As the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) works out its long-awaited national strategy for museums, a funding crisis is engulfing its local authority museum services.
Budget cuts have hit Gwynedd, Ceredigion, and Denbighshire, while sustained under-funding in Carmarthenshire, Conwy, Wrexham, Powys, Neath Port Talbot and Monmouthshire has led to fears for the future of museums in those regions.
John Marjoram, the Museums Association's development officer for Wales, said: "It is death by 1,000 little cuts, and some places are now at the bottom. There is nothing like the investment of Renaissance in the Regions in Wales.
"Museums, Libraries and Archives Wales [CyMAL] has funding streams, but there is just not support for it in the way that there is for Renaissance. And there is only one museum development officer for the whole of Wales. CyMAL's museums strategy needs to address the issue of long-term sustainability."
Michael Freeman, curator at Ceredigion Museum, said there had been a continuous digging away at the museum's funding. But this was the first time that the museum had faced a real cut, making it difficult to do research, care for the collections properly, host exhibitions and perform outreach services.
"I don't know what it will be like in six months' time, when all the money is gone," he said. "I am told that if we overspend, then next year's budget will be cut, and that would mean that we would lose people."
Ann Rhydderch, principal archivist and heritage officer for Gwynedd, where the museum and gallery in Bangor faces closure, said she was desperate to find a way to keep the service open, as it is important to the life of the county. "Part of the government's pact [when it came to power] was a plan to make culture statutory," she said. "It will have to ask itself some hard questions."
A WAG spokesman said: "The Welsh Assembly Government is aware that some services are facing challenging budget situations. However, other local authorities are investing in their services. For example, Caerphilly County Borough Council is investing in a new £2.8m County Borough Museum and funding for an enhanced staff structure.
"The Welsh Assembly Government is working with the museum profession in Wales, and beyond, to develop a national strategy for museums. This will address several issues for museums, but responsibility for funding will remain a local matter."
Budget cuts have hit Gwynedd, Ceredigion, and Denbighshire, while sustained under-funding in Carmarthenshire, Conwy, Wrexham, Powys, Neath Port Talbot and Monmouthshire has led to fears for the future of museums in those regions.
John Marjoram, the Museums Association's development officer for Wales, said: "It is death by 1,000 little cuts, and some places are now at the bottom. There is nothing like the investment of Renaissance in the Regions in Wales.
"Museums, Libraries and Archives Wales [CyMAL] has funding streams, but there is just not support for it in the way that there is for Renaissance. And there is only one museum development officer for the whole of Wales. CyMAL's museums strategy needs to address the issue of long-term sustainability."
Michael Freeman, curator at Ceredigion Museum, said there had been a continuous digging away at the museum's funding. But this was the first time that the museum had faced a real cut, making it difficult to do research, care for the collections properly, host exhibitions and perform outreach services.
"I don't know what it will be like in six months' time, when all the money is gone," he said. "I am told that if we overspend, then next year's budget will be cut, and that would mean that we would lose people."
Ann Rhydderch, principal archivist and heritage officer for Gwynedd, where the museum and gallery in Bangor faces closure, said she was desperate to find a way to keep the service open, as it is important to the life of the county. "Part of the government's pact [when it came to power] was a plan to make culture statutory," she said. "It will have to ask itself some hard questions."
A WAG spokesman said: "The Welsh Assembly Government is aware that some services are facing challenging budget situations. However, other local authorities are investing in their services. For example, Caerphilly County Borough Council is investing in a new £2.8m County Borough Museum and funding for an enhanced staff structure.
"The Welsh Assembly Government is working with the museum profession in Wales, and beyond, to develop a national strategy for museums. This will address several issues for museums, but responsibility for funding will remain a local matter."
