The Museums Association’s president Vanessa Trevelyan has told culture minister Ed Vaizey that he was wrong and that cuts are affecting front-line services, resulting in reduced opening hours and in some cases closures.
Ed Vaizey has previously stated his belief that the cuts could be balanced by making back-room efficiency savings, leaving frontline services relatively untouched.
However, speaking at the Museums Association's Annual Conference and Exhibition 2011 in Brighton, Trevelyan said that he needs to “get out more” and see for his own eyes the effects of the cuts.
She said: “Minister, I am afraid you really do need to get out more and talk to the people trying to deliver museum services with diminishing budgets.
“To suggest that cuts of anything from 15-30 per cent can be borne without debilitating cuts in our public services is naïve at best and disingenuous at worst.
“We are prepared to do our best to keep as much going as possible, but let’s not pretend our front-line services will carry on as before.
“We all need to accept things are changing - from the minister to our funding authorities to our front-line staff.
“This is reality and we need to sit down and discuss sensibly what the future will look like. Please minister, participate in this debate and do not treat us like children.”
Her comments are backed up by the association’s recent survey, The impact of cuts on UK museums. The survey revealed that one in five museums have had their funding cut by 25 per cent, of these museums over 60 per cent of them have cut back their public events, 50 per cent have reduced opening hours and 85 per cent have cut staff.
Ed Vaizey was given the opportunity to respond to Trevelyan and these figures in his own speech at the conference, during which he said: “I am positive but I am not complacent.
“The MA cuts survey demonstrates where the impact [of cuts] is being felt and that’s staffing levels, opening hours and events. These are enormous challenges that are not easily overcome.”
If you would like to comment on this story, please email editorial@mandh-online.com and we will publish your thoughts and opinions.
Related Content:
One in five museums hit by 25% cut, critical survey finds
A new survey has revealed the “devastating” effects of the public sector cuts on museums. Although many national museums have had a uniform cut of 15 per cent, some local authority and independent venues have had to battle on with cuts of 25 per cent, resulting in job losses, reduced opening hours and fewer public events.
