Cecil Higgins Art Gallery and Bedford Museum – Redevelopment

Frequently asked questions

What are the main benefits of the redevelopment project?

The development project will integrate the visitor experience by providing seamless physical
access to three currently separate museum and gallery buildings (Cecil Higgins Art Gallery,
Bedford Museum and Bedford Gallery) through one main entrance.

A new entrance foyer will be created utilising part of the existing Museum courtyard. This
larger ‘welcome’ space will integrate the information service previously offered by separate
reception/retail/cafe areas. This larger reception area will provide:
• A single visitor entrance
• A place for information and orientation
• A larger shop and improved visitor retail experience. The shop will sell exclusive
merchandise related to our collections with a range of products to suit all ages and
budgets.
• Access to a new café, which will be able to serve museum visitors internally as well
as operating onto Castle Lane outside museum opening hours.

Other improvements will enhance the overall visitor experience providing:

• New galleries throughout
• Temporary exhibition spaces
• Two high quality activity spaces for use by schools and other groups
• Two meeting spaces for community and business use
• Additional toilets with improved accessibility for disabled people, families and groups
• Cloakrooms and buggy stores
• A number of combined spaces for private, business and function use

Will there be more spaces to display the excellent collections?

Yes, this is one of the major reasons for the redevelopment project. Overall new galleries will
offer 1565 square metres of display space, an increase of 300 square metres (24%) over
current spaces. This excludes 200 square metres provided by the refurbished Bedford
Gallery.

Will there be improved facilities for Education and Community use?

Yes, spaces for learning and activities will see the provision of two significantly larger spaces
supplemented by two new meeting rooms (formerly staff spaces). These spaces will provide
more flexibility for both learning, community use and income generation activities. There will
also be dedicated spaces for informal learning, storytelling and other activities within our
galleries.

Will the collections be displayed differently?

The collections will be displayed thematically rather than by collection or object type as has
been the case in the past. The new displays will tell the story of, and the links between, the
development of Bedford as a place, the people of Bedford and the collections. People will
be at the heart of the new displays; we will explore how people have been instrumental in
shaping the development of Bedford, as well as how they have been central to the formation
and nature of the collections. The new galleries will include:
• Two Place galleries, arranged chronologically, telling the story of the development of
Bedford
• The People Gallery, looking at some of the old, new and famous inhabitants of the
area
 • The Collection Gallery, celebrating the breadth and diversity of the collections,
including many objects not previously on display
• Two landing galleries providing areas of visible storage. Visible storage will allow
greater access to the collections for students, researchers and the general public.
• An improved and extended Watercolour & Print Gallery
• The Design Gallery, looking at stylistic developments in the decorative arts
• The Edward Bawden Gallery, providing a home for this unique archive
• The William Burges Gallery, housing this collection of international importance
• The House, will be a window on how we used to live, exploring the way in which we
use objects and how it has developed through the centuries.
• Bedford Gallery, housing changing exhibitions.

How much will the project cost?

The estimated cost of the project is £6.56m. Fundraising to date has secured c£5m with two
major funding applications due to be considered over the summer months; Bedford Charity
£500,000 and the Heritage Lottery Fund £959,000. Subject to the successful outcome of
these applications work will start in October 2010 to work up the details of tender documents.
Tenders will then be advertised at the end of the year when accurate costs can be obtained.

When will the facilities close for the building works to start?

• Bedford Museum will close in October 2010 when collections will be packed and
placed in storage.
• Bedford Gallery will remain open until April 2011 when it will then close after the
Toulouse Lautrec Exhibition, on tour from the British Museum.
• Cecil Higgins Art Gallery is already closed. The Gallery closed in 2007 when
collections were packed away and moved off-site in order to protect them from the
impact of the refurbishment works undertaken at Bedford Gallery such as dust,
vibration and other damage.

Why is Bedford Gallery closing after only having been opened in 2009?

There are a number of reasons for the closure of Bedford Gallery whilst works to the rest of
the premises are undertaken:
• The disruption to Bedford Gallery caused by building works would be too great for
exhibitions and public access to continue. There will be significant disruption to power
supplies and other services such as water, telephone lines and heating that will make
it difficult to guarantee a level of service suitable for public access.
• Bedford Gallery will be more effectively used as additional storage space for our
collections whilst refurbishment work is undertaken. It is more cost effective to use
this space rather than hire and modify an off-site space for temporary usage, in order
to achieve appropriate environmental and security standards, at a significant
additional cost.

When will the facilities reopen?

Currently our estimated timetable is as follows, the final timetable for the works will not be
known until tenders are received from successful contractors in the spring of 2011 when
contracts are agreed.

Start date Work Duration

October 2010 Close Museum and pack collections 6 months
April 2011 Close Bedford Gallery
May 2011 Refurbishment work starts 13 months
June 2012 Fit out of new galleries 3 months
September 2012 Redisplay collections in galleries 3 months
End 2012 or early 2013 Reopen

The facilities will be closed for a long time; can’t the work be phased so that some of
the facilities can remain open?

The work at the Art Gallery and Museum requires the replacement of all plant machinery and
equipment, punching through to make new connections between the buildings, moving some
internal walls and stripping out all exhibition cabinets. The work is so disruptive that it is not
possible to phase it without increasing both the time it would take and the cost.

What will happen to the Education Programme during closure?

During our two major temporary exhibitions (Autumn 2010 and Spring 2011), we will continue
to run some exhibition-related educational sessions and activities in Bedford Gallery. From
the closure of the Museum, however, we will increase our existing outreach programme to
schools and community groups, delivering a range of activity sessions at their premises. We
will also be working with partner schools and colleges to develop new learning programmes
based on the redisplayed collections.

As part of our Audience Development Project we will also continue working with groups of all
ages in the community, developing new partnerships and projects and building audiences for
when we reopen.

In addition, we aim to run a range of talks, walks and family events throughout closure, some
with our partners at community events, to raise awareness of our progress and to share with
people our research and interpretation ideas.

How will you keep the public informed of progress?

We will post information regularly on our website and through our blog, provide regular
newsletters and promote project updates in the local media.

www.cecilhigginsartgallery.org
www.bedfordmuseum.org
www.chagbm.blogspot.com

You can also keep up to date with all the news on our Facebook page and on Twitter

What will staff be doing whilst the facilities are closed?

There is a lot of work to be done to prepare for the re-opening of the art gallery and
museum. We will be:

• Packing collections and transferring them into storage

• Working with contractors on the detailed design of the building and display spaces
• Managing the building works and exhibition fit-out contracts
• Identifying collections for new displays
• Preparing documentation on the new displays including the production of thousands
of display labels
• Consulting community groups and other stakeholders on project details
• Updating documentation details on all collections
• Transferring collections back to site, unpacking them and placing them on display or
in storage on-site.
• Increasing work with schools off-site and a range of audiences in the community
• Developing a new website and brand identity for the new facilities
• Planning new exhibitions from reopening and for at least 4 years into the future
 • Preparing new education packages for schools based on the new displays
• Reviewing systems and operational procedures
• Fundraising for future projects
• Promoting the new facilities

How can I help and get involved?

You can help in a number of ways including:

• Volunteering – work includes working with collections, packing and data input;
working with the education team on community projects
• Becoming part of a focus group
• By making a donation, or joining our Patron or Friends Schemes.
• Complete and submit the on-line questionnaire about the redevelopment project on
our website http://www.forms.bedford.gov.uk/bedfordmuseum/
If you would like to be more involved please contact Gemma Hutton by email at
gemma.hutton@bedford.gov.uk