Analysis
Now that’s what you call a decade of turbulence
From funding cuts leading to job losses and museum closures, and the evolving nature of working in the arts, to the growing debate on repatriation and the ever-increasing impact of social media, it’s been an eventful 10 years
Institutions slow to claim tax relief on their exhibition costs
With only 13% of the expected £30m claimed in 2018-19, there is concern that the relief may be dropped
Slow progress in increasing diversity of charity trustees
Museums and galleries are among the charities that are trying to diversify their trustees in order to better reflect the communities that they serve
Sector looks to digital future
The government recently announced funding for a new digital initiative but museums are wary of top-down solutions that don’t learn from past mistakes
Scotland’s plan to tax tourists gathers pace
With Edinburgh council having backed a levy of £2 per night, the government has started a public consultation
MA conference finds sector is ready to change its ways
A range of challenging issues was tackled at the event in Brighton last month, and it also felt as though practical solutions were being sought
Is £125m for repairs simply papering over the cracks?
The DCMS’s Cultural Investment Fund, which will help address the UK’s crumbling museum infrastructure, is very welcome, but what institutions need is core revenue funding to guarantee their long-term survival
What does the future hold for rural museums?
Many museums are thriving despite the challenges they face
Capital investment in Scotland gathers pace
Paisley and Perth to benefit from revamps of historic buildings, with Aberdeen Art Gallery to reopen next month
Institutions starting to pay a heavy price for low wages
Low salaries have always been endemic in the arts sector, but recent industrial action at several museums suggests that employees who were willing to make sacrifices during austerity are now being pushed to their limits. Geraldine Kendall Adams investigates