The theme for Museums and Galleries Month this year is ‘Making Connections: Past, Present and Future’, which is being interpreted by institutions in a variety of ways. The theme also underpins three debates during the month, which look at the role of the museum in connecting to the past, present and future. These debates are aimed at anyone who is interested in the role of museums and galleries in society today.
High profile chairmen, James Naughtie, Dan Snow, Gillian Reynolds, are lined up to manage the speaker panels and to handle questions and comments from the audiences at the three museum locations, The Wallace Collection (15 May), National Portrait Gallery (18 May) and Museum of London (22 May). The museum directors of each institution will be on hand to welcome the audience.
Each event will conclude with a wine reception sponsored by Heath Lambert, Blackwall Green.
Details as follows:
Making Connections: The Future – Creating Tomorrow's Heritage
Enjoy a discussion on the challenges of collecting contemporary art and objects for the future. What are the barriers to innovative collecting: lack of funding, courage and vision or a failure to grasp the diverse cultures which now make up Britain? Hear what others have to say and join in with your own views in this lively evening debate, organised in conjunction with VAGA (Visual Art Galleries Association). The Director of the Wallace Collection, Rosalind Savill, will welcome the audience.
The debate will be chaired by James Naughtie. Other speakers include David Barrie, Director of the Art Fund, Dr Mike Phillips, Trustee, Heritage Lottery Fund and Julia Peyton Jones, Director Serpentine Gallery.
Venue: The Wallace Collection
Monday 15 May
6.30pm – 8.30 pm
Booking: Tel. 020 7563 9551; bookings@wallacecollection.org
Cost: £8 (£5 concessions)
Making Connections – the Past
This debate considers the role that television and film can play in interpreting historic collections and the past. It asks whether the current fashion for documentaries and fictional dramatisations of the past can help or hinder public understanding of history and whether they extend or distort knowledge of past events. This debate takes place on the eve of the premier of the Da Vinci Code – a drama which starts at The Louvre and finishes in the tiny Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland. Sandy Nairne, Director of the National Portrait Gallery will welcome the audience.
Chaired by Dan Snow, broadcaster and historian other speakers include Robert Hewison, author and journalist, Mark Wallis of Past Pleasures Ltd – specialists in reenactments, Richard Farmbrough, Managing Director, Reef TV, producers of The People’s Museum to be shown on BBC2 during May and Sandie Dawe, Director of Communications, VisitBritain.
Venue: National Portrait Gallery
Thursday 18 May
7.00pm – 8.30pm
Booking: www.npg.org.uk
Cost: £5 (£3 concessions)
Making Connections: The Present – The Global Museum
Should museums be obliged to play a role on the international stage? Some argue that they are indispensable to rebuilding national identity and therefore an integral factor in peace building. Others suggest they should be making a contribution to development in third world countries. But what qualifies museums to deal with such political issues? Are there dangers in this approach, which means they would be better off concentrating on their own collections, back at home? A potentially controversial Museums and Galleries Month debate in conjunction with the Institute of Ideas.
This debate will be chaired by Gillian Reynolds, radio critic of the Daily Telegraph, Chairman of Trustees of the Charles Parker Archive, Trustee of National Museums Liverpool. Speakers include Professor Jack Lohman, Museum of London, Claude Ardouin, Head of the Africa section, British Museum, Tiffany Jenkins, Institute of Ideas, and Henrietta Hopkins, Hopkins Van Mil, an international consultancy for innovative collaborations.
Venue: Museum of London
Monday 22 May
6.30pm – 8.30pm
Booking: 0870 444 3850
Cost: £7.50 (£5 concessions)
