The Scottish Executive has agreed to directly fund the Scottish Mining Museum, Scottish Maritime Museum and Scottish Fisheries Museum, responding to recommendations by the Scottish Museums Think Tank.
It has also welcomed the formation of a Federation for Scottish industrial museums and the establishment of a forum to provide advice and support on the development of a national strategy for Scottish museums.
But the executive has not taken on the thinktank’s key suggestion that a national development body should be established to develop and deliver strategy for the sector, saying: “The thinktank process was not to advocate wholesale change, but to provide a greater sense of direction for our museums and galleries community.”
Instead, the executive has asked Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) to develop the national strategy. It is envisaged that, in principle, MGS could become the national development body.
Dr Gordon Rintoul, director of National Museums Scotland, said: “The publication of the report presents a good opportunity to identify how the sector, in this economic climate, can work together to create a sustainable future for Scotland’s museums and galleries.”
Maurice Davies, head of policy and communications at the Museums Association, said: “It is great that the Scottish Executive has confirmed funding for three industrial museums, at the same time as the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is trying to wriggle out of its responsibility for funding museums in a comparable situation in England. It is a good show of commitment.
“It is also good that there seems to be a commitment to sticking with accreditation in Scotland. It would be a great thing if they can come up with a new structure in the forum and a national development body that brings together nationals and non-nationals.
“In this model, the national development body is not a membership organisation, and doesn’t have an advocacy role, suggesting a more active role for the Scottish Federation.”
