Exploring museums: a week of adventure and inspiration
Lucy Neville, MGS Climate officer and Emily Chandler, MGS Grants Officer write about their trip to explore various museums and exhibitions across Dundee and Montrose. From nostalgic visits to the McManus to inspiring displays at V&A Dundee and Montrose Museum, they enjoyed thought-provoking experiences that shed light on our natural world, sustainability, and the rich history of the areas.
The McManus
The first stop on my trip was the McManus in Dundee – the museum that first inspired me to work in the sector when they displayed my drawing of a ladybird when I was four years old. Followed by many a school trip, the McManus came to represent fun days out and wonder at the natural world – particularly upon seeing the skeleton of The Tay Whale. Exploring the museum after a long time away felt like coming full circle. Particular highlights were, obviously, The Tay Whale, Ellie Diamond’s incredible Dennis the Menace outfit and interpretation asking visitors to consider What is a Museum? The natural history gallery filled with animals that once filled our forests is also something that’s always made me consider our natural world and the steps we can all take to restore it.
V&A Dundee
Next up was a visit to V&A Dundee where Schools Development Officer, Gary Jamieson, showed me around their ‘Streets Ahead’ display. Showcasing the designs, by school pupils across Scotland, for cleaner, greener, and more accessible high streets in the future. From city centres filled with locally grown food, renewable energy, football pitches, and even biomimicry we’ve got a lot to look forward to from the next generation’s aspiring city planners!
Montrose
The next day I continued my adventure and headed to Montrose, this time joined by MGS Grants Officer, Emily Chandler. We began our day with a visit to Montrose Museum to see it’s temporary exhibition ‘Enrich/Adorn’ as part of the Angus Festival of Makers. The exhibition focused on migrations of both people and wildlife and how this transforms our countryside and towns. Very appropriate given the screeching parties of swifts swooping above Museum Street when we arrived. Emily and I loved looking around the permanent collections and seeing how they connect to the nature of the area and the action we can all take to preserve it.
After a quick lunchtime swim in the North Sea, it was off to the Montrose Air Heritage Station for the afternoon. Emily and I were lucky enough to have not only a personal tour from volunteer Sian but also to see the arrival of a, brand new to the museum, Jaguar Aircraft. We learnt lots about the air and military history of the East Coast, and it even sparked conversations on the train journey home about our own grandparents and stories from the RAF, Land Army, and Auxiliary Territorial Services. And as for climate – what better lessons to learn from the past than a bit of ‘Make Do and Mend’ mentality?
Thanks for taking the time to read about our museum adventures! We’re excited to continue exploring and sharing the inspiring work happening across the sector. Stay tuned for more updates on our next museum visits and the fascinating discoveries we make along the way.