Agenda

Russell Cotes Art Gallery and Museum Management Committee - Monday, 27th October, 2025 2.00 pm

Venue: HMS Phoebe, BCP Civic Centre, Bournemouth BH2 6DY. View directions

Contact: Rebekah Rhodes  Email: rebekah.rhodes@bcpcouncil.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

To receive any apologies for absence from Councillors.

 

2.

Declarations of Interest

Councillors are requested to declare any interests on items included in this agenda. Please refer to the workflow on the preceding page for guidance.

Declarations received will be reported at the meeting.

 

3.

Minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 311 KB

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Meeting held on 2 June 2025.

4.

Public Issues

To receive any public questions, statements or petitions submitted in accordance with the Constitution. Further information on the requirements for submitting these is available to view at the following link:-

https://democracy.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeID=151&Info=1&bcr=1

The deadline for the submission of public questions is 4 clear working days before the meeting.

The deadline for the submission of a statement is midday the working day before the meeting.

The deadline for the submission of a petition is 10 working days before the meeting.

 

ITEMS OF BUSINESS

5.

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum Update Report (1 April – 30 September 2025) pdf icon PDF 251 KB

The Museum has had another successful 6 month period (1 April – 30 September 2025).  After a slow start to the season, the summer has been extremely busy due to the popularity of the Ruth Borchard Self Portrait Award exhibition throughout the house and the ‘May Morris: Art and Advocacy’ exhibition in the main galleries. The café has benefited from the good weather attracting visitors to the terrace and garden.

The Museum’s accreditation review has been completed by the Arts Council England and been awarded full accreditation.

Additional documents:

6.

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum Acquisitions, Loans and Disposals Report pdf icon PDF 133 KB

To note the new acquisitions to the Collection (material owned and held in trust by the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum charity in accordance with its charitable objectives) and the loan of material to other institutions (ie public art galleries and museums) and to approve the disposal of items in the Collection which do not meet the Museum’s Core Offer in accordance with the Museums Association Code of Ethics.

Additional documents:

7.

Report on the progress of the 'Repair and Renewal 2' Project funded by Arts Council England (ACE) Museum Estates and Development (MEND) Fund Round 4 pdf icon PDF 152 KB

The Russell-Cotes has received £1,500,817 from ACE MEND 4, which together with £359,317 of match funding from CIL and legacies will provide a total project grant of £1,860,134 to fund major urgent repairs to the Russell-Cotes building, services and interiors.

Payment conditions have now been met to enable the first instalment to be paid.  Conservation architects, Purcell have been appointed after an open tender and design work is underway.

The project is due for completion by November 2027.

Additional documents:

8.

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery& Museum Update on Progress to Independence pdf icon PDF 156 KB

The Charity Commission and Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have agreed to the Russell-Cotes charity giving Public Notice of the Scheme in the next step of the governance change. DCMS and Charity Commission have indicated that they are working towards a  vesting day of 1 April 2026 but it is subject to parliamentary time.

Other work is being progressed such as arrangements for the transfer of assets, TUPe of staff etc with the new corporate trustee, RCAGM Sole Trustee Ltd.

BCP Council presumed a 1 October 2025 deadline for externalisation which has now been exceeded. Consequently, there is no revenue budget for the museum beyond 30 September 2025 and the council proposes that the lump sum of £2.25million agreed for the new entity to give it time to become financially sustainable, be used from 1 October to fund the Museum’s revenue costs from this point whilst still within the Council.

However, the report outlining the financial deal, which was agreed by Cabinet on 7 February 2024 and by full Council on 20 February 2024 recognised that Vesting Day might be on 1 October 2025 but could take as long as 1 April 2026.

The Board of RCAGM Sole Trustee has expressed its concern at the council’s position that funding should cease and requested a meeting with the Chief Executive to discuss the serious implications of this on the future viability of the externalised museum.

 

9.

Date of next meeting

To note the date of the scheduled meeting on 19 January 2026.