RAMM looks at trialling exhibition charges
Charging trial to be decided on this week
Steps have been taken to introduce charges at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery (RAMM) in Exeter.
A proposal to trial charging for exhibitions will be put before Exeter City Council’s Scrutiny Economy Committee on Thursday.
The proposal to trial charges followed a consultation on the council’s budget for 2015/16. Of the 1,534 people that responded to questions relating to culture, 56% said that charging for special exhibitions at RAMM should be considered, but 83% were against the museum charging a general entry fee.
According to a statement from the council, the trial would mean that most areas in the museum would be free, but charges would be introduced for temporary exhibitions, including the International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition, which opens on 23 April. If the proposal is approved, tickets for this exhibition would be £4 or £2 for concessions. Entry will be free for people under 19.
A council spokeswoman said that the changes were not part of its wider budget cutting exercise. “It’s about exploring new channels for income generation. This is a trial to investigate the potential of exhibition charges, so it has not been set against income targets.”
Lead councillor for economy and culture, Rosie Denham, said: “RAMM’s collections are a valuable part of our heritage, and the exhibitions feature an exciting range of local, national and internationally recognised artists. We’d love to be able to provide all of this with no charge, but in the current financial climate, it’s vital that we look at ways of sustaining RAMM so that it’s still there for future generations to enjoy.
“This is a trial, so we’ll be looking to monitor visitor numbers and asking people about their thoughts and experiences. We have been careful to make the cost of the tickets reasonable and we hope that visitors will see the charge as a valuable contribution to the museum.”
Meanwhile, according to a BBC report the Beacon Museum in Whitehaven has waived its entrance fee while it carries out a £1.2m revamp. Entry, which is usually £6.50 for adults, will be free until March.
Steps have been taken to introduce charges at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) in Exeter. A proposal to trial charging for some exhibitions will be put before Exeter City Council’s Scrutiny Economy Committee on Thursday.
The proposal to trial charges followed a consultation on the council’s budget. Of the 1,534 respondents to questions relating to culture 56% said charging for special exhibitions at RAMM should be considered, but 83% were against the museum charging an entry fee.
According to the a statement from the council, the trial would mean that most areas in the museum would be free, but charges would be introduced for temporary exhibitions, including the International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition, which opens on 23 April. If the proposal is approved, tickets for this exhibition would be £4 and £2 for concessions, and entry will be free for people under 19.
A council spokeswoman said that the changes were not part of its wider budget cutting exercise. “It’s about exploring new channels for income generation. This is a trial to investigate the potential of exhibition charges, so it has not been set against income targets.”
Lead councillor for economy and culture, Rosie Denham said: “RAMM’s collections are a valuable part of our heritage, and the exhibitions feature an exciting range of local, national and internationally recognised artists. We’d love to be able to be able to provide all of this with no charge, but in the current financial climate, it’s vital that we look at ways of sustaining RAMM so that it’s still there for future generations to enjoy.
“This is a trial, so we’ll be looking to monitor visitor numbers and asking people about their thoughts and experiences. We have been careful to make the cost of the tickets reasonable and we hope that visitors will see the charge as a valuable contribution to the museum.”
A proposal to trial charging for exhibitions will be put before Exeter City Council’s Scrutiny Economy Committee on Thursday.
The proposal to trial charges followed a consultation on the council’s budget for 2015/16. Of the 1,534 people that responded to questions relating to culture, 56% said that charging for special exhibitions at RAMM should be considered, but 83% were against the museum charging a general entry fee.
According to a statement from the council, the trial would mean that most areas in the museum would be free, but charges would be introduced for temporary exhibitions, including the International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition, which opens on 23 April. If the proposal is approved, tickets for this exhibition would be £4 or £2 for concessions. Entry will be free for people under 19.
A council spokeswoman said that the changes were not part of its wider budget cutting exercise. “It’s about exploring new channels for income generation. This is a trial to investigate the potential of exhibition charges, so it has not been set against income targets.”
Lead councillor for economy and culture, Rosie Denham, said: “RAMM’s collections are a valuable part of our heritage, and the exhibitions feature an exciting range of local, national and internationally recognised artists. We’d love to be able to provide all of this with no charge, but in the current financial climate, it’s vital that we look at ways of sustaining RAMM so that it’s still there for future generations to enjoy.
“This is a trial, so we’ll be looking to monitor visitor numbers and asking people about their thoughts and experiences. We have been careful to make the cost of the tickets reasonable and we hope that visitors will see the charge as a valuable contribution to the museum.”
Meanwhile, according to a BBC report the Beacon Museum in Whitehaven has waived its entrance fee while it carries out a £1.2m revamp. Entry, which is usually £6.50 for adults, will be free until March.
Steps have been taken to introduce charges at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) in Exeter. A proposal to trial charging for some exhibitions will be put before Exeter City Council’s Scrutiny Economy Committee on Thursday.
The proposal to trial charges followed a consultation on the council’s budget. Of the 1,534 respondents to questions relating to culture 56% said charging for special exhibitions at RAMM should be considered, but 83% were against the museum charging an entry fee.
According to the a statement from the council, the trial would mean that most areas in the museum would be free, but charges would be introduced for temporary exhibitions, including the International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition, which opens on 23 April. If the proposal is approved, tickets for this exhibition would be £4 and £2 for concessions, and entry will be free for people under 19.
A council spokeswoman said that the changes were not part of its wider budget cutting exercise. “It’s about exploring new channels for income generation. This is a trial to investigate the potential of exhibition charges, so it has not been set against income targets.”
Lead councillor for economy and culture, Rosie Denham said: “RAMM’s collections are a valuable part of our heritage, and the exhibitions feature an exciting range of local, national and internationally recognised artists. We’d love to be able to be able to provide all of this with no charge, but in the current financial climate, it’s vital that we look at ways of sustaining RAMM so that it’s still there for future generations to enjoy.
“This is a trial, so we’ll be looking to monitor visitor numbers and asking people about their thoughts and experiences. We have been careful to make the cost of the tickets reasonable and we hope that visitors will see the charge as a valuable contribution to the museum.”