The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will continue to directly fund two non-national museums, the Horniman Museum and Gardens and Geffrye Museum, rather than pursue alternative sponsors.
In October 2010, the DCMS said it would relinquish responsibility for seven non-national museums after 2015. At the time it said it was “confident that despite the current economic climate, alternative bodies will be keen to take on the sponsorship”.
However, only three of the seven organisations have been transferred to new sponsors. The Science Museum Group took over funding for the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and the National Coal Mining Museum for England last year, while funding for Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums transferred to Arts Council England (ACE) in May.
In a statement, the DCMS said it had decided not to pursue alternative sponsorship for the Geffrye and Horniman. It had previously been in talks about a possible transfer to ACE.
David Dewing, director of the Geffrye Museum, said: “The proposal to seek an alternative sponsor was initiated by the DCMS and we were happy to cooperate in the search. No suitable alternative could be found, so there is no change, which is fine with us.”
It is not clear what level of funding DCMS-sponsored non-national museums can hope to receive after the current spending period ends.
The DCMS originally said that responsibility for funding would belong to the new funders after 2014-15, but later added that it would not leave any non-national “adrift without support”.
The People’s History Museum in Manchester and the Design Museum in London have still to find alternative sponsors.
Katy Archer, director of the People’s History Museum, said it was still in talks with the DCMS about finding an alternative sponsor and was also exploring ways to generate income once the current funding agreement came to an end.
In October 2010, the DCMS said it would relinquish responsibility for seven non-national museums after 2015. At the time it said it was “confident that despite the current economic climate, alternative bodies will be keen to take on the sponsorship”.
However, only three of the seven organisations have been transferred to new sponsors. The Science Museum Group took over funding for the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and the National Coal Mining Museum for England last year, while funding for Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums transferred to Arts Council England (ACE) in May.
In a statement, the DCMS said it had decided not to pursue alternative sponsorship for the Geffrye and Horniman. It had previously been in talks about a possible transfer to ACE.
David Dewing, director of the Geffrye Museum, said: “The proposal to seek an alternative sponsor was initiated by the DCMS and we were happy to cooperate in the search. No suitable alternative could be found, so there is no change, which is fine with us.”
It is not clear what level of funding DCMS-sponsored non-national museums can hope to receive after the current spending period ends.
The DCMS originally said that responsibility for funding would belong to the new funders after 2014-15, but later added that it would not leave any non-national “adrift without support”.
The People’s History Museum in Manchester and the Design Museum in London have still to find alternative sponsors.
Katy Archer, director of the People’s History Museum, said it was still in talks with the DCMS about finding an alternative sponsor and was also exploring ways to generate income once the current funding agreement came to an end.
