Croydon’s Savings Proposals - Museum of Croydon FAQs
What are ‘Croydon’s Savings Proposals’?
Croydon Council provides services to more than 386,000 people. We know how much you rely on us and how important it is that we spend your money wisely. We are now facing an unprecedented financial challenge with a £63m budget gap next year and although we have taken significant steps to address this, we need to do more.
Our absolute priority is to provide the everyday services that we all rely on and, if times get tough, to be there when you need us. To do that we need to live within our means. We are committed to offering the value for money and quality of care that our residents need and expect.
From collecting the bins to keeping our streets clean and safe, and protecting our most vulnerable residents, we will deliver essential services and deliver them well. Most of the council’s money – 57% – goes on supporting and protecting children and adults who need our help, with the rest on other local services like collecting your bins, leisure, libraries and looking after parks. We will still continue to do these things, but we have to make significant savings and we will concentrate our efforts where they make the biggest difference for people in Croydon.
To do this, we will change the way we work. We are completely clear that this will be hard: in the current financial climate it is not possible to carry on as we are and so some services will stop and others will change. Some of the proposals are ready, some of them need more work and others such as changes to libraries, require full public consultation which we will carry out early next year. We aren’t going to fix our financial problems overnight – we are at the beginning of a three-year savings programme, and there will be some difficult decisions to make. That’s why we want to be clear about what we need to do, to work with all our staff, residents and partners and keep you informed and involved every step of the way.
How does it relate to the Museum of Croydon?
The Museum of Croydon consists of the Archive Service, Research Room, Exhibition Gallery, Riesco Gallery and Atrium which are located on the ground floor of the Clocktower. This also includes the Museum Now and Then galleries upstairs.
What are the proposals specifically for the Museum of Croydon?
We want our museum and archives service to work more closely with libraries to deliver services within the community. Closing the museum gallery spaces upstairs for two years will enable us to focus our smaller resources on the Archive Service, Research Room, Riesco Gallery, Exhibition Gallery and Atrium downstairs.
We believe this is the best way to provide a public offer, safeguard the collection and ensure the sustainability of our service as we look forward towards the London Borough of Culture 2023. We are in discussion with regards to changes in the service with The National Archives and Museum Development Team and will be engaging key local groups as part of the engagement period.
The galleries
The Museum’s Now and Then galleries upstairs are in need of significant improvement work to ensure the objects are properly looked after, in line with museum collections care standards. We are proposing to close the galleries for 2 years so that we can take the most at risk objects from display to rest. This allows us to undergo a programme of collections work to ensure the objects in our care and ownership are best cared for.
At this point in time we are unable to fund the works that would be needed both to make the environment COVID-19 safe for the public and undertake the refurbishment and redevelopment works the building clearly needs. This is something we will need to return to in the future alongside other potential funders. We do plan to have unfurnished spaces open to host activities during 2023 for our Borough of Culture year hopefully in a COVID-19 free environment.
While the galleries are closed, we plan to deliver a programme of outreach activities in library spaces and other community venues around the borough, to promote the collections much more directly to communities and in a way which is co-designed with residents. We would also look to build on the success of our digital exhibition programme launched with artists during COVID-19. We believe working in an outreach way beyond the constraints of the Clocktower means we can deliver activity much more directly with and for residents and communities.
What would happen to the Archive Service?
We are proposing that the downstairs offer of the Archive Service, Research Room, Exhibition Gallery, Riesco gallery and Atrium remain open at a reduced level. The Research Room will operate as it has done prior to COVID-19, on an appointment-only basis for specialist access collections and public access to open display materials on Wednesdays and Fridays. We will also continue to answer enquiries remotely whilst looking to increase our digital service offer. The Archive Service, Research Room and ground floor offer will be integrated within the Central library team to ensure continuation of the service and protection of statutory duties.
Please note that all of the above is subject to COVID-19 restrictions and our decision when to safely reopen these spaces will be based on advice by our local public health team. We will continue to provide our remote enquiry service during this period.
Can we continue to volunteer?
We envisage and would certainly encourage continued volunteering in the Museum of Croydon. Due to COVID-19, volunteering opportunities are currently mainly remote, with some very limited on-site collections volunteering pending COVID-19 restrictions.
Once we are reopened, we would welcome help from our valued Visitor Services Volunteers in the Research Room, Riesco Gallery, Atrium and the Exhibition Gallery offer. This would include helping with collections tasks and providing support to visitors who visit the Research Room.
