World Cultures @ Plymouth

What is the 'Access Regeneration to World Cultures' project?

This web presence is one result of a project at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery called 'Access Regeneration to World Cultures'. The aim of this project has been to help safeguard the world cultures collection for the future and improve access to it. The project was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and also Renaissance in the Regions. To find out more about what the project has achieved, read on. Alternatively use the links to the left of the page for further information and to access the World Cultures web presence.

Safeguarding the collection for the future

One of the main objectives of the project has been to re-house the world cultures collections to current conservation standards. This means that the objects have been re-packaged into boxes and supports that are acid-free and archivally safe. This new packaging will protect the objects and not adversely affect them.

The storage area where the world cultures collection is kept has also been upgraded. The environment is now controlled, so that the objects are kept at a stable temperature and humidity, meaning that the objects will not suffer from environmental fluctuations. This is important as extremes of environment can cause expansion and contraction of the materials that the objects are made of. In turn, this leads to cracking and warping of the materials and, in some cases, irreversible damage to the objects.

Creating better access to the collection

The project has also looked at the documentation of the objects. Every museum object should have an individual number called an accession number. This enables the unique information about an artefact to be recorded and helps them to be easily located.

As part of the project almost every object in the world cultures collection has been digitally imaged. These images have now been attached to the artefact records and can also be used for a variety of purposes, for example being used on this website.

The project has also worked with the Museum's Learning Team and is in the process of developing Museum in Transit units for use in schools and at other locations. The Learning Team have also contributed teachers notes to these web pages, so that pupils can be directed to find out more about the objects in the collection.

All the project work means that the collection is now far more accessible to staff who will be able to use the objects more effectively for future exhibitions and museum projects. Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery will also be able to provide a better service to researchers and enquirers.

[Back to top]