The post-election reshuffle has seen the creation of a new post of minister for culture, bringing together arts, heritage, libraries, museums and galleries. David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham, has been appointed to the position.
The new post brings museums and libraries back into the same portfolio, a move that has been well received in the sector. But questions have been asked as to why Lammy is a parliamentary under-secretary of state, rather than a secretary of state as the former arts minister Estelle Morris was.
It suggests a demotion for culture within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). However, a DCMS spokeswoman said that it was merely a reflection of Lammy's relatively young age and the length of time he had spent in parliament: 'It will make no difference to his responsibilities, nor his effectiveness,' she said.
Many in the sector see his youth - he is 32 - as a positive thing. Charles Saumarez Smith, the director of the National Gallery and the president of the Museums Association (MA), said: 'He is more likely to invest a lot of energy into his portfolio. Having seen him briefly at the fifth anniversary of the Tate Modern, my instinct is that it is an imaginative appointment.'
Mark Taylor, the director of the Museums Association, was equally optimistic: 'We hope his age and previous interests indicate more focus on workforce issues. But the big thing in his in-tray is Estelle Morris's report on the future of museums and galleries.'
His biography suggests that he may be up to it. Lammy is a professed lover of the arts, he was briefly assigned the portfolio for culture and the arts at the Greater London Authority, he regularly visits concerts, exhibitions and the theatre, is married to an artist, and famously introduced the singer Alicia Keys to Westminster.
Alec Coles, the director of museums and galleries at Tyne and Wear Museums, said he is also someone 'whose record suggests he will be strong on the inclusion agenda and diversity'.
Both Coles and Jane Arthur, the head of collections services at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, called for the culture minister to visit the hub regions and familiarise himself with the regional agenda.
Speaking for independent museums, Bill Ferris, the chairman of the Association of Independent Museums (Aim), said he would like to see the minister 'valuing collections for their own right', and working more closely with the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and Aim to introduce better mapping and analysis of the needs of the sector.
The new post brings museums and libraries back into the same portfolio, a move that has been well received in the sector. But questions have been asked as to why Lammy is a parliamentary under-secretary of state, rather than a secretary of state as the former arts minister Estelle Morris was.
It suggests a demotion for culture within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). However, a DCMS spokeswoman said that it was merely a reflection of Lammy's relatively young age and the length of time he had spent in parliament: 'It will make no difference to his responsibilities, nor his effectiveness,' she said.
Many in the sector see his youth - he is 32 - as a positive thing. Charles Saumarez Smith, the director of the National Gallery and the president of the Museums Association (MA), said: 'He is more likely to invest a lot of energy into his portfolio. Having seen him briefly at the fifth anniversary of the Tate Modern, my instinct is that it is an imaginative appointment.'
Mark Taylor, the director of the Museums Association, was equally optimistic: 'We hope his age and previous interests indicate more focus on workforce issues. But the big thing in his in-tray is Estelle Morris's report on the future of museums and galleries.'
His biography suggests that he may be up to it. Lammy is a professed lover of the arts, he was briefly assigned the portfolio for culture and the arts at the Greater London Authority, he regularly visits concerts, exhibitions and the theatre, is married to an artist, and famously introduced the singer Alicia Keys to Westminster.
Alec Coles, the director of museums and galleries at Tyne and Wear Museums, said he is also someone 'whose record suggests he will be strong on the inclusion agenda and diversity'.
Both Coles and Jane Arthur, the head of collections services at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, called for the culture minister to visit the hub regions and familiarise himself with the regional agenda.
Speaking for independent museums, Bill Ferris, the chairman of the Association of Independent Museums (Aim), said he would like to see the minister 'valuing collections for their own right', and working more closely with the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and Aim to introduce better mapping and analysis of the needs of the sector.
