WILLIAMSON AND PRIORY FRIENDS' (charity number 166363) role is to support and enhance the activities offered by the art gallery and museum and Birkenhead Priory, contributing towards the purchases of pieces for the collections, supporting exhibitions, art workshops, talks, publications and events and the operation of a concert series known as Summer Serenades. The Friends support the hosting of pr
ivate views for around 6 of the exhibitions in the gallery programme, offering wine or soft drinks to the invited guests and Friends. Tokens are given on arrival at the event which entitle the recipient to one glass of wine or juice, and patrons are expected to donated for further beverages through a donation box on the refreshment table. There are specially commissioned doantion boxes from Barry Canning Eaton at both sites plus several old post boxes within the building that are used when the building is open to collect donations. Over many years the Friends of the Williamson have supported the purchase of a piece from the Wirral Spring, now called the Williamson Open exhibition. This enables the gallery to build up a collection of local contemporary artists work year by year. The purchase of the piece by the gallery is held in high regard by the artists who contribute to the open exhibitions. The Summer Serenades are a series of musical events held throughout the summer arranged by the Friends of the Williamson and is very popular with Friends and visitors to the gallery. The music programme is often self sufficient with donations being received specifically for the concerts with the annual subscription forms and amounts received through donation boxes at the concerts and often the musicians waive their fees in support of the Williamson. The Friends of the Williamson promote the activities of the Williamson through social media to the public (Facebook, Twitter and a dedicated blog). In March 2014, The Friends hired a consultant one day a week to aid the Williamson staff with promotion of the exhibitions and events through local papers, social media and the creation of a new website by David Dunlop. The funds for the website were generated through an event called Extraordinary Postcards and generated over £7000 for the Williamson by one of the arts organisations that use the venue, the Oxton Artists who exhibit within the building in the annual and highly successful Oxton Art Fair. The Oxton Art Fair in 2013 implemented a commission to be paid from their sales to the Friends of the Williamson and this will be an annual arrangement. In 2014-2015 the Friends hope to support the gallery with the purchase of blinds for the skylights to reduce the light levels for important collections or exhibitions on loan. This will allow FWAGM to host more prestigious exhibitions from other organisations. In the summer of 2014 the Friends supported 6 family Sunday workshops lead by several artists or practitioners which will be free to participants, fees for the leaders to be paid for by the charity. This is in addition to the Summer Art Programme in which lead artists conduct a series of themed workshops for a group of 8 –15 year olds each week of the summer holidays, in addition to 5 lead artists, there are support artists and young people to help. This programme is match funded by Wirral Methodist Housing and culminates in an exhibition which coincides with Wirral Methodist Housing’s Annual General meeting
The Friends ran a Pop Up shop in early spring 2014 in an empty bank and will embark on this again in early summer, bringing the Williamson into the heart of Birkenhead. The enterprise increased the footfall in the main gallery and also offered an opportunity for local artists to exhibit their work as well as run free workshops on painting, craft work and collage. The cost to run the pop up shop was kept to a minimum and was reliant on volunteers to staff the temporary space.
