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Category: British Motor Museum
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The British Motor Museum is delighted to announce that it has secured a further £225,000 per annum from the Arts Council for the period 2023-2026 as a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO). Arts Council England are boosting spending in arts, museums and libraries in villages, towns and cities where investment is currently low. The Museum is one of 990 National Portfolio and Investment Principles Support Organisations who will share the £446m a year investment.
The funding will support activities and development work at the Museum through its exhibitions and programmes. The themes the Museum will be exploring will include the development of alternative solutions for the car and mobility, the process of design and the personal responses it evokes, and the relationship between cars and music - both of which are deeply rooted in popular culture. Running through all these themes is the Museum’s commitment to diversify its audiences, its workforce and its governance. As part of its commitment to young people, the Museum will continue to provide activities for children who have limited access to cultural experiences. It will also maintain the Travel Support Scheme for schools and community groups, to subsidise the otherwise prohibitive transport cost of getting to the Museum.
Jeff Coope, Managing Director at the British Motor Museum said, “We are delighted to receive this investment from Arts Council England which will help to ensure the resilience of the Museum in the future and also cement our reputation as one of the outstanding Museums in the region. Our programmes are strongly grounded in working with a wide variety of communities and giving as many people as possible the opportunity to engage with the Museum's amazing collections and culture”.
Arts Council England Chief Executive, Darren Henley, said: “Together, each of the 990 organisations that have been offered funding will contribute to a portfolio that is rich, varied and truly national. This is our widest ever spread of investment across the country, ensuring that many more people will have access to a wider choice of exceptional art, culture and creative opportunities on their doorsteps. We are in tough times but we must remember creativity brings with it extraordinary dividends, boosting our country’s economic growth, creating jobs, bringing communities closer together, and making us happier as individuals. Everyone deserves to enjoy the benefits it brings, and with this investment, we believe we’ve taken a decisive step towards making that vision a reality.”
To find out more about the British Motor Museum please visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk or call 01926 895300. For more information on the Arts Council England’s 2023-26 Investment Programme visit www.artscouncil.org.uk/investment23
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The British Motor Museum is celebrating after being awarded a coveted ‘Best Told Story’ Award from VisitEngland. The Museum is one of 97 attractions awarded accolades for the outstanding experiences they provide to visitors across categories including Welcome, Best Told Story, Quality Food & Drink, Hidden Gem, and Gold for overall winners. The Best Told Story award is presented when the judges feel “visitors have left the venue having thoroughly enjoyed an entertaining and interesting visit”.
Jeff Coope, Managing Director at the British Motor Museum said, “We are absolutely delighted and proud to have won this prestigious Award. The team work hard to ensure every single visitor to the Museum has a wonderful and memorable time – so this is testimony to their dedication and passion. This year alone we have added two new exhibitions – ‘Small Car. Big History - celebrating 100 years of the Austin Seven’, and ‘The Legendary Daytona Motorcycle’ and it is an honour to be acknowledged for sharing the story of Britain’s incredible motoring heritage with our visitors”.
VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: “It’s so exciting to see our brilliant attractions providing outstanding experiences for visitors and to recognise and showcase the variety and quality across the country. England has unmissable visitor attractions and experiences that deliver world-class customer service. They also provide the warmest of welcomes and unforgettable storytelling that connects the whole experience, including retail and food and drink offers that exceed expectations.”
Introduced in 2014, the accolades are available to VisitEngland’s Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme participants across a wide range of tourism experiences in England from museums and galleries, farm attractions, historic houses and gardens to churches, cathedrals, and country parks. Participating attractions are supported by a network of highly trained and experienced assessors who advise them on improving and promoting the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of their offer.
For more information on the Awards please visit https://www.visitbritain.org. For more information about the Museum please call 01926 895300 or visit the website at https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/
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The British Motor Museum is to host a number of events this winter including an interactive evening discussing the exciting Morgan Super 3 – the Designer’s Perspective, a book signing event featuring Michael Barton’s book “Fast Lady – The Extraordinary Adventures of Miss Dorothy Levitt” and the return of the popular evening Quiz Night!
The first event will take place on Monday 7 November from 6pm-10pm when visitors can join Jonathan Wells - Morgan Motor Company's Head of Design, for an interactive evening discussing the Morgan Super 3. The evening will include a walk around the car and a behind-the-scenes insight into some of the stories and thoughts which drove the development of this exciting design.
The evening will be hosted by Steve Cropley - Editor in Chief, Autocar and Trustee of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, who will be in conversation with the automotive designer in a relaxed environment, with audience participation and questions being encouraged. The evening includes a buffet-style supper and welcome drinks on the Gallery where a selection of Morgan cars will be on display.
Catherine Boxall, Curator at the British Motor Museum said, “Whether you are a fan of the Morgan brand's 110+ years of heritage or whether you would like to discover more about their future plans and innovative automotive designs, this is an opportunity not to be missed!”
