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Sector bodies prepare to make the case for culture ahead of General Election
Museums urged to raise awareness of their impact on economy and society
The Museums Association (MA) has urged its members to make the case for the value of museums to economy and society ahead of the General Election on 4 July.
The MA has produced a Museum Manifesto with a clear set of asks for political parties, along with top advocacy tips.
MA director Sharon Heal said: “The general election provides an opportunity for us all to make a strong case for the value of museums to society. We are urging our members and museum workers across the UK to support our manifesto and to make candidates aware of how much museums contribute to our economic and social wellbeing.
“We believe that everyone has the right to good quality museum services near to where they live and that we need targeted investment in the sector in order to achieve that.”
The MA is among a coalition of more than 200 culture, heritage and arts organisations working together to act as a collective voice and showcase the value of the sector ahead of the election.
The Culture Makes… campaign was launched on 1 May this year to celebrate the creative and economic impacts of culture in order to enable the electorate to understand the value of supporting culture and ensure it is on the political agenda.
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The initiative, which is run by the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation, is campaigning for enhanced investment in culture by governments and enhanced support from audiences.
The campaign has identified eight types of impact of culture and heritage, which it hopes will act as a vital tool to help organisations make the case for their value.
The eight types of impact are: creative benefit; economic benefit; mental health and wellbeing; physical health; educational benefit; social benefit; community building; and innovation.
The campaign will hold a day of collective action on the third Friday of every month from May to December, each highlighting one of the eight types of impact.
Two days of collective action will fall between now and election day: the first, on Friday 24 May, celebrates the creative impact of culture, while the second, on 21 June, celebrates the economic impact of culture. Culture Makes... is urging culture and heritage organisations to sign up in order to showcase the value of their work and add to the unified voice of the campaign.