Reflecting back on our 2022 consultations

 It’s an exciting time for the Isles of Scilly Cultural Centre and Museum project. The project team has submitted the revised plans to the Council for planning permission and listed building consent. We are also looking at how we tell the stories of the islands and how the building will be used.

Last year’s consultation was a vital piece of work that helped shape the vision of how the Town Hall space could be used and what the building should look like.

Here’s some of the key information we learned from our first stage of consultation.

How many people took part in the consultation in 2022?

Almost 200 people took part in a consultation last spring, and here’s some of the key findings from that piece of work. We spoke with 68 residents and 97 visitors as well as some second-home owners and people from the Scillies diaspora.

What were we trying to achieve through the consultation in 2022?

We wanted to speak to people to help shape early plans for the museum and cultural centre. This space will provide a valuable asset to both local people and holidaymakers alike – offering a community space to be available to residents to book and enjoy, telling important stories of the Islands in our museum, and offering an essential indoor theatre and cultural space for the many artists and performers on the Islands and from further afield.

Last year’s initial consultation gave the chance to:

• talk about the Town Hall and your ideas for the space

• to tell us what kind of use and activities you’re interested

• to tell us what’s important to you about how we use the space

This feedback was a key element in helping us to develop an initial plan for the building which met the needs of our audiences.

How did people take part in various consultations during 2022?

From mid-March to mid-April 2022, there was a variety of ways people could offer their views.

• An evening presentation was held on 15 March 2022, showing initial plans and architectural model with a chance to speak with partners of the project.

• The online consultation was launched on 16 March until 13 April 2022.

• From 22 March – 13 April 2022, presentation boards and drawings were on display in the Town Hall, with the ability to fill in forms and make comments.

• On 6 April 2022, we ran two ‘Meet The Architect’ sessions. The architects also met with pupils from the Five Islands Academy.

People were invited to give their feedback through written suggestions within the town hall, a printed questionnaire or completion of an online survey.        

Did people support the idea of creating a museum, performance space and community hall in the Town Hall?

Of the 186 people who took part in the survey, 96% definitely, or largely, supported the proposals.

Broken down by category, 91% of residents, 94% of second home owners, 100% of diaspora, 100% seasonal workers and 99% of visitors definitely, or largely, were happy with the initial concepts and ideas.

What were the main themes that emerged?

The questions answered within the Town Hall showed the majority of participants agreed with the following statements about Scilly:

• The sea defines and shapes island life and death – it is a barrier and connector

• The Isles of Scilly are home to rich archaeological, environmental and social history, different from the rest of the UK

• The landscape and wildlife of the Isles of Scilly are special, fragile and constantly changing. There is uncertainty about what the future holds with rising sea levels and climate change

• The human story on Scilly began 8,000 ears ago and is the story of comings and goings. It is the story of people who are resilient and inventive.

You told us that you were looking for a building that provided a space for all ages to use - one that showed our rich history, but one that also provided a useful place for the community to gather and use.

What kind of uses were suggested for the Town Hall?

We asked you about things that would interest you. We offered a range of options on the types of events and programming that you would like to see taking place at the new Town Hall.

• 69% of respondents said they’d be interested in attending theatre performances, or taking part in performances in the space

• 71% of respondents said they’d be interested in taking part in, or attending, music events

• 64% of respondents said they’d be interested in attending heritage-themed talks or events

• 58% of respondents said they’d be interested in attending wildlife-themed talks or events

• 63% of respondents said they’d like to know more about Scilly wildlife and nature

• 70% of respondents said they would like to take part in craft fairs, festivals and pop-up events in the space

These responses helped to shape the vision for the current plans for the Town Hall - a cultural centre with an inspiring indoor performance space, a museum focused on the heritage and stories of our island, and a community space that will act as an island hall for your groups, events and celebrations.

Your thoughts on the benefits to the community

Another area of the survey in 2022 focused on the perceived benefits of this project, and asked you to consider how you felt it could benefit the Isles of Scilly.

