Change of direction for troubled national museum reaps rewards

THE DIRECTOR of a national museum which narrowly escaped closure said a subsequent decision to change its focus has been vindicated by a 25 per cent boost in visitor numbers.

Bradford’s troubled National Media Museum only avoided closure by its parent group in 2013 after a widespread outcry.

Reeling from the near-miss, and declining visitor numbers, museum chiefs opted to give the institution a greater focus on science, last year rebranding it as the National Science and Media Museum and opening a £1.8m gallery, Wonderlab, themed on light and sound.

The change was not without its critics. In particular, a decision to hand over Bradford’s acclaimed Royal Photographic Society (RPS) collection to London’s Victoria and Albert Museum sparked anger at the loss to the North.

But new visitor figures have provided the first reflection of how the public has responded to the changes.

They show 505,000 people came through the museum’s doors in the past year, a 25 per cent rise on the year before.

Director Jo Quinton-Tulloch said it was “exactly what we were hoping for” and showed that a science focus was proving a hit.

The display of astronaut Tim Peake’s Soyuz capsule for two months last year, as well as a host of temporary galleries and events, had all proved popular, she added.

She said: “The strong indication is that this new focus is the right focus for this museum and it is a really engaging subject area for families and for schools.”

Ms Quinton-Tulloch reiterated her view that relinquishing the RPS collection had been the right move.

She said: “I absolutely stand by the decision we took at the time. I think there is no question it was the right decision for this museum.”

While visitor numbers have turned a corner, there is still more work to do, said Ms Quinton-Tulloch, adding that the aim was to get the number to 600,000 by 2022.

But she said it showed Bradford had always deserved to retain its national museum.

“I have always believed that,” she said. “I think this museum has huge potential and I think there is still more to go. We have started this journey now and I think we have definitely reminded people we are here and we are doing really exciting things.

“I’m hoping people will now start revisiting us.”

An ambition to raise £5m to invest in further new galleries showcasing its collections is progressing. Museum bosses are expected to submit a bid for more than half of this amount to the Heritage Lottery Fund this summer. If this is successful, and the museum secures the rest of the money from other sources, a new Sound and Vision gallery could open by 2022.