Buoyant 6 months for York Museums

The York Museums Trust says that it has had a very good six months. The figures are contained in a report being presented to the York Council.

Like other major visitor attractions in the City, the autumn and early winter saw large number of customers.

Attendances at the two major Museums and the Art Gallery saw increases compared to the same period in the previous year.

The Trust says, that the ‘YMT Card’ scheme, introduced in summer 2015, remains “very popular” “Over 50,000 ‘YMT Cards’ have been sold to date, there are currently 24,500 active card holders and 55% of members are York resident, (meaning 14% of adults within the CoYC boundary have purchased a YMT Card)”.

The Trust has general reserves of over £2 million. It expects to sustain these over then next 5 years. The Trust does not mention any restricted funds in its report.

The YMT receives a grant of £300,000 a year from the York Council.

What’s on in York: Sold Out Prison Life … a Tour with Original Objects to Handle

Sold Out

York Castle Museum :

Sat 30 Sep :

11.00am – 11.45am :

Free (normal museum admission applies)

Sept _30Prison The site where the museum now stands has been a place of justice and imprisonment for around 1,000 years.

Visit the Debtors’ prison building, and the Prison Experience displays and find out about the poor sanitary arrangements, the punishments and the exercise which felons faced every day.

The tour is followed by the opportunity to handle original prison objects from the past two centuries.

Free (normal museum admission applies)

Booking necessary .. see the museum’s events page .. https://www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/your-visit/events/2017-09-30/?blog=1

15 adults max (16+ years)

Report to admissions desk.

What’s on in York: Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol

Play at Castle Museum,

Mon 5 – Sun 18 Dec 2016

Kirkgate, York Castle Museum

NEW for 2016!
Join us for an immersive and intimate production of Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol on the festively decorated Victorian street Kirkgate.

Take a walking tour along the cobbles and travel through time with Ebenezer Scrooge on his journey of redemption and enlightenment to fine the true meaning of Christmas. Includes a glass of wine and a mince pie.

Please see Eventbrite for details and to book – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/charles-dickens-a-christmas-carol-tickets-28722954129.

www.yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk

Big drop in visitor numbers at York Museums

A new report reveals that visitor numbers to Museums in York fell by 18% last year.

Castle Museum

342,936 people visited the Castle, Yorkshire and St Mary’s Museums compared to 417,857 in 2014.

In total 60,788 people visited the new Art Gallery between its reopening in August 2015 and April 2016. This was well down on the Museums Trusts own (annual) target of 190,000 and compares with a total of 226,404 who visited between April 2011 and April 2012 (before the Gallery was modernised and charges introduced).

The business plan for the Museums and Art Gallery, published in 2013, talked of “raising total visitor numbers to 900,000 by 2018”.

In a report to a Council committee, the Museums Trust blames the floods and lower tourist numbers in the City for the disappointing performance.

It says it has issued 1022 YMT (discount) cards to benefit claimants who therefore enjoy free admission to the attractions, as can those aged under 24.

In total 8,140 York residents have taken up the option to get a YMT card.

The Trust points to excellent customer satisfaction results at all its sites. 99% of visitors were either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their visit.

No financial figures are provided in the report.

The Trust is receiving a subsidy of £607,000 from the York Council this year.

What’s on in York: Major new exhibition – Shaping the body

Date : Fri 25 Mar
Time : See website
Venue : York Castle Museum
Cost : Free with YMT card

York Castle Museum : Fri 25 Mar : Free with YMT card

Shaping The Body 25 Mar This major new exhibition looks at how our bodies have been shaped and designed through choices we make and the consequences of our lifestyles.

York Museum Trust’s extensive collections of costume, social history, archaeology and art will highlight how the perfect height and weight have fluctuated in different periods, and how economic circumstances and cultural ideas impact on fashion.

Meet the people who have pushed their bodies to the limits to gain the look they crave and find out about dangerous fashions such as extra tight corsets, high heels and even poisonous dresses!

This thought-provoking and fascinating exhibition will challenge the notion of the perfect body.

Free with YMT card or see www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk