From the Watt
News…
With the relaxation of restrictions the Watt Institution has reopened with some new faces as we will soon have five new front of house colleagues to continue and grow the venue’s reputation for excellent customer service.
Thanks to Museums Galleries Scotland we have also recruited a Digital Learning & Engagement Officer to help shape our future digital offer in light of C19 and the impact and restrictions it put on our capacity to deliver services. We hope to have the postholder started on site soon.
Forthcoming events…
Upon reopening we have two new guest curated exhibitions - 'The Lost Clyde - the paintings of James Watt' and 'Greenock & the Sea' an exploration of our maritime heritage through our art collection - further information will appear on our social media in the next couple of weeks.
‘The Lost Clyde’ is open Wednesday- Saturday, 10:00-16:00
Other projects…
As part of our National Heritage Lottery Fund (NHLF) project we will soon begin work on creating a Creativity Space in one of the old offices dedicated to providing a base for learning and creativity for use both by ourselves and community groups.
In line with the NHLF projects objective of getting more of our amazing collection out of store and onto display we are busy identifying artefacts to be conserved with a view to beginning our new gallery displays, all being well with no further C19 restrictions, sometime next year.
As part of a developing programme of events within the Watt we are soon to begin monthly Fair Trade Fairs on Saturdays as we look to develop and grow new audiences for the venue.
We will also be running a series of free art workshop for young families through July and August
As we work through these grant projects and following the recent building works it spells exciting times ahead for the Watt and we look forward to sharing news of them and other as yet to be determined projects as they develop and move to fruition.
In the longer term…
Alongside the above the priority set for us over the next five years is going to be work associated with addressing the issues around Inverclyde’s Historic links to the Slave Trade so any research the group would be interested in doing would be most welcome, it will also tie in with the Heritage Audit mentioned at the ICP Heritage Sub Group where we want to pin point the locations of anything related to the slave trade – from places, street or building names, memorials to where people lived and events, extant and transient.