As a charity, the Burton Constable Foundation relies on visitor income, donations and grants, in order to prolong and protect its future.
Whilst loyal annual members and new visitors keep the Constable flag flying, it’s injections of cash from donations or grants which can catapult a project forwards and help to preserve the buildings and their collections for future generations.
A Successful Bid
When submitting grant or bid applications, it is expected that you will be in direct competition with hundreds of other similar charities. This makes the chances of a successful bid somewhat slim.
However, on this occasion the efforts of Burton Constable’s Curator, Philippa Wood, saw the Humber Museums Partnership award the Burton Constable Foundation funding for ‘The North Wing Project: Protecting Collections, Improving Accessibility’.
The North Wing Project
Large areas of the North Wing are currently inaccessible to the public but with the new financial support there are plans to improve collection storage, create new displays and interpretation, and introduce new volunteer-led tours.
The ambitions are to reintroduce life into the North Wing by returning many parts of it to its former-glory with further ambitions of engaging new, young audiences and re-engaging traditional, older and socially isolated audiences.
Making Melodies
An expansion of The North Wing Project is to revive music from a collection associated with the Constable family's long and extravagant history (more of which can be uncovered in the current exhibition: Drink, Dance & Decadence).
Initial plans involve digitally recording music found on original sheet music in the Hall’s archives. By working closely with local musicians, the idea is to turn memories into melodies so that they can be shared with the Hall’s visitors, enhancing their overall experience.
Curator’s Corner
Philippa Wood highlighted the significance of a successful grant bid by remarking how “it marks the first step in better protecting and interpreting an area of our collections that are, by nature of their vulnerability to light damage, difficult to make accessible on a regular basis”.
“Everyone here at the Burton Constable Foundation has an immense passion and pride in its rich history and countless collections. There are so many untold stories, and areas which we wish to be able to share with the public. This funding will allow us to bring the North Wing to life, explore further these unique areas of our collections and add to both our visitors and volunteers experiences of the Hall”.
Home to the Constable family for over 700 years. Burton Constable is one of the most fascinating English country houses to survive complete with its historic collections. Located on the outskirts of Hull in East Yorkshire, it's one of the region's most popular attractions.