According to a new report by Arts and Business, the credit crunch could mean a collapse in business sponsorship of the arts. In the survey 40 per cent of companies said that they feared that it would have a negative impact on their future support for the arts.
And it's not only in drops in sponsorship that museums and galleries are going to feel the pain. The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester had close to £1m invested in a failed Icelandic bank (see news opposite) and plenty of local authorities have been caught out too.
The knock-on spending squeeze could well hurt non-statutory services such as museums and galleries. On top of that, fewer overseas visitors will inevitably hit ticket income and retail spend, and the recession will mean another tough spending round for the arts.
So is it all gloom? None of the strategic bodies that deal with museums and galleries have much to say on the matter other than "batten down the hatches and prepare for a rough ride". But maybe museums and galleries should be a bit more bullish.
Those in search of respite from the economic crisis may well choose a museum or gallery as the ideal place to escape the problems of everyday life (and from an entirely cynical point of view, governments like things that make people feel better when the going gets tough).
But it's not just escapism that culture can offer. Museums and galleries are all about the search for meaning, which, as the whole of the financial system collapses quietly around our ears, could be just what people are looking for.
Which means we should stop acting like museums and galleries are a nice add-on that can only be paid for once the basics are taken care of. Culture isn't a luxury item that can be dropped on a whim. So don't be too daunted when you're up against housing, health and education in the next round of budget negotiations - yes we need all those things - but it's possible, and desirable, to have bread and roses too.
Sharon Heal, editor
sharon@museumsassociation.org
And it's not only in drops in sponsorship that museums and galleries are going to feel the pain. The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester had close to £1m invested in a failed Icelandic bank (see news opposite) and plenty of local authorities have been caught out too.
The knock-on spending squeeze could well hurt non-statutory services such as museums and galleries. On top of that, fewer overseas visitors will inevitably hit ticket income and retail spend, and the recession will mean another tough spending round for the arts.
So is it all gloom? None of the strategic bodies that deal with museums and galleries have much to say on the matter other than "batten down the hatches and prepare for a rough ride". But maybe museums and galleries should be a bit more bullish.
Those in search of respite from the economic crisis may well choose a museum or gallery as the ideal place to escape the problems of everyday life (and from an entirely cynical point of view, governments like things that make people feel better when the going gets tough).
But it's not just escapism that culture can offer. Museums and galleries are all about the search for meaning, which, as the whole of the financial system collapses quietly around our ears, could be just what people are looking for.
Which means we should stop acting like museums and galleries are a nice add-on that can only be paid for once the basics are taken care of. Culture isn't a luxury item that can be dropped on a whim. So don't be too daunted when you're up against housing, health and education in the next round of budget negotiations - yes we need all those things - but it's possible, and desirable, to have bread and roses too.
Sharon Heal, editor
sharon@museumsassociation.org
