The Scottish Executive has launched a consultation on its Significance Recognition Scheme, designed to support collections of outstanding national or international importance held in non-national museums and galleries.
Under the scheme, which will run along the lines of the English Designation scheme, museums will be able to apply for Significant status and, if successful, can then submit a three-year business plan to fund the collection's development. The scheme will be ongoing, with a review every five years of those museums with Significant status.
As yet, the level of funding has not been determined, but Joanne Orr, the director of the Scottish Museums Council (SMC), said that the Executive had assessed the amounts needed in its 2002 national audit of museums and galleries and had decided not to limit the numbers available for the scheme.
This means there will be as many collections designated Significant as there are successful applications.Orr is hopeful that the scheme will introduce initial core funding and then further project funding, additional to existing money.
The SMC will offer support to museums developing applications, and hopes to see a range of non-national museums, whether they be local authority, university, regimental, or independent, achieve Significant status for their collections.
The initiative has been largely welcomed across the sector. 'This represents one giant leap for Scottish museums,' said Michael Taylor, the head of arts and heritage at Perth Museum and Art Gallery and a representative of the Group for Scottish Local Authority Museums. 'The Executive has recognised the fact that the nation's collections do not reside solely in Edinburgh.'
John Stewart-Young, the heritage manager at the McManus Galleries, Dundee, sounded a more cautionary note: 'We welcome the consultation on this important initiative to develop Scottish museums, but the big issue is the level of resource applied and whether it will make a significant improvement.'
The consultation ends on Friday 8 July but, as yet, the Executive has not detailed a timetable for the scheme. According to Orr, it is unlikely to be in place until 2006.
The SMC is considering setting up a Scot-centric event during May's Museums and Galleries Month, after research indicated a lack of awareness of the initiative in Scotland. It would have its own focus, name and website, and would probably take place over a week.
Under the scheme, which will run along the lines of the English Designation scheme, museums will be able to apply for Significant status and, if successful, can then submit a three-year business plan to fund the collection's development. The scheme will be ongoing, with a review every five years of those museums with Significant status.
As yet, the level of funding has not been determined, but Joanne Orr, the director of the Scottish Museums Council (SMC), said that the Executive had assessed the amounts needed in its 2002 national audit of museums and galleries and had decided not to limit the numbers available for the scheme.
This means there will be as many collections designated Significant as there are successful applications.Orr is hopeful that the scheme will introduce initial core funding and then further project funding, additional to existing money.
The SMC will offer support to museums developing applications, and hopes to see a range of non-national museums, whether they be local authority, university, regimental, or independent, achieve Significant status for their collections.
The initiative has been largely welcomed across the sector. 'This represents one giant leap for Scottish museums,' said Michael Taylor, the head of arts and heritage at Perth Museum and Art Gallery and a representative of the Group for Scottish Local Authority Museums. 'The Executive has recognised the fact that the nation's collections do not reside solely in Edinburgh.'
John Stewart-Young, the heritage manager at the McManus Galleries, Dundee, sounded a more cautionary note: 'We welcome the consultation on this important initiative to develop Scottish museums, but the big issue is the level of resource applied and whether it will make a significant improvement.'
The consultation ends on Friday 8 July but, as yet, the Executive has not detailed a timetable for the scheme. According to Orr, it is unlikely to be in place until 2006.
The SMC is considering setting up a Scot-centric event during May's Museums and Galleries Month, after research indicated a lack of awareness of the initiative in Scotland. It would have its own focus, name and website, and would probably take place over a week.
