Temple Newsam to host first Public Houses conference in Leeds

On 9 & 10 October Temple Newsam House will host the first Public Houses conference in Leeds, bringing together experts from across the UK to address the key issues facing local authority historic house museums.

The conference will welcome scholars, practitioners, funders, and policy makers to share experiences, insights, and guidance on a range of themes in response to the title, ‘Public Houses: What makes civic custodianship of historic house museums in Britain different and where next?’.

As the first event of its kind run by Leeds City Council and the University of Leeds, the conference will explore what it means to be a publicly owned and managed historic house museum in the 21st century, and what the future might hold for these unique sites.

Dr David Hopes, Head of Service for Leeds Museums and Galleries says, ‘At a time when civic museums are under huge pressure financially, this conference will give us an opportunity to celebrate the uniqueness of civic custodianship of historic houses, and to chart a course forward together with informed optimism.’

Keynote speaker Dr Simon Thurley CBE, Chair of The National Lottery Heritage Fund says, ‘Our locally run historic house museums are a major part of the UK’s rich cultural heritage. This conference provides a forum to raise awareness of this important sector and discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by local authorities as custodians of major heritage assets.’

The conference venue of Temple Newsam House is a local authority run museum, part of the Leeds Museums & Galleries portfolio.

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, says, ‘I’m delighted that this fantastic event is coming to Leeds’ Temple Newsam House. The House will offer a truly inspiring environment for attendees to discuss challenges and opportunities for historic house museums in civic care, whilst sharing areas of good practice.’

The event will take place across two days, with the programme covering a breadth of topics including the role of public authorities in saving historic houses, co-curation with and for communities, and the relationship between how we curate such places and the public benefit.

The conference will feature speakers including, Dr Simon Thurley CBE (Chair of The National Lottery Heritage Fund), Ben Cowell OBE (Historic Houses), Tarnya Cooper (National Trust), Dr Oliver Cox (V&A), Sarah McLeod (Wentworth Woodhouse), Dr Christopher Ridgway (Castle Howard), Helen Featherstone (Director of England – North, Heritage Fund).

‘Public Houses: What makes civic custodianship of historic house museums in Britain different and where next?’ is being gratefully sponsored by the Paul Mellon Foundation. It will take place on 9 & 10 October 2024. You can find out more about the programme and get tickets here.