Crystal Palace Dialogue 

Museum Task Group 
29th March 2007

Produced by Nigel Westaway & Associates and The Environment 
Council 

If you have any comments or queries regarding this transcription 

please contact: 
Name: Eva Beresford 
Direct Line: 020 7632 0145 
E-mail: evab@envcouncil.org.uk 

INTRODUCTORY NOTE 

The meeting was facilitated by Nigel Westaway & Associates and The 
Environment Council. This report is a typed transcript of the flipchart 
record written (in open view of all the participants) during the meeting. 

To make the record more intelligible, some explanatory notes have since 
been added by the facilitator. These are shown in bold italics. All other 
wording is as agreed by participants on the day, apart from minor 
grammatical corrections and clarifications. 

Comments recorded are made by individuals and these views are not 
necessarily shared by other participants. 

Any agreements reached by the whole group are boxed like this. 

Because the record is inevitably cryptic in places, it is recommended that 
it should not be used to brief people who did not attend the meeting 
without a full explanation from a participant. 

Contents 
Attendees……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1 
Agenda…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 
Updates…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 
Interpretation Development Officer……………………………………………………………… 2 
Interpretation Objectives……………………………………………………………………………… 2 
Interpretation Components…………………………………………………………………………… 3 
Social/Educational Objectives……………………………………………………………………… 3 
Orientation Objectives and Components……………………………………………………… 4 
Operational and Sustainability Objectives…………………………………………………… 4 
Operational and Sustainability Components………………………………………………… 4 
Questionnaires……………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 
Actions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5 
Draft Consultation Programme………………………………………………………………………… 6 

Attendees 

Name

Ken Kiss 

Sharon Baldwin 

Melvyn Harrison 

Richard Syddall 

Timothy Mason 

Laura Samuels 

Munish Chopra 

Annika Dyllick-Brenzinger 

 Organisation 

CPM


LB Croydon 

Crystal Palace Foundation 

LDA


Consultant 

Interpretation Development Officer 

Local Dialogue 

Meadowcroft Griffin Architects 

Meeting Facilitators 

Name

 Organisation 

Eva Beresford 

The Environment Council 

Nigel Westaway 

NWA Associates 

Apologies 
Janet Vitmayer Horniman 
Emma Wheelhouse LDA 



Agenda 

10:00 
Agenda Review 
Actions from Previous Meeting 
Updates 
Interpretation Development Officer - Introduction, approach to work, work 
programme 
Park Interpretation Objectives 

11:15 
BREAK 
Park Interpretation Components 
Location of Components 
12:30 
LUNCH and contacts list 
Questionnaires 
Subway access 
Consultation Programme 
Dates, Actions 
CLOSE


Updates 

• 
Croydon starting a regeneration programme for Upper Norwood. 
• 
Park user survey results are out – split into winter and summer survey, high 
response rate; methodology flawed however. 
• 
Masterplanners need to complete sub-design stage end of June for Museum 
design. 
• 
LD is meeting with local artists – question about park art policy. 
Interpretation Development Officer 

Introduction and work programme 

• 
Laura has worked on museums, parks, interpretation centres in past 21/2 years 
for a consultancy. 
• 
Specialising in interpretation and the visitor experience. 
• 
Aims of role: 
1. 
To interpret the park and provide information to visitors. 
2. 
Maintain collection and in situ heritage. 
3. 
Defining what facilities will exist to feed into masterplan – floor space, 
height, locations i.e. physical build rather than content. 
• 
Questions to address: 
o 
Target audiences? Will influence the masterplan design. 
• 
Group happy with new job title – “Interpretation Development Officer” (IDO). 
As a result the group’s new title is Interpretation Task Group. 


The Interpretation Task Group members gave their views on interpretation 
objectives, interpretation components (the means by which the objectives 
will be met) and locations (where should components be located?) for each 
of the categories below. 

1. Interpretation Objectives 
History 

• 
Historical perspective of Crystal Palace Park/adjoining area pre the palace 
• 
History 
• 
Victorian legacy 
• 
Maintain the history – ensure current generations appreciate its worth 
Modern Society 

• 
What park means to modern day society 
• 
Crystal Palace’s relevance to South East London and London as a whole (past 
and present) 
Ecology 

• 
Ecology 
‘Town’ 

• 
Use the park where necessary but include surrounding area 
Pre-history 

• 
Palaeontology aspect 
• 
Dinosaurs 
Other items not grouped 

• 
Welcome total park interpretation 
• 
Large display area (museum) 
• 
Make interpretation fun/playful 
• 
Modernise the experience, interactive 
• 
Interpretation should convey a sense of wonder and enthusiasm about this 
great park and its history 
2. Interpretation Components 
The following items are numbered to identify possible locations (see map) 

