was done, and how and why other collecting was ignored.
Numbers of items collected are usually very small – often less than 10 items reflecting the last 12 year period. Advice is needed for museums to
emphasise within collecting policies the importance of contemporary collecting by the inclusion of specific wording or encouragement. It should
be possible to tease out local connections to meet collecting requirements if an item is important. There should be no conflict with a museum’s
geographical collecting area as the obvious local items will be collected and in any case mass produced objects are used in every place. However
wording needs to be precise to ensure that museums are not seen as dumping grounds for recent material.
Although we don’t do much active contemporary collecting, we do feel that it is important and worthwhile. We do not have a separate
contemporary collecting policy or statement – we felt that this is already a natural part of our collecting policy which states that we collect to tell
the story of the area ‘up until the present day’. However, we would like to create a more targeted approach when time allows, which will mean us
contacting local organisations for contemporary materials. [local authority museum collection manager]
Collecting can often be driven by the interest of the curator – as happened in the past. In contemporary collecting it is important to harness such
enthusiasm within a framework. Pembrokeshire Museum Service has a good collection of computer games from the 1980s onwards owing to
the interest of the curator, although ironically collecting has recently ceased due to storage limitations.
Curators have of course to be careful when collecting owing to constraints in capacity whether in staff time or storage space – they are much
more circumspect than perhaps curators were in the past. In the past a wider variety of material had a strong local connection – made in the
area, or sold in a locally owned shop. However this is not necessarily true nowadays and there is a danger of losing a continuity of collecting that
makes museums what they are. Museums should not stop collecting because circumstances have changed but must reflect these changes in
their collections so that the shift can be interpreted in the future. Objects are available with the related history, context and supporting stories –
an opportunity not often afforded for historical collections.
Defining significance will be important in developing contemporary collections and CyMAL has recently launched a significance toolkit.
Significance of modern items may be harder to define. Curators are unwilling to rationalize older collections to make room for modern especially
if significance is not proven. However using the significance tool across the board in any collection reviews is essential.
Long term significance may be hard to judge. Significance might be addressed through strategies to review material culture at least on a 10
yearly basis to ensure that collections are refreshed - this might best be done in partnership. Otherwise collections could become fossilized
consisting of only objects which have a specific local back-story. In that case the object could become less important. There is a danger of
creating bigger gaps in collections – lamented by curators in historical collections (if only …). If proactive or targeted collecting of the ‘ordinary’
depends on the context that curators now seem to demand, this should not be so powerful an issue to stop ‘general’ collecting. Do we wait 50
years and then try and replicate but will it still be comprehensive? Museums must record at least a cross section of material that should be kept.
Otherwise there could be significant gaps that are difficult to fill in the future.
The notion of collecting items from the present that may be expected to have some historical significance in the future could turn out to be a very
expensive bit of gambling at a time when resources to care for existing collections are scarce. Having said that, controlled collecting for specific
purposes can add value to a museum. [independent museum director]
Curators should also be aware of the advantages of building on the strengths in their existing collections or special collections. There is little
evidence from the survey that this is being done.
However there are some good examples of proactive collecting to complement existing collections – Swansea Museum acquired the last axel
produced at the Ford factory in Swansea which closed in 2006, and Wrexham Museum was given one of the final traditional typewriters
produced in the UK at the Brother factory in Wrexham which ceased production in late 2012. Swansea Museum is one of the most active in
collecting a range of contemporary objects (over 100 items from 2000).
Military Museums in Wales continue to proactively collect – they realise that reflecting the conflicts and deployments of their regiment is an
important continuum. By collecting the contemporary they can also relate real testimony to objects and capture a variety of material which
otherwise would be very difficult to acquire in the future (using lessons learnt from the past).
The Cardiff Story is proactive as it is a new museum whose ethos is to collect the contemporary (not only objects but also digital stories) as there
are few existing collections available. They specifically work with communities and also link to community held collections - some of which are
contemporary. Whilst contemporary collecting is important it is seen by The Cardiff Story as part of their wider historical collecting – there is no
distinction. Over 230 items dated since 2000 have been collected (in addition to digital capture of stories and events).
Llangollen Museum is a good example of a local volunteer run museum which is recording and collecting the contemporary to reflect local
changes and events. Again this is a relatively new museum so they realise the need to build collections that can be acquired easily whilst still
working within in its acquisition policy.
