Introduction

The great north Museum: Hancock (GNM) is one of 12 museums, galleries and archives in the north East of England that collectively form Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM). situated in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, the GNM incorporates collections from the original Hancock Museum, owned by the natural History society of Northumbria (NHSN) and opened originally in 1884, alongside collections from the former Newcastle university Museum of antiquities (owned by the society of antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne (SANT)) and the University's shefton Museum of Greek and Etruscan archaeology. The GNM is managed by TWAM on behalf of Newcastle University (the lead partner and main funder) in partnership with the above two societies and Newcastle City Council.

The GNM cannot be described as a ‘small’ museum, given the size of the building and the collections, but neither is it on the scale of any of the ‘national’ museums. In 2009, GNM was ranked 20th nationally in terms of the most visited free museums in the UK and was also the top visitor attraction in the North East of England in both 2009 and 2010, according to Visit England annual survey statistics (Visit England n.d.). The GNM operates under the ethos of the TWAM (1997) Mission statement: ‘to help people determine their place in the world and define their identities, so enhancing their self-respect and their respect for others’. This works alongside a longstanding commitment to service the needs of Newcastle University and the wider academic community by playing ‘a leading role in the economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England … providing access to museum facilities of the highest quality, and promoting engagement with the Museum through its exhibitions, collections, teaching, learning and research opportunities’.