News & Comment

Ipswich Museum Development Project

There are three significant consultations being carried out (regarding the potential for a heritage 'campus' including the High Street Museum, the former Art Gallery on its south side, the former Art School on the north side and the New Wolsey Studio).

  1. Audience development which will involve consultation with a wide spectrum of groups, including The Ipswich Society and Friends of Ipswich Museums and others. This is to discover ways in which the Museum and the wider sites can be enhanced.
  2. A Campus Master Plan to give an overview of the Museum estate. Museum staff are making a series of visits to new and established museums and galleries around the country to inform the discussion. A leading architectural firm will be appointed to prepare a master plan
  3. The commissioning of a consultant to help develop the artistic programme for the site.

Alan Swerdlow, Chairman Friends of Ipswich Museums.

The Old Town Library

This library collection created in 1615 is the second oldest municipal public library in the country. It consists of about 700 works covering local history, topography, theology and natural history, housed at Ipswich School. Dr Blatchly, until recently its archivist, tells us that a DVD about the collection has been produced, copies of which can be obtained from the School's Reception at the main entrance in Henley Road (cost £6) or by post from Melissa Joralemon, present archivist, at Ipswich School, 25 Henley Road, Ipswich, IP1 3SG (cost £7).

Miracles in Lady Lane: The Ipswich Shrine at the Westgate

An illustrated lecture about this once famous Ipswich shrine will be given by John Blatchly and Diarmaid MacCulloch to launch their new book about this extraordinary subject. The lecture is at 7 pm on Tuesday, 16 April at the University's Waterfront Building. Copies of the book, hardback, will be available at the special launch price of £10 (normally £12).

Money for Skills?

'City Deal' is the rather strange name for the scheme in which local authorities can bid for Government money for specific purposes. Having cleared the first hurdle, a successful application for the Ipswich area would be used for improving the skills level which at present is one of our shortcomings. The bid by IBC, SCC and the three neighbouring district councils is one of some twenty in the country.

News about University Campus Suffolk

Information from UCS is encouraging - and the town is getting more used to having a university here! Applications for admission for the next academic year have increased by 8.2%, with a much larger proportion from students across the EU. Women comprise 70% of the present student numbers. UCS has also won Olympic Legacy investment to create an outdoor sports facility next to the James Hehir Building on Orwell Quay.

Ipswich Film Theatre

A plaque has been installed at IFT commemorating the achievement of Bob Cross. It reads, "This cinema was created in 1975 thanks largely to the personal enthusiasm, foresight and determination of Robert Cross, Chief Executive of Ipswich Borough Council who led the transformation of the Corn Exchange into an entertainment venue." He would have been delighted to know that the Film Theatre, run largely by the IFT Trust and its many volunteers, is bringing Ipswich all the best of world cinema.