For Immediate Release
Contact: Emma Wright
020 7273 1459
GOVERNMENT TASK FORCE POINTS THE WAY TO
THE TRANSFORMATION OF REGIONAL MUSEUMS
London, 23 October 2001 -- One of this country's greatest cultural
assets - England's regional museums and galleries - will be transformed
in a five year campaign, if a report published today by the Regional
Museums Task Force receives government support.
The report, Renaissance in the Regions: A New Vision for England's
Museums recommends that the government invests up to £267.2 million over
5 years to revitalise England's regional museums. The proposal is to
create a centre of excellence or 'hub' in each of the nine English
regions. These 'hubs' would consist of a leading museum and up to three
partner museums or 'satellites' which would work together to provide
leadership and set new standards in the museum sector. The new money is
intended to be additional to present local authority and other funding,
and will be used to raise core staffing levels by 25%, create new
access, outreach and education programmes, finance new exhibition
initiatives, and develop new information technology resources. The
report forecasts that visits to leading regional museums could double,
reaching 100,000 visits per year each.
Lord Evans, Chairman of Resource said: "This is a fantastic opportunity
for regional museums to tackle the long-term problems that we all
recognise. Museums are powerhouses of imagination, memory and
creativity, but, as our report says, it is difficult to be resourceful
without resources."
The Regional Museum Task Force was set up in December 2000 by Chris
Smith, the then Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, to
develop a national strategic framework for regional museums and
galleries in England.
Members of the Task Force are: Matthew Evans (Chairman), Deborah Boden,
(Deputy Director, Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery), Stuart Davies
(Project Leader), David Fleming (Director, National Museums and
Galleries on Merseyside), Jane Glaister (Arts, Heritage and Leisure
Director, City of Bradford Metropolitan Council), Karen Knight
(Director, Communications and Standards, Resource), Neil MacGregor
(Director, National Gallery), Nicholas Serota (Director, Tate) and
Robert Sheldon.
The report is dedicated to the memory of Sir Richard Foster, whose
pioneering work in Liverpool at the National Museums and Galleries on
Merseyside did so much to inspire it.
The report is available free of charge from Resource Publications, 16
Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AA. Tel: 020 7273 1444 or email
[log in to unmask] The report is also available on the
Resource website at http://www.resource.gov.uk.
Date: 23 October 2001
Press Enquiries:
Erica Bolton Bolton & Quinn Ltd 020 7221
5000 (5 lines)
Emma Wright Resource 020 7273
1459
33/01
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
Renaissance in the Regions: A New Vision for England's Regional Museums
Brief Summary
Background
During 2000 concerns were expressed in the press and by leading figures
in the art world about the state of major regional museums and
galleries. At a seminar organised by the Royal Academy of Arts in
December 2000, Chris Smith, then Secretary of State for Culture, Media
and Sport, announced the formation of a Task Force to report to
government on how the problems that had been identified might best be
tackled.
Members of the Task Force
Deborah Boden, Deputy Director, Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery
Stuart Davies, Project Leader
Matthew Evans, Chairman
David Fleming, Director, National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside
Jane Glaister, Arts, Heritage and Leisure Director, City of Bradford
Metropolitan Council
Karen Knight, Director, Communications and Standards, Resource
Neil MacGregor, Director, National Gallery
Nicholas Serota, Director,Tate
Robert Sheldon
Consultation
Nearly 400 people from museums and galleries and other organisations
contributed their views and expertise to the report, making it one of
the most comprehensive consultations of museum and gallery personnel
ever undertaken in the United Kingdom. Nine working parties were set up
to examine particular issues. The working party papers are available on
the Resource website at http://www.resource.gov.uk.
Key facts about museums
Resource's registration system recognises 1,860 institutions. These
range widely from the biggest national museums to one room institutions.
They may be funded by central or local government, by universities, or
through admission charges and commercial operations. Museums are among
the UK's most popular attractions. Over 77 million visits are made to
them each year - more than to any other category of visitor attraction.
Within the UK population a third of adults have visited a museum in the
past year.
Importance of regional museums
The report stresses the importance of regional museums as champions of
learning and education, as promoters of access and inclusion, motors of
economic regeneration and encouragers of inspiration and creativity.