St Fagans: National History Museum – has collected 150 items of post 2000 date, some building on existing collections (e.g. the Urdd), and
others specifically to reflect modern life such as changing technology. They are also targeting collections from new communities to balance and
enhance existing collections. This latter activity compliments/overlaps with that done by The Cardiff Story.
AC-NMW industry department has employed curator dedicated to modern and contemporary industry since 1999. It has a separate
contemporary collecting policy and is active in acquiring important industrial material made in Wales. Some recent examples include many
objects from BP Llandarcy and Baglan Bay before they closed, and specialist clothing produced by a Welsh company. However there seems to be
little evidence of working with local museums in coordinated collecting (see Swansea Museum above).
The Royal Mint Museum based in Llantrisant, is a specialist museum with a specific remit to collect any new items produced by the Royal Mint. It
thus is an avid collector of contemporary material!
Some museums see their collections as closed as they have a defined remit. This particularly applies to National Trust property collections which
often relate to a particular family or the building, and others such as those relating to an historical individual (Robert Owen Museum; Lloyd
George Museum) or a small specialist museum such as the Barmouth Sailors Institute. However even for these museums contemporary
collecting can be relevant by providing modern comparators and bring a story up to date – the cooperative movement for Robert Owen, and
conflict and social issues in the case of Lloyd George for instance. Many other museums that are unwilling to collect the contemporary would be
enhanced by acquisition of new objects that compare with historic collections e.g. kitchen equipment etc.
Museums that may not be active in actually collecting contemporary material may organise temporary exhibitions with contemporary input such
as contrasting historical objects with new; links with new communities, and local events and issues. Opportunities for collecting are often
ignored. Consultation with communities is seen as contemporary work, and organising exhibitions of contemporary work by local artists is often
seen by some museums as the limit of engaging with the contemporary.
It is very easy to see the debate about contemporary collecting only in a social or local history context. The irony of contemporary collecting for
museums is that art galleries have been doing it for years. It is seen as the norm and risks are taken although there is an element of peer review
of this modern material which ensures that, in general, works of art collected have long term significance. Results from the survey of post 2000
collections show that art galleries are by far the most active in collecting the contemporary - School of Art Gallery and Museum Aberystwyth
300+ acquisitions, Ceramics Gallery, Aberystwyth 130+, and AC-NMW Art Department well over 200 works of art.
The Geology, and Biodiversity and Systematic Biology Departments of AC-NMW also see collecting as a continuum and do not differentiate the
contemporary. Although these types of collection are often ignored in the contemporary collecting debate, they are collecting in a contemporary
context all the time. Some recent examples include collecting of marine material during the continued mapping of biological communities of the
sea floor around Wales, and the rescue of fossils from sections exposed in works for a new road in South West Wales. Perhaps some lessons can
be gained from these subject areas.
1.2
A Distributed National Collection (DNC)
The concept of a Distributed National Collection in Wales was first identified over 10 years ago. It is now included within A Museum Strategy for
Wales where an action is to ‘discuss and define (the) concept of a distributed National Collection’ within the lifetime of the strategy (2010-15).
The distributed national collection has been defined by Jane Henderson as ‘the objects and records that provide the evidence of the history of
the people of Wales. The collections that tell the story of Wales are kept across the nation by a diverse range of organisations. Museums,
libraries and archives ……….all hold items of cultural significance that combine to tell the story of Wales. There is a distinction between
collections which are nationally significant within themselves and those which combine to form our national collection. Objects and documents
that tell the story of ordinary people and daily life may not individually appear to be significant yet collectively they have a unique value and a
vital contribution to make to understanding and sharing our heritage’.
Responses to the survey show that museums across the sector are in general agreement with the concept of a DNC but there is some reluctance
to consider the practical details particularly how it relates to acquisition polices that only specify local material, storage issues and how it would
be managed. With good strategic direction the concept could certainly work and the possibility of using contemporary material as a pilot would
be beneficial. DNC was a long term aim of the contemporary collecting project. A good exemplar would convince curators of the wider benefits.
It would help by highlighting what others are collecting or not collecting in the field, and those that have the capacity and the willingness to
collect generic material.
1.3
What is contemporary?
One of the major issues for curators is defining what constitutes a ‘contemporary’ object. This is not a new issue and there are many viewpoints
as shown in Owen Rhys’ book. 1950 was chosen as the start date and this is reflected in the preferred definition of many curators of ‘during my
lifetime’. However this is a rather arbitrary definition as it depends on the age of the curator, or indeed who they may be dealing with! Post
World War Two is also another definition as being a moment in the 20th century when defining social and political change was made. However as
time progresses, keeping a defined point becomes outdated. For many younger people (even curators) the 1940s and 1950 are certainly
historical. For others the 1960s define a major change in social attitudes and increasing use of new technology, and the public see objects from
that period at least as being ‘modern’ if not ‘contemporary’.
Museum professionals who have a specific contemporary remit work within a much shorter time frame – a rolling 5 or 10 year period is the
norm. For most general curators this is difficult to accept as much other general collecting depends on a degree of (perceived) knowledge and
information that proves the object is significant in contributing to the story that is expected of museums. This may be backed up with written
evidence of significance and the ability to talk to peer groups (e.g. SSNs).The significance of many recent items (perhaps with the exception of
some aspects of technology) is difficult to gauge over such a short period. Curators do not seem to be willing to risk collecting items that may not
be of interest in the future. Often indiscriminate collecting in the past ensures that stores are full both of items which should be disposed of but
also of items whose significance, ironically, has risen over the years. Being bold in contemporary collecting will ensure collections have this
richness in the future.
1.4
Summary of attitudes to collecting the contemporary
Barriers identified by curators include:
Limitations of collecting policies either by time or having local focus. Local politics often do not allow the collecting of non local material thus
stifling growth in this area. Policies restrict and do not provide a springboard.
Not being proactive for fear of going it alone. There are no characters in collecting nowadays!
Contemporary is too uncertain a term.
Capacity – both staff and particularly storage.
Lack of knowledge including details of collections already held elsewhere plus a lack of a mechanism to share that knowledge.
Serious conservation issues – many recent items are mass produced, often a mix of new materials, with the added complication of electronics.
Many are designed to be thrown away, and therefore deteriorate quickly. They are therefore seen as difficult to preserve. Guidance will be
provided as a result of this project.
Lack of finance for purchases in a market where any modern objects seems to have a value (e.g. eBay). Acquisition budgets have disappeared or
are under threat.
Inability to let go in the context of sharing collections via a DNC.
A need to sort out existing documentation and storage issues first before considering further collecting (collecting moratoriums).
Need for strategies - none at present.
Worry of replicating indiscriminate collecting in the past – so unwilling to even collect today!
How do we challenge these barriers which were confirmed in the workshops that were run with museum staff? Will a new younger generation
of curators have different attitudes? Volunteer run museums tend in the main to be run by an older generation and may not be as interested in
contemporary collecting but those who have been engaged in the project workshops are beginning to think differently, or at least think about
the issues. Some curators think the public is only interested in historical material but the public survey shows at least a third are interested in
modern objects. Working with younger people as curators will also bring new perspectives. The pressure needs to be maintained to ensure the
issues continue to be discussed across the sector.
2. The Public Attitude Survey
A public attitude survey was commissioned as part of the project from Beaufort Research as part of one of their Wales Omnibus Surveys. A total
of 1009 interviews were conducted throughout Wales in November 2012. Questions asked included if the public would be interested in seeing
modern objects in museums; what types and if this would make museum visiting more likely. Answers were analysed by if the interviewee was
an existing museum visitor or not. List of all questions in Appendix 2.
The results included:
36% of the sample visit a museum at least once a year; 46% have never visited a museum. 44% of those who did visit found the experience
better than expected, only 8% thought it worse.
A third of the public would be interested in seeing contemporary material in museums but generally historical collections are seen as more
important to the majority of visitors and potential visitors. Interestingly those who already visited were a much higher percentage.
There was a split between those wanting to rationalise existing collections to make room for modern material and those against this idea, but
rationalisation had higher support from current non visitors. However in general having modern objects on display would make little difference
to existing visitor patterns – it would bring very few new visitors. This was an interesting if disappointing result!
When asked what type of modern material museums should be preserving there was considerable interest in acquiring and showing modern
technology - 25% of respondents mentioned this area. It is seen as significant even if not ‘local’. Art/music or film garnered 4% support and
transport a similar amount. Surprisingly sport had only a few mentions. Museums may lose connections with the public if they do not show
collections that the public expect.
Detailed results available separately.
