Welsh government funding review must address strategy
New governance and service delivery models for local authority museums will be looked at by an expert panel. Gareth Harris reports
Professionals in Wales have stressed that a government review examining the impact of spending cuts on local authority funded museums must address crucial issues such as the next museum strategy for Wales, which is to be implemented in 2016.
The review, commissioned by the Welsh government, will be undertaken by a panel of experts including Haydn Edwards, the vice-president of Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum Wales), and Adrian Babbidge, the director of the heritage consultancy Egeria. Its findings will be delivered in the spring.
Ken Skates, the deputy minister for culture, sport and tourism, says local museums, which largely rely on council funding, are especially at risk of closure as they are non-statutory services.
“I am keen to identify ways of ensuring museum services continue to be provided at a local level,” he says.
But there is little appetite among museum professionals for making museums statutory. Carrie Canham, the curator at Amgueddfa Ceredigion (Ceredigion Museum), hopes the review will consider the service status of museums, but thinks this is unlikely, as spending cuts take effect.
Rachel Silverson, the newly elected president of the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales (see box), agrees that “museums being statutory services is not one of our priorities as this will make little difference at the present time”.
Whether “alternative service delivery models” will provide more efficient museum services is, however, on the panel’s agenda. New governance models adopted by local authorities in recent years include switching to trust status.
Steve Grenter, the heritage services manager at Wrexham County Borough Council, hopes the review will explore the idea of regional museum trusts along the lines of the regional archaeological trusts, which, he says, have proved to be a sustainable model in Wales. Four archaeological trusts, operating as independent limited companies with charitable status, were established in the 1970s.
Community service
“One area we are considering in Wrexham is a mutual model owned by staff and the community: this has significant potential, particularly in terms of community engagement with our heritage,” says Grenter, who wants to see “more of a joined-up approach” in the display and interpretation of the historic environment.
But Canham strikes a note of caution, saying that she is concerned about the assumption that devolved museums will be better able to access external funding not available to local authorities.
“The review needs to take on board the increased competition for these limited resources,” she says, adding that public input must be sought as part of the process.
Crucially, Skates stresses that the panel findings will feed into the next national museum strategy for Wales.
Grenter says: “I am hopeful that the review will, at the very least, influence the emerging museum landscape. I hope that I am wrong, but I wouldn’t be astonished if there were only a handful of directly funded local authority museums in Wales in five years’ time. Obviously, the new strategy will have to be relevant to that reality.”
The review will consider collaborations between local museums, People’s Collection Wales (an online resource with documents and videos about Welsh heritage) and National Museum Wales, making access to collections a key focus.
“It is clear that there is a need to improve and build on the current programmes, and not start something new,” Silverson says.
The Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales welcomes an expert review of museums in Wales. With the museum sector facing changes in the coming year, as local authority museums face increasing cuts, it is essential that the review looks at different models for helping museums to become more robust and resilient, highlighting the pros and cons of delivery options.
A key factor will also be looking at the impact that changes to local authority museums will have on the independent museum sector, and those independent organisations with connections to local authority institutions.
We hope this review will kick-start the process for the next museum strategy from 2016 onwards, but there is not much time.
Rachel Silverson is the president of the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales
The review, commissioned by the Welsh government, will be undertaken by a panel of experts including Haydn Edwards, the vice-president of Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum Wales), and Adrian Babbidge, the director of the heritage consultancy Egeria. Its findings will be delivered in the spring.
Ken Skates, the deputy minister for culture, sport and tourism, says local museums, which largely rely on council funding, are especially at risk of closure as they are non-statutory services.
“I am keen to identify ways of ensuring museum services continue to be provided at a local level,” he says.
But there is little appetite among museum professionals for making museums statutory. Carrie Canham, the curator at Amgueddfa Ceredigion (Ceredigion Museum), hopes the review will consider the service status of museums, but thinks this is unlikely, as spending cuts take effect.
Rachel Silverson, the newly elected president of the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales (see box), agrees that “museums being statutory services is not one of our priorities as this will make little difference at the present time”.
Whether “alternative service delivery models” will provide more efficient museum services is, however, on the panel’s agenda. New governance models adopted by local authorities in recent years include switching to trust status.
Steve Grenter, the heritage services manager at Wrexham County Borough Council, hopes the review will explore the idea of regional museum trusts along the lines of the regional archaeological trusts, which, he says, have proved to be a sustainable model in Wales. Four archaeological trusts, operating as independent limited companies with charitable status, were established in the 1970s.
Community service
“One area we are considering in Wrexham is a mutual model owned by staff and the community: this has significant potential, particularly in terms of community engagement with our heritage,” says Grenter, who wants to see “more of a joined-up approach” in the display and interpretation of the historic environment.
But Canham strikes a note of caution, saying that she is concerned about the assumption that devolved museums will be better able to access external funding not available to local authorities.
“The review needs to take on board the increased competition for these limited resources,” she says, adding that public input must be sought as part of the process.
Crucially, Skates stresses that the panel findings will feed into the next national museum strategy for Wales.
Grenter says: “I am hopeful that the review will, at the very least, influence the emerging museum landscape. I hope that I am wrong, but I wouldn’t be astonished if there were only a handful of directly funded local authority museums in Wales in five years’ time. Obviously, the new strategy will have to be relevant to that reality.”
The review will consider collaborations between local museums, People’s Collection Wales (an online resource with documents and videos about Welsh heritage) and National Museum Wales, making access to collections a key focus.
“It is clear that there is a need to improve and build on the current programmes, and not start something new,” Silverson says.
Assess the different delivery models
The Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales welcomes an expert review of museums in Wales. With the museum sector facing changes in the coming year, as local authority museums face increasing cuts, it is essential that the review looks at different models for helping museums to become more robust and resilient, highlighting the pros and cons of delivery options.
A key factor will also be looking at the impact that changes to local authority museums will have on the independent museum sector, and those independent organisations with connections to local authority institutions.
We hope this review will kick-start the process for the next museum strategy from 2016 onwards, but there is not much time.
Rachel Silverson is the president of the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales