Notice of Meeting:
I hereby give notice that an ordinary meeting of the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board will be held on:
Date: Wednesday 17 May 2023
Time: 9:30 am
Venue: Otago Settlers Association Board Room, Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, 31 Queens Gardens, Dunedin
Sandy Graham
Chief Executive Officer
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board
PUBLIC AGENDA
MEMBERSHIP
Chairperson |
Mr Phil Dowsett |
|
Deputy Chairperson |
|
|
Members |
Bill Acklin |
Kevin Gilbert |
|
Cherry Lucas |
Mrs Susan Schweigman |
|
Mr Peter Smith |
|
Senior Officer Cam McCracken, Director - Dpag, Toitū, Lan Yuan and Olveston
Governance Support Officer Lauren Riddle
Lauren Riddle
Governance Support Officer
Telephone: 03 477 4000
governance.support@dcc.govt.nz
Note: Reports and recommendations contained in this agenda are not to be considered as Council policy until adopted.
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board 17 May 2023 |
ITEM TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
1 Apologies 4
2 Confirmation of Agenda 4
3 Declaration of Interest 5
Reports
4 Toitū Otago Settlers Museum and Lan Yuan Dunedin Chinese Garden Activity Report 8
5 Meeting Schedule 2023 17
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board 17 May 2023 |
At the close of the agenda no apologies had been received.
Note: Any additions must be approved by resolution with an explanation as to why they cannot be delayed until a future meeting.
|
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board 17 May 2023 |
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Members are reminded of the need to stand aside from decision-making when a conflict arises between their role as an elected representative or independent member and any private or other external interest they might have.
2. Elected and Independent Members are reminded to update their register of interests as soon as practicable, including amending the register at this meeting if necessary.
That the Board: a) Notes/Amends if necessary the Elected or Independent Members' Interest Register attached as Attachment A; and b) Confirms/Amends the proposed management plan for Elected or Independent Members' Interests. |
Attachments
|
Title |
Page |
⇩a |
Register of Interest - May 2023 |
6 |
|
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board 17 May 2023 |
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum and Lan Yuan Dunedin Chinese Garden Activity Report
Department: Arts and Culture
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
3 Visitor numbers continue to be higher than the corresponding period for last year. With the relaxation of the COVID-19 Protection Framework, visitor behaviours have changed, with Toitū and Lan Yuan enjoying the benefits of this. Cruise ships have also been welcomed back to the city and during this period Toitū hosted the i-SITE in the Josephine foyer which resulted in higher visitation on those days. It is pleasing that overall visitor numbers are increasing towards numbers seen in the period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
COLLECTIONS AND EXHIBITIONS
Exhibitions
4 Updates and scheduled changeouts to permanent display and public areas are as follows:
5 Twentieth Century Gallery: War at Home was deinstalled and replaced with a display about the Dunedin and South Seas International exhibition of 1925. Further enhancements to this display will be added in time for the centenary.
6 Call to Arms (military display): Scheduled object changeouts were made including the display of new items including Scottish military dress added to the Collection in 2021.
7 On Air: A new display on radio and broadcasting in Dunedin for the 150th anniversary of Radio Dunedin, including live broadcast from Toitū on 9 and 10 October.
8 First Great City: The team are planning a major update to The First Great City with a focus on Dunedin's industrial and commercial history. The exhibition will feature new stories about women at work and agricultural technology. There will also be a special display about the Hallenstein Brothers company and wider Hallenstein family and their relationships with Dunedin’s cultural institutions, timed to coincide with the company's 150-year anniversary.
9 Research Centre: Toitū launched a new look Research Centre which includes panels to assist visitors in self-guided research and a new physical layout enabling better monitoring and support of research and computer workstations. This rationalisation of space allows the Audience Development team to use the space for programmes and events.
10 NZR Garage: The major refresh and update of this exhibition is well under way supported with eternal funding from the Otago Motor Club Trust (OMCT). Some delays have been incurred due to unplanned building remediations in the old NZR Bus Garage. There has also been a significant amount of collection work need to support the inclusion of new objects in the display.
Journey to New Edinburgh
11 In March, the team successfully launched the first part of Journey to New Edinburgh, our feature film tracing early, planned migration from Britain to Dunedin. The project has required many months of extensive research and filming both in the UK and around the Otago region.
Online Outputs and Public Talks
12 Nine Talking Pictures episodes were released to the Toitū YouTube channel.
13 Live radio broadcasts from Toitū to celebrate 100 years of Radio Dunedin (October 2022).
14 Two Cool and Collected articles were published in the Otago Daily Times.
15 Eight public talks were delivered.
Support of Exhibitions Projects
16 Since July 2022 the Collections team have been supporting small display changeovers, as well as a significant amount of input into the NZR Garage project.
Collections Projects
Digitisation
17 The digitisation process for the Buchanan Albums is now complete. These albums consist of three volumes containing numerous sketches, watercolours, and clippings from newspapers and other publications, all of which are relevant to Dunedin and Otago. These albums were created by John Buchanan, a Scottish scientific illustrator who arrived in Dunedin in the 1852. The Otago Early Settlers Association received the albums as a donation in 1949. They are highly sought after by researchers due to their depictions of early Otago flora and scenery. Digitisation has made the albums – now quite fragile – more easily accessible while preserving them in perpetuity.
18 Digitisation of the full set of Otago Early Settlers minutes of meetings has been completed, supported by the Otago Settlers Association (OSA). These minutes form the only record of all early collection acquisitions and are crucial for resolving provenance issues.
19 The next digitisation project will focus on early photographs of Dunedin. The period from 1860-1900 forms the backbone and strength of the collection and will be the focus of this work.
Collection Management
20 Collection policy amendments: The team are in the process of revising the Museum’s collection policy to bring it up to date with current best practice, especially in light of ongoing issues with collection hazards. The amended policy will be brought to the next Museum Board meeting for comment.
21 Collecting plan: Work has also begun on refining a collection development plan with a focus on collection significance to ensure the collection remains fit for purpose and future collecting is focused and sustainable. This may result in collection deaccession discussions as part of best practice collection management.
22 Collection hazards management plans: The Collections team has partially completed a review of hazardous chemicals within collections, with most issues arising from within medical collections. The team is now working on an asbestos management plan – social history collections contain many objects that contain asbestos usually in the form of an ACM (asbestos containing material) such as Bakelite or embedded in insulation materials). The project to identify and resolve these risks will occur over a three-to-five-year time frame. Risk management plans are in place to ensure health and safety of all staff, contractors and visitors.
23 Collection stores: Additional shelving has been installed in Store S104 resulting in better and more efficient storage of the bulky furniture collections in the southern part of the store.
24 Costume cataloguing, storage, and significance project: The team have been working with Dunedin based textiles expert, Jane Malthus, to complete collection significance work.
Research
25 Intern: The Curatorial team hosted another prize-winning second year history student, Acacia Weekley, as its OSA history intern during her university summer holidays. Working directly with Seán Brosnahan, Acacia prepared detailed biographies of early settlers featured in the Smith Gallery.
26 JTNE and NZR Garage: Curatorial staff have undertaken significant research to support these exhibition outputs.
27 Hazards: As a relatively new field in collection management and preventive conservation the team have been involved in a great deal of research into new thinking about hazards and hazard management.
Archive Statistics
28 Staff processed 270 written public enquiries and 38 telephone enquiries between 1 July 2022 and 31 March 2023.
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
Enriching Local Curriculum (ELC) - Education
29 In January Toitū’s new Kaiako/Educators began work in their newly created roles delivering the new Enriching Local Curriculum programme. Brendan Seal – Kaiako Toitū (part time) and Kirsten Parkinson – Kaiako Māori (DPAG and Toitū) have quickly settled into the team and are fully booked for the next term.
30 Some of the educational themes explored to date include:
· Early settler’s arrival and impact on Māori.
· Who are we, where did we come from?
· Araiteuru Gallery: origin stories – Kāi Tahu migrations, tools and technologies, early contact/relations with sealers and whalers – raruraru, impact of disease, trade economy and intermarriage with mana whenua.
· Steerage and Wattle-and-Daub hut – arrival of first immigration ships (steerage) and hut – looking at this through the eyes of Margaret Buchanan.
· Turangawaewae.
· Early Dunedin, (especially 1800s-1860s) with a focus on migration of Māori, European and Chinese, changes in resources, landscape, and transport through this period, and the changing modes of transport 1860s-1930s (particularly the trams and cable cars).
Visitor Programmes
31 The impacts of COVID-19 significantly impacted Visitor Programmes, but as the second half of 2022 progressed so too did the types and number of public offerings the team were able to develop and deliver. The following is a snapshot of some of the highlights of this July 2022 – current reporting period.
32 A Toitū Christmas: The Visitor Programmes team delivered 33 individual public offerings throughout December under the ‘A Toitū Christmas’ theme which included live festive choirs and music, cookie and gingerbread house decorating workshops, bag decorating workshops and specifically developed sessions with Santa and Pixie Town for our neurodiverse community. These were as well as daily The Great Pixie Hunt gallery trail, Visit Santa!, and Pixie Town experiences.
33 Tuesday Talks: : In association with the Otago Settlers Association, the regular Tuesday Club talks continued to have good monthly attendance. Some speakers have included Heritage Developer Ted Daniels, Dr Jennifer Cattermole on taonga pūoro, and Jim Sullivan on 100 Years of the Otago Radio Association.
34 Public Talks: Some of the public talks during this period included a lecture on William Morris, hosted by the Otago Socialist Society, lectures for the Otago Arts Society on the art in Toitū’s collection, and pioneer perspectives: pre gold rush art at Toitū by Pete Read, University of Otago Emeritus Professor Tom Brooking spoke in recognition of Armistice Day, and a seminar commemorating 150 years of Polish settlement in Dunedin.
35 Live Music Performances: August saw the return of monthly lunchtime music performances in the Josephine Foyer under the banner of Toitū Sounds. Local performers over this reporting period included Lara Rose, the Dunedin Rock Choir, King Leo, Michael Morris, Mr Roberelli, Darryl Baser and Jackson Caine and Becca Caffyn.
