In brief | Latest news from museums, galleries and heritage

Tilly Blyth becomes director of Weald & Downland Living Museum

The Weald & Downland Living Museum in Chichester, West Sussex, has appointed Tilly Blyth as director.

Blyth has previously worked for national museums and the British Library, including 20 years at the Science Museum, London, where she was head of collections and principal curator.

She joins from the University of Leicester, where she was professor and head of the School of Museum Studies. Blyth holds various professional positions, including as a trustee of the Bletchley Park Trust, a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta), fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, and a member of English Heritage’s Blue Plaques panel. 

Blyth said: “The Weald & Downland Living Museum holds a special place in people’s hearts, telling the stories of rural lives and promoting interest in the preservation of our architecture and crafts. I am thrilled to be leading this jewel of a museum that has so much to tell us about living with nature, in our past and our future.”

Blyth takes over after six years of leadership from Simon Wardell, under whose tenure the museum won a range of tourism and heritage awards, undertook a £4m development project, carried out significant conservation projects on historic buildings and formed new educational partnerships.

Touring Exhibitions Group unveils new name and brand identity

The Touring Exhibitions Group is to change its name to The Exhibitions Group to mark its 40^th-year anniversary.

The group was founded in 1985 as an organisation supporting its 300 members to tour exhibitions in the UK and internationally. It receives an Arts Council England (ACE) Investment Principles Support Organisation in 2023 and will receive £160,000 of funding annually for three years.

The new name and accompanying brand logo is the result of a strategic review by the group’s trustees. It said in a statement: “Throughout our first year of ACE funding, we have worked hard to lay some robust foundations on which to achieve our objectives.

“Our work in 2024-25 includes an exciting public-facing transformation, which marks the start of a new chapter for the organisation, alongside the finalising of our ambitious five-year strategy.” 

It will roll out its new visual identity through an Instagram profile highlighting members’ exhibitions, an open-access LinkedIn group and a new website in 2025. Its annual networking and showcasting event, TEG Connects, will be rebranded Exhibitions Connect from 2025.

Clore Leadership gets £1.75m boost

Vivien Duffield has made a of £1.75m to the Clore Leadership Programme to celebrate its 21st anniversary and secure its future funding.

The Clore Leadership Programme emerged from Duffield’s idea to develop a generation of exceptional cultural leaders. Initiated in 2003 by the Clore Duffield Foundation, it set out to create the UK’s first cross-disciplinary leadership programme for the arts, cultural and creative sectors. 

Now recognised as a leading cultural leadership programmes, it continues to develop leadership potential across the cultural and creative sectors. The programme has developed a generation of exceptional cultural leaders and is supported today by a mix of private and public funding.

Since 2003, over 2,600 individuals have completed one of the Clore Leadership courses. These dynamic cultural leaders are committed to leading culture and have a diverse range of experience, skills, and expertise gained through their intensive development with Clore Leadership.

Clore Leadership alumni include Maria Balshaw, director of Tate; Axel Ruger, director designate of the Frick Collection, New York; Gus Casely-Hayford, director of V&A East; and Sara Wajid, Co-CEO of Birmingham Museum Trust.

Duffield, who is the life president of Clore Leadership, said: “I am so proud of Clore Leadership, all the brilliant people who have played a part in making it happen and all the talented and dedicated Fellows that are changing the face of the art world. As the programme comes of age, it is a pleasure to support the next phase, as Clore Leadership is more necessary than ever.”

BMAG unveils plaque dedicated to Benjamin Zephaniah

A blue plaque commemorating the Birmingham poet and activist Benjamin Zephaniah has been unveiled at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.

The plaque honours the late poet and his decades of work and activism in his home city of Birmingham and across the world.

The plaque was commissioned by the Nubian Jak Community Trust, which memorialises the historic contributions of Black and minority ethnic people in Britain and beyond, and has been co-sponsored by the National Trust and the Black Writers Guild.

The museum has put his typewriter on display this week as part of the next stage of the its phased opening.

Zephaniah, who died in December, was born and raised in Birmingham, where his earliest memories include writing poetry. His poetry was strongly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica and what he called ‘street politics’.

Qian Zephaniah, Benjamin’s wife, said: “Benjamin’s words and actions worked tirelessly to bring the histories, struggles, and triumphs of the community into the light. I believe Benjamin’s passion for truth and equality will continue to inspire future generations in Birmingham and beyond.”

Downpatrick Railway gets flood donation from Down Cathedral

The flood-hit Downpatrick & County Down Railway (DCDR), Ireland’s only full-size heritage railway and museum, has received a £2,650 donation from Down Cathedral following a fundraising gala concert held in June.

In November 2023, rising water levels causing significant damage to the museum’s tracks, rolling stock, and heritage infrastructure. The railway, a charitable volunteer-run social enterprise and important local tourist attraction, faced substantial repair costs, with estimates suggesting a need for upwards of £250,000 to cover restoration and preventive measures against future flooding.

The cross-community concert drew strong support in aid of the railway’s ongoing Flood Relief Appeal.

Robert Gardiner, chairman of the Downpatrick & County Down Railway, expressed gratitude to Down Cathedral and the community for their solidarity and support, saying: “This generous donation will significantly help with our ongoing efforts to repair the flood damage and protect the railway for future generations. The support we’ve received truly shows how much the railway means to the people of Downpatrick.”

The railway was recently given the final sign-off from the Northern Ireland Rail Safety Authority to resume train operations in time for its Halloween Phantom Flyer, although more flood repair work will be ongoing in the background.

National Coal Mining Museum apprentices recognised

Two apprentices from the National Coal Mining Museum have become the first in the country to complete an important industry qualification around working in an Underground Environment, ran by the Mineral Products Qualifications Council. 

Luke Firth and Stanley Carter completed the qualification while studying for an electrical apprenticeship at Wakefield College and working underground at the museum to gain practical experience. 

The award marks the first time such a programme has been undertaken at the museum.  

The museum said: “Being able to work in such a unique environment, with the dedicated support from the mining team has offered a fantastic opportunity for the apprentices.”  

Shaun McLoughlin, mine director, said: “We are incredibly proud of our apprentices. Their achievements highlight the importance of learning in a practical environment and the unique opportunities that working underground in a mine provides.

“Being the first students to achieve this qualification is a real testimony to their hard work, and we are delighted to have been able to support them throughout.”