Museum and library professionals have responded angrily to culture minister Ed Vaizey’s recent defence of the government’s spending cuts, and his assertion that the arts in the UK “are waving, not drowning”.
In a speech to the Local Government Association (LGA) Conference in Chester last month, Vaizey described the government’s support for the sector as a “self-evident truth” and said it was “rubbish” to suggest the arts were in crisis.
“It is regrettable to observe some of the scaremongering suggesting our arts and cultural sector is somehow ‘at risk’,” he said.
Referring to local authority funding, the culture minister cited an Arts Development UK survey that showed investment in culture had risen over the past year to an average of just under £385,000 per council.
Vaizey also welcomed the publication of a report by the LGA demonstrating the relationship between arts and economic growth, which showed that every £1 spent on culture by local authorities generated up to £4 in additional funding (see p15).
But Mark Taylor, director of the Museums Association, said: “I am sure the news that we are not in crisis will come as a surprise to most of the museums in the UK – to the 400 professionals who have been made redundant in national museums in the past year and to the 30% of museums that responded to our 2012 survey saying they had had their budgets cut by 35% in the past two years.”
Newcastle City Council recently voted to cut its subsidy to Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums by £821,000 (44%) over the next three years, affecting the Laing Art Gallery, Discovery Museum and Great North Museum.
Within the council, a management review will lead to £517,000 being cut from the culture, leisure libraries and customer contact budgets.
Vaizey denied, however, that public library services were under threat, citing a £6m fund established by the arts council to support libraries.
Mark Tyers, of the campaign group Save Newcastle Libraries, said: “Vaizey enthusiastically identifies success stories… while completely neglecting to mention the many areas of our country such as Doncaster, Barnet and Newcastle where libraries are getting closed as budgets get chopped year-on-year.”
In a speech to the Local Government Association (LGA) Conference in Chester last month, Vaizey described the government’s support for the sector as a “self-evident truth” and said it was “rubbish” to suggest the arts were in crisis.
“It is regrettable to observe some of the scaremongering suggesting our arts and cultural sector is somehow ‘at risk’,” he said.
Referring to local authority funding, the culture minister cited an Arts Development UK survey that showed investment in culture had risen over the past year to an average of just under £385,000 per council.
Vaizey also welcomed the publication of a report by the LGA demonstrating the relationship between arts and economic growth, which showed that every £1 spent on culture by local authorities generated up to £4 in additional funding (see p15).
But Mark Taylor, director of the Museums Association, said: “I am sure the news that we are not in crisis will come as a surprise to most of the museums in the UK – to the 400 professionals who have been made redundant in national museums in the past year and to the 30% of museums that responded to our 2012 survey saying they had had their budgets cut by 35% in the past two years.”
Newcastle City Council recently voted to cut its subsidy to Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums by £821,000 (44%) over the next three years, affecting the Laing Art Gallery, Discovery Museum and Great North Museum.
Within the council, a management review will lead to £517,000 being cut from the culture, leisure libraries and customer contact budgets.
Vaizey denied, however, that public library services were under threat, citing a £6m fund established by the arts council to support libraries.
Mark Tyers, of the campaign group Save Newcastle Libraries, said: “Vaizey enthusiastically identifies success stories… while completely neglecting to mention the many areas of our country such as Doncaster, Barnet and Newcastle where libraries are getting closed as budgets get chopped year-on-year.”
