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Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board
11 July 2022
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Reports
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum and Lan Yuan Dunedin Chinese Garden
Activity Report
Department: Arts and Culture
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
1 This
report covers activities of Toitū Otago Settlers Museum (Toitū) and
Lan Yuan Dunedin Chinese Garden (Lan Yuan) from 1 April 2022 to 30 June 2022.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Board:
Notes
the Toitū Otago
Settlers Museum and Lan Yuan Dunedin Chinese Garden Activity Report for the
period 1 April 2022 to 30 June 2022.
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BACKGROUND
2 This
report is prepared for the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board meeting and
details the latest activities and KPI performance at Toitū and Lan Yuan.
DISCUSSION
Visitation
3 Visitor
numbers at Toitū are down on the corresponding period last year.
This is largely due to the restrictions in place with the COVID Protection
Framework and subsequent changes in visitor behaviours. This has also
negatively affected commercial events and public programmes. Please note
that June 2022 visitor numbers were not available at the time of writing.
4 Visitor
numbers at Lan Yuan were down on the corresponding period last year. The
decline in numbers is largely due to the restrictions in place with the COVID
Protection Framework and the reoccurrence of COVID in the community.
COLLECTIONS AND EXHIBITIONS
Exhibitions
Gallery
Refreshes
5 Work
continues on the NZR Garage Refresh. Delays caused through COVID and
supply chain issues have pushed the completion date out and rather than commit
to a closure, which may creep into the summer season, Toitū staff will
delay the start of physical works until early 2023 with a revised
completion date of early July 2023.
6 Exhibitions
staff will continue with planned updates to displays as follows.
Twentieth
Century Gallery
7 War
at Home: due for object changeover and will now become an exhibit to
celebrate the centenary of the 1925 international exhibition in Dunedin.
8 NZ
on Air: updated to coincide with the anniversary of the centenary of radio
broadcasting in NZ.
First
Great City
9 Scheduled
object changeouts will take place, which will also support the upcoming 150th anniversary
of the founding of Hallenstein Brothers.
10 Toitū
staff are working to prepare online content to be accessed via the Toitū
website for “The Big Day” an exhibition presenting wedding costumes
from the collection spanning a 160 year period. The addition of this
content may need to wait until the Vernon browser (which drives the back end of
collection related content online) is upgraded across 2023/24.
11 Toitū
exhibition staff Seán Brosnahan, Will McKee and Chris Kwak, are
currently in Scotland and Ireland filming for the Journey to New Edinburgh
project. The overseas filming component will wind up at the end of
June 2022 with the aim of meeting a release date for a feature length film
of March 2023 to coincide with the 150th anniversary of
the Otago Settlers Association (OSA). Funding for the project has been
provided by the OSA.
Collections
Collections
Support of Exhibitions
12 Collections
staff are now working to support the NZR Garage Refresh project, NZ On Air and
First Great City upgrades. This is a significant task requiring research
into objects which are not fully catalogued within the Vernon database system
and the physical preparation/conservation of objects for display. Of note
is the work to be done for the redisplay, onsite, of the Toitū traction
engine (currently on loan to the Dunedin Gasworks Museum), will be guided by an
advisory body, which will include Toitū staff, an industrial heritage
specialist, a traction engine expert, and Farra Engineering, who will be
carrying out the work.
13 The
Scots Colours were displayed again over Anzac Day 2022. The NZDF has
extended the loan of this important object, specifically recognising the high
level of care it has been accorded by Toitū collections staff.
Collections
Projects
14 Hazardous
substances in collections: staff aim to complete the review and disposal of
hazardous chemicals held within collection objects, for example medical
collections, by August 2022.
15 Costume
cataloguing, storage, and significance: a project which will culminate in
collection significance statements and a research strategy guiding future
collecting is now underway through to May 2024. Phase One is completion
of the inventory onto Vernon. Funding of $60,274 has been successfully
gained from the Lotteries Environment and Heritage fund to support the project
through the purchase of additional storage furniture.
