Report advocates a shake-up of regional museums in Wales
Review assesses how museums might respond to ongoing local government cuts
Radical recommendations put forward in an independent review commissioned by
the Welsh government have prompted debate about the future of regional museums in Wales.
The Expert Review of Local Museum Provision in Wales evaluates the impact of spending cuts on local authority-funded museums in Wales.
The survey was undertaken by a four-strong panel: Haydn Edwards, the vice-president of Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum Wales); Peter Gomer of the Welsh Local Government Association; Gaynor Kavanagh, the dean of Cardiff School of Art & Design; and Adrian Babbidge, the director of heritage consultancy Egeria.
It includes 10 recommendations that should be prioritised by local authorities and the Welsh government.
Nêst Thomas, the principal museums and arts officer of Gwynedd Council, says: “The review has offered us areas to focus on and may inspire solutions for the future. This will mainly be in our hands, and we will all have to seek ways that will work for our museums, and may not be a one-size-fits-all approach.”
Regional bodies
One of the report’s proposals is for the Welsh government to establish three regional bodies that have the potential to share resources such as fundraising and social media.
Thomas says the plan’s long-term viability needs to be assessed to gauge whether it will deliver the savings that local authorities expect.
Rachel Silverson, the president of the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales, says: “We need more in-depth analysis of how the regional partnerships would work and what they would actually fund and advise on, to make any informed decisions on this. But it can work only if the Welsh government comes up with the funding and commits to this new strategic direction.”
Ken Skates, the deputy minister for culture, sport and tourism, says he will respond to the review’s recommendations. However, Welsh government agency the Museums, Archives and Libraries Division declined to say whether the recommendations will feed into the next national museum strategy for Wales.
The review also calls on the Welsh government to develop a charter that sets standards for museums across Wales. Other recommendations include offering local authority museums relief from national non-domestic rates and working in partnership with museum governing bodies to review the policy of charging for museum entry.
Mixed picture
The report paints a varied picture of local authority museums in Wales, with a quarter of those sampled performing to a high standard. However, 10% of institutions are deemed to be operating at an unsustainable “zombie” standard, with no collections management and a low level of visitor satisfaction.
Alistair Brown, the policy officer at the Museums Association, says: “The report does not shy away from making difficult and unpalatable recommendations, including the closure of some museums, and the possible introduction of museum charges.”
In the report, Edwards warns that budget cuts will continue to lead to shorter opening hours, staff reductions and “many other signs of services under stress, leading inevitably to museum closures”.
Newport Museum and Art Gallery avoided closure earlier this year after the city council combined the museum, gallery and central library operations (the number of museum staff has been cut from more than 20 to 7.5 full-time posts over the past five years).
Bob Trett, the former museum officer at Newport Museum and Art Gallery, says “the recommendations are OK, in as far as they go, but the real problem is the continuing cutbacks on local authority budgets”.
He adds: “The report recommendations are for the medium- or long-term, by which time it will be too late for many museums."
the Welsh government have prompted debate about the future of regional museums in Wales.
The Expert Review of Local Museum Provision in Wales evaluates the impact of spending cuts on local authority-funded museums in Wales.
The survey was undertaken by a four-strong panel: Haydn Edwards, the vice-president of Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum Wales); Peter Gomer of the Welsh Local Government Association; Gaynor Kavanagh, the dean of Cardiff School of Art & Design; and Adrian Babbidge, the director of heritage consultancy Egeria.
It includes 10 recommendations that should be prioritised by local authorities and the Welsh government.
Nêst Thomas, the principal museums and arts officer of Gwynedd Council, says: “The review has offered us areas to focus on and may inspire solutions for the future. This will mainly be in our hands, and we will all have to seek ways that will work for our museums, and may not be a one-size-fits-all approach.”
Regional bodies
One of the report’s proposals is for the Welsh government to establish three regional bodies that have the potential to share resources such as fundraising and social media.
Thomas says the plan’s long-term viability needs to be assessed to gauge whether it will deliver the savings that local authorities expect.
Rachel Silverson, the president of the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales, says: “We need more in-depth analysis of how the regional partnerships would work and what they would actually fund and advise on, to make any informed decisions on this. But it can work only if the Welsh government comes up with the funding and commits to this new strategic direction.”
Ken Skates, the deputy minister for culture, sport and tourism, says he will respond to the review’s recommendations. However, Welsh government agency the Museums, Archives and Libraries Division declined to say whether the recommendations will feed into the next national museum strategy for Wales.
The review also calls on the Welsh government to develop a charter that sets standards for museums across Wales. Other recommendations include offering local authority museums relief from national non-domestic rates and working in partnership with museum governing bodies to review the policy of charging for museum entry.
Thomas says another of the review’s proposals – establishing a transformation fund to help museums invest in their buildings and services – is essential.
“It is imperative to support museums during this period of change and to provide funding to allow the sector to explore new ideas,” she says.
Mixed picture
The report paints a varied picture of local authority museums in Wales, with a quarter of those sampled performing to a high standard. However, 10% of institutions are deemed to be operating at an unsustainable “zombie” standard, with no collections management and a low level of visitor satisfaction.
Alistair Brown, the policy officer at the Museums Association, says: “The report does not shy away from making difficult and unpalatable recommendations, including the closure of some museums, and the possible introduction of museum charges.”
In the report, Edwards warns that budget cuts will continue to lead to shorter opening hours, staff reductions and “many other signs of services under stress, leading inevitably to museum closures”.
Newport Museum and Art Gallery avoided closure earlier this year after the city council combined the museum, gallery and central library operations (the number of museum staff has been cut from more than 20 to 7.5 full-time posts over the past five years).
Bob Trett, the former museum officer at Newport Museum and Art Gallery, says “the recommendations are OK, in as far as they go, but the real problem is the continuing cutbacks on local authority budgets”.
He adds: “The report recommendations are for the medium- or long-term, by which time it will be too late for many museums."