Winchcombe Archive Collection Trust Trustees Annual Report for the period to 1 April 2022
Exhibitions
With the end of the third national lockdown at the end of March 2021 and further government guidelines due to be announced in June it was decided to postpone the usual May/June exhibition. This was instead held in September (18 September to 30 October – open three days a week, Thursday to Saturday 10 to 5). This exhibition Harvest Home celebrated harvest jugs and included historic Devon jugs, studio pottery from the collection as well as related art and artefacts. A small group of contemporary potters were invited to make jugs responding to the tradition which were for sale. The exhibition linked with the publication of a new Cotswold Living publication A harvest of jugs . The show received good press coverage including from BBC Art and Antiques. It was part of the Winchcombe Arts Trail’s weekend events (17-19 September). Harvest Home also included Winchcombe pottery for sale generously offered by two of the Trustees with proceeds to be donated in full to the Trust. The exhibition was well supported with visitors travelling a distance to visit.
Other activities
During the year a series of films were made of the three principal collection donors to the Trust talking about their collections by local filmmaker, Andrew Davies. These are a set of short (10 minute) films and four 30–60-minute films. They were made both as a historical record and to use to create greater awareness and understanding of the collections. They have been shown in the gallery (Art Trail 2022), informally, and also added to the website (created summer 2022).
Queen Anne House the home of the Trust and exhibition venue uses its windows to publicise exhibitions but Trustees had been aware there was no house name helping visitors to locate the venue. A new slate sign for the house was funded by two Trustees and created by local maker Martin Podd making the house easier to find in the street.
Further work was done on documenting the collection in July with an illustrated listing of Richard Chamberlaine Brothers’ collection, including provenance notes.
Also during the year a Friends of the Trust was begun. Although Covid concerns prevented a full launch, a soft launch with Buffet lunch was held in December 2021, and growing group of people have become supporters.
Postscript
We will report on 2022/23 in full at the next return. However we are deeply saddened to report the death of John Edgeler the founding Trustee in August 2022. John has been the driving force for the Trust, with his programme of exhibitions and events on studio pottery and related rural crafts and art at his home, Queen Anne House, for which his own collection provided the foundation. He has made very good provision for the Trust and we are currently considering the next steps. As such, given John Edgeler was the live-in curator, opening times for the public are currently reduced. We intend to return to our usual programme as soon as possible. We will open for Winchcombe Arts Trail in June 2023.
Winchcombe Archive Collection Trust
1
Queen Anne House, High Street, Winchcombe GL54 5LJ A Charitable Incorporated Organisation, registered charity number: 1186295
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A Charitable Incorporated organisation, Registered charity no: 1186295
Winchcombe Archive Collection Trust Queen Anne House High Street Winchcombe Gloucestershire GL54 5LJ T : 01242 602 319 W : www.winchcombearchivecollection.wordpress.com
A Museum of Rural Art & Crafts
Winchcombe Archive Collection Trust
Receipts and Payments for the period to 1st April 2022
After a delay caused by the pandemic, we were finally able to launch our Friends’ organisation this year and secured a number of lifetime and annual memberships.
On the payments side, due to our internal agreement with the owner of Queen Anne House where our permanent collections and temporary exhibitions are housed, no material payments were due either for the use of the premises or the time and related costs entailed in the curation of events. The payments total below represents a small number of miscellaneous costs.
Please note: The late filing of the Annual Report and the Accounts has been been compounded by the unexpected death of founder and trustee John Edgeler, who would normally have filed the reports. This has also been highlighted in the Annual Return.
Receipts
Friends’ subscriptions (life and annual) and £1,870 ad hoc donations
Payments
Misc. £165
Net Income for the Trust
£1,705