Collaborations and Events of Note
36 A collaboration between Toitū and Prospect Park Productions was realised with Re:In:Act, three theatre performances that responded to the stories housed in our galleries and archive, one performance of which has gone on to be developed into a one act play by Ōtepoti Theatre Lab.
37 The 2022-2023 University of Otago Caroline Plummer Fellow in community dance, Michael Parmenter and his dance colleagues continued to collaborate with Toitū on monthly public Balfolk dancing.
38 Josephine the much-loved locomotive in the Toitū Foyer turned 150 on Labour Day. As is usual, a weekend of birthday festivities was staged which included live music, games, popcorn, candy floss, balloons and birthday themed crafts.
39 Toitū again collaborated with Dunedin Pride, hosting a variety of events including a Pride Pin and Patches Workshop – making identity affirming accessories in the Josephine Foyer.
40 Live radio broadcasts from Toitū and the screening of a documentary were held to mark 100 years of Radio Dunedin.
41 During Māori Language Week, Toitū hosted an open rehearsal session with the DCC waiata group, and Wā Kōrero Reorua, and a bilingual toddler story time with librarians from the Dunedin City Library.
42 The annual Burns Night Supper and Ceilidh was again a success with the theme being Burns and Politics, and the Mayor, former Mayor, and local MPs entertained guests with political discussion.
43 In a collaboration, Toitū hosted Dunedin’s first Holocaust Remembrance Day commemoration, in association with the University of Otago and The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand and continues the strong relationship with Dunedin’s Jewish community.
44 Some school holiday highlights include a range of free old-fashioned board games and activities for children and families in the Josephine Foyer, our regular and ever-changing gallery trails, and a drop-in Silhouette Workshop in The Smith Gallery.
Commercial Activity
46 Retail stock is arriving frequently from existing suppliers and new suppliers were selected at the Spring gift fair held in Auckland last year. A bespoke Josephine range crafted by a NZ designer was developed in time for Josephine’s celebratory birthday last year.
47 The Toitū functions and commercial events business has picked up since November 2022. Over 30 functions have been held this financial year, many of which have been in the Josephine Foyer with groups of over 180 pax.
48 The Commercial Manager will be attending MEETINGS in June 2023. MEETINGS is the only national tradeshow in New Zealand for the Business Events industry, organised by Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA). Attendance will further promote the Museum and its excellent facilities to national and international buyers.
49 The Toitū and Lan Yuan guided tour service is now operational and taking bookings from various travel trade groups and local and national special interest groups. It is heartening to see visitors delve deeper into the stories and displays at Toitū and Lan Yuan. At Lan Yuan many groups are also adding on food and beverage options to their tour further increasing their spend.
OPTIONS
50 There are no options as this report is for information only.
NEXT STEPS
51 There are no next steps as this report is for information only.
Signatories
Author: |
Cam McCracken - Director DPAG, Toitū, Lan Yuan and Olveston |
Authoriser: |
Simon Pickford - General Manager Community Services |
There are no attachments
for this report.
SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fit with purpose of Local Government This decision promotes the cultural well-being of communities in the present and for the future. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fit with strategic framework
The activities in this report support the Arts and Culture, Economic Development and Social Wellbeing Strategies. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Māori Impact Statement The Museum consults with and works with the Ngāi Tahu Advisory Group as well as Rūnaka on a regular basis. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sustainability The principles of sustainability underpin all the activity of Toitū and Lan Yuan. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LTP/Annual Plan / Financial Strategy / Infrastructure Strategy This report is for noting purposes only. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Financial considerations This report is for noting purposes only. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Significance This decision is considered low in terms of the Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Engagement – external This report is for noting purposes only. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Engagement - internal This report is for noting purposes only. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Risks: Legal / Health and Safety etc. There are no legal or health and safety risks related to matters in this report. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Conflict of Interest There are no known conflicts of interest. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Community Boards There are no known implications for Community Boards. |
|
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board 17 May 2023 |
Meeting Schedule 2023
Department: Civic
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 The proposed meeting dates of the Toitū Otago Early Settlers Museum Board for the 2023 year.
That the Committee: a) Agrees the Meeting Schedule for 2023. |
Signatories
Authoriser: |
Sharon Bodeker - Manager Governance |
|
Title |
Page |
⇩a |
Meeting Schedule 2023 |
20 |
SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fit with purpose of Local Government This decision enables democratic local decision making and action by, and on behalf of communities. This decision promotes the social well-being of communities in the present and for the future. This decision promotes the economic well-being of communities in the present and for the future. This decision promotes the environmental well-being of communities in the present and for the future. This decision promotes the cultural well-being of communities in the present and for the future. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fit with strategic framework
<Enter text> |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Māori Impact Statement <Enter text> |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sustainability <Enter text> |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LTP/Annual Plan / Financial Strategy /Infrastructure Strategy <Enter text> |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Financial considerations <Enter text> |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Significance <Enter text> |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Engagement – external <Enter text> |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Engagement - internal <Enter text> |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Risks: Legal / Health and Safety etc. <Enter text> |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Conflict of Interest <Enter text> |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Community Boards <Enter text> |