16 Conservation/digitisation
of objects: the very popular and significant Buchanan watercolour albums
have been digitised, which means they are now better protected (handling is now
minimised) and can be made digitally available on the Toitū website once
the Vernon browser has been upgraded. Staff are now working with NZ
Micrographic Services to digitise the OSA minutes. Once digitisation is
completed, a transcription project will be launched for the handwritten records
enabling OSA volunteers to assist with the creation of fully searchable digital
content, using the Transkribus software.
17 Collection
Development Plan: work has begun on reviewing collections with the aim of
developing strategic guidance for the ongoing care and development of the
Toitū collections. This will require significant input from all
staff, particularly curatorial, to develop detailed significance statements for
collecting areas and themes and may lead to a carefully planned series of
deaccession processes as the collection is realigned and refined as a result.
Archive
Statistics
18 Staff
processed 63 written public enquiries and six telephone enquiries between 1
April and 13 June 2022.
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
Learning
Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC)
19 During
the reporting period 417 primary and 166 secondary students attended education
programmes. They were supported by 156 adults. At the time of
writing this report it is estimated that a further 100 students will be
visiting. Of these students two groups were national visitors with senior
history students from Lincoln College and Cashmere High School participating in
research-based programmes utilising the Museum archives and topic based primary
source material.
20 Several
classes postponed and re-booked their visits due to school and class wide COVID
outbreaks. By May education visits were more regular and it wasn’t
until June that education participation was more in line with pre-pandemic
times.
21 The
major themes during this period were migration and the big stories in the
history of Otago and connecting student’s stories to our shared
story. Where possible, the Toitū educator consulted with
schoolteachers to develop programmes to meet the individual needs of the
learners and make connections to the Collection. Many schools have been
surveying their students prior to their visit using Toitū’s Origins
and Ancestry Questionnaire.
22 Dunedin
City Council has been shortlisted for a new Ministry of Education
‘Enriching the Local Curriculum’ education contract. This contract
involves the provision of education services at Toitū and is currently
under negotiation.
Public
Programmes
23 This
reporting period saw a return to a more ‘normal’ and in-person
schedule of visitor programme offerings and Toitū was pleased to see good
community participation in these.
24 The
regular Tuesday Club events in collaboration with the Otago Settlers
Association saw Seán Brosnahan speaking as to the curation behind
Toitū’s recent exhibition The Big Day. Otago University Senior
Lecturer of Contemporary Music Dr Ian Chapman gave a well-received performance
and presentation on the development of his book The Dunedin Sound.
25 Due
to the COVID climate, the annual refreshments following the Anzac dawn service
was unable to proceed this year. To recognise the commemoration,
materials were provided in the Josephine Foyer and the public were invited to
knit red poppies in the lead-up to Anzac Day. This alongside a paper
poppies activity saw long term engagement from children and adults, with an estimated
20 knitted poppies and 500 paper poppies completed throughout the week.
26 For
the April school holidays and in collaboration with the Wild Dunedin Festival
of Nature, children’s entertainer Suzy Cato returned to Toitū for a
sold-out performance. In keeping with the nature theme, artist Jo Bone
led a watercolour drawing workshop at Lan Yuan, asking participants to draw
inspiration from the garden. A gallery trail also of a nature theme was
also widely used by the community over this period.
27 A
variety of events were developed in support of The Big Day exhibition.
These were targeted at an adult audience and included ‘Tying the
Knot’ – a macrame wall hanging workshop, ‘Brides and
Bouquets’ – a demonstration and discussion with a local florist who
shared wedding trends and tips from her thirty years’ experience, and
‘Let Them Eat Cake!’ – an entry level floral cake decorating
workshop inspired by collection items on display and lead by the Dunedin Cake
Decorating Club.
28 Toitū
and Lan Yuan celebrated May Music Month with a variety of live performances
across the venue spaces over the four weekends of May. The Dunedin
Chinese Seniors and Dunedin Tai Chi group performed at Lan Yuan, while at
Toitū Molly Devine performed alongside three high school musicians for an
afternoon of acoustic music. ‘Toitū Teens’ showcased
thirteen local high school acts, including groups and solos of various styles,
DJs Dead D and Rah B provided an ambient set, playing rehearsed and
improvised music for an hour as visitors moved through the Josephine Foyer, and
The Red Cross Choir performed to a strong audience composed mostly of their
families.
