 |
|
9th July 2008
BRUNEL’S ss Great Britain has recruited a new manager to head its expanding museum and education departments.
|
Rhian Tritton joins the ss Great Britain Trust, at a time when trustees and staff are working towards the establishment of the Brunel Institute conservation and learning centre.
The Brunel Institute, in a major partnership with the University of Bristol, is due to open its doors to the public in 2010. It will draw together archives relating to the great engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the very first time.
The world-class collection will also house one of the best maritime libraries outside London. And the Trust has ambitious plans to encourage children into science, engineering and design through its ‘Future Brunels’ programme, as well as running innovative outreach activities.
Rhian’s department is already well respected across the city for its curatorial and education work.
The ss Great Britain Trust’s collections recently achieved ‘Accredited’ status from the Museums Libraries Archives Council, and curators are now putting plans in place for acquiring the prestigious ‘Designated’ status, which recognises museum collections of especial national significance. This follows the curatorial team’s active role, working with the Trust’s Director Matthew Tanner, in conserving the ss Great Britain and transforming the ship into one of the UK’s most exciting museums and visitor attractions.
Awards have included Enjoy England’s ‘Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 2007’, ‘European Museum of the Year Award’s Micheletti Prize for ‘Best Industrial Museum 2007’, and the UK’s largest arts prize, the Gulbenkian Prize for ‘Museum of the Year 2006’.
Every year more than 16,000 schoolchildren visit the ship, with over 3,000 taking part in the Trust’s exciting education workshops including ‘Victorians at Sea’ to ‘Brunel – our Engineering Hero’ (Key Stages 1 and 2), ‘Passenger Investigation’ (Key Stages 2 and 3), and ‘Salvaged!’ (Key Stage 3).
The education team of staff and volunteers are also responsible for running holiday and weekend activities for thousands of families across the region to enjoy. They visit Brunel’s ss Great Britain on a regular basis – making use of the admission ticket which allows free unlimited return visits – to attend craft workshops, story-telling, and to watch re-enactors as part of the exciting calendar of events.
Rhian joins the senior management team, reporting to the Trust’s Director, following a successful career which has included curatorial and education posts.
Rhian, who lives in Southville, Bristol, commented: “When I started working in museums 20 years ago I was absolutely passionate about collections and their potential for learning – and I still am.
“In those 20 years I have worked with collections of social and industrial history, fine and decorative arts, and archives. I started my career as a costume curator, but became fascinated by how, and what, people learn in museums.”
After a career break to study for a Masters degree in Education, Rhian worked for English Heritage, ran a successful museum consultancy, and most recently managed the National Trust’s education programmes across England.
She added: “The Brunel Institute is an exciting development for the ss Great Britain Trust, and I look forward to being part of its success.”