On Saturday 26 November the Museum will host a talk and book signing event featuring Michael Barton’s new book entitled “Fast Lady – The Extraordinary Adventures of Miss Dorothy Levitt”. The book, which coincides with the centenary of her death, charts the life and times of Dorothy through the glittering years between 1903-1910 that saw her feted for her ground-breaking motoring triumphs and feisty personality, to her untimely demise at just 40 years old in 1922. Michael will be talking about the book and answering questions posed by the Museum’s Head of Collections, Stephen Laing. Michael will also be taking questions from the audience, before a book signing with the chance for visitors to purchase a signed copy.
The British Motor Museum Quiz Night is back by popular demand on Tuesday 29 November. The fun and entertaining evening will again be led by special guest Danny Hopkins, Editor of Practical Classics Magazine. Teams of up to 6 can enjoy a fun night out at the Museum. The subject rounds will include general knowledge, music and movies as well as more general motoring knowledge questions. The evening includes time to look around the Museum from 5.30pm with the bar opening at 6:30pm. Round one is a trail around the car collection, with teams needing to find the answers by 7pm when a two-course supper, including vegan & vegetarian options will be served. The remaining rounds will take place in the Museum’s stunning rooftop Sky Suite, with the evening ending around 9pm and a cash prize for the winning team.
Tickets for Morgan Super 3 – the Designer’s Perspective cost £25 per person including supper, with a discounted price of £20 available to Premium Members. The Fast Lady book signing is open to Museum visitors so all that is needed is a ticket to the Museum for the day. Quiz Night tickets cost £16 each, £11 for Members and just £5 for Premium Members including supper. Proceeds from these events support the work of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust.
For more information about the Museum please call 01926 895300 or visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
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The British Motor Museum has launched its Online Collections, enabling anyone to explore and find out more about the collection vehicles documented in detail on the website. This is the culmination of a number of years behind the scenes work, including during lockdown. By digitising the vehicle collections, the Museum is inviting anyone to learn, enjoy and be inspired by the heritage that it preserves.
During the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, the Museum recognised the importance of connecting with people, especially when the building was unable to open to the public. During this period, technology helped people across the globe to learn and communicate. Behind the scenes at the Museum, work was underway to implement this concept across the vehicle collection.
Cat Boxall, Curator at the British Motor Museum, said “Collections and artefacts form a major part of the draw of the Museum, as being valuable resources to tell stories about environments, places, processes and people throughout history. In exploring and learning about the collections when the doors were closed to the public, it has become increasingly clear that the impact of the British motor industry is felt far beyond the reaches of the UK. The launch of the Online Collections portal enables access for audiences anywhere in the world”.
The British Motor Museum loves to work with people, collections and places across the UK. Another feature of the Online Collections means that staff, researchers and visitors alike will be able to access all the information about any vehicle in the collection and where it is currently on display – be that on loan, at an event, in the Museum or in the Collections Centre building.
Alongside the location of vehicles, users of the Online Collections will be able to see more technical vehicle information, images of the cars and key historic information associated with each entry. Having a vast collection of around 400 cars makes it difficult to get everything on display, but the access that the new portal provides means that even the unseen portions of the Museum’s collection can be enjoyed by anyone!
Launched as part of the Heritage Open Days festival to raise awareness and appreciation of the amazing collection, the Museum hopes the Online Collections portal will add to the growing digital presence of the Museum as it continues to develop online exhibitions programmes following the success of Metro at Forty back in 2020.
The portal can be assessed by the public through the Museum’s normal website from 9 September at: https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/explore/collections/car-collection
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The British Motor Museum will celebrate the 60th birthday of the MGB at a special event on Sunday 25 September. This event will appeal to anyone who loves MGB cars, whether they have owned one in the past, know someone who has one or would simply like to see some of these iconic cars proudly displayed together. The cars will be displayed outside the front of the Museum from 10am – 4pm.
Visitors can enjoy a number of special arena events with interviews by commentators and experts on selected cars and their owners. There will be a timeline of MGB Roadster cars from 1962 to 1980 and the MGB GT from 1965 to 1980, showcasing a car from each production year. Visitors can also enjoy entertainment from popular singing trio 'My Favourite Things' and Kev Read, an acoustic singer.
Inside the Museum, visitors will find a number of milestone moments from MG history such as the 1925 ‘Old Number One’ which was the inspiration for the MG sports car. There is also a special cross sectioned MGB GT that shows the inner workings and design of this famous car.
The MGB Register of the MG Car Club is also offering visitors the opportunity to purchase Event Rally Plates and other Regalia to commemorate the anniversary which can be purchased from their event website www.mgb60.com
Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum stated “We’re delighted to be hosting this special event to celebrate the 60th birthday of the iconic MGB with displays, live music and commentary. A landmark anniversary like this doesn’t come along very often so please do join us and make the most of a superb day out!”
Vehicle display is just £10 which includes entry to display a vehicle and admission. Vehicle entries close on Friday 3 September. Show tickets cost £14.50 per adult, £9 per child, £12.50 per concession and £40 for a family. All tickets must be pre-booked and include entry to the Museum and the Jaguar Heritage Trust Collection.
For more information about the event please or call 01926 895300 or visit https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/mgb-60th-anniversary
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