Museum services across UK jeopardised by funding cuts
As the Cuts Survey 2015 reveals that museums’ fortunes often depend on where they are, the Museums Association has called for the creation of a taskforce to explore how resources could help institutions outside central London
The government is in danger of being regarded as a patron of the arts in London and a “philistine” outside of England’s capital, if it doesn’t urgently address funding cuts to regional museums, according to Sharon Heal, the director of the Museums Association (MA).
Heal’s comments follow the publication of the MA’s annual Cuts Survey, which shows that continued budget reductions are forcing more museums to close their doors or introduce admission charges. Of the 115 respondents to the 2015 survey, carried out last autumn, almost one in five (18%) said they had closed a part or branch of their museum to the public in the past year or would do so in 2016.
Closures continue
According to the MA, 44 museums have closed across the UK since 2010. In December, Lancashire County Council passed proposals to close five museums, while Durham County Council will close the Durham Light Infantry Museum in April. If the cuts continue, says Heal, there is a danger that museum services in whole areas of the country will be wiped out.
The Cuts Survey has revealed that the fortunes of museums vary significantly according to their location, with museums in Northern Ireland and the north of England faring the worst (see box). The government’s spending review further widened the gap between the winners and losers by protecting the funding levels for national museums, while delivering a harsh blow to civic museums by slashing the local government grant by more than half from 2015-16 to 2019-20.
While the move to allow local authorities in England to retain 100% of business rates by the end of the parliament will help to offset the cuts, many critics argue that the policy will only benefit those councils in wealthy areas of the country.
“We are particularly concerned about the impact of the cuts to local authority funding in the English regions and the devolved nations,” says Heal. “The MA will continue to advocate for all museums and the life-changing experiences that they can provide.”
The MA has called for the creation of a taskforce bringing together government ministers and the main funding bodies (including the Department for Communities and Local Government, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Arts Council England and the Local Government Association) to explore how existing resources can be used to ensure that museums outside London can thrive. The association also says that national museums must step up their important work in supporting civic museums.
Admission charges
The introduction of admission charges is another consequence of sustained cuts to funding. The findings showed that 8% of respondents had introduced charging in the past year, including Brighton Museums and York Art Gallery, while 12% plan to do so in 2016.
Overall, the figures showed there has been no reduction in respondents’ total income, but this masks a substantial difference in the fortunes of different types of museums. Local authority museums have been hit the hardest, suffering a 2% cut in total income between 2013-14 and 2014-15, compared with a 1% cut experienced by nationals and independent museums. It continues the trend of declining funding reported by the Cuts Survey for the past five years. Total income decreased for 47% of respondents in 2015, 52% in 2014, 49% in 2013, 32% in 2012 and 58% in 2011.
The cumulative impact of years of cuts is starting to threaten museum buildings and collections, as one survey respondent from a local authority museum in Yorkshire described: “[We are] planning for a 52% cut in budget by 2017, meaning that total cuts from 2010 to 2017 are 69%. We are highly likely to lose museum buildings by 2017 and to rationalise collections significantly, so storage costs are reduced.”
Cuts take effect
The impact of a real-term reduction in the resource and capital allocations of block grants to the devolved nations, outlined by the spending review, is also starting to be felt. In January, the Welsh government proposed a cut of 4.7% funding it provides to Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum Wales) and Cyngor Celfyddydau (Arts Council Wales) for 2016-17. This would result in a £1m budget cut for National Museum Wales and £1.5m for the arts council.
The Scottish government’s draft budget, announced in December, outlined a 10.9% cut to the overall culture budget to £151.6m in 2016-17. This would result in an 8.5% cut to the Cultural Collections budget, which includes funding for national museums and galleries, to £78.6m in 2016-17.
While the Cuts Survey showed that overall respondents’ public funding decreased by 2% and income from grants and donations fell by 4%, self-generated income had, in fact, increased by 6%. This shows that museums are working hard to mitigate the worst of the cuts by exploring new commercial opportunities, boosting retail sales and maximising the value of their buildings and collections. The findings highlighted that fundraising and income generation are a top priority for the coming year, with 79% and 77% respectively saying they will be increasing their work in these areas.
Change of priority
Although museums are fighting their corner, the survey shows that sustained cuts are leading to a hollowing out of skills and knowledge in museums. Many respondents reported that their work relating to learning, outreach, exhibitions, collections management and research had decreased, as museums focus their resources on fundraising and income generation.
Alistair Brown, the policy officer at the MA, says: “Museums have worked hard to find alternative sources of funds, including philanthropy and commercial ventures, but for most these will never cover the costs of keeping the doors open, caring for important buildings and collections, and carrying out the important community and social work that museums do.”
Although the percentage of respondents reducing the number of full-time staff fell from 53% in 2014 to 24% in 2015, ongoing cuts are putting the sector under significant strain. Many respondents raised concerns about the loss of skills and the resulting impact this is having on museums’ work.
“Further funding cuts at unsustainable levels with an ambitious programme yet to fulfil will inevitably impact on the provision of programmes and pace of development, creating additional pressure on staff,” says one respondent from a national museum in London.
A representative from an independent museum in south-west England says: “Staffing levels are now considered at the basic minimum for keeping the doors open.”
Considering disposals
Worryingly, the 2015 survey also showed that collections are increasingly at risk, with 11% of respondents saying they are considering selling items to raise funds in the coming year.
Many museums, especially those run by local authorities, face an uncertain future. Closure is inevitable for some, while others are being forced to make difficult decisions that damage staff morale and threaten the quality of the work of museums and, ultimately, their public value.
A survey respondent from an independent museum in north west England says: “A continuing decline in visitor numbers and income could lead to redundancies and reduced opening hours/access to collections. Further cuts in public funding could lead to scaling back of education and outreach work.”
Heal’s comments follow the publication of the MA’s annual Cuts Survey, which shows that continued budget reductions are forcing more museums to close their doors or introduce admission charges. Of the 115 respondents to the 2015 survey, carried out last autumn, almost one in five (18%) said they had closed a part or branch of their museum to the public in the past year or would do so in 2016.
Closures continue
According to the MA, 44 museums have closed across the UK since 2010. In December, Lancashire County Council passed proposals to close five museums, while Durham County Council will close the Durham Light Infantry Museum in April. If the cuts continue, says Heal, there is a danger that museum services in whole areas of the country will be wiped out.
The Cuts Survey has revealed that the fortunes of museums vary significantly according to their location, with museums in Northern Ireland and the north of England faring the worst (see box). The government’s spending review further widened the gap between the winners and losers by protecting the funding levels for national museums, while delivering a harsh blow to civic museums by slashing the local government grant by more than half from 2015-16 to 2019-20.
While the move to allow local authorities in England to retain 100% of business rates by the end of the parliament will help to offset the cuts, many critics argue that the policy will only benefit those councils in wealthy areas of the country.
“We are particularly concerned about the impact of the cuts to local authority funding in the English regions and the devolved nations,” says Heal. “The MA will continue to advocate for all museums and the life-changing experiences that they can provide.”
The MA has called for the creation of a taskforce bringing together government ministers and the main funding bodies (including the Department for Communities and Local Government, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Arts Council England and the Local Government Association) to explore how existing resources can be used to ensure that museums outside London can thrive. The association also says that national museums must step up their important work in supporting civic museums.
Admission charges
The introduction of admission charges is another consequence of sustained cuts to funding. The findings showed that 8% of respondents had introduced charging in the past year, including Brighton Museums and York Art Gallery, while 12% plan to do so in 2016.
Overall, the figures showed there has been no reduction in respondents’ total income, but this masks a substantial difference in the fortunes of different types of museums. Local authority museums have been hit the hardest, suffering a 2% cut in total income between 2013-14 and 2014-15, compared with a 1% cut experienced by nationals and independent museums. It continues the trend of declining funding reported by the Cuts Survey for the past five years. Total income decreased for 47% of respondents in 2015, 52% in 2014, 49% in 2013, 32% in 2012 and 58% in 2011.
The cumulative impact of years of cuts is starting to threaten museum buildings and collections, as one survey respondent from a local authority museum in Yorkshire described: “[We are] planning for a 52% cut in budget by 2017, meaning that total cuts from 2010 to 2017 are 69%. We are highly likely to lose museum buildings by 2017 and to rationalise collections significantly, so storage costs are reduced.”
Cuts take effect
The impact of a real-term reduction in the resource and capital allocations of block grants to the devolved nations, outlined by the spending review, is also starting to be felt. In January, the Welsh government proposed a cut of 4.7% funding it provides to Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum Wales) and Cyngor Celfyddydau (Arts Council Wales) for 2016-17. This would result in a £1m budget cut for National Museum Wales and £1.5m for the arts council.
The Scottish government’s draft budget, announced in December, outlined a 10.9% cut to the overall culture budget to £151.6m in 2016-17. This would result in an 8.5% cut to the Cultural Collections budget, which includes funding for national museums and galleries, to £78.6m in 2016-17.
While the Cuts Survey showed that overall respondents’ public funding decreased by 2% and income from grants and donations fell by 4%, self-generated income had, in fact, increased by 6%. This shows that museums are working hard to mitigate the worst of the cuts by exploring new commercial opportunities, boosting retail sales and maximising the value of their buildings and collections. The findings highlighted that fundraising and income generation are a top priority for the coming year, with 79% and 77% respectively saying they will be increasing their work in these areas.
Change of priority
Although museums are fighting their corner, the survey shows that sustained cuts are leading to a hollowing out of skills and knowledge in museums. Many respondents reported that their work relating to learning, outreach, exhibitions, collections management and research had decreased, as museums focus their resources on fundraising and income generation.
Alistair Brown, the policy officer at the MA, says: “Museums have worked hard to find alternative sources of funds, including philanthropy and commercial ventures, but for most these will never cover the costs of keeping the doors open, caring for important buildings and collections, and carrying out the important community and social work that museums do.”
Although the percentage of respondents reducing the number of full-time staff fell from 53% in 2014 to 24% in 2015, ongoing cuts are putting the sector under significant strain. Many respondents raised concerns about the loss of skills and the resulting impact this is having on museums’ work.
“Further funding cuts at unsustainable levels with an ambitious programme yet to fulfil will inevitably impact on the provision of programmes and pace of development, creating additional pressure on staff,” says one respondent from a national museum in London.
A representative from an independent museum in south-west England says: “Staffing levels are now considered at the basic minimum for keeping the doors open.”
Considering disposals
Worryingly, the 2015 survey also showed that collections are increasingly at risk, with 11% of respondents saying they are considering selling items to raise funds in the coming year.
Many museums, especially those run by local authorities, face an uncertain future. Closure is inevitable for some, while others are being forced to make difficult decisions that damage staff morale and threaten the quality of the work of museums and, ultimately, their public value.
A survey respondent from an independent museum in north west England says: “A continuing decline in visitor numbers and income could lead to redundancies and reduced opening hours/access to collections. Further cuts in public funding could lead to scaling back of education and outreach work.”