• 
1 – Interpretation of ecology of park in separate locations at bottom of park 
• 
1 – Outdoor ecology interpretation (possibly covered) 
• 
2 – Everything else in one location (interpretation centre) 
• 
2 – Displays 
• 
2 – Public space which makes the most of the views of the park 
• 
2 – Theatre/cinema for hire and events programme 
• 
3 – MAC type centre (arts centre) 
• 
4 – Temporary exhibition space 
• 
5 – Classrooms 
• 
5 – study area – packed lunch, cloakroom 
• 
6 – English landscape/woodland interpretation outdoors with indication of 
species and possibly an indoor area to include Paxton landscape aspects 
No home 

• 
Park interpretation units/outreach
• 
Park furniture to enjoy the park 
• 
Access routes – bikes/walking/disability/tram/buggy 
• 
Separate locations to minimise bulky structures 
3. Social/educational Objectives 
Inclusivity 

• 
Extend the use of the park to cover all local customers 
• 
Ensure it meets “new” social and economic audience 
• 
To identify how the park can be socially inclusive for the future 
• 
Take into account needs of BME groups 
• 
Provide facilities for economically disadvantaged people 
• 
Provide a space/outlet for young people’s activities 
Education 

• 
Schools 
• 
School visits 
Other items not grouped 

• 
Prepare for the legacy of 2012 
• 
Interactive displays in moderation 
4. Social/educational Components 
None discussed 

5. Orientation Objectives and Components 
The following items are marked with a blue asterisk to identify possible 
locations(see map) 

• 
Where/when information can be obtained 
• 
Clarity of what’s available 
• 
Help points 
• 
Information about what’s where and how to get there 
• 
Information pods around park perimeter 
• 
Not to overlap with functions of Park Rangers 
Other items not grouped 

• 
How can the park better include the surrounding neighbourhoods 
Some of the items below are numbered to identify possible locations (see 
map) 

• 
Get sense of history without having to go into museum – bits of information 
dotted throughout the park 
• 
Audio tours 
• 
Information in different languages/audio loop 
• 
Audio tour/different languages 
• 
Signage 
• 
7 – Viewing point 
• 
Advertising plenty of durable display panels in park 
• 
Narrow-casting podcasting 

6. Operational and Sustainability Objectives 
• 
Ensure clarity of ownership and funding 
• 
Management/governance 
• 
Educational Trust to run the park 
• 
Maximise the use of the park – times, areas 
• 
Conferences 
• 
Hires, including weddings 
• 
Concerts and festivals 
• 
Accessibility to all parts of park i.e. land train 
• 
Including voluntary and not for profit groups in the operation of the park 
• 
Cafι/restaurant 
• 
Provide low cost cafι services – accessible to all 
• 
1 – catering, 2 – Let-able community space, 3 - Location 
7. Operational and Sustainability Components 
The following items are numbered to identify possible locations (see map) 

• 
Visitor kiosks, Summer and Winter – already dealt with above 
• 
T - toilets/refreshments/information 
• 
8 – Shop 
• 
8 – Related merchandise outlets 
• 
9 – Open air concerts/event space 
• 
10 – Provide space for creative communities (art, music, online) 
• 
11 – Party rooms (children) 
• 
Event bookings
 
Questionnaires 

• 
One for each of: 
o 
Dialogue members – via TEC 
o 
Educationalists (teachers etc) – via Local Dialogue 
NB – Park non-users will have phone or one to one interviews. 
Educationalist’s questionnaire: comments 

• 
Cover letter needs refining – LDA change to Latz & Partners 
• 
Will be interesting to see how teachers respond to a themed approach 
Dialogue members questionnaire: comments 

• 
Fine! 
Actions 

What Who When 
Arrange subway visit NWA/TEC Next Museum 
Task Group 
meeting 
Circulate park user survey results to Museum 
Task Group 
Richard Today 
Get Laura’s email address onto circulation list 
for Museum Task Group 
Eva 
Circulate list of objectives (draft) to Museum 
Task Group and draft contacts list 
Laura -> TEC 
Next meeting: 2/5 from 9:30-1:00 All 2/5 
Send out 2 questionnaires for mailout by 
TEC/Local Dialogue 
Laura 30/3 
Do questionnaire mailouts Local 
Dialogue/TEC 
by 20/4 

Draft Consultation Programme 

Date Event Focus 

29 March MTG IDO work programme 
Draft interpretation objectives 
Draft interpretation components 
Location of components 
Review of draft questionnaires 
Early April 
5th April 
Focus groups 
Questionnaires 
Mailout 
Begin consultation with families, BME groups, 
Educationists etc 
to test objectives, components and location with 
target audiences 
(Local Dialogue) 
Send questionnaire & workshop invitation to dialogue 
members to test objectives and components 
17th April PkWG Finalise location of components 
Late April MTG Strategy for non-museum interpretation 
Audience findings to date 
Preparation for 5th May workshop 
End April IDO report Non-museum interpretation strategy to design team 
5th May Workshop Consult dialogue members with an interest in 
interpretation / museum 
10th May MTG Museum issues 
19th May Main Group Present proposals/options 
early June MTG Review Main Group responses 
Amend interpretation strategy 
mid-June PkWG Sign off interpretation strategy 
mid-June IDO report Museum proposals to design team.