• 63% agreed it would definitely strengthen the tourism offer on the island, and 29% said it probably would strengthen tourism

• 49% of respondents said it would make the Isles of Scilly a more attractive place to live, work, visit and invest, and a further 40% said it probably would

• 63% of respondents agreed the project would help to improve local people’s sense of community and wellbeing, and a further 31% said it probably would

• 72% of respondents said it would involve more people in enjoying and exploring the history of the Islands, and 25% said it probably would

You Said, We Listened

• Architecture - there were concerns over the height of the extension and it was subsequently redesigned and lowered. The external cladding direction was changed to be more visually in keeping with neighbours. A more flexible approach has been taken to the raked seating in the hall. The gallery to the hall has been increased to three sides. Toilets have been allocated with a gender, addressing comments about unisex toilets.

• Keep what’s good - the much-liked pop-up museums will stay.

• Flexibility - you told us that you wanted a space that could do lots of things, offering a flexible use of the space to cater to lots of different events and purposes.

• Robust and simple - you told us you wanted equipment and set up within the space to be straightforward and robust, with the ability to serve a lot of different needs. The approach to the technical equipment has been carefully considered after concerns raised about their viability, discussions with on-island tech group is ongoing.

Working with Exeter University

In May 2022, students from Exeter University undertook face to face research with 440 visitors on St Mary’s via face-to-face discussions with a standardised questionnaire. The gathered information was another resource used  to develop ideas for activity in the Museum and Cultural Centre.

Of he participants in this exercise, 66% had visited Scilly before, 36% had been to the old museum and 91% supported plans for the proposed development. Almost half of the people were in the 60+ age category and overall predominantly resided in the UK.

The aspects of Scillonian history and culture that interested them the most are:

·        natural history 73%

·        maritime history 72.5%

·        early human settlement 62%

·        Scillonian families 56%

·        geology and environmental change 55%

·        archaeology 54%

·        military history 50.5%

·        economic development 44%

What would attract them to the new centre?

·        the museum 76%

·        café/bar 75%

·        wildlife talks 64%

·        live music 61%

·        heritage talks 57%

·        artist workshops 55%

·        live theatre 54%

·        cinema 53%

·        family activities 34%

 (Figures represent percentages showing positive interest in a subject).

Have you taken part in any of these activities in Scilly before?

·        Family Activities -  Yes:39 No:398 NA:3

·        Live Theatre - Yes:58 No:379 NA:3

·        Live Music - Yes:101 No:336 NA:3

·        Cinema Screenings - Yes:48 No:389 NA:3

·        Artist Workshops - Yes:83 No:354 NA:3

·        Heritage Talks - Yes:88 No:349 NA:3

·        Wildlife talks - Yes:171 No:266 NA:3

Representation from local interest groups

It was important to the project board that we made sure that a number of local interest groups were able to represent their views, as the use of a community space will be vital for their needs. We had participation from Scilly Sirens to local theatre groups, from members of Five Islands Academy PFTA to bird-watching groups, from arts and crafts group to members of the cricket club.

We have ensured we kept conversations open with a number of important stakeholders, and this has included the following workshops and sessions:

·        Theatre design workshops with theatrical experts

·        Architect updates and questions and answer sessions

·        Continuing work with Five Islands Academy

·        Work with Wildlife Trust

·        Work with local artists

·        Work with local businesses

·        Work with Islands Partnership

Are there areas we will circle back to?

Absolutely, yes. The initial consultation asked for a broad range of feedback in the early stages of the project - helping us to gauge interest and appetite in the project. But we recognise that questions were asked of you that we can’t make decisions on right now and these will be areas we may come back to later. This would include issues like the naming and branding of the new hall through to market testing on pricing and programming.

What’s next for the project?

The consultations and workshops we held in 2022 and earlier this year were vital in informing the direction of the project - it helped us to identify core ways we could use the building to support the needs of our local community.

There will be further chances for members of the public to contribute their views in 2023. In July 2023, there is a chance to see the concept design for the museum, with a consulation running until until 24 July 2023. We will publish further news articles with our core findings from the July survey process.

We will post all information and opportunities to get involved on our website, and the Council of the Isles of Scilly will share news of these opportunities on their website and digital channels.