The predicament facing public museums and galleries as a
result of government cuts is rousing angry feelings, aimed at local MPs and the
ConDem coalition alike.
Local museums especially have become “easy targets” says
Mark Taylor, Museums Association director. A report
for the MA, based on responses from 114 museums across the UK , found that 22% had reduced
public access and 49% increased prices for school visits.
Many outreach programmes are grinding to a halt. At least 10
smaller museums have already shut down around the country. This year alone has
seen the closure of the Malton Museum in Ryedale, the Museum of Nottingham Life Tolsen Museum
in West Yorkshire will be closed for several
days a week.
The political class is not much bothered by the destruction
of cultural life at local level. For example, Withington LibDem MP John Leech
says that Manchester ’s
famous art gallery should sell off some of its 12,500 “hidden gems” to offset
the impact of cuts
In fact it would be illegal for the council to do this, but
the strength of feeling over the issue is emblematic of the predicament faced
by museums and galleries around the country. Enraged local people responded in
kind on the Manchester Evening News
website
“The Dodger, Yorks Manc” poked fun at Leech as “a man who
knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. How much does he want
for his Granny?”
Ray Media opined: “I wholeheartedly agree [with selling
artworks].... I’m sure the city philanthropists who funded the collection would
have wanted these works to be sold off so the council could squander the
proceeds...”
Rob lee responded to “gangledorn of Bolton ’s
suggestion that “they will probably only be brought [sic] by the police....”,
writing:
“Yes, Greater
Manchester Police are movers and shakers in the art market of course. They
spent £100k on an art work for their new £64 mil headquarters in Newton Heath.
£65k on a mural to hang in the staff entrance. It’s tough when your budgets are
cut, but you have to get your priorities right. A few could be hung in the
£1.2mil plus dog kennels that are being created for the 8 Border Force sniffer
dogs at Manchester
Airport
Probably the only positive thing that happened under New
Labour’s rule was the abolition of museum charges in government-sponsored
museums in January 2001. In pure numbers the success was astounding: visitor
numbers shot up from seven to almost 18 million in ten years. Heritage Lottery
Fund (aka public money) spending saw a golden era of arts venue building in
culturally-deprived parts of the country such as Newcastle
and Middlesbrough .
While admission charges for standing collections were
abolished, arts institutions made up their loss of revenue in other ways.
Special exhibitions are never free. Standard ticket prices for the Tate
Modern’s Damien Hirst and the British
Museum
The top venues claw back money by staging high profile
blockbusters, but this is difficult if not impossible for more modest regional
venues. That’s why the cuts aimed at smaller museums and galleries are proving
so devastating.
But fear not, there is money out there for art and culture.
When it comes to making a macho, business statement, like Anish Kapoor’s ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower London
taxpayers have coughed up £3 million of the £22.7 million cost. And if you want
to go up in the tower, that’ll be another £15 a head.
Corinna Lotz
A World to Win secretary
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