Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums (AAGM) review of the year 2023-24 highlights the organisation’s impact on the wellbeing of the people of Aberdeen, the city’s cultural and creative life, economy and sustainable future. From a royal visit to visitor attraction of the year, and a new Festival of the Sea, the annual review provides a snapshot of activity across the Art Gallery, Maritime Museum, Provost Skene’s House, Archives and Treasure Hub.
AAGM is part of Aberdeen City Council’s (ACC) City Development and Regeneration cluster. AAGM’s work is aligned with ACC’s Delivery Plan and with the Regional Economic Strategy. AAGM’s core purpose is to care for the city’s collection and to share it in ways that are relevant, engaging and accessible, online and in person, in welcoming, inclusive, safe spaces which are free to enter for everyone.
The year in numbers:
319,765 admissions across all venues
223,383 Art Gallery admissions (including 28,642 during the Spectra festival)
64,314 Maritime Museum admissions
31,009 Provost Skene’s House admissions
1,059 Treasure Hub visits
15,337 participants in public programmes and events
2,573 pupil visits to the Art Gallery, Maritime Museum & Provost Skene’s House
1 royal visit to the Art Gallery by Her Majesty Queen Camilla
16 special exhibitions and temporary displays
543 new objects and documents acquired
73 active volunteers who contributed 3,078 hours
83,333 social media followers
441,528 website page impressions
19,050,900 wikimedia views
95,798 entries searchable on the online Archives catalogue
151,529 records searchable on e-museum, with 134,637 e-museum visits
£166,104 grant funding secured, including £30,000 for the Science In Your World programme delivered in partnership with the Science Museum Group
£60,318 donations received (in venue and online)
8.45% conversion of visitors to customers across venues
158 venue hires
AAGM’s collections and archives make a major contribution to the cultural identity of Aberdeen. This year, thanks to a combination of donations, bequests, gifts and grant funding, 543 new objects and documents have been acquired. Highlights include Alan Measles and Claire Under an English Moon, by Sir Grayson Perry.
Small-scale micro commissions support local artists and are funded by the Friends of AAGM. This year’s recipients were Daisy Williamson, Flying Lion and CUSP. The Friends of AAGM also provided £14,000 worth of support for new acquisitions.
Special exhibitions and events attract new and repeat visitors into the city centre. Highlights included work by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois, one of the most influential figures of modern and contemporary art, presented with ARTISTS ROOMS, Tate and National Galleries Scotland; and a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Peacock, Aberdeen’s renowned print-making studio, with an exhibition of the New Aberdeen Bestiary.
The public programme supports the health and wellbeing of the people of Aberdeen, with events such as Soundplay, which welcomed 987 visitors over a weekend of accessible digital play, particularly families and children with complex additional support needs.
AAGM’s work is greatly enhanced by the contributions of its volunteers. The volunteer-led Musical Memories programme, which is open to everyone, particularly people living with a dementia diagnosis, attracted 706 visits to its fortnightly sessions in the Cowdray Hall.
Aberdeen-built Ships volunteer Dr Colin Helling researched connections between ships built in Aberdeen and the British Empire, resulting in a new exhibition at the Maritime Museum, Aberdeen Ships: Empire and Trade, which opened in June 2024.
The popular Lunchbreak Concerts series, plus a new programme of evening concerts in the Cowdray Hall, continued to support enjoyment of and participation in music making, reaching new audiences and staying connected with old friends. This year’s high notes included over 5,000 attendees at the weekly Lunchbreak Concerts, partnering with Aberdeen Jazz Festival, Haddo Arts, soundfestival, and the University of Aberdeen.
AAGM continued to support the learning journeys of young people in the city and wider region. The Production Pathways collaboration with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Aberdeen Performing Arts saw 80 senior pupils learn about careers pathways in production design, applied arts and technical theatre. The team supported the transition of Primary 7 pupils to Northfield Academy, with 173 pupil visits over 14 sessions at the Treasure Hub. Pupils were encouraged to explore and respond creatively to the theme of ‘treasure’.
During a 12-month internship, Robert Gordon’s University student Caelan Austin developed a strategy for AAGM’s social media presence. Focusing on trend-based light-hearted content, AAGM’s TikTok followers rose from 23 to 1,182, and video likes from 100 to 8,000.
Councillor Alex McLellan, Convener or Aberdeen City Council’s Finance & Resources Committee, said: “This year’s annual review of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums’ activity tells an impactful story of welcoming spaces which are open to everyone, where residents and visitors to the city can explore Aberdeen’s unique identity and rich culture and its connections to the world. Aberdeen City Council is grateful to all the funders, supporters and programme partners who have helped deliver another vibrant year of activity.”
Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesman, said, “Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums makes a significant contribution to our cultural life in Aberdeen, attracting new and repeat visitors into the city centre. While the Annual Review is a look back at the year gone by, our sights are set firmly on an inspiring future and the value that the Archives, Gallery & Museums Service will continue bring to the people and place of Aberdeen.”