Council set to confirm commitment to Berwick Museum

28 Apr 2023 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news

The council is set to confirm its long-term commitment to Berwick Museum in its current home. 

A report to the council’s Cabinet on May 9th is recommending approval to retain Berwick museum and art collections as part of multi-million pound Living Barracks initiative, albeit relocated from the Clock block to the eastern wing of the Barracks complex. 

The famous museum is home among other items to the Berwick Burrell Collection - over 300 oil paintings, watercolours, and drawings by masters including Degas, Boudin and Daubigny as well as locally-grown talents. 

The report to Cabinet states that ‘the combined collections provide an unrivalled historical record of Berwick that are fundamental to understanding the town’s past. They are unique, extensive and irreplaceable’. 

Alternative proposals put forward by Museums Northumberland for a standalone museum and art gallery for the town were carefully considered, but keeping the collection at the current site is the preferred option. 

There had been concerns as to where the collection would be housed pending the creation of a new museum in the early 2030s and whether a town the size of Berwick can sustain two museums. 

The report to Cabinet adds: “It should also be noted that the two options are not necessarily mutually exclusive.  The proposed cultural hub within the Barracks, depending on its success, could subsequently justify the development of a second, linked facility in the town to provide more gallery space.   

“Such a phased approach would reap all the benefits of better aligning the collections in upgraded and more accessible spaces.” 

Over the past two years, good progress has been made in taking forward the culture hub proposals within the Living Barracks with an initial sum of almost £5m secured to meet the total anticipated cost of around £12million.   

With the next funding application to be submitted by December 2023,  The Berwick Barracks Partnership had requested that, as a matter of urgency, the County Council make a final decision as to whether or not the Berwick collections are to form part of the initiative. 

 

The Cabinet report recommends that the Council ‘advise The Berwick Barracks Partnership of their intent to seek the retention of the Berwick collections within the Barracks complex as part of the Living Barracks initiative’. 

 

This will be subject to further discussions over the coming months to: 

• achieve the appropriate balance across the collections as to the material on permanent display, whilst recognising the scope for temporary exhibitions both on site and in other locations 

• review storage space for the collections, that can also afford the appropriate protection for sensitive artefacts 

• further develop the operating model to ensure the collections and the wider hub facility are managed appropriately, including the retention of museum accreditation.