Funding enables Scottish Fisheries Museum digitisation project

A grant from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Digital Innovation and Engagement Fund is set to enable the Scottish Fisheries Museum’s Fish Net project, which will produce a digitised, publicly accessible archive.

The fund – a collaboration between UKRI-AHRC and the Museums Association – supports museums to explore digital innovations. A total of £600,000 will support 14 museums across the UK to kick-start, scale up, and evaluate innovations they designed in order to weather the Covid-19 pandemic.

The photographic collection of the Scottish Fisheries Museum is a resource of national significance. It chronicles the technological, economic, social and political development of the Scottish fishing industry from the later 19th century through to the present day.

Using the power of digital connection, the stories caught within its photographic archive are set to be revealed. The 12-month Fish Net project will crowd-source information and data to produce a newly digitised and publicly accessible archive.

Professor Christopher Smith, AHRC executive chair and UKRI international champion, said: “Our nation’s museums have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to educate and inspire audiences while their doors were closed.

“The resources developed to enable this have had the additional positive outcome that it has helped them reach diverse, global audiences and has redefined what is possible for the future.

“There is a lot of optimism about what this means for the sector and investments such as there will support museums to continue to innovate and grow.”

Sharon Heal, Museums Association director, said: “The Digital Innovation and Engagement grants were a timely opportunity for museums to build on their creativity in engaging their communities during lockdown and to develop their skills in the digital space.

“The 14 grants awarded represent the best of a very competitive funding round.”

Details of all the funded projects can be found here.

This story was taken from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports on the UK and Irish commercial fishing sector, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.30 here.