Building long-lasting Community Relations? Learn more in our podcast.
How do we build lasting relationships with our communities? Tim Bryan of the SS Great Britain Trust, now Bristol Dockyards, discusses the value of community engagement for all parties involved. And how it feeds into museum work that connects. Listen in, as he shares stories of opening the doors and enhancing the museum experience for diverse audiences in our podcast.
The SS Great Britain
The SS Great Britain Trust was founded in response to the attractiveness of the ocean-going iron steamship of the same name as a visitor site. It was constructed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 1840s.
After her chequered service she was scuttled near the Falkland Islands in 1937. A group of enthusiasts rescued the ship in 1970. They brought her back to the original construction site and dry dock in Bristol, UK. She soon became a visitor attraction which led to the professionalisation of the presentation and the Trust’s establishment.
The site now includes the ship and two museums as well as an archive with a vast collection. In addition, they now offer a varied education programme and host events at different scales.
Building relationships and becoming a community
For the most part, Bristolians see the ship as their own. At the same time, it is perceived as a major tourist attraction. Set within this, the team wanted to reach the diverse community of the city and also learn more about its own possibilities.
Starting in 2022, they opened the collection to a small group of people. Over time, the project “Community Research” grew from a first exchange to an engaged relationship with “the Boat Club.” The community groups hold a seat at the table. They enhance how the museum tells the ship’s stories. By adding the community’s perspectives to their work, the museum now includes new voices. The process holds the potential to provide a sense of identity to a broader audience and acknowledges the city’s diversity.
Listen to the podcast here
A seat at the table
In particular, the community group was recently involved in redeveloping the Dockyard Museum’s exhibition. It advised on the small things – such as graphics – and discovered stories that were not presented before. They broadened the site’s horizons. Looking through the collections, it became clear how certain stories may be unknown to most. This fed into many more voices to be heard throughout the exhibition. Each is telling of the ship’s rich history that is so closely connected to many people’s lives – some precisely to their ancestry and some with many similarities to their own stories.
The involvement includes more, as Tim elaborates in the podcast.
Additionally, the Trust was also able to secure funding from the National Lottery that feeds into growing and enhancing the community work as Tim outlines. A process that requires several things and can be helped a long by investing money as well.
What does it take to build a community?
Tim also shares his recommendations on getting started in engaging communities more and making them part of the process rather than simply presenting results. You should keep an open mind, be flexible and make compromises. Commit for the long-term, invest time and most importantly, just take the first step.
If you are wondering about that first step or looking for more inspiration on the matter, join us for the 49th IATM Conference. “Changing the Script: Transport and Communication Museums and their Communities” evolves around museums as engines of change within their communities, cities, region or economy. We are looking forward to welcoming you in Belfast, Northern Ireland from 13th to 16th September 2026.
And while you are “in the area” anyways, just make the trip to Bristol for their redeveloped exhibition at the Dockyard Museum from mid-July onwards. 😉 IATM members are most welcome at the site.
Thank you to Tim for your time and the inspiring chat! Best of luck for the last stretch as well as personally for your retirement!
You can check a full transcript of the Podcast here.
