Blog | Culture, climate, cuts and communication
June 2024
We have been working across the four nations of the UK to raise awareness about the vital role museums play in their communities and to call for new public investment in museums.
Meeting with the minister for culture in Scotland
In March, we met with the minister for culture in Scotland, Kaukab Stewart, to update her on the socially impactful work that our members in Scotland are doing and to discuss the challenges facing local museums.
Raising awareness of the role of museums in climate adaptation
In April, we submitted a joint response with Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) to the Scottish Government’s National Adaptation Plan 2024-2029.
Discussing plans for the museum policy refresh in Northern Ireland
In April, we met with Ian Greenway, the new director for communities in Northern Ireland, and discussed plans to refresh the museums policy to reflect the modern museum. At our Members Together: Northern Ireland meeting in Belfast on 6 June, John Ball and Simon Morton from the Culture Policy Branch in the Department for Communities ran a session to introduce themselves and to listen to members’ views on the policy development.
Communicating the value of museums at Westminster
On 7 May we attended an event in Westminster organised by the National Museums Directors’ Council to celebrate the impact of museums and highlight the serious challenges they are facing. The event brought together museum leaders from civic museums across the UK with MPs and Lords.
Advocating against Scottish Funding Council cuts to Scotland’s university museums
Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has proposed a 26% cut to Scotland’s university museums, so we have sent a joint letter with MGS to SFC to express our concern over the scale of these cuts and to urge them to reconsider.
Writing to the cabinet secretary for culture in Scotland
In May, a reshuffle meant that Kaukab Stewart’s portfolio moved from culture to equalities. We wrote to her to congratulate her on her appointment as equalities minister and to express our desire to keep working with her in her new role. We also wrote to the cabinet secretary for culture, Angus Robertson, to congratulate him on his re-appointment and to request a meeting.
Responding to priorities for culture in Wales
The MA will be responding to a Welsh Government consultation that seeks views on priorities for culture. In our response, we will highlight how the museum sector is delivering against these priorities.
Supporting you to advocate in the run up to the general election
It has been announced that the general election will take place on 4 July. We are continuing to raise the profile of museums and communicating how they contribute to the delivery of policy priorities.
In the run up to the general election, we are encouraging all our members to contact their local candidates to ask them what commitments they are making to museums.