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A personal view
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By Sally Manuireva
Project Manager Weston Park
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Museums Sheffield: Weston Park opened on 14 October 2006, welcomed over 5,000 visitors on its first day and reached its visitor target for the first year of operation within three months. This is a landmark moment for Museums Sheffield and for Sheffield and its residents, some of whom have been involved in the creation of this new museum. Major strides were made towards opening in 2005/06; the building works were finished, the fit-out started and the long-held vision for the museum started becoming a reality.
It has been a pleasure to work on the museum. I would like to take you on a walk through this incredible museum, in order to reflect on what has been achieved and to view the legacy created for future generations.
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Sally Manuireva and the Weston Park project team |
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The main entrance of the museum at Weston Park
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Even before entering the building, the scale and quality of the achievement is evident. The original Grade II* listed façade has been restored, under the watchful eye of the building team.
This historic building is now secure for decades to come and can retake its rightful place as an iconic building of the city. The majestic sweeping entrance now allows access to all visitors for the first time, leading one into the refurbished 1930s entrance foyer. A spacious café has been created and facilities of a standard for the 21st century visitor created.
There is a clear route around the whole building for the first time, as you are tempted through by the ever present natural light and variety of architecture.
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A museum for, and by, the people
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| Your first encounter with the new museum displays as you walk down the spine is Sheffield life and times, where you are struck by the wealth of faces and voices in the display. In planning the museum, the most difficult decision was which objects to display and how to interpret them. We were helped in this important challenge by the people of Sheffield, who voted for their favourite objects, nominated themes for displays, lent personal possessions and told their own stories to bring the collections to life. In Sheffield life and times, this is illustrated perfectly by the lovingly restored butchers shop from Attercliffe. |
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Opening day at Weston Park
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The primary aim of the project was to completely redisplay the collections and, in doing so, increase public access and learning opportunities. This has been achieved.
In fact, learning opportunities for schools, families and adults are embedded throughout the displays. Creating four new dedicated spaces for learning, including a family and school activity room on the ground floor and, on the first floor, a seminar room, a meeting room, a workshop and a lunch space, was a major aim of the project.
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Mr and Mrs Burton in front of the reconstruction of their butcher's shop
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I'd like to talk about our proudest achievements, the first being the voices and personal stories of people. Personally, I love the Corner Shop video in Sheffield life and times, which explores the important role of neighbourhood stores in diverse communities across Sheffield. This is just one of several initiatives and it is a major achievement that an expanded community team has been established across Museums Sheffield as a result of Weston Park. Furthermore, a capacity for displaying the outcomes of such initiatives has been created for the future. This will help ensure that Weston Park remains fresh and relevant for years to come and is an important legacy of the project. |
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| This responsiveness to, and engagement with, audiences is a real achievement. Despite the significant challenges of the project, Museums Sheffield has kept its promises and returned key items onto display, such as Snowy the Polar Bear, and reintroduced old favourites, such as live bees. |
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It is also a matter of pride for Museums Sheffield and its funders that the highest standards of building and exhibition work, and varied interpretative approaches have been achieved. There are a variety of films, computer and hands-on interactives which aid the interpretation of the collections.
Lots of these playful learning opportunities are aimed at children, such as the dressing up and crawl through tunnel under the oak tree. But this museum reconstruction of a 300-year-old oak tree is not just for children and young people; it is also for adults, whether visiting with their family, accompanying a school visit or making an independent visit. I am proud to say that this has been achieved.
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Discover the Nature Lab
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The About art display
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Visual art is an important element of the heritage of the site, so not only are paintings included in About art, Treasures and Sheffield life and times but we have also commissioned a number of working artists to produce elements for the building and displays. One of my favourites is Aggregation by Peter Griffiths which not only serves the practical purpose of stopping people walking into glass doors but also links back to the collections. I also love the tactile heads in About art, which I hope will inspire people to engage with art and to visit the Millennium Gallery and the Graves Gallery. |
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Situated towards the entrance of the museum, The Harold Cantor Gallery will provide a lively temporary exhibitions programme drawing themes and ideas from all these collections.
I hope that Weston Park will inspire learning, creativity and interest in human history, science and the arts and that it will attract visitors back again and again, by themselves, with family or with friends.
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Guests toast the launch of Museums Sheffield Weston Park
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Weston Park Museum was a finalist for the UK’s biggest arts prize. Click here to find out more about the Gulbenkian Prize 2007. |
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