Loans

If you would like to discuss the possibility of a loan from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, or find out more about borrowing, practical arrangements and conditions of loan please get in touch with:

Vicky Skelding-Bloor, Exhibitions and Loans Manager ([email protected])

All requests to borrow must be made by a formal request in writing to the Director at the following address. These requests are accepted by post or email.

Professor Jennifer Powell 
Director and  Barber Professor of Fine Arts  
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts 
University of Birmingham 
Edgbaston, 
Birmingham, B15 2TS, UK

Where formal loan requests are made by email, please address these to the Director, but send to the email address of the Exhibitions and Loans Manager ([email protected]).

Decisions to lend are taken by the Board of Henry Barber Trust at meetings held three times a year (in March, June and November), acting on the recommendation of the Director and her team.

Formal loan requests should include the following information:

• Exhibition / display title
• Venue
• Exhibition / display open and close dates
• Main exhibition / display themes
• Full details of the object requested, included object numbers
• Explanation for how the objects requested fit into the exhibition display and concept
• Contact details
• How the objects will be insured/indemnified
• Facilities and security reports

Requests should be made:

• at least nine months in advance of the opening date for UK venues
• at least twelve months in advance for international venues.

This is to allow sufficient time for the request to be fully considered, any necessary conservation treatment and preparation to be carried out, security and environmental checks at the loan venue made, as well as accommodating other loan commitments.

The prospective borrower will receive an acknowledgement within two weeks of sending a formal loan request.

• Given the quality of the small but significant collection at the Barber Institute, lending can have a major impact on the experience of students and visitors.
• Potential borrowers must demonstrate that the work(s) requested make a specific and substantial contribution to the temporary exhibition and that the exhibition itself advances scholarly knowledge and/ or increases public engagement.
• Works which have been lent within the last three years will only be considered for loan again within that period under exceptional circumstances.
• Only works assessed as fit to travel by Barber appointed conservator, will be considered for loan
• The borrowing institution must be an appropriate organisation of established reputation whose venue is accessible to the public
• Loans are not made to private individuals
• The Henry Barber Trust will not lend to any exhibition which includes objects known to have been stolen, illegally exported or illegally excavated. For any work whose provenance between 1933 and 1945 is uncertain, anti-seizure legislation must be in place at the borrower’s jurisdiction.

The Barber Institute will confirm in writing the Trustees decision, usually within four weeks of the Trustees meeting.

If approved, the Exhibition and Loans Manager will administer the loan, issuing the Barber Institute Loan Agreement and liaising with the borrower on every aspect of the loan.

Full details of conditions of loan will be supplied by Exhibitions and Loans Manager upon request.

A contribution toward the costs of administering a loan will be applied to international Borrowers. This administration fee is waived for UK Borrowers.

Administration fee for Borrowers:  £200, per object per venue outside of the UK

The Borrower must meet all costs incurred in association with the loan process, including the initial Condition Assessment which will be made prior to any recommendation. The Barber will need to pass this cost to the Borrower, whether or not the loan is agreed.

The Barber uses freelance conservators for condition assessments, reports and pre-loan conservation. These costs must be passed on to the Borrower.

Where the loan is agreed, all objects will have an outgoing Condition Report made.

Costs for Condition Assessments and Outgoing Condition Reports are as follows:

Condition Assessment  

Works on paper: £160, per object

Paintings: £210, per object

Objects: £220, per object

Textiles/ Coins: To be quoted per loan request

Outgoing Condition Report 

Works on paper: £160, per object

Paintings: £285, per object

Objects: £220, per object

Textiles/ Coins: To be quoted per loan request

The Barber Institute requires a very high quality of care for all loans. All conditions of loan must be met by the Borrower and necessary conservation carried out prior to loan. Additional costs to be recouped may include conservation, glazing (all works must be glazed for loan), conservation framing, and mounting. The Barber uses external conservators and therefore their costs must be passed onto the Borrower.

The Barber does not charge for staff technician time (for loan preparation or handling) or for packing or packing material (with the exception of packing cases).

Any costs and fees will be agreed in advance with the Borrower, and where possible, we aim to keep the cost of borrowing to a minimum.

In the event cancellation of a loan by a prospective Borrower, the Barber Institute will pass on those costs already incurred in relation to the preparation of the loan to the prospective Borrower.