funding from The Ashley Family Foundation
A MUSEUM in Ceredigion has managed to secure a £10,000 donation from the Ashley Family Foundation which is hoped will help increase public access to their costume collection.
The grant will fund Ceredigion Museum’s ‘New Approaches – Dressing Up’ project, which will see a street-level permanent display installed on the original staircase of the Grade II listed Coliseum Theatre.
The display will feature original posters and other items from the costume collection representing the golden age of cinema and theatre when the Coliseum was in its heyday.
The money will also pay for the original doors to be rehung and the floor mosaic to be restored, aiming to improve the visibility of the museum and encourage people to visit.
Carrie Canham, Ceredigion Museum Curator, said: “Ceredigion Museum boasts a fine and extensive collection of well-preserved costumes spanning a century and a half, from the Victorian age to the 1980s.
“However, at present, very little of the collection has ever been exhibited and only a handful of items are on permanent display.
“The support from The Friends of Ceredigion Museum has been magnificent, with the ‘Dressing Up’ project a crucial element of the wider ‘New Approaches’ project.
“It will secure a vibrant future for the museum through developing audiences, income streams and creative engagement practices.”
In addition to developing a new display area on the original museum staircase, the funding will support the creation of a high-profile temporary exhibition of costume at peak visitor season.
The project will begin with the temporary costume exhibition, ‘Who, What, WEAR, When’, which will be on display at Ceredigion Museum from Saturday July 23 to Sunday October 16.
The Ashley Family Foundation, formerly known as The Laura Ashley Foundation, is a charity whose ethos is to strengthen rural communities, particularly within Wales, both in terms of the social and environmental aspects.
‘Dressing Up’ is part of the wider £1.3m ‘New Approaches’ redevelopment project aimed at securing the future of the museum by creating opportunities to generate income and attract more visitors to the venue.
The project has received funding support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, CADW, The Friends of Ceredigion Museum and a range of trusts and foundations.
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