There is cultural life outside of London. This shock observation from culture secretary Andy Burnham came at the start of the year as the cabinet was happily riding the crest of Liverpool's European Capital of Culture wave.
Despite detractors and cock-ups - and there were many - the year was a success. Even some Londoncentric art critics and reviewers were surprised to find that there really was culture in Liverpool - and a lot of it was home grown.
Burnham talked of the "casual perception" that nothing much of cultural value takes place outside of London and launched the idea of a rolling programme of British Capitals of Culture. He also mentioned the need to "unlock the full value around Britain" of government investment in cultural institutions - a not-so-veiled suggestion that perhaps the nationals could do more in the regions.
An odd time then, you would think, to be winding up the committee of the National Museum Directors' Conference (NMDC), which deals with national programmes.
Of course, the NMDC's membership has been widened to include large museum services such as Birmingham and Tyne and Wear, and the NMDC stresses that it is about to do some research into partnerships.
But it is strange that there doesn't seem to be one body taking responsibility for these partnerships or mapping provision. At the moment, it's a bit of a postcode lottery - your ability to access national collections depends on where you live or whether you can afford to get to London or Edinburgh.
Partnerships between the regions and national museums take many forms, including joint acquisitions, touring exhibitions, outposts and sharing expertise. The question is not whether there should be a V&A on all of our doorsteps, but how to improve and sustain the cultural offer where we live, and how to get fair geographical access to national collections.
The answer is simple: full and sustained funding for Renaissance in the Regions and a national museums strategy worthy of the name.
Sharon Heal, editor
sharon@museumsassociation.org
Despite detractors and cock-ups - and there were many - the year was a success. Even some Londoncentric art critics and reviewers were surprised to find that there really was culture in Liverpool - and a lot of it was home grown.
Burnham talked of the "casual perception" that nothing much of cultural value takes place outside of London and launched the idea of a rolling programme of British Capitals of Culture. He also mentioned the need to "unlock the full value around Britain" of government investment in cultural institutions - a not-so-veiled suggestion that perhaps the nationals could do more in the regions.
An odd time then, you would think, to be winding up the committee of the National Museum Directors' Conference (NMDC), which deals with national programmes.
Of course, the NMDC's membership has been widened to include large museum services such as Birmingham and Tyne and Wear, and the NMDC stresses that it is about to do some research into partnerships.
But it is strange that there doesn't seem to be one body taking responsibility for these partnerships or mapping provision. At the moment, it's a bit of a postcode lottery - your ability to access national collections depends on where you live or whether you can afford to get to London or Edinburgh.
Partnerships between the regions and national museums take many forms, including joint acquisitions, touring exhibitions, outposts and sharing expertise. The question is not whether there should be a V&A on all of our doorsteps, but how to improve and sustain the cultural offer where we live, and how to get fair geographical access to national collections.
The answer is simple: full and sustained funding for Renaissance in the Regions and a national museums strategy worthy of the name.
Sharon Heal, editor
sharon@museumsassociation.org
Links
Analysis: Raising Liverpool's cultural capital, MJ news, February 2009, p15
NMDC closes partnership body, MJ news, February 2009, p6
Analysis: Raising Liverpool's cultural capital, MJ news, February 2009, p15
NMDC closes partnership body, MJ news, February 2009, p6
