Looking Back: 2022 at the Museum of Cornish Life

2022 has been a bumper year for the Museum of Cornish Life. Here’s a round-up of some 2022 highlights in numbers…

In the Museum 2022

More than 14,700 people visited the museum
Over 800 pupils have taken part in schools workshops
26 freelance artists and performers were hired to deliver a range of engagement programmes
One Story, Many Voices immersive sound installation toured nationally featuring a story produced collaboratively with the Museum of Cornish Life and Bodmin Keep by Mercedes Kemp from WildWorks as part of a project with Imperial War Museums
4 temporary exhibitions and 3 online exhibition tours
2 Festivals, Animate Helston in February and Helston Makes It in September

Behind the Scenes 2022

2 public toilets with new water efficient fittings and timed lighting to reduce our consumption funded through Cornwall Museums Partnership by Arts Council England
1 Headley Fellowship undertaken including the reading of 19728 museum records as a starting point for understanding the collection before moving on to inventory check the collection we hold from the now closed Camborne Museum
Over 60 volunteers have helped welcome visitors, care for the collection and supported learning
Transfer of 1 van load of archive material for storage at Kresen Kernow to increase accessibility and support research
1 leaking sky lantern repaired in the Butter Market thanks to Cornwall Council
Inventory of over 1000 items in our Loft Store as part of our ongoing collections development and management

Museum of Cornish Life Team 2022

Over 10,000 hours dedicated by museums team of over 60 volunteers
1 trainee curator, 1 customer service apprentice and 1 archaeological finds intern employed as part of a pathways programme supporting career progression
1 Finds Liaison Officer supporting the work of the Portable Antiquities scheme across Cornwall
1 Community Engagement Curator funded through Cornwall Museums Partnership by Arts Council England helping to undertake a range of projects in the community
1 Headley Fellowship undertaking collections work supported by Art Fund
2 young people supported on internships from University of Plymouth

The Museum in the Community 2022

3669 have participated in off-site activities including memory cafes and digital dial-ins to care homes
800 lanterns were made in a collaborative project with CAST for St Pirans Day
4 young people supported to undertake Duke of Edinburgh and 2 young people on work experience
1 animated film made by pupils from Porthleven Primary School to screen at the Animation Festival
1 new chapter to our Cornish Life Stories looking at WW2

The Museum as a Charity in 2022

£28,000 awarded by Art Fund to undertake the Headley Fellowship
Over £14,000 raised through donations in the museum
£5000 legacy received helping to support the museum
£7000 was secured through Cultivator to support the trainee curator and archaeological finds intern
As part of the collaborative NPO funding to Cornwall Museums Partnership by Arts Council £58,000 invested into the museum