Sunderland has not quit Tyne & Wear Museums as the city council has not taken such a decision.
A group from the Friends of Sunderland Museums met the cabinet member for culture and the Sunderland City Council officer responsible for heritage to discuss the cabinet paper referred to in the article on the future of museums in Sunderland.
It was made clear that the reason that Sunderland had given a year’s notice to withdraw from the Joint Museums Agreement was because its legal department had advised that this was the only way to revise the agreement.
Sunderland Council is now looking at the options for museums in the city. One of these is that Sunderland’s museums remains part of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM), with some changes to the existing Joint Agreement.
They will also be consulting with all interested parties, including Arts Council England and the Friends of the Museums. Only after this will any decision be taken on whether Sunderland remains part of TWAM. The council is well aware of the importance of the grants TWAM receives and would not seek to jeopardise these.
Neil Sinclair, vice-president, Friends of Sunderland Museums
A group from the Friends of Sunderland Museums met the cabinet member for culture and the Sunderland City Council officer responsible for heritage to discuss the cabinet paper referred to in the article on the future of museums in Sunderland.
It was made clear that the reason that Sunderland had given a year’s notice to withdraw from the Joint Museums Agreement was because its legal department had advised that this was the only way to revise the agreement.
Sunderland Council is now looking at the options for museums in the city. One of these is that Sunderland’s museums remains part of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM), with some changes to the existing Joint Agreement.
They will also be consulting with all interested parties, including Arts Council England and the Friends of the Museums. Only after this will any decision be taken on whether Sunderland remains part of TWAM. The council is well aware of the importance of the grants TWAM receives and would not seek to jeopardise these.
Neil Sinclair, vice-president, Friends of Sunderland Museums