However, in spite of the existence in the regions of collections of
national importance, of many examples of good work, and of capital
improvements through Lottery grants, the report found that there were
inconsistencies and missed opportunities throughout the regions as a
result of the fragmented nature of the sector, and because of financial
pressures leading to low morale, staff shortages, a decline in
scholarship, and weak leadership.
Proposed new framework
The report proposes that a number of significant regional museums should
be identified to act as 'hubs', centres of excellence that would act as
leaders in their region and raise standards through co-operation and
example. The hubs would consist of one museum and gallery service and no
more than three satellite partners. They would be primarily based in
major cities, but not exclusively so. The hubs would build partnerships
with regional agencies, designated and university museums, national
museums and galleries, and smaller museums. The new framework would be
set up by Resource, which would be the conduit for substantially
increased funding from central government to the selected institutions.
The new hubs, one in each of the nine English regions, would be able to
invest in new appointments, new facilities for education, access and
inclusion, improved displays and marketing, and share these benefits
with other museums in the region. New forms of governance would be
introduced in the selected institutions. Area Museum Councils would have
a strategic role, including working with libraries and archives, but
would not be responsible for service delivery.
Next steps
The process would be initiated by inviting bids for the role of regional
hub. The selected institutions would receive additional funding from
2004/5, for an initial three years. These funds would be distributed by
Resource, which would receive an uplift from government in that year.
The overall cost of creating the new framework between 2002/3 and 2006/7
would be £267.2m.
Selecting regional hubs
Regional hubs would be selected on the following criteria:
* status (including registered status and having designated
collections)
* location (factors for consideration are geographic proximity to
other registered museums in the area, recognition as an administrative
centre, population catchment and social deprivation indices)
* infrastructure (the experience and professional qualifications
of staff, the size and width of collections, and physical capacity)
* capacity and commitment (i.e. the governing bodies' commitment
to core funding, numbers of visitors, evidence of investment in staff
development and training and ability to manage external partnerships)
* endorsement and recognition of services (recognition of
standards of good practice)
Summary of key recommendations
* Establish a new framework for regional museums funded jointly by
government, local authorities and other current governing bodies,
Lottery distribution boards and the for-profit sector. This framework to
contribute to the government's regional agenda.
* Resource to use its 2003/4 and 2004/5 financial allocations to
give annual support to the major regional museums and galleries that
will form the hubs of the new framework.
* Government to increase its funding to Resource from 2004/5 to
enable it to extend its funding to the selected regional hubs
* The new funding partnerships between government and the existing
funders should lead to the creation of new governance arrangements for
the major regional museums and galleries.
* Increased funding to be accompanied by clear targets specified
by funding agreements.
* The longer-term core funding arrangements to be preceded by
measures to consolidate and transform regional museums and galleries for
their new role
* The Department for Culture, Media and Sport to implement the new
policy in co-operation with the Department for Education and Skills, the
Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, the Local
Government Association, Resource, and other key stakeholders
* The museums and galleries community to address the issues of
rationalisation highlighted in the report and in co-operation with
Resource produce a national strategy for the regional museums sector
* Government to direct Resource to consider the scope for and cost
of developing a national advisory service for technical and professional
issues associated with the management of collections.
* Government to direct Resource to hold detailed discussions
within its sector and to bring forward a timetable and business plan for
implementation of these recommendations.
Costings
Year Amount
2002/3 10 m
2003/4 20 m
2004/5 71.3 m
2005/6 78.4 m
2006/7 87.5 m
Total £267.2 m
-ends-
Emma Wright
Media and Events Manager
Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries
16 Queen Anne's Gate
London SW1H 9AA
Direct line 020 7273 1459
Switchboard 020 7273 1444
Email: [log in to unmask]
Website: www.resource.gov.uk
Join the Resourcenews email list at
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/resourcenews.html
Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries
16 Queen Anne's Gate
London
SW1H 9AA
Tel 02072731444
Website: http://www.resource.gov.uk
Justin J Frost
Archives Policy Adviser,
Resource
16, Queen Anne's Gate,
London, SW1H 9AA
020 7273 1477
|
