Craven Museum is located in Skipton Town Hall, a modern cultural hub for Skipton in North Yorkshire and its surrounding, largely rural, hinterland. The museum opened almost a hundred years ago in 1928, and was formed by a committee of local historians, organisations and archaeology enthusiasts, who collected items of local historical interest. Originally housed in Skipton Library, it was handed over to Skipton Urban District Council in 1934, and has remained a civic museum ever since.
The museum first moved to a new, purpose-built annexe in Skipton Town Hall in 1973. Between 2018-2021, Craven Museum underwent a National Lottery Heritage Funded redevelopment project, which completely transformed the museum space and displays. It was during this work and through consultation with local community groups that making the museum as accessible as possible was placed at the heart of the project, and this ethos was embedded in all of the museum’s work.
Craven Museum is small but perfectly formed. It has a varied and fascinating local history collection, spanning from pre-history to contemporary in areas as diverse as archaeology, textiles, fine art, geology and social history. With a collection of roughly 60,000 objects, it was difficult to choose which items to display in a relatively limited space. Some objects, such as a rare copy of Shakespeare’ First Folio, were obvious, but others needed more consideration.
To make the process as inclusive as possible, the museum went through a detailed consultation programme with local groups and visitors, a process that shaped the themes and objects on display. The museum exhibitions weave through time, telling the stories of agriculture, industry, transport, culture and more in Craven – but most importantly, they give voice to the people who have lived in the area throughout time, and reflect what local people want to see at their local museum. The museum also has a dedicated Community Case in the main gallery, where groups can apply to display their own collections and items in for up to three months.
Curator for a Day
Alongside choosing new objects for display, building in new hands-on interactives was an integral part of the redevelopment process. Creating an environment where families can learn and explore together was very important, providing opportunities for tactile experiences and play. This includes elements such as dressing up, object handling and a ‘build your own cabinet of curiosities’ station. Alongside these physical elements, digital screens are also utilised throughout the museum to encourage deeper learning for all ages, such as a cave exploration game, 3D scans of prehistoric finds and listening cones to engage with oral histories.
However, creating a welcoming, accessible, inclusive environment for all visitors was arguably more important than any other aspect of redevelopment. To become embedded in the local community as a safe, friendly venue was top of the agenda. As essential as the right built environment is, the greeting visitors received from staff upon entering the museum is crucial. With this in mind, all staff went through training on creating a high-quality visitor experience, alongside additional training in welcoming visitors with additional needs. Every visitor that steps through the door to the building is treated as an individual, as it is recognised that no two people’s needs are the same – and if a visitor’s needs are not being met, they need to feel that they are able to ask.
Alongside the everyday offer, the museum also runs a varied programme of events that serves a wide-ranging audience. As an example of this, throughout the school summer holidays in 2023, the venue ran a family-friendly activity every single day it was open. This ranged from free, drop-in make and take craft events (with a theme linked to the museum collection) to longer workshops, such as ‘Curator for the Day’ – where young people came to the museum to learn what it was like to be a curator, and developed their own pop-up exhibition. Many activities were free or low-cost to reduce the barrier for entry, something that was highlighted as particularly important by local families during times of economic hardship. The benefits of this work have been felt throughout the museum, with 124,000 people visiting in 2023 – almost double the amount pre-redevelopment.
All of this work culminated in applying for the Kids in Museums Accessible Museum Award in 2023. Receiving the awards for Best Accessible and best overall Family Friendly Museum of the year acknowledged the immense work carried out by a small but passionate team. The boost it gave to staff was unparalleled and was also received with pride by the local community.
Rather than applying to the award with a specific project in mind, the museum team wanted to showcase their day-to-day commitment to accessibility and visitor engagement. This was reflected in some of the comments from family judges who came to assess the museum. One stated ‘This is one of the most accessible, family-friendly and welcoming museums I have visited across Britain. Although small compared to city museums, this has a lot to offer and is well laid out. It is very inclusive and their website is a particularly strong point in terms of helping people to feel able and welcome to visit.’
Getting to this point has not always been easy. Carrying out such an intense programme of visitor engagement has had a big impact on the team, and a period of reflection on what went well and what needs future development is essential. There is a balancing act of providing as much as possible for visitors whilst acknowledging budgetary restrictions – and recognising that high-quality needs to be maintained throughout.
Winning the Kids in Museums awards has really validated the work that has taken place in the team and has acted as a source of inspiration to keep pushing. Head of Service Danielle Daglan has stated ‘This recognition highlights our ongoing efforts to create welcoming spaces where families can discover and connect with our rich cultural heritage. We are deeply committed to providing meaningful experiences for all visitors, and this award serves as a heartening affirmation of our dedication to inclusivity’.
In difficult circumstances where the cost-of-living crisis continues to have a significant impact on what visitors can afford, Craven Museum is determined to continue to create an accessible, inclusive environment for all and is committed to free entry. These are challenging times in the UK, with local government funds being stretched ever more thinly, meaning that inclusive museums spaces are becoming more important than ever. Winning the Kids in Museums 2023 award has inspired the Craven Museum team to continue this work and to keep advocating for access for all.