Derby Museums out to change perceptions
Derby Museums charitable Trust, which looks after three museums in Derby city centre, is out to challenge the perception of what a museum can be and what difference it can make.
Alongside caring for its wide ranging and culturally important collections, Derby Museums is proud to put its community at the heart of what it does. From working with our communities to physically design and build our museums, to supporting individual groups, such as the Derby Refugee Centre to become involved with the Museum, we aim to ensure our museums are a place for everyone.
Derby Museums, manages three city museums: the Museum and Art gallery, The Silk Mill, which is in the process of being redeveloped into our new Museum of Making, and Pickford’s House, home of enlightenment architect Joseph Pickford, all free to the public.
But it is also the range of activities which offers opportunities to learn, grow skills, build aspirations, and provide the opportunity to have a positive input in Derby Museums which make the museums so unique. This is particularly true of the way the museum engages with young people. From the hundreds of schools it has visiting, to the specific workshops such as young Roboteers Derby museums run, from the targeted approach to working with disadvantaged young people who might not ordinarily access the museums, to our large public events such as Maker Faire, Derby Museums aim to inspire young people to see themselves as the innovators, makers and creators of the future.
Last year the museum welcomed over 22,000 children, over 14,000 people enjoyed a free a creative activity, and the communities of Derby donated over 8200 volunteer hours to the museum. However it would not be possible to achieve all this, without the support of the businesses and corporations that Derby Museums work with.
Whether it is partnering the museum on one of their education programmes, hiring their spaces or enjoying a corporate entertaining experience, sponsoring an event or volunteering, the business community makes a huge impact into the life of the museum
Mohammed Suleman, director of resources, said: “We are so lucky to work with such a supportive business community. From hiring our spaces to supporting our fundraising Ball, we cannot thank our corporate partners enough.”
