Council leader responds to "simply not true" claims about Stoke museums

Commenting on recent reports about the Gladstone Museum and Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, the leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Councillor Abi Brown said: “It is simply not true that Gladstone Museum and Potteries Museum and Art Gallery are closing, nor that all staff have been sacked.

“Through our budget setting process, a consultation is underway on proposals that will support the required modernisation of the museums service. The proposal is to create a single team to work across both museums, building on the expertise and skills that are already in place. Both museums will open 5-days a week (Wednesday to Sunday) with both having availability for events and other special activities 7-days a week."

"...any idea that we would want to diminish the gallery’s offer is wholly misconceived"

Gladstone Pottery Museum will open to the general public between April and October. Between November and March Gladstone Pottery Museum will be closed for flagship tv broadcast production commitments, and will be available for venue hire and a range of events and other activities.

“This affirms our commitment to Stoke-on-Trent as the world-leader in ceramics building on our support in this area through our investment in the British Ceramics Biennial." said Abi Brown.

"If agreed, the proposals will allow us to offer a more flexible service"

"We are immensely proud to be stewards of the world’s largest collection of Staffordshire Ceramics, with our ability to give free access to unique, invaluable collections from all the major North Staffordshire factories as well as artistic masterpieces from the likes of Doulton, Ruskin and Pilkington, including the only one of Wedgwood’s First Day vases that are on public display. We will continue to take this responsibility most seriously."

“We are an Arts Council England Priority Place and part of the Historic England Heritage High Street initiative. We have embraced creativity in use and enhancement of our heritage including hosting the Poppies: Weeping Window at Middleport Pottery in 2018, the Light Night in Burslem in 2019 and the recent restoration of Hanley Park. Even through the pandemic we have continued to bring culture to the city including Jimmy Cauty’s ‘Estate’ and Art Slam and the Big Feast with Appetite. We are also set to host the forthcoming Knife Angel, the contemporary sculpture to help educate people about knife crime."

“Gladstone Pottery Museum will also continue to be available as a venue for a wide range of activities celebrating ceramics and its wider history as one of the most well-known pottery factories." added Abi Brown.

"These will include its use as a location for filming building on its success in recent years - including for the recent Sky film The Colour Room about renowned artist Clarice Cliff - civil ceremonies and life events, courses including in ceramics, seasonal events and a wide range of other activities that will be developed in future months. Violet’s café at Potteries Museum and Art Gallery and the new Courtyard Café at Gladstone will also allow us to generate additional income across both sites."

“We emphasised our commitment to culture and heritage as crucial building blocks for the regeneration of this city"

“The pandemic has changed the way people use our services like never before. We continue to invest in transforming the way we operate to meet the evolving demands of people in our city and it is appropriate that we do this.

"Demonstrating excellent stewardship is also about using our resources efficiently and these proposals will offer better value for money for the local tax payer."

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• Stoke-on-Trent
• museums
• Heritage
• the potteries
• gladstone pottery