With the EU referendum debate in full swing and campaigning under way for elections in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, it is a time of political upheaval across the UK.
Cultural organisations are among those fighting to get their voices heard amid the noise. Part of the debate centres on the usual battle for resources, which is particularly urgent in these austere times as budget cuts continue to threaten the good work being done by museums to look after collections and engage the public. Three news analysis articles in this issue of Museums Journal give a flavour of some of the challenges facing the sector in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales (see p6, 9 and 11). We will run more coverage of the elections and their implications for museums, galleries and heritage sites in May.
A lot of the debate over the EU referendum is also focused on the fight for money and resources (see p7). But it is also about something more profound – the nation’s identity. How do we see our relationship with Europe and the rest of the world developing over time? What kind of nation do we want to be on the international stage?
Museums and galleries often give people the chance to think about their place in the world, and the local, regional, national and global factors that have an impact on this. In this issue, a curator and a writer discuss how museums are tackling the legacy of empire, which still casts a long shadow over British identity (see p17).
Another article in the comment section addresses the destruction of material culture across the Middle East and North Africa (see p14). It looks at what the UK is doing to help those on the ground who are risking their lives to protect sites that have historical significance to people all over the world. Again, this points to questions about our place in the world and our relationships internationally.
With people moving around the globe more and more, there is no doubt that identity is far more fluid than it used to be. For museums, this provides an exciting opportunity to reflect these changes and to contribute to the debate about what this means for us as individuals, and as a nation.
Cultural organisations are among those fighting to get their voices heard amid the noise. Part of the debate centres on the usual battle for resources, which is particularly urgent in these austere times as budget cuts continue to threaten the good work being done by museums to look after collections and engage the public. Three news analysis articles in this issue of Museums Journal give a flavour of some of the challenges facing the sector in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales (see p6, 9 and 11). We will run more coverage of the elections and their implications for museums, galleries and heritage sites in May.
A lot of the debate over the EU referendum is also focused on the fight for money and resources (see p7). But it is also about something more profound – the nation’s identity. How do we see our relationship with Europe and the rest of the world developing over time? What kind of nation do we want to be on the international stage?
Museums and galleries often give people the chance to think about their place in the world, and the local, regional, national and global factors that have an impact on this. In this issue, a curator and a writer discuss how museums are tackling the legacy of empire, which still casts a long shadow over British identity (see p17).
Another article in the comment section addresses the destruction of material culture across the Middle East and North Africa (see p14). It looks at what the UK is doing to help those on the ground who are risking their lives to protect sites that have historical significance to people all over the world. Again, this points to questions about our place in the world and our relationships internationally.
With people moving around the globe more and more, there is no doubt that identity is far more fluid than it used to be. For museums, this provides an exciting opportunity to reflect these changes and to contribute to the debate about what this means for us as individuals, and as a nation.
