The project was initiated by the Scottish Museums Council (SMC) and was in response to a survey of Scottish museums and galleries in 2004. 'We found they wanted to do something a lot punchier, more visible and shorter in length,' said Joanne Orr, the director of the SMC. 'And they wanted a Scottish-driven approach,' she added.
Early last year, the SMC formed an events group with the Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh city councils; the Highlands & Islands arts development organisation, HI-Arts; the National Museums of Scotland; and the National Galleries of Scotland.
By November 2005, the group had agreed a structure for Show Scotland modelled on similar events in New York and Amsterdam, and comprising an innovative events programme designed to attract new audiences.
Scotland has the UK's highest number per capita of small independent museums, many of which had no experience of running events. The SMC ran training workshops in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness to help address this.
'We produced toolkits about how to get sponsorship, handling PR, press and media, event management, event development and thinking creatively,' said Carl Watt, the assistant director of the SMC. 'We wanted to allow museums and galleries to take a calculated risk, to be creative and innovative and do something they wouldn't otherwise do.'
The SMC funded Show Scotland, distributing just under £35,000 to some of the participating organisations in the form of small grants, ranging from £100 to £1,500. The initiative was also supported with sponsorship in kind.
The tourism agency VisitScotland provided publicity via its website and information centres; the digital company Lightmaker developed a website www.showscotland.com; the publicity distribution firm Edinburgh Arts and Entertainment distributed posters and flyers; and the Sunday Herald newspaper produced a supplement.
One of the biggest organisations taking part was the National Galleries, which held a singles night, based on its exhibition Venus Rising, which focuses on love, sex and courtship. The event in Edinburgh, which included a tour of the show, informal presentations by curators and a glass of wine, wooed local art lovers - 300 tickets, priced at £5, sold out well in advance.
'It was important to us to link it to the collection so it was relevant rather than just a gimmick,' said Martin Reynolds, the head of marketing at the National Galleries.
Elsewhere, small independent museums also rose to the challenge. At the Inveraray Maritime Museum in Argyll, live music and boat trips on
the legendary Vital Spark proved popular, and almost doubled attendances. 'The interest that it's generated for our museum has been overwhelming,' said museum coordinator Ross Macdonald.
At the Scottish Mining Museum in Newtongrange, which received a £1,500 grant, a colliery brass band set the tone for an exploration of community culture. 'Coal mining often has this image of deep, dark holes with hard men working in hard conditions, but there was also a very rich cultural heritage - brass bands, but also poetry and painting,' said Fergus Waters, the director.
Culinary culture was at the heart of a Muckle Supper at the Corrigall Farm Museum in Orkney. 'We had just over 200 visitors that day,' said the museum's custodian Neil Leask. 'On a typical Sunday, we might be looking at 30-odd people.'
An evaluation of the event is already underway.
Early last year, the SMC formed an events group with the Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh city councils; the Highlands & Islands arts development organisation, HI-Arts; the National Museums of Scotland; and the National Galleries of Scotland.
By November 2005, the group had agreed a structure for Show Scotland modelled on similar events in New York and Amsterdam, and comprising an innovative events programme designed to attract new audiences.
Scotland has the UK's highest number per capita of small independent museums, many of which had no experience of running events. The SMC ran training workshops in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness to help address this.
'We produced toolkits about how to get sponsorship, handling PR, press and media, event management, event development and thinking creatively,' said Carl Watt, the assistant director of the SMC. 'We wanted to allow museums and galleries to take a calculated risk, to be creative and innovative and do something they wouldn't otherwise do.'
The SMC funded Show Scotland, distributing just under £35,000 to some of the participating organisations in the form of small grants, ranging from £100 to £1,500. The initiative was also supported with sponsorship in kind.
The tourism agency VisitScotland provided publicity via its website and information centres; the digital company Lightmaker developed a website www.showscotland.com; the publicity distribution firm Edinburgh Arts and Entertainment distributed posters and flyers; and the Sunday Herald newspaper produced a supplement.
One of the biggest organisations taking part was the National Galleries, which held a singles night, based on its exhibition Venus Rising, which focuses on love, sex and courtship. The event in Edinburgh, which included a tour of the show, informal presentations by curators and a glass of wine, wooed local art lovers - 300 tickets, priced at £5, sold out well in advance.
'It was important to us to link it to the collection so it was relevant rather than just a gimmick,' said Martin Reynolds, the head of marketing at the National Galleries.
Elsewhere, small independent museums also rose to the challenge. At the Inveraray Maritime Museum in Argyll, live music and boat trips on
the legendary Vital Spark proved popular, and almost doubled attendances. 'The interest that it's generated for our museum has been overwhelming,' said museum coordinator Ross Macdonald.
At the Scottish Mining Museum in Newtongrange, which received a £1,500 grant, a colliery brass band set the tone for an exploration of community culture. 'Coal mining often has this image of deep, dark holes with hard men working in hard conditions, but there was also a very rich cultural heritage - brass bands, but also poetry and painting,' said Fergus Waters, the director.
Culinary culture was at the heart of a Muckle Supper at the Corrigall Farm Museum in Orkney. 'We had just over 200 visitors that day,' said the museum's custodian Neil Leask. 'On a typical Sunday, we might be looking at 30-odd people.'
An evaluation of the event is already underway.