We will continue toincrease our remote volunteering opportunities which have been very successful and as we work through the collections care programme in the Now and Then Gallery will also be calling out for volunteers to help us with collections work.
What will happen to my items on loan?
Many of the items that are on display in the Museum Now and Then gallery are on loan by individuals and institutions which were collected when the Museum was formerly known as Lifetimes in the mid-90’s. This approach was incredibly innovative by allowing communities and groups to determine what stories of Croydon should be told and were often accompanied by an oral history which is held as part of the Museum’s permanent collection.
Many of these objects have been on display since the mid-90’s and are periodically renewed for loan on agreement with the lender. However long term loans of this kind can become problematic to museums or the lender as often contact with the original lender can be lost and the items kept on display too long without renewed loan conditions. It is possible to lose touch with the individual, the individual is harder to reach (therefore takes more time) or no longer wants the object. Good practice in museums is to do due diligence in searching for the lender for a specified length of time, then accessioning into the collection.
We are designing a programme of taking items off display from the Now and Then gallery. We will be in contact with each individual lender affected to see if they would like to see their items returned or if they would like to donate them to the Museum so that they can be accessioned. We recognise the stories behind these objects are incredibly valuable to revealing the experiences of residents and we would love to continue to share these where possible.
If my loan is past its renewal date or due soon when will I be contacted?
Due to COVID-19 and the current financial situation this process has slowed down. However we will be in contact as soon as we can. For outstanding loan renewals we abide by the terms and conditions as set out on the loan documentation until it is returned to its owner.
Are you going to sell any of the collection?
Croydon Council does not have any plans to sell objects from the collection.
Can I still access the museum collection?
Whilst the Now and Then gallery will remain closed we will continue to provide exhibitions in the Atrium and Exhibition Gallery pending COVID-19 restrictions. The Riesco Gallery will also be open in line with revised Research Room opening hours once finalised.
In terms of accessing collections on display we will endeavour to provide access remotely through our digital offer and answering enquiries remotely. Pending COVID-19 restrictions we may on exceptional cases as judged by museum staff provide physical access to objects through our Research Room. Our outreach programme working with libraries and other key venues will endeavour to explore and share our collections in more detail, particularly items in our store which have not been on regular display.
I have a query about my family history – can you still help?
We have continued to answer enquiries remotely via email and will continue to do so. We are also developing better user guides through our website to give information on what tools you can use to research as well as what we can make available digitally.
We will look to update our service provision including charging for our reprographics and enquiry service, for instance to undertake detailed research where physical research cannot be undertaken. This is in line with other statutory archive services and our updated charges will be based on similar archive services within other local authorities and in consultation with The National Archives.
Can I still visit to use the Research Room?
A limited appointment offer is available on Wednesdays and Fridays. From there we will build up the offer in accordance with our statutory role as an Archive service and a Place of Deposit. In line with our statutory duty we recognise we must provide physical public access to collections and therefore this will be offered when safe to do so. We will continue to provide a digital offer.
Will the Research Room remain free to access?
The Research Room will continue to be free to access. We will ask you to book an appointment if you wish to access archive materials not available on open access display in the Research Room to ensure we can retrieve the items in time. Publicly accessible materials on open access which you can view without appointment are listed on our website. Please note we are continuing to add to the Museum of Croydon collection pages, for any specific collections please get in touch.
Will you be putting on exhibitions?
Yes. Our exhibition offer is one of the key ways our residents can access the collection, reveal new stories and aspects of our heritage and also work closely with local artists and communities. Whilst the museum spaces upstairs will be closed, we will be delivering an exhibition programme in the Atrium and Exhibition Gallery once it is safe to do so. The Riesco Gallery will also be open in line with the Research Room offer.
It is also envisaged that exhibitions and displays will be made available through libraries and other key venues in the Borough as part of our outreach programme and also as part of the journey towards Borough of Culture 2023. We will also be continuing to build on our hugely successful digital exhibition offer.
Can I come in and use the computer to access Ancestry?
Following COVID-19 restrictions we will enable users to come and access the PCs for ancestry and other personal research. This will be in line with the revised Research Room opening hours once decided. Please note you may be required to book these in advance pending the availability of these resources.
Croydon Libraries also offer online resources as part of the Library Service’s information and learning offer. Details of which can be found here.
I am interested in putting on an exhibition – can I use your spaces?
Spaces such as the Atrium may be available for exhibitions, provided they fit within our exhibition programme and we will consider applications on that basis. Please get in touch via email if you would like to discuss. Please note charges may apply.
