The establishment of regional bodies holds the key to the future of local museum provision in Wales, and the museums strategy, due to be published imminently, must recognise that need for collaboration to help address the challenges faced by the sector.
The new strategy, which will provide a framework for the sector until 2020, is being developed by the Welsh government with input from the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales, Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum Wales – NMW) and other cultural bodies. The date for its publication has yet to be announced.
It is also hoped that the strategy will pull together the various reviews that exist on various aspects of museums in Wales.
In January, Ken Skates, the cabinet secretary for economy and infrastructure, the department that oversees culture and heritage, gave an update on the recommendations made by the Expert Panel Review of Local Museum Practice.
The recommendations were originally made in August 2015. Victoria Rogers, the president of the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales, says the first recommendation of the expert panel, which proposes creating three regional bodies, is the “crux of the matter”.
She adds: “The creation of the regional bodies to deliver local services needs agreement and commitment from local and national governments to fund and support them.
“So far, there seems to have been little appetite for movement on this, but it is interesting to see that the Welsh government recently published a white paper on local government reform, which proposes that local authorities work regionally to deliver services.”
Proposals rejected
Meanwhile, a steering group rejected proposals to merge the commercial operations of NMW and historic culture body Cadw to form Historic Wales over concerns about independence. Instead, the group proposed creating a strategic partnership formed of three national heritage organisations and Cadw, which it also recommended should come out of government.
In response to the rejection of the Historic Wales plan, an independent review of the strategy and operations of NMW was announced by Skates in early February.
It will be carried out by Simon Thurley, a former chief executive of English Heritage and ex-director of the Museum of London, and will also take into account the sector’s wider issues.
A Welsh museum sector source says: “The museums strategy needs to bring all of these elements together, rather than being looked at in isolation. It is not really possible to separate the local and national dynamic.
“We all see the new strategy as an opportunity, as the sector is constantly under threat. But we feel there is a real danger of it coming to nothing. The fact the local museum review timetable has slipped so far behind is a matter of real concern.”
Progress report
There are also concerns that the recent update on the Expert Panel Review of Local Museum Practice did not contain enough detail of the progress being made. Other recommendations include establishing a national museums council to provide leadership and coordination, developing a museums charter and establishing Collections Wales to rationalise, develop and safeguard collections of significance to the country.
Steve Grenter, the heritage and archives lead at Wrexham County Borough Museum, says: “Many of the recommendations had merit. I have been involved in at least one meeting looking at the regional collaboration of museum services across north Wales, which I welcome, but it’s still too early to say whether something worthwhile will come out of it.”
For Rogers, the recommendations of the expert review are a work in progress, but there are positives, including the extension of the Community Learning Libraries Capital Fund to museums this year. However, she admits that there is an “element of frustration or impatience” in the sector. “We want to get going,” she says.
The new strategy, which will provide a framework for the sector until 2020, is being developed by the Welsh government with input from the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales, Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum Wales – NMW) and other cultural bodies. The date for its publication has yet to be announced.
It is also hoped that the strategy will pull together the various reviews that exist on various aspects of museums in Wales.
In January, Ken Skates, the cabinet secretary for economy and infrastructure, the department that oversees culture and heritage, gave an update on the recommendations made by the Expert Panel Review of Local Museum Practice.
The recommendations were originally made in August 2015. Victoria Rogers, the president of the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales, says the first recommendation of the expert panel, which proposes creating three regional bodies, is the “crux of the matter”.
She adds: “The creation of the regional bodies to deliver local services needs agreement and commitment from local and national governments to fund and support them.
“So far, there seems to have been little appetite for movement on this, but it is interesting to see that the Welsh government recently published a white paper on local government reform, which proposes that local authorities work regionally to deliver services.”
Proposals rejected
Meanwhile, a steering group rejected proposals to merge the commercial operations of NMW and historic culture body Cadw to form Historic Wales over concerns about independence. Instead, the group proposed creating a strategic partnership formed of three national heritage organisations and Cadw, which it also recommended should come out of government.
In response to the rejection of the Historic Wales plan, an independent review of the strategy and operations of NMW was announced by Skates in early February.
It will be carried out by Simon Thurley, a former chief executive of English Heritage and ex-director of the Museum of London, and will also take into account the sector’s wider issues.
A Welsh museum sector source says: “The museums strategy needs to bring all of these elements together, rather than being looked at in isolation. It is not really possible to separate the local and national dynamic.
“We all see the new strategy as an opportunity, as the sector is constantly under threat. But we feel there is a real danger of it coming to nothing. The fact the local museum review timetable has slipped so far behind is a matter of real concern.”
Progress report
There are also concerns that the recent update on the Expert Panel Review of Local Museum Practice did not contain enough detail of the progress being made. Other recommendations include establishing a national museums council to provide leadership and coordination, developing a museums charter and establishing Collections Wales to rationalise, develop and safeguard collections of significance to the country.
Steve Grenter, the heritage and archives lead at Wrexham County Borough Museum, says: “Many of the recommendations had merit. I have been involved in at least one meeting looking at the regional collaboration of museum services across north Wales, which I welcome, but it’s still too early to say whether something worthwhile will come out of it.”
For Rogers, the recommendations of the expert review are a work in progress, but there are positives, including the extension of the Community Learning Libraries Capital Fund to museums this year. However, she admits that there is an “element of frustration or impatience” in the sector. “We want to get going,” she says.