3. Other work
Four workshops for museum staff were held in Welshpool, Bangor, Carmarthen and Newport. Unfortunately some were affected by adverse
weather and had to be rearranged. A total of 23 people (paid and volunteer) attended covering a wide a variety of museums. Using a number of
actual contemporary objects (mobile phone, camera, plastic bag, sports equipment) as prompts, the workshops discussed many of the issues of
concern to those working in museums. These included what should be a collected (if at all), collecting policies, conservation issues, a Distributed
National Collection, and how partnership working can be used in collecting contemporary material. The workshops were well received and
there were a number of positive learning outcomes for participants. The major outcome was that people now had the information, and an
awareness, to actively consider contemporary issues when collecting.
Information collected as part of the survey on the DNC was made available to CyMAL.
The public attitude survey results were shared with CyMAL and the Museums Association.
A report on conservation issues affecting contemporary material was commissioned. This will be made available to museums and additionally
be uploaded to the Federation Rhannu knowledge sharing site.
The exhibition of contemporary sports material continued throughout the year. This both provided an opportunity to inform the public but also
to inform the museum community.
Publicity for the Contemporary Collecting Wales project was undertaken at every opportunity. In particular I attended a seminar on
contemporary sports collecting held at the National Football Museum in Manchester (and made some useful contacts), and also attended
meeting of contemporary collecting curators held at the Museum of London.
An article on the project has been accepted, and written, for a forthcoming book ‘Collecting the Contemporary’ to be published by Museumsetc.
4 Outcomes
Outcomes against the original project aims are shown in Appendix 3.
5 The future.
There is still much to do especially keeping momentum. Curators are interested in the issues but at the present time contemporary collecting is
not a priority for the majority. There is the opportunity to use contemporary collecting as a pilot for the DNC but this needs capacity and
commitment. There is clearly a need to continue the work of the steering group even if mainly by email. Organising seminars and workshops on
contemporary collecting issues will keep the pressure on the sector to take the issues seriously.
APPENDIX 1
Contemporary Collecting Wales
Museum Survey 2012
Background
Contemporary Collecting Wales is a strategic project that will provide guidance, and help museums make decisions about collecting
contemporary/ modern material. This survey is intended to provide a snapshot of current collecting in this area to help towards this goal. The
more comprehensive information we have the easier to identify the issues so please make the time to fill it in. It has been made deliberately
short to help the busy curator or volunteer!
Important - Definition – contemporary for this survey means items that date from / relate to any time since the year 2000. The survey is NOT
about general collecting in the last 12 years but is only about collecting items (objects or information) that can be dated within the timeframe
2000-2012. Please ask if you are unsure.
N.B. Please include sports items (within the above definition) even if included within last year’s survey.
1.
What items has the museum collected since 2000 that specifically are modern/ contemporary i.e. date from between 2000 to 2012?
(please list on a separate page if many items).
2.
What other work does the museum do that includes/covers contemporary issues (not covered by formal collecting)? Examples may
include temporary exhibitions, oral history, activities and events, handling collections etc.
3.
Do you undertake proactive contemporary collecting? How does your museum ‘engage ‘with contemporary issues? If so, what is the
driver e.g. significant events, filing gaps, comparisons with older collections, government agendas etc.
4.
If you DO NOT collect contemporary items please explain why (for example may not be within your acquisition policy; capacity or
storage issues).
What barriers (if any) are there to your museum covering contemporary collecting and contemporary issues?
5.
Do you support the concept of a Distributed National Collection (DNC) in collecting ‘non local’ contemporary items so that in future
museums in Wales can adequately reflect contemporary/modern life?
6.
If you are a specialist museum or have specific special collections are you adding to this collection by collecting contemporary or related
material?
7.
Any other comments welcome here.
Return survey to John Marjoram by end of November. john@arenig.demon.co.uk
I appreciate your time in completing the survey. Thank you, diolch yn fawr.
APPENDIX 2
Public Survey
SHOWCARD
Q1. Approximately how many times year do you visit a museum?
1. 10 or more times a year
2. About 5 to 9 times a year
3. 3 or 4 times a year
4. About twice a year
5. About once a year
6. Less often
GO TO Q3
7. Never
GO TO Q3
Q2. Thinking about the museum(s) that you have visited in the last year, overall,
how do they tend to compare with your expectations? Are they usually…?
READ OUT
1. Much better than expected
2. A little better than expected
3. About the same as you expected
4. A little worse than expected
5. Much worse than expected
6. Don’t know / can’t say
SHOWCARD
Q3. How interested would you be in seeing collections of modern themes and
objects from the last 10 years or so, at a museum?
