Blog | A small amount of investment in museums can go a very long way

The Museums Association has issued a warm welcome to the new UK Government and has written to incoming ministers at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to brief them on the urgent issues facing museums.

The last decade has been a challenging one for our museums and our communities. Systemic underfunding for local authorities has led to a drying up of funding for many local museums that has put them in danger of managed decline and closure.

Covid was a challenge for the whole of society and museums, and those that work in and with them, not only made it through the pandemic but actively supported their communities and documented and collected their everyday fears, hopes and struggles.

And then just when we thought that things were getting back to normal, the cost-of-living crisis hit, landing many museums with steep energy bills, wiping out meagre reserves and threatening the recovery which had only just begun.

The new government have made it abundantly clear that their priority is to sort out the economy and their emphasis seems to be on getting more money out of private sources for culture. Sure, if there’s any way of leveraging that, then it would be most welcome.

But it’s worth pointing out that museums have become extremely adept at finding money from multiple sources over the past decade. Every funder will tell you that their grant schemes are many times oversubscribed, and philanthropists and corporate sponsors are often more attracted to high-profile projects in capital cities, rather than civic institutions that serve local audiences. 

Whilst we understand the imperative to be fiscally prudent, we also know that a small amount of investment in museums can go a very long way and that the return on that investment, in terms of boosting local economies and community health and wellbeing, is huge.

And there are some things that can be done that wouldn’t cost much, if anything, but would signal intent and support for the sector.

Both Lisa Nandy as secretary of state and Chris Bryant as minister of state have experience of shadow briefs that could lead to more joined-up, cross-departmental working, especially with the department for education, and the department for science, innovation and technology, where Bryant is also a minister.

A museum strategy for England could be explored – based on a needs-assessment that faces up to the existential crisis in civic museums to come up with a sustainable and strategic way forward.

Legislation that prevents return of items from national museums could be amended sending an important signal that museums are ready and willing to work in partnership with communities and governments internationally.

And while we’re at it, a cessation of the culture wars would provide a hospitable environment for museums to explore their links to the colonial past.

And existing schemes such as the Museums Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief and Museum Estate and Development funding could be retained, embedding much additional funding sources for the sector.

But if museums are to really help deliver on key policy areas such as green growth and creative education, having the investment to create financially and environmentally sustainable organisations is critical.

Oh and one last thing – a pause please on the revolving ministerial door at DCMS – change is good but stability is also useful.

11 July 2024