£4.57 million Heritage Lottery grant for transformation of Kelvin Hall

The Heritage Lottery Fund has announced a grant of £4.57 million for the redevelopment of Glasgow's Kelvin Hall which will include the creation of accessible museum storage for two internationally-important collections, and a new public research and learning base.

The project will transform the building into a new 'centre of cultural excellence' which provides collection storage, teaching and research and accessible museum storage for the internationally-renowned Hunterian and Glasgow Museum's collections. Around 1.5 million objects, currently stored in various locations around the city, will be relocated to the new facility.
 
The project is a partnership between Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Life, the University of Glasgow and the National Library of Scotland. The National Library of Scotland's Scottish Screen Archive will also be partners in the project which will provide a new home for the archive and improved access for the public to more than 100 years of Scottish history of film and video. A new digital portal for all three partners will bring the collections together online.



A community learning base will be created where the public can explore and learn about the collections, while a Collections Study and Research Centre will promote object-based research and teaching. Using the strengths of the partner organisations, a Centre for Cultural and Heritage Skills will be created as a national hub for in-service training, staff development and knowledge and creative exchange. The Kelvin Hall will continue to house sports facilities, with plans for a state-of-the-art Glasgow Club included as part of the redevelopment.

'A centre of innovation'

David Gaimster, Director of the Hunterian, said: 'This unique multi-partner museum facility at Kelvin Hall will become an international hub for collections research, teaching and learning. The creation of the Hunterian Collections Study Centre at its heart will raise a new benchmark around the world in museum practice and public engagement with collections. Its creation will cement The Hunterian's position as a centre of innovation in the museum world.'

The National Library of Scotland’s Chief Executive, Martyn Wade, said: 'The move to the Kelvin Hall will provide greatly enhanced access to Scotland’s moving image collection for use by researchers, learners and the public. We are incredibly excited to be part of this new cultural hub working in partnership with Glasgow Museums and The Hunterian to provide a rich, diverse centre for cultural excellence.'

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