The new Burrell collection

 

A few years ago, as a part of my Changing Places campaign, I was going around places to see where organisations could install a Changing Places toilet.  So, one day I went into the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow to see if they could get a Changing Places facility. Sadly, it was too small and old to get one, but I did a feedback form.  

 

A few days later I received a nice email to ask if I wanted to join their access panel. I jumped at the chance as it is right up my street.   At the time the group was working with the Burrell collection which was going through a big renovation at the time and the group was helping them to make the Burrell Collection more accessible.

 

The Glasgow Museums Access Advisory Panel first met in 2005, as part of later stage of work around the refurbishment of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the early stages of the Riverside Museum Project. the panel has people with all types of disabilities on it. This is good, as everyone with a disability has different needs.

 

Over the years, the Access Panel played a key role in the Riverside Museum Project, working closely with the team on all aspects of the building that were related to access. Everything from the design of the building, car parking, toilets- even the displays- have had input from the Access Panel. This is still the case today, and aside from the Burrell Collection, the Access Panel have helped influence many decisions in the museum service.

 

The very first meeting that I went to was all about the toilets in Burrell collection. I remember we talked about lots of issues, from toilet doors to the wash hand basins. I discovered that there were going to be two Changing Places toilets in the Burrell Collection when it opened again. I was very pleased to hear this.

 

At one of the other meetings, we went to the warehouse where the collection is stored. We talked about where things should be placed in the museum so that everyone can see everything.

 

The Burrell collection was supposed to open in spring 2020 but due of covid it was held back two years and opened again in March this year.

 

At the begin of this year I was contacted by their communications officer to go to the Burrell Collection to do stuff for social media. So, at the start of May I spent a day there doing filming and getting pictures and just taking a look around the museum. This was a good day, and the communication officer was a very nice woman. 

 

I think the new Burrell Collection is a very nice museum and in terms of accessibility, it is fantastic with two Changing Places and the museum very spacious, and I could see everything.

 

I would recommend a visit to the new Burrell Collection. In terms of the Access Panel we meet once in  a while  so  if you want to join  contact:  visitorstudies@glasgowlife.org.uk 

 

Written by Jill