Artist to protest leather museum relocation plans

Vicky Roden says she plans to stand up and perform a one hour monologue

An artist is planning to demonstrate against proposals to relocate a town's leather museum at a major cultural event.

Last year, Walsall Council said it wanted to move it from its current location on Littleton Street West to an unconfirmed council-owned building in the town centre.

That proposal was put on hold, but Vicky Roden said she is concerned the decision will be reviewed for the coming financial year.

She wants the museum to stay where it is and is planning to make her protest at the town's MakerFest event, which showcases artisan goods and food, on Saturday.

Ms Roden said the museum was important to the town and also to her personally.

She said: "Being able to access this locally and without financial cost meant I was able to go there when feeling low and find something to relate to at some of the worst points in my life."

On Saturday, she plans to stand on a soapbox at 14:00 BST to deliver an hour-long "impassioned public speech about the value of culture and heritage in Walsall".

She said her aim was to "raise awareness of the incredibly shaky future of both Walsall Leather Museum and museum services in Walsall".

The museum, which celebrates the town's leather-making history, is based in a Victorian building that was once a leather-making factory.

It explains the leatherworking process, featuring artefacts from local people and telling personal stories.

The council proposal to move it to a new location could save the council £190,000, but following protests it was halted in February by former leader Garry Perry.

Ms Roden said the protests earlier in the year had been a "magnificent display of people power".

She said she now wanted the council to be transparent about the plans and what could happen next.

MakerFest, which the council describes as a "vibrant celebration of the creativity and talent" attracted more than 50,000 people into the town centre last year.

A spokesperson for Walsall Council said: "While we fully respect the right to peaceful protest, it's disappointing that a protest may occur during MakerFest this Saturday."

It said a lot of planning had gone into the day and it added: "Discussions regarding Walsall Leather Museum are ongoing, and we hope Vicky and all our residents will continue to engage with us."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.