UK regional museums
December 20 2015
Picture: Museums Association
As discussed here on AHN before, the UK's national museums are faring pretty well these days, despite 'the cuts'. Most of them are better off than ever before, thanks to more energetic tin-shaking and rising visitor numbers.
But the UK's regional museums are in real danger, as local councils seek to reduce funding across the board. I read recently of bad news for Derby museum, which has a pre-eminent collection of paintings by Joseph Wright of Derby; it is facing the loss of its entire council grant in 2018/19. Obviously, this would be disastrous. More here.
Let's hope there's enough of a campaign to force the council to re-think. While it's true that these council cuts are in response to central government reductions to the block grant, part of the wider problem is that councils know they can get away with cutting museum budgets. Museum cuts won't cause nearly as much uproar as closing a school facility, or even a football club. It's up to all of us to try and change that.
