Action on Renaissance

The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council published the review of Renaissance in the Regions and its Action Plan for the future last month.

While the independent review endorses the success of the scheme, it criticises the MLA and makes far-ranging recommendations for its future, including a national board and replacing the hubs with a network of core museums.

Responses to the review and the Action Plan have been mixed so far. Vanessa Trevelyan, head of Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service, said she was disappointed the review didn't highlight the success of Renaissance more forcefully. "But it does what it was set up to do and in that respect should be welcomed."

Rita McLean, head of museums in Birmingham, said she thought it was a thorough and extensive assessment of Renaissance. "It's valid to look at whether we have got the structures right," she added.

Stuart Davies, the president of the Museums Association, said the MA broadly welcomed the review's recommendations. He said the idea of a national board was "especially welcome" and that the concept of core museums was not very distant from that of lead hubs.

The MLA's Action Plan outlines a number of points under three headings: supporting excellence; promoting partnerships; and building capacity.

Hedley Swain, director of programme delivery at the MLA, said a steering group will be set up in the autumn to take the Action Plan forward. He said he hoped that the group would contain one or two members of the original review panel.

But disappointment has been expressed from a number of sources in the sector who have described the new plan as "weak" and a "missed opportunity".

Davies said: "Rehashing the discredited National Museums Strategy as another 'action plan' simply exposes MLA to ridicule. The strategy was a bad document and renaming it as an action plan without sorting out the strategy is risible."