The proposed Museum of Museums (MoM), due to open in Manchester in May, is causing concern among museum professionals.
Located in a former Argos distribution centre next to the Trafford Centre, it is targeting 750,000 visitors in 2010-11. The museum’s website bills it as a “proactive development of community and partnership relationships”, but many local museums know very little about it.
“They have not approached us, and colleagues in the area with whom I have spoken have not been approached,” said Nick Merriman, director of the Manchester Museum.
Jim Forrester, director of the Imperial War Museum North, which received £12.5m of funding from MoM’s parent company, Peel Group, said it had not been formally approached.
MoM’s museum development manager, Claire Hewitson, said the project would be funded entirely by Peel Group as a private enterprise, although whether it would offer free entry was still being discussed.
She added that it would be a forum for other museums to showcase their collections, focusing on objects from the past 150 years, themed around transport, sport, arts and regional industry.
However, Hewitson was reluctant to reveal what collections would be on display at the museum. “I don’t want to name names until all the paperwork has been signed off,” she said. She added that the museum was in contact with lower-profile museums and venues that would benefit from greater awareness.
Stuart Hilton, director of the Manchester Jewish Museum, said he had talked to Hewitson about an exhibition case representing his museum in MoM, but had not committed to anything. “It’s all a bit nebulous,” he said. “But we are going to keep a weather eye on this and see how it goes.”
Virginia Tandy, director of Manchester City Galleries, said she had a meeting scheduled with Hewitson.
Museum of Science & Industry (Mosi - pictured above) director Steve Davies said: “We are aware of this project but don’t yet have sufficient detail to understand how it might complement our own museum’s offer.”
Hewitson said about a third of MoM’s 300,000 sq feet of display area would be in use when it opened in May.
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