Perth Museum has won a gruelling battle to be the name of the city’s new museum.
A huge public consultation involving hundreds of residents concluded the name of the attraction set for Perth City Hall should be a simple one.
“It may seem like the obvious choice,” said a spokesperson for Perth Museum.
“But we wanted to hear from the people of Perth and Kinross, from people old and young, from all corners – and they spoke out loud with more than 450 submitting ideas, so we listened.”
Stone of Destiny at its heart
Alongside this change, the existing Perth Museum and Art Gallery on George Street will be rebranded Perth Art Gallery.
Perth Museum will tell the tale of the Fair City’s ancient roots through social and natural history with the Stone of Destiny at the centre.
Perth Art Gallery will focus on modern Scottish culture through the development of art and design in the region up to the present day.
Other suggestions
Public consultation during the search for a name included packs sent out to schools with colouring in sheets, a video and information regarding the contents of the museum.
There was also an online campaign and leaflets were handed out to key areas around the new museum.
More than 60% of respondents voted for a name they believed encompassed both the history of the building and the stories of the community.
That was Perth Museum.
The spokesperson added: “From the start there was a clear favourite, despite some brilliant suggestions including The Victoria Drummond Museum and The Sparkling Museum of Perth, suggested by Rhys from Tulloch Primary School.”
‘An ideal name’
Perth Museum and Art Gallery will reopen in April 2023 as Perth Art Gallery.
The new Perth Museum in City Hall will open in Spring 2024.
Charles Kinnoull, chair of Culture Perth and Kinross, said: “Perth Museum is an ideal name.
“The fact it was chosen by local people reflects how committed we are to putting community voices at the heart of the new museum.”
He rates the naming a key milestone “on the road to transforming the cultural offer in Perth”.
Perth and Kinross Council leader, Councillor Grant Laing, said: “There was great enthusiasm from the public in naming the new museum.”
Government funding
Perth Museum will be managed in partnership between Perth and Kinross Council and Culture Perth and Kinross.
It is being supported by £10m from the Tay Cities Region Deal, which is a £700m regional investment programme jointly funded by the UK and Scottish governments and regional partners.
Meanwhile, all exhibition spaces at Perth Museum and Art Gallery will be closed to the public for three months from January to April 2023.
The current gift shop, coffee shop, and lecture theatre will remain open with limited hours for customers and special events.
Conversation