MLA could become part of ACE
Felicity Heywood, 27.07.2010
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) could become part of the Arts Council England after it is wound up in April 2012.
The MLA’s chief executive Roy Clare told Museums Journal: “I am already talking with Alan Davey [chief executive] at the arts council and he is up for this partnership. I expect the chairman and trustees and senior staff, including myself, to transfer to the arts council.”
But he cautioned this wasn’t a signed deal. The remark comes a day after the announcement by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that the MLA would be abolished.
The culture minister, Ed Vaizey, said: “There is now an opportunity to integrate Renaissance and the other important functions of the MLA into the wider cultural framework.”
Clare said hub museums would be wound down and replaced by a core museum model, underpinned by a development fund. He said that the hubs were built around the idea of providing leadership but that core museums would be about excellence.
Responding to the abolition of the MLA, Mark Taylor, the director of the Museums Association, said it would now step up the fight to defend museums and the programmes that the MLA had been running, including Renaissance in the Regions, Accreditation, designation and the museum development fund.
The transition to the core museum model is expected to take place 2011-2012.
National museums
National museums are currently funded directly by DCMS, but Clare said the new system might mirror that of the Royal Opera House, for example, which is funded by the arts council as one of its regularly funded organisations (RFO). “I see no reason why the nationals should feel themselves so special that they can’t become RFO’s,” he said.
But this goes against the Conservative Party election manifesto, which talked about increasing autonomy for the national museums.
Clare said he expected the Portable Antiquities Scheme to transfer to the British Museum and the V&A Purchase Fund to the Victoria and Albert Museum. He added that he would like to see functions such as Museums at Night, Culture 24 and the Collections Trust continue to receive government support.
He added that local government was a “big concern”.
“Local government is going to walk away from its responsibilities to museums unless we keep the pressure up. I am not accepting from local government that culture is safe in its hands because I don’t believe it.”
Clare said that decisions about staff redundancies at MLA will take place after the Comprehensive Spending Review in October.
Image: Roy Clare
But he cautioned this wasn’t a signed deal. The remark comes a day after the announcement by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that the MLA would be abolished.
The culture minister, Ed Vaizey, said: “There is now an opportunity to integrate Renaissance and the other important functions of the MLA into the wider cultural framework.”
Clare said hub museums would be wound down and replaced by a core museum model, underpinned by a development fund. He said that the hubs were built around the idea of providing leadership but that core museums would be about excellence.
Responding to the abolition of the MLA, Mark Taylor, the director of the Museums Association, said it would now step up the fight to defend museums and the programmes that the MLA had been running, including Renaissance in the Regions, Accreditation, designation and the museum development fund.
The transition to the core museum model is expected to take place 2011-2012.
National museums
National museums are currently funded directly by DCMS, but Clare said the new system might mirror that of the Royal Opera House, for example, which is funded by the arts council as one of its regularly funded organisations (RFO). “I see no reason why the nationals should feel themselves so special that they can’t become RFO’s,” he said.
But this goes against the Conservative Party election manifesto, which talked about increasing autonomy for the national museums.
Clare said he expected the Portable Antiquities Scheme to transfer to the British Museum and the V&A Purchase Fund to the Victoria and Albert Museum. He added that he would like to see functions such as Museums at Night, Culture 24 and the Collections Trust continue to receive government support.
He added that local government was a “big concern”.
“Local government is going to walk away from its responsibilities to museums unless we keep the pressure up. I am not accepting from local government that culture is safe in its hands because I don’t believe it.”
Clare said that decisions about staff redundancies at MLA will take place after the Comprehensive Spending Review in October.
Image: Roy Clare
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As for the core museum model- what does this actually mean? Especially apart from the National Museums, how do other museums fair and who will judge what 'excellence' is and by what criteria?
The statement that "Local government is going to walk away from its responsibilities to museums unless we keep the pressure up" is an extraordinarily sweeping statement from the Chief Executive of an NDPB. It does both a disservice to the very significant commitment from local government to the museums sector (both financially and politically) and significantly overstates the influence of MLA. My hope is that this statement is taken out of context in this report.
The concern, surely, is not “local government” but the whirlwind of retrenchment that local government is gearing up for. Councillors and officers are very well aware of the responsibilities of local government, and in the overwhelming majority of instances will be grappling with challenging issues of service transformation in the face of significant competing claims on a shrinking resource. These challenges are real and will be addressed in a systematic and structured manner.
The museums sector will change as a result of these pressures, as will almost every other aspect of public service delivery – statutory as well as non statutory. Culture is as safe as any other service area, and to suggest otherwise does a significant disservice to the work currently underway to secure continuing outcomes.
In this instance, Mr Clare might do well to look to his own press statements… Cool heads are indeed to be commended. Sometimes still tongues can be helpful too.
Jason Doherty – Senior Manager, Culture
Cheshire West and Chester Council