Museums under threat as councils prepare for new wave of austerity

Several museums are under threat of closure as a new wave of austerity hits local government.

Hampshire Cultural Trust, a charity that runs more than 20 cultural venues across Hampshire, confirmed this week that it is planning to close four museums and one arts centre in response to local authority funding challenges.

Hampshire County Council, the trust’s largest funder, is proposing to cut its £2.5m grant by £600,000 per year until 2027.

The trust faces a further £400,000 grant reduction after it agreed to take over the management of Winchester’s Great Hall, in recognition of the commercial opportunities the transfer will bring.

As a result of the cuts, the trust is proposing a phased closure plan of five venues: Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham (to close autumn 2024); Westbury Manor Museum, Fareham (January 2025); Eastleigh Museum (January 2025); Andover Museum and the Museum of the Iron Age (2026); and Curtis Museum, Alton (2026).

The trust will also cease to operate Bursledon Windmill in March this year following the withdrawal of funding by Eastleigh Borough Council.

“Our position is that we do not want to close any of the venues we operate,” said the trust’s chief executive Paul Sapwell.

“But faced with substantially reduced local authority funding, we have had no option but to make some very difficult decisions. We intend to mitigate the full effect of the funding challenge through a wider business plan that includes potentially taking on new, more financially sustainable venues, as well as growing existing areas of our business.

“However, new opportunities and growth cannot fully offset the reduction in council funding currently proposed and some venue closures will therefore also be necessary.”

A public consultation on the council's spending plans is underway until 31 March.

Suffolk

Meanwhile, Suffolk County Council is planning a 100% cut to its spending on culture this year. Tasked with finding savings of £64.7m over two years, the council announced last week that it will cease core funding of £500,000 to the arts and museum sector from April 2025.

The council provides direct funding to three museums across Suffolk: the Long Shop Museum in Leiston, Gainsborough’s House in Sudbury and the Food Museum in Stowmarket. The Long Shop confirmed to the Art Newspaper that the council grant accounts for 10% of its funding.

The council will make £528,000 of Covid recovery money available to the affected organisations for 2024/25 to assist with the transition to zero funding.

The proposed cuts, which will also affect theatres and arts centres, have been heavily criticised, with star Judi Dench describing the decision as “heart-breaking”.

In response, Suffolk councillor Richard Rout defended the budget plans, saying the cuts were necessary due to the financial challenges facing public services. “We make no apology for prioritising the protection of adults and children,” he said.

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough Council in North Yorkshire is proposing to withdraw from the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum and concentrate the town’s museum offer in the Dorman Museum.

The council says this would entail “investing in the offer at the Dorman Museum, expanding the range of exhibitions, and improving the visitor experience”. Under the plans, the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum would either be operated by another organisation or closed.

Nottingham

In Nottingham, where the city council recently declared a section 114 notice, residents are being invited to respond to a consultation on proposed budget cuts, including a 100% reduction in the council’s contributions to the culture sector. The cut would impact institutions such as New Art Exchange and Nottingham Contemporary.

The council’s museum service is already under review and it is not yet clear how it will be affected by the budget plans.

The consultation closes on 16 January.

The Local Government Association says councils in England are "firmly in the eye of an inflationary storm” and face a funding gap of £4bn over the next two years.

In its recently published Museum Manifesto, the Museums Association (MA) has called for new public investment in museums across the UK.

MA director Sharon Heal said: “We know that local authorities are under enormous pressure to provide statutory services, despite sustained cuts to their budgets, which often means that museums lose out. We are calling for a fair and long-term funding settlement for local government to enable local authorities to support and invest in their museums.”