WEDGWOOD MUSEUM WINS £5.85 MILLION AWARD

PRESS RELEASE

THE Wedgwood Museum Trust Today launched an international appeal aimed at raising almost £1.8 million to complete a new museum of international significance.

The announcement comes just hours after the Heritage Lottery Fund confirmed a £5.85 million grant to the Trust which has been bidding to raise money for a prestigious home to Britain’s designated collection of Wedgwood artefacts.

Museum Trust Director Gaye Blake Roberts said: ‘The Heritage Lottery Grant is fantastic news. It means that for the first time since 1906 the majority of our entire collection will soon be taken out of storage and put on view to scholars, tourists and other visitors from around the world.

‘The project has received tremendous support from organisations and charitable trusts who were aware of our work. This has allowed us to quietly collect in excess of £2 million towards the building already, and with the public appeal announced today we fully expect to begin construction work by the Autumn of 2005.’

The new £9.5 million Wedgwood Museum, which will house the Trust’s 8000 strong historic ceramics collection and 75,000 manuscripts and items of correspondence, plus an exemplary fine art collection including works by Stubbs and Reynolds, will be built at the home of Wedgwood at Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent.

The Wedgwood Museum Trust collections – valued at well over £100 million - are currently kept in secure storage. They have been out of public view since a small museum on the Barlaston site was closed following a £5 million redevelopment of the Wedgwood Visitor Centre.  

‘The Wedgwood collection is the only ceramic collection which survives complete with its documentation, trials and experiments and it is of international significance -the documentation and letters it contains alone will be studied for years for their social, economic and industrial history’ said Ms Blake-Roberts. ‘We estimate more than 100,000 people will travel to the museum every year, with a good third of them international visitors and scholars.’

The new museum will have state of the art facilities for scholars including an archive centre and education and seminar area. The 2,152 square metre buildingalso contains a major exhibition gallery of almost 1,300 square metres split into three chronological display areas.

Sir Arthur Bryan, Chairman of the Wedgwood Museum Trust said: ‘The Trustees and I are delighted that the HLF has provided this support for a project we have been working on for the last four years to create the world’s finest museum of Wedgwood. It is excellent news for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire and I am sure it will be wonderful news for all lovers of Wedgwood worldwide.’

Wedgwood Chief Executive Tony O’Reilly Jnr said: ‘I am absolutely delighted at this news. It is down to four years hard work and dedication by Museum staff and trustees who have made this unique venture possible.’

For further inquiries and pictures please contact:

Gaye Blake Roberts

Director

Wedgwood Museum Trust

Andrew Stanistreet