The Beaney Canterbury : new Art Museum and Library project
Invitation to Consultants to tender for a Learning Consultancy.
Canterbury City Council and Kent County Council in partnership are
developing a project to transform and revitalise museum, art gallery and
library services in Canterbury’s Beaney Institute, and create opportunities
for closer working between these services aimed at meeting community needs
and delivery of the local, regional and national cultural agenda.
The partnership has appointed Faithful & Gould to manage the project
development, and in addition to a Project Architect and Designers it has
consultants preparing an Audience Development Plan, an Access Plan, a
Conservation Plan and Public Art proposals.
The partnership now seeks a Learning Consultant.
Context
The consultancy advice will help inform and shape new service planning for
the Beaney, and it will be an integral part of external funding
applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund and others, including those
specialising in funding education projects.
Consultants
A highly experienced and knowledgeable consultancy is sought which:
 specialises specifically in learning
 has some years’ experience in directly relevant roles involved with
learning through objects and images
 and ideally has worked closely with a Museum Design Consultancy in the
role required for this project, and also for Lottery projects
The consultants will have an up-to-date awareness of the latest
developments in:
 the national agenda as it affects the education, museums, galleries and
libraries sectors
 language and literacy development
 life-long learning issues within museums, galleries and libraries, and in
particular MLA’s framework and guidance, ‘Inspiring Learning for All’
and ‘Investing in Knowledge’
And they will have their own fresh ideas and enthusiasm.
Examples of relevant recent work are requested, together with the names of
two current client referees in the museums, galleries and library sector.
Brief
The Museum and Library services, which will share the Beaney building as
now, will be working more closely together than before and in as many ways
as possible for the benefit of users, though each service will retain its
identity
The Learning Consultant’s role will be to work with the Project Team and in
particular with the appointed Design Consultants, Casson Mann, to advise on
ways to maximise the life-long learning opportunities across both museum
and library services in new design work for the Lottery stage 1 application.
The Beaney project will aim to use the collections of the museum, gallery
and library to engage people of all ages in access to the heritage, in
creativity, in personal explorations and discovery, and in celebrating
their own communities and also those of others.
More information about the Beaney project is available from Gillian Smith,
details below.
It is proposed that low-tech hands-on opportunities will form part of the
general displays and approaches to service delivery, and that in addition
there will be other space(s) designed in accordance with the guidance
in ‘Space for Art’ and ‘Space for Education’ publications.
Service delivery will include resources for parents/carers and children,
for example, to use around the building; and will also include outreach
resources which can be lent out and/or used by other partner agencies such
as but not only Sure Start, Home Start and Community Development teams.
The consultants will take full account of the Audience Development Plan and
Access Plan being prepared by Creative Cultures, and the Conservation Plan
for the building being prepared by Purcell Miller Tritton.
They will link their work specifically also to the education development
plans of Canterbury City Council and Kent County Council.
The work for the Lottery stage 1 application is to be complete and
sufficient to meet Lottery requirements, and to fulfil this brief which
relates to stage 1 only.
If the project is awarded a stage 1 pass, consideration will be given to
extending the Learning Consultancy and fees to work up the project to stage
2
Scope of work
To work with members of the museum and library staff teams and with Casson
Mann:
 to advise on multi-sensory engagement with the collections and displays
through low-tech handling and interactive materials
 to advise on maximising language and literacy development through
collections display and interactive elements in the museum and galleries,
in the library and local history archive resources, and through cross-
domain and cross-subject links
 to advise on piloting interpretative and hands-on ideas in order to test
and evaluate them with community groups – in the interval between stage 1
and stage 1 applications to Lottery - before implementation; (this advice
is likely to include, for example, a method statement for a specific
interactive devised with Casson Mann, with the target audience, educational
objectives and evaluation by the consultant)
 to advise on programmes of activities and events – in particular for
people/groups identified in the Audience Development Plan – and on the
appropriate facilities that will need to be provided for these activities
and events in order, for example, to inform the architect’s space
plan (this advice is likely to include piloting with schoolchildren
who are to be involved in a Beaney education project, ‘At the Heart and
Taking Part’ being planned for 2005-6)
 to advise on and format how learning through the collections, displays,
activities and events can be evaluated on an ongoing basis
 to advise on training and development needs of staff who will engage with
users
 to advise on funding bodies and the targeting of applications
 to collate advice, together with any supporting explanatory and
illustrative material, in report format for submission as part of the
Lottery application.
Reporting
The consultants will be responsible to the Beaney Project Team as client
and will be managed by the Project Management firm Faithful & Gould. The
main links will be with museum and library staff and with Casson Mann.
Additional links will include the County Council’s education advisers.
Outputs
The consultants will provide within their agreed fee
 a draft report for comment and approval
 6 copies of the agreed final report collating all their advice, and
explanatory or illustrative supporting material, and with an electronic
version in Word compatible format
Meetings
Meetings will be held in Canterbury, and on occasion at Casson Mann’s
offices in London
Fees and expenses
The consultancy study together with all fees and expenses will come within
the sum of £5,000 (five thousand), with any relevant VAT in addition.
APPLICATION DETAILS AND REQUIREMENTS
Consultants wishing to be considered for this appointment are to express
their interest in undertaking this work by providing:
 an outline method statement
 a cost plan
 a proposed time plan to completion
 full CV
 contact details of two appropriate current client referees
Deadline for receipt of applications: 3pm, 5 February 2005
Send to: Gillian Smith, Faithful & Gould, Union House, Eridge Road,
Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 8HF.
Tel: 01892 775020
Mob: 07803 260399
Interview date
A shortlist will be drawn up and interviews arranged.
Interviews will be held during the week commencing 21st February 2005 in
Canterbury.
Method Statement and Cost Plan
The consultants will provide as part of their tender a method statement to
set out how they will approach the work and the milestones to completion.
Full details of costs are to be provided, including what expenses and how
they will be charged.
Consultant information provision/requests
Copies of service education development plans will be provided to the
consultants on appointment
The consultants are to set out any information needs they expect the
Project Team and/or Project Managers to provide.
Project timescales
The Consultancy study will begin ideally during March 2005 for completion
by August 2005.
The consultants’ work will be organised and co-ordinated to link with that
of Casson Mann, and to hit the deadline for the Lottery and other funding
applications.
Grant applications are expected to be submitted during Autumn 2005.
Appointment details
The consultant will be appointed by Kent County Council under their
standard terms and conditions of contract and be responsible to the Project
Team through the Project Managers, Faithful and Gould. The KCC conditions
will be made available prior to engagement and will include the following
requirements: Insurance, Confidentiality, copyright and Stage payments.
Enquiries
Enquiries about this appointment or requests for further information
should be addressed to
Gillian Smith, Faithful & Gould, Union House, Eridge Road, Tunbridge Wells,
Kent, TN4 8HF.
Tel: 01892 775020; Mob: 07803 260399
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