Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) has awarded £450,000 in capital funding to museums across Scotland, including a grant of £40,000 to Renfrewshire Council to showcase its Paisley Ceramics Collection, and £7,305 to the Grampian Transport Museum Trust to improve its lighting.
Douglas Connell, MGS chairman, said: “These awards represent a significant investment in Scotland’s museums sector. It is particularly pleasing to see the grants benefitting such a wide geographical spread of museums across the country.
“MGS experienced huge demand from the sector and additional funding from the Scottish government has allowed us to increase support for projects that will help to ensure their long-term sustainability.”
The next closing date for applications to the fund is 10 October 2014. Awards will be announced in late December 2014.
Aberdeen City Council
£40,000
Aberdeen City Council will create effective and accessible storage for the painting collections held at Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museum.
Grampian Transport Museum Trust
£7,305
This award will enable the museum to replace the outmoded lighting with energy-efficient lighting that will not only improve the visitor experience but also result in lower running and maintenance costs.
Scottish Maritime Museum Trust
£14,584
The Museum plans to replace the roof above its boat shop with insulated sheeting that will provide protection as well as energy savings.
Dumfries and Galloway Council
£23,900
The award will allow the council to purchase four display cases that will provide improved access, security and environmental conditions.
The new cases mean greater flexibility when planning exhibition spaces for future temporary exhibitions.
University of Dundee Museum Services
£32,407
The University of Dundee Museum Services will replace its museum database. The MGS funding will also support costs to employ a part-time role to manage the data transfer.
Leisure and Culture Dundee
£35,000
This award will enable the purchase of a suite of display cases that will allow Leisure and Culture Dundee and Tayside Museum Forum members to share and display local and national collections across multiple venues.
Fife Folk Museum Trust
£40,000
The museum is using the opportunity provided by the construction of the new visitor centre to also upgrade their display and security.
The award will support work to purchase and install new display cases that will improve access to and awareness of its collections.
City of Edinburgh Council
£30,343
The council will enhance displays at the Museum of Edinburgh with the purchase of high specification display cases.
The installation of portable walls will revolutionise how and what the museum can display creating more ambitious exhibitions and a more interesting visitor experience.
Heriot Watt University
£40,000
This project will transform the entrance to the University Museum to make it much more accessible and welcoming to visitors.
East Lothian Council
£14,616
The council will replace its existing unsuitable collection storage with racking suitable for specific objects in its collection.
This will include dedicated wardrobe wracking for costumes and hats, drawers for the archaeology collection and deep shelving for the natural history objects.
The project will result in more efficient use of space and time and will allow for a revision of the collection database.
Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS)
£39,225
This award will enable SRPS located in Bo’ness to replace the doors on their Running Shed with a robust doors made in the style of a historic railway engine shed.
North Lanarkshire Council
£26,000
This award will improve the care of and access to the social history collection in Summerlee Museum.
Outdated storage systems will be replaced and improved to create opportunities for increased public access to the objects.
Orkney Islands Council
£25,790
The funding will support the conservation of artefacts in the collection as part of the wider Scapa Flow Visitor Centre and Museum restoration project.
Renfrewshire Council
£40,000
The council will create publicly accessible storage and a study area to showcase its important Paisley ceramics collection.
When complete, items from the collection will be housed in glass-fronted units, which will dramatically improve the visitor experience.
West Dunbartonshire Council
£40,000
This award will support a project that will see a significant proportion of the collection sent for conservation work and the construction of a purpose built environmentally controlled storage area for the fine art collection.
Douglas Connell, MGS chairman, said: “These awards represent a significant investment in Scotland’s museums sector. It is particularly pleasing to see the grants benefitting such a wide geographical spread of museums across the country.
“MGS experienced huge demand from the sector and additional funding from the Scottish government has allowed us to increase support for projects that will help to ensure their long-term sustainability.”
The next closing date for applications to the fund is 10 October 2014. Awards will be announced in late December 2014.
MGS Capital Fund awards
Aberdeen City Council
£40,000
Aberdeen City Council will create effective and accessible storage for the painting collections held at Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museum.
Grampian Transport Museum Trust
£7,305
This award will enable the museum to replace the outmoded lighting with energy-efficient lighting that will not only improve the visitor experience but also result in lower running and maintenance costs.
Scottish Maritime Museum Trust
£14,584
The Museum plans to replace the roof above its boat shop with insulated sheeting that will provide protection as well as energy savings.
Dumfries and Galloway Council
£23,900
The award will allow the council to purchase four display cases that will provide improved access, security and environmental conditions.
The new cases mean greater flexibility when planning exhibition spaces for future temporary exhibitions.
University of Dundee Museum Services
£32,407
The University of Dundee Museum Services will replace its museum database. The MGS funding will also support costs to employ a part-time role to manage the data transfer.
Leisure and Culture Dundee
£35,000
This award will enable the purchase of a suite of display cases that will allow Leisure and Culture Dundee and Tayside Museum Forum members to share and display local and national collections across multiple venues.
Fife Folk Museum Trust
£40,000
The museum is using the opportunity provided by the construction of the new visitor centre to also upgrade their display and security.
The award will support work to purchase and install new display cases that will improve access to and awareness of its collections.
City of Edinburgh Council
£30,343
The council will enhance displays at the Museum of Edinburgh with the purchase of high specification display cases.
The installation of portable walls will revolutionise how and what the museum can display creating more ambitious exhibitions and a more interesting visitor experience.
Heriot Watt University
£40,000
This project will transform the entrance to the University Museum to make it much more accessible and welcoming to visitors.
East Lothian Council
£14,616
The council will replace its existing unsuitable collection storage with racking suitable for specific objects in its collection.
This will include dedicated wardrobe wracking for costumes and hats, drawers for the archaeology collection and deep shelving for the natural history objects.
The project will result in more efficient use of space and time and will allow for a revision of the collection database.
Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS)
£39,225
This award will enable SRPS located in Bo’ness to replace the doors on their Running Shed with a robust doors made in the style of a historic railway engine shed.
North Lanarkshire Council
£26,000
This award will improve the care of and access to the social history collection in Summerlee Museum.
Outdated storage systems will be replaced and improved to create opportunities for increased public access to the objects.
Orkney Islands Council
£25,790
The funding will support the conservation of artefacts in the collection as part of the wider Scapa Flow Visitor Centre and Museum restoration project.
Renfrewshire Council
£40,000
The council will create publicly accessible storage and a study area to showcase its important Paisley ceramics collection.
When complete, items from the collection will be housed in glass-fronted units, which will dramatically improve the visitor experience.
West Dunbartonshire Council
£40,000
This award will support a project that will see a significant proportion of the collection sent for conservation work and the construction of a purpose built environmentally controlled storage area for the fine art collection.
