Drawing Abbey House Museum, a threatened Yorkshire cultural treasure

For much of the last decade or so, we have been told we are in the midst of a culture war. I dislike this framing, partly because of how divisive it is, but also for the way trivial nonsense obscures what is truly important. Because, while the noisiest culture warriors have been losing their minds over woke scones (yes, really), a much quieter but more significant culture loss has been taking place. If you look carefully enough, you can see it the loss of music venues, in the de-funding of the arts in schools and closure of “unprofitable” university courses. Perhaps more visibly than anything, you see it in the closure of hundreds of physical cultural spaces across the country. Abbey House – a lovely, quirky, atmospheric little gem of a museum nestling quietly on the edge of a main route into Leeds – has been floated as the latest such cultural loss by Leeds City Council.

              Others have already made the case about the harm that closing Abbey House would do to Leeds, the short-termism of the proposal, and the questionable assumptions on which the supposed savings are based more effectively than I could. So, I am looking at this from the point of view of a visual artist who has been to draw the threatened cultural treasures, and I’d like to share a bit about what I see Abbey House has to offer the creative and cultural life of Leeds. To cut a long story short, I think the value just on these terms is many times the £160k which would supposedly be saved by closing the museum. We’ll also be going via the gardens, historical consciousness, and of course, the toilets.

              One of the things I love about this place is the way it offers such a well put together reconstruction of Victorian life, both via the main Victorian street, but also the reconstructed interiors of the old houses, pubs, and shops. My favourite interior is the pawnbroker’s house. The maximalist approach to décor, and the lurid colours, are a wonderful contrast to the clean lines and clinical whites which are in vogue today. It gives a window to a completely different way of life. For anyone wanting to bring some of this atmosphere into their creative work – whether that’s film, writing, or, as in my case, illustration – this resource is second to none. For my own part, I’m currently in the middle of a project with a bit of a gothic flavour, for which the whole setup is an excellent learning resource. Drawing these spaces, knowing that they could be lost forever if the closure goes ahead, was a bittersweet experience. When you draw something, the memory of that time and place goes deep into your bones. The contrast between something as fleeting as memory becoming long-term and solid, against something as physical and permanent becoming so vulnerable to budget cuts and politics, was an odd feeling.

              Above the magic of the Victorian streets is the childhood gallery, which is my favourite part of Abbey House. This shows some really interesting contrasts in the way children lived throughout the last couple of centuries. It was particularly interesting (and enjoyable!) to draw the sinister Victorian dolls. What a great way to understand how to create an uncanny look to an image! It seems that more recent toy makers have decided they no longer wish to give children nightmares with their creations – more’s the pity, in my view – and I noticed one way they’ve achieved this is by moving away from the realism of the earlier Victorian porcelain dolls. More than this, the childhood gallery offers a comprehensive social history of childhood in Leeds: Ways of play, ways of discipline, the art of childhood through the last couple of hundred years. I am also a bit obsessed with the bird artwork on the Burmantofts pottery. I wonder how these came to this place, who donated them to the museum, and what they would make of the proposal to shut up shop.

              Behind the childhood gallery is a temporary exhibition, Revive, Repair, Re-use, and this is where it really struck me what would be lost if the museum were closed. A gardening group has been working out of the museum, and the illustrated diary from one of the members spoke about what they had gained in terms of recovery, and hope for the future. On the topic of illness and disability, we should also head to the toilets. In September, the museum opened a new Changing Places toilet to much fanfare, and presumably at a significant cost to the council. It might not be something those of us with able bodies notice, but for people with severe disabilities, this type of facility is a game-changer. It gives a chance to experience culture, for people who have many difficulties accessing this in their day-to-day lives. More than anything, this is what the Council’s proposals mean to me: yet another loss of hope and meaning, another cut to the frayed social fabric of Britain.

              If you would like to save Abbey House, there are a few things you can do. These seem to me to be our best shot:

1. Visit the museum! A big influx of visitors is critical at this stage to show a bit of love for the museum. Aside from that, if it does close, this could be your last chance to see this special place for yourself.
2. Fill in the consultation. This is an important one – it’s the ‘official’ means of telling Leeds City Council exactly what you think of the proposed loss of Abbey House, and they have to take the responses into account in the final decision.
3. Go to the protest this Saturday, 18th Jan, at 1pm at Abbey House. I can’t make this myself, as I’ve got a longstanding art workshop to run, but the more people who get to this, the better.
4. Write to your local representatives. This one is likely to have the most impact if you live in Kirkstall or a neighbouring ward. However, even if you live elsewhere, this can still have an impact. There is nothing a politician likes more than being seen to oppose an unpopular and harmful decision, so this too could add to the pressure against the closure.
5. Sign the petition.

One final point on this. I have seen a number of comments on social media to the effect that all this is pointless, since the councilors have already made up their minds and will push ahead regardless. I am not privy to what has or hasn’t been going on behind closed doors, so I can’t really speak to how justified this cynicism is. One thing is certain though: A low turnout on all the above activities would be used as a pretext to say that people are not really that bothered, so we must go ahead with the closure. So, what are you waiting for? Get stuck in and do what you can to save Abbey House!