29 In
recognition of World Dance Day, Michael Parmenter, celebrated dancer,
choreographer, and current University of Otago Caroline Plummer Fellow in
Community Dance, gave a talk and performance on the theme of ‘How Dances
Travel’. This event proved very popular and included demonstrations
and active audience participation and has led to a partnership between Toitū
and Parmenter to offer free monthly public dance workshops in the Josephine
Foyer.
30 The
Monday public holiday of Queen’s Birthday weekend saw a local
children’s storyteller sharing stories, performing puppetry, and singing
songs on and around the Tiger Tea Bus in the transport gallery.
Commercial
Activity
31 The
Toitū retail shop has been busier over the last quarter. A sale
during the Easter and school holidays increased revenue for April. There
has been increased visitation for “The Big Day” exhibition which
resulted in increased spend in the shop. Good support from the local
Dunedin community is also still evident. The revenue from retail has been
significant considering decreased visitation numbers for the entire year.
32 Unfortunately,
it has been a quiet period for functions at Toitū. During June
Toitū received multiple bookings, this trend is set to continue into the
second half of 2022.
33 Given
the lower than usual visitation numbers during the last three months of the
financial year sales have been good in terms of retail and food and beverage at
Lan Yuan. Excellent sales during the Qu Yuan Festival weekend boosted
revenue. A couple of functions were held at Lan Yuan including a wedding.
However, functions are still slow, which is common over the winter months.
34 The
Toitū and Lan Yuan guided tour service is now operational. Marketing
material has been completed to send out to the travel trade sector.
Multiple bookings have been confirmed from July 2022 onwards. The tour
service is being promoted at the MEETINGS trade show as an incentive to promote
alongside function and event bookings. It is expected that there will be
a steady increase in interest for this service, with the return of national and
international tourists later in the year.
Lan
Yuan
35 The
Dragon Boat Festival celebrated at Lan Yuan as The Legend of Qu Yuan saw a
suite of public events on offer over a Friday to Sunday period. The
Friday night evening viewing with illuminated lanterns, which considering was a
particularly cold night, was attended by 78 people. The weekend of
celebrations which included discounted garden entry and tea, also comprised of
free interactive games, children’s crafts, calligraphy station, zongzi
making cooking class, free guided tours with Malcolm Wong and live traditional
Chinese music.
OPTIONS
36 There
are no options as this report is for information only.
NEXT STEPS
37 There
are no next steps as this report is for information only.
Signatories
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Author:
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Cam McCracken - Director DPAG, Toitū, Lan Yuan and
Olveston
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Authoriser:
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Simon Pickford - General Manager Community Services
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Attachments
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Title
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Page
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⇩a
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Toitū Otago
Settlers Museum Board Delegations
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19
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SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS
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Fit with purpose of Local Government
This decision
promotes the cultural well-being of communities in the present and for the
future.
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Fit with strategic framework
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Contributes
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Detracts
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Not applicable
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Social Wellbeing Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Economic Development
Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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Environment Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Arts and Culture Strategy
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☒
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☐
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☐
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3 Waters Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Spatial Plan
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Integrated Transport
Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Parks and Recreation
Strategy
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☐
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☐
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☒
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Other strategic
projects/policies/plans
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☐
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The activities in this
report support the Arts and Culture, Economic Development and Social
Wellbeing Strategies.
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Māori Impact Statement
The Museum
consults with and works with the Ngāi Tahu Advisory Group as well as
Rūnaka on a regular basis.
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Sustainability
The principles
of sustainability under pin all the activity of Toitū and Lan Yuan.
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LTP/Annual Plan / Financial Strategy /
Infrastructure Strategy
This report is
for noting purposes only.
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Financial considerations
This report is
for noting purposes only.
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Significance
This decision is
considered low in terms of the Council’s Significance and Engagement
Policy.
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Engagement – external
This report is
for noting purposes only.
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Engagement - internal
This report is
for noting purposes only.
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Risks: Legal / Health and Safety etc.
There are no
legal or health and safety risks related to matters in this report.
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Conflict of Interest
There are no
known conflicts of interest.
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Community Boards
There are no
known implications for Community Boards.
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