Taylor warns of continuing decrease in public funds for museums
Patrick Steel, 05.12.2011
MA director addresses students at Leicester University
Addressing museum studies students at Leicester University last week, Museums Association director Mark Taylor warned that the future museum landscape would likely see more independently governed and funded museums raising more of their own money as fewer museums receive core funding from government.
He told the students: “The worldwide economic slump, the current government’s reaction to it and the philosophies that they are pushing through leads me to think that there will be a substantial reduction in the number of museums that receive core funding from the public purse and those lucky ones that do will see less and less investment from national and local government.
“The new museum landscape will see much more diversity with more independently governed and funded museums raising more of their own money, generating more income, working in a much wider and more inclusive way, using more volunteers and digital resources and led by people possessing a wide range of skills that might be best called ‘entrepreneurship’.
“The MA will be leading the way in working out how we can make sure that the next generation of museum leaders possess these skills and attributes."
His address also touched on workforce issues, museums’ relationship with the public, and the roles of collections and community orientated museums.
For information about joining the Museums Association, click here
He told the students: “The worldwide economic slump, the current government’s reaction to it and the philosophies that they are pushing through leads me to think that there will be a substantial reduction in the number of museums that receive core funding from the public purse and those lucky ones that do will see less and less investment from national and local government.
“The new museum landscape will see much more diversity with more independently governed and funded museums raising more of their own money, generating more income, working in a much wider and more inclusive way, using more volunteers and digital resources and led by people possessing a wide range of skills that might be best called ‘entrepreneurship’.
“The MA will be leading the way in working out how we can make sure that the next generation of museum leaders possess these skills and attributes."
His address also touched on workforce issues, museums’ relationship with the public, and the roles of collections and community orientated museums.
For information about joining the Museums Association, click here
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