1. Very interested
2. Fairly interested
3. Not very interested
4. Not at all interested
5. Don’t know
Q4. If a museum was thinking about preserving iconic objects form the last ten
years or so for future generations to see and enjoy, which objects do you think they
should keep?
WRITE IN
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Don’t know
SHOWCARD
Q5. If a museum was interested in introducing a modern collection, but had limited
space available, which of these do you think best describes how you would feel
about this?
1. I’d rather they didn’t introduce it if it meant getting rid of older collections
2. I’d be happy for them to get rid of older collections to make more room for this
3. I wouldn’t want to see modern collections added at all
4. Don’t know / not sure
SHOWCARD
Q6. If a museum showed modern objects from the last ten years or so, do you think
that would make you more or less likely to visit, or would it make no difference?
1. It would make me much more likely to visit
2. It would make me a little more likely to visit
3. It would make no difference
4. It would make me a little less likely to visit
5. It would make me much less likely to visit
6. Don’t know / not sure
APPENDIX 3
Activity (based on 2012-13 CyMAL
application and original MA application)
Outcomes
Evaluation of outcomes
Undertake further surveys of
existing post 1950 collections in
Wales – one comprehensive
survey of an aspect of
contemporary collecting to be
undertaken in this year
Survey undertaken of post 2000 material –
75% response rate. Data analysed and
incorporated in report.
Increased museums’ knowledge and
understanding of contemporary collecting.
Changed attitudes of staff to contemporary
collecting
Address the concept of a dispersed
national collection (DNC) to feed into
a strategy for future collecting of
modern items, including drafting a
strategy for future collecting and
disposal
Information gathered through survey, and
discussed in depth at workshops.
Information analysed – passed to CyMAL.
Knowledge and understanding of DNC
raised, links to wider strategic agendas.
Relates to DNC above.
Help rationalise decision making
Disposal not an issue as few objects in
when acquiring and disposing of
collections.
contemporary collections.
Encourage museums to undertake
collection reviews where needed.
Raising analytical skills
Advise museums of a form of words
to add to their collecting and disposal
policies to enable them to collect and
dispose of relevant items (this would
include long-term and permanent
transfers)
Not thought to be necessary by many
consulted. Need to provide a reinforcing
statement to consider contemporary objects
in all collecting.
Knowledge and understanding of position of
museums in contemporary collecting.
Changing behaviour of staff to CC.
Establish a means of recording and
disseminating information about
contemporary collections in
Inconclusive results – further work needed.
Further work needed to define how
information (and what information) can be
provided, and in what form, can reach all
museums in Wales (either through
the establishment of an independent
website and/ or working with Peoples
Collection Wales or the
establishment of a SSN)
sections of the museum community.
Prepare guidelines for conservation
and storage of contemporary
collections, building on some
preliminary work currently being
undertaken.
(External Consultants)
Work commissioned and in process of
completion.
Information provided and to be disseminated.
Valuable resource created.
Encourage the creation of
exhibitions of contemporary
culture as part of the development
of a Wales wide collection
strategy
Discussed at workshops. This is a wider
issue that contemporary collecting.
Further work needed within the museum
community as to the viability of, and capacity
needed, for touring exhibitions.
Create an archive of information
about people’s attitudes to their
material culture by commissioning
a survey during 2012 on public
attitudes in Wales to collecting
modern material – external
supplier. Link this to information
from visitors to touring exhibition.
Survey undertaken and results in report.
Strengthens understanding of public
attitudes –museums can be more responsive
to communities in what is collected. Links to
museum strategy elements (GLSOs)
Challenge perceptions (both
within the museum profession and
with the public) about what we
should be collecting.
Workshops, and public survey
Raising skills in considering significance
when considering acquisitions
Encourage
partnership
working Discussed in workshops especially the DNC
regarding the collection and display
of contemporary items in museums
across the country
Not in CyMAL application
Review progress against long term
objectives in MA Project and plan
further work/funding
Results useful for further work on DNC to be
undertaken by CyMAL.
This review
Ongoing capacity needed (either through
steering group or otherwise)
Continue to oversee touring
Contemporary Sports exhibition
Exhibition continues (to June 2013)
Exhibition has certainly been a success
(from feedback from public and museums
themselves).
Links with Fed Natural History
Collection Project
Evaluation
Link made but project started later than
expected.
Undertaken (including this document)
Programme for 2013-14
To be discussed in light of the outcomes and
evaluation in this paper.