Museum + Gallery visitor numbers 63% above target
Visitor numbers to the new £7.75 million St Albans Museum + Gallery were 63% above target during its first seven months.
More than 195,000 people visited the attraction between its opening in early June last year to the end of December – almost reaching the 12-month target of 205,000.
The figure is well in excess of the annual visitor numbers of 14,000 to 24,000 for the former Museum of St Albans in Hatfield Road.
Among other highlights of the first six months, volunteer workers clocked up 6,831 hours of service.
A number of awards have been won including the Hertfordshire Building for the Future Award which recognises sustainable design.
Interest in learning and educational activities has been strong with 54 sessions being held to 1,423 participants.
Interactive sessions for schools in the restored Edwardian courtroom, called History on Trial, are fully booked for the year ahead.
St Albans City and District Council transformed the Old Town Hall in St Peter’s Street into the Museum + Gallery.
An update on the first six months of its operation was given to a meeting of the Council’s Community, Environment and Sport Scrutiny Committee on Thursday 17 January.
The report said the Museum Service’s overarching aims are to develop the visitor experience by delivering more high-quality exhibitions and to increase income.
One key objective is to create a programme of changing exhibitions rather permanent ones, a new concept in the regional museums sector.
This move was praised by the Museum Association – the professional organisation for the heritage industry - in its review which described the Museum + Gallery as “a breath of fresh air”.
The review added: “The test of the Museum’s success can only be the sustainability of a provocative artistic programme, access to national exhibitions and local community partnerships. If St Albans Museum and Art Gallery can keep these alive, it will be an example to celebrate and follow.’
Feedback about the attraction from social media, comment cards and other sources has been continually evaluated and acted upon.
For example, the Sunday opening time was brought forward by one hour to 11am resulting in increased income from the café and shop.
The report revealed income from the café, run by contractors Leafi, is on target and numerous private hire events have taken place. These include weddings, book signings, civic functions and theatrical performances.
There are already 13 evening bookings for this year and Leafi are now recruiting a dedicated event manager.
The shop has been stocked with more products from local suppliers in response to demand while the layout is regularly rearranged to increase interest.
Late opening was trialled on the run-up to Christmas, but it was not shown to be cost-effective or beneficial to the public. It will, though, be tested again in the summer.
A Heritage Lottery Fund grant, currently financing several key posts including Conservator and Learning Officer, is due to end next year.
Councillor Anthony Rowlands, the Committee’s Chair, said:
The Museum and Gallery has got off to a very impressive start and appears to be meeting all its targets for visitor numbers and income.
The Committee was very pleased with the way this project is progressing and how much it is adding to the cultural life of the District. It is an inspiring example of what can be achieved by a Council by effective leadership and strong community participation.
However, the biggest challenge will be maintaining the excitement and visitor numbers over the long-term.
We will be monitoring the Museum’s performance closely to make sure this is done with one key issue being how the Council makes up for the eventual loss of Heritage Lottery Fund income.
Councillor contact:
Anthony Rowlands,
Chair of the Community,
Environment and Sport Scrutiny Committee
Tel: 07761-232064
Email: anthonyrowlands@hotmail.com
Media contact:
John McJannet,
Principal Communications Officer,
St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727-296130
Email: john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk