MA Conference delegates told there is no ‘quick fix’ solution
“We all know that there are challenges ahead, but their scale is unknown,” says Steve Scott, the head of resources at Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS).
For Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, there is added complexity, as the spending review will determine the size of their block grant, but these figures are unlikely to be available until the New Year. If it is bad news and late in the planning cycle, says Scott, then it will be harder to accommodate.
Anticipating this, MGS has been supporting museums to diversify their income and be more vocal about their impact on the wider community, which chimes with Radical Futures, the theme of the Museums Association Conference in Birmingham last month, looking at how museums are adapting to the changing landscape.
Speakers at the conference agreed that there was no “quick fix” single solution across a diverse sector, but there were some common themes, including income diversification, partnership working, mergers and being flexible.
Ideas such as the development of museum touring companies and combining collections were also proposed.
Delegates at a session entitled The Magic Business Model heard from Zara Matthews, the manager of Market Town Museums in Leicestershire, where Harborough Museum has merged with a local library.
Matthews said visitor numbers to the museum had doubled since the move from the its former building, which had access issues.
She stressed that the merger followed a long period of consultation, and the fundamental aspect for any museum considering a similar partnership was “knowing your audiences and local communities, both users and non-users”.
Structural change
In order to survive, museums need to structurally change, said Peter Latchford, the chief executive of Black Radley Culture consultancy, who spoke at a session entitled From Resilience to Prosperity.
He said that existing governance structures stopped museums from being fleet of foot, which was preventing people from being free to be innovative.
Latchford added that if it is accepted that public funding will continue to fall, either the quality of museums will decline or there will be a rationalisation of the sector, with the good players coming out stronger.
But Rachel Cockett, the director of development at Birmingham Museums Trust and one of coordinators of the Radical Futures theme, said that if museums had to close, it would be very expensive to mothball collections, because secure buildings would need to be found to ensure that artefacts could be safely stored.
“When you manage public collections, you need public support for that,” she added. “You can be told to be as entrepreneurial as you like, but it is hard to replace large funding cuts at short notice.”
The Museum Association’s revised Code of Ethics
Revisions to the Museums Association’s (MA) Code of Ethics were unanimously approved by MA members last month at the organisation’s AGM, which was held at the organisation’s annual conference.
They received the backing of organisations including the Art Fund, Arts Council England, Museums Galleries Scotland, the National Museum Directors’ Council and the Association of Independent Museums.
The new code outlines three main principles: public engagement and public benefit; stewardship of collections; and individual and institutional integrity.
“The Code of Ethics has a vital role in helping each of us to navigate our responsibilities with confidence,” said Scott Furlong, the arts council’s director of collections and cultural property.
“In this revision, they have been sharpened and focused, so that each of us can use them on a daily basis.”