There’s a lot going on in cultural policy as we return after the summer break. The Museums Review in England and the Welsh Museums Strategy are due to be published imminently, the museums tax relief legislation will finally be passed, and the serious work of protecting museums during Brexit negotiations continues.
But there’s one area that we shouldn’t forget. When the Conservative Party scraped back into government, it did so on a manifesto that promised a smorgasbord of initiatives and new sources of funding that could benefit museums. Among other things, the Conservatives promised a Cultural Development Fund “to use cultural investment to turn around communities”, a Curriculum Fund “to encourage Britain’s leading cultural and scientific institutions to help develop knowledge-rich materials for our schools” and the extension of the Coastal Communities Fund to 2022.
Elsewhere, the Tories promised to “continue our strong support for the arts, and ensure more of that support is based outside London”, and a specific promise that “the nation’s most eminent museums and galleries” should share their work across the country. The UK’s cultural institutions were also promised the resources they need “to amplify Britain’s voice on the world stage and as a global force for good”.
That all sounds great. But the manifesto was uncosted, leaving the government with plenty of wiggle room to make the slimmest commitment possible. It’s up to us to keep up the pressure and see that the government delivers on its promises.
Alistair Brown is the policy officer at the Museums Association
But there’s one area that we shouldn’t forget. When the Conservative Party scraped back into government, it did so on a manifesto that promised a smorgasbord of initiatives and new sources of funding that could benefit museums. Among other things, the Conservatives promised a Cultural Development Fund “to use cultural investment to turn around communities”, a Curriculum Fund “to encourage Britain’s leading cultural and scientific institutions to help develop knowledge-rich materials for our schools” and the extension of the Coastal Communities Fund to 2022.
Elsewhere, the Tories promised to “continue our strong support for the arts, and ensure more of that support is based outside London”, and a specific promise that “the nation’s most eminent museums and galleries” should share their work across the country. The UK’s cultural institutions were also promised the resources they need “to amplify Britain’s voice on the world stage and as a global force for good”.
That all sounds great. But the manifesto was uncosted, leaving the government with plenty of wiggle room to make the slimmest commitment possible. It’s up to us to keep up the pressure and see that the government delivers on its promises.
Alistair Brown is the policy officer at the Museums Association