Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member Sport and Culture

The Cabinet Member Sport and Culture introduced the report which set out the basis on which the Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum (AG&M) is re-branded following 18 months closure and the completion of the multi-million pound redevelopment project of the building. Having recognised the importance of engaging with the wider community and the public, feedback on the proposal of re-branding the AG&M as “The Wilson” was sought following a media briefing on 5 September.

Members were informed that 70 people had sent in their views. Whilst recognising that encompassing all that the new building had to offer in one name was never going to be an easy task the Cabinet member highlighted the following points in response to the comments received :

• Rebranding-the HLF had strongly recommended that rebranding was looked at supported by the Summerfield Trust and the University. A perceptions audit was commissioned which included consultation with key internal and external stakeholders, the purpose of which was to deliver a branding proposal which would form the basis for a creative design. Based on the outcomes of this audit a tender process was undertaken to appoint an agency to develop those ideas. This concerned maximising the impact of the reopening to reposition the AGM from a hugely important local attraction to one that could help boost our national and international profile and encourage tourism
• Cost-0.15 % of the total cost of the project (£6 million) had been spent on the rebranding and this had been built into the budget from the outset. This was not regarded as an overly excessive amount for a project of this size.
• Logo-this was a grid inspired by the new building itself, both the look from the outside and the modular basis of the internal building and different spaces; the outside sign would be black and white which complimented the steel and glass in its modern look of the building; the simplicity of the logo itself allowed it to stand out.
• The Wilson proposal-Edward Wilson was born in Cheltenham, educated at Cheltenham College and was a junior surgeon at the hospital and was famously on Scott’s Antarctic Expedition. Exploring heritage and culture, experiencing, discovering and learning is what a museum and art gallery is for and this encapsulated what Edward Wilson did. The name of the Cheltenham ArtGallery and Museum would appear on all the literature and publicity.

Finally the Cabinet Member emphasised that the majority of comments supported the new rebranding and that this was the most significant development project Cheltenham had had for many years. It would open on 5 October 2013.

Cabinet Members supported the proposal and emphasised that this was no ordinary town museum but one which they hoped would gain national and international status. The existing name would be the strap line for the new building but the rebranding to the Wilson represented a more accessible name for a modern, new and forward looking institution.

The Leader of the Council added that it was entirely appropriate that the museum had been rebranded taking account of the fact that it had been closed for such a long period of time. The rebranding exercise represented value for money and had been an impressive process.

RESOLVED THAT

The re-branding of the CheltenhamArt Gallery & Museum to “The Wilson” be approved.