Bradford Museums & Galleries Update

Rosie Crook, Interim Museums Manager

We continue to follow national guidance around managing the impact of Coronavirus (Covid-19) and we are reopening our sites in a phased manner.  

Bradford Industrial Museum is now open on reduced hours, allowing staff to prep daily for PPE, safe distancing. Open 10am to 2pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Closed Mondays. Next week we are aiming to open Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Lister Park. Cliffe Castle and Bolling Hall Museums aiming for early September. 

Please check the individual site pages for full details on our social media and website.

Did you know we have a fabulous Monday Club of volunteers at Bradford Industrial Museum?

Volunteer Edna, tells all below:

EDNA 

I have come regularly to the museum for almost 30 years as a member of the Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers and have been a weekly volunteer for almost 8 years. My main interest is in textiles and have been involved in cataloguing many different museum items, spent a lot of time with the West Yorkshire Textile Heritage project and have also done cleaning of the Mill Manager's House and stewarding.

DAVID AND GRAHAM

Both are Bradfordians and have an encyclopaedic knowledge of old Bradford. They have both been involved in the museum for many years. they are also both very interested in postcards, printing, photos.

DAVID and SUSAN 

They are both interested in everything and have a broad range of knowledge. David is very interested in art and Susan enjoys history.

EILEEN has done a lot of inputting and general cataloguing.

In recent times David and Graham have been working in the photo archive.  They have been looking at photos, many of old Bradford and cataloguing and scanning images.. Eileen has also been doing some work in the photo archive.

Susan spent a lot of time cataloguing some of the portrait photos of people in the Belle Vue Studio Photographic Archive which was recently the subject of a tv programme. She is now cleaning and conserving some of the many textile sample books. David and I have been working on cleaning, labelling and cataloguing some of the many unlabelled boxes of textile samples.

Over the lockdown, we’ve been chatting to our volunteers and asking them to share some of their stories about the experiences that they’ve had volunteering with us.  Anne Marie kindly shared her insight to volunteering with Visitor Services Assistant, Greg, in the weaving gallery at Bradford Industrial Museum.

Lockdown reading! Enjoy more blogs from our volunteers below:

First Day Day Invigilating by Richard

Volunteer Thoughts from Lockdown by David

Never Too Late for New Experiences....by Richard

Clangers, Bagpuss & Co, Museum of Childhood by Natasha, George, Magdelena and Pat

Catt Scott with Tony Bevan, RCA, Painter

Annabel with Nancy Honey, Photographer

Emily with the Young Open exhibition

A Year of Incredible Experiences! by Sam

Esther with Gruffalo and Julia Donaldson

Salma with David Hepher and Flowers Gallery; Animal Craft exhibition and Bradford Open

Upstairs, Downstairs at Cliffe Castle with Ian

Explore Cliffe Castle with 21st Century Technology by Lucy

Gemma with Anish Kapoor sculpture and Ian Beesley photography

Bradford Libraries Update

Christine May, Interim Head of Libraries:

I was very pleased to have the opportunity to meet many of our community library volunteers and co-ordinators on zoom a few weeks ago, ahead of starting to reopen libraries for Order & Collect, and subsequently to visit Burley Community Library recently – thank you for your warm welcome.  I hope to be able to visit all of the libraries and meet you in due course. 

In the meantime, I would like to pass on my thanks to all our volunteers for the amazing work you do, and to wish you well as you plan for more library re-openings.  There is a lot to consider and Mandy and her team will support you however they can.  We have all met new challenges and worked hard to open up our services in new ways that prioritise the safety of our staff, volunteers and customers.   There has been some great positive feedback from customers who really appreciate being able to borrow physical books again, and the personal way in which everyone has endeavoured to meet their individual needs. 

By the time you read this, we are expecting to have 17 out of our 29 libraries across the District open for some form of Order & Collect and / or home delivery service, and I hope that by the end of September most if not all will be open in this way. 

This is just the first stage of service recovery, and we are now planning the next stage - reinstating public PC access where we can during September - ahead of considering opening up to browsing and events when possible, whilst also looking to maintain and expand our successful digital offer.  

I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter

With my very best wishes

Get Involved! 

A range of exciting opportunities as a volunteer

We are very slowly reopening, ensuring safe pandemic practice, so are unable to welcome all our volunteers back just yet.

Bradford Libraries, Museums and Galleries are already trying to build relationships with diverse audiences. We use the word diversity in its broadest sense and look to recruit volunteers aiming to engage audiences of different ages, sexualities, genders, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds.

If you are one of our current volunteers and would like to share your experiences, please get in touch with Libraries, Museums and Galleries bmgvolunteers@bradford.gov.uk  t: 01274 436027

Volunteers contribute to libraries, museums and galleries in many different ways, from engaging directly with visitors to working behind the scenes with exhibitions, events and collections teams. They help to provide valuable services that we would not otherwise be able to provide.

Could you support our work by sponsoring, donating or volunteering? All opportunities have flexible commitment requirements and aim to provide a rewarding and enriching experience for all.

Corporate Volunteering - Share your team, resources and expertise!

Many businesses offer their employees an opportunity to volunteer in work time.

This is known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Employer Supported Volunteering and it can include fundraising for a group or even sharing expertise, resources and volunteering.

It can be a great way to support your civic museums/galleries and give your staff a rewarding and fulfilling experience in beautiful, unique spaces. Staff can volunteer independently or as part of a volunteer workplace scheme. It could be as part of a team away day or team building experience with colleagues.

Talk to us if your business or group would like to volunteer or if your organisation could benefit from business volunteering.

Volunteer Co-Ordinator, Libraries, Museums and Galleries bmgvolunteers@bradford.gov.uk  t: 01274 436027 Mob: 07976 747341

You can find lots more about volunteering roles in Bradford Libraries on the website by clicking here.  

Lots more too for Bradford Museums and Galleries volunteering roles by clicking here.

There are two groups who support sites across the district.

These groups are set up to promote enjoyment and interest of Bradford Museums and Galleries.

Friends of Bradford Art Galleries and Museums

By becoming a Friend you can offer support by:

• Paying an annual membership fee
• Fundraising for projects and purchases
• Serving as a trustee
• Helping at openings and events
• Working as a volunteer on conservation, research and development projects

You can become as involved as you wish and in return, your membership may bring:

• New member’s pack
• Mailings of what’s on and priority notice of private views, talks, openings and trips
• Discounts including up to 20% off purchases in BMDC museums shops
• Development of your own knowledge, interests and skills
• Opportunities to meet museum staff make new friends amongst the Friends

The Friends have special links with Cartwright Hall fArt Gallery, Bolling Hall Museum and Bradford Industrial Museum.
Contact fobagam1@gmail.com (registered charity 1108562, company limited by guarantee 5373709).
https://fobagam.wordpress.com

The Cliffe Castle Support Group

The Cliffe Castle Support Group support the work of Cliffe Castle Museum and Park, Keighley.

The group is working with the museum and park teams to promote all aspects of the historic museum and park

Contact them via Cliffe Castle Museum 01535 618231 or email ccsgteam@gmail.com.

They do not have a membership fee, and all the events they organise are free, although booking may be required.  They keep members informed of upcoming events and projects and actively encourage others to become involved.

You can help the Cliffe Castle Support Group by:

• Helping at openings and events
• Working as a volunteer on conservation, research and development projects
• Fundraising for projects 

Cliffe Castle Support Group