I'm not so sure Bradford (National Media Museum) would face the chop.
Someone on Twitter said "they'll probably just absorb Bradford into London and use the new Virgin Media Gallery." The National Media Museum is HUGE, they'd have to build a new wing of the Science Museum to house it, not squeeze it into a single gallery space.
Of all the SMG museums it's arguably the most cutting edge -- new media?
The Museum has the only IMAX cinema in the region, which I'm guessing is a good income stream.
Also, you're missing the major point here -- Bradford and York shouldn't been seen as "provincial" museums, they're already national museums? Manchester should be but isn't...
</case for Bradford>
Wynn
-----Original Message-----
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dominic McDonald
Sent: 06 June 2013 09:54
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Reports that Manchester Museum of Science and Industry under threat of closure
Lyndsey's right, I think. This feels like SMG holding a gun to MOSI's head and saying "don't make me pull the trigger...".
BUT...
my understanding is that they are willing to pull the trigger if it comes to it. It does seem odd that MOSI is the one who's being publicly threatened, rather than York or Bradford (or Shildon or Wroughton). That's one of the reasons that it feels like they might be getting their retaliation in first in advance of the spending review. Having said which, the thing I don't know is the deficit that each site is running: it may be that MOSI is a much bigger drain on SMG's resources than the others. But my guess is that - all things being equal - if any of the "provincial" museums are going to get taken outside and shot, then it will be Bradford... even though they do lovely work, I think that politically they are the most expendable. Discuss.
Let's all move to Norway: they've got loads of money up there..
Dom
Dom McDonald
Head of Public Engagement
Science Oxford
1-5 London Place
Oxford OX4 1BD
Tel 01865 810000
DD 01865 810021
www.scienceoxford.com
-----Original Message-----
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lyndsey Clark
Sent: 06 June 2013 09:29
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Reports that Manchester Museum of Science and Industry under threat of closure
I'm afraid that for those of us working in museums this rehetoric is no surprise whatsoever. It's nothing to do with the 'north/south' divide.. (MOSI is not a 'national' which has a specific meaning in museums and NMSI - now SMG - took it over when DCMS abandoned it to local government because of that).
I see this as round one of the propaganda campaign between SMG and the govt. - SMG are pointing out that having taken 25% cuts already and made 89 redundancies, if they are cut a further 10% then they WILL have to take DRASTIC ACTION.
They have got in there first with this point... and the Manchester Evening News have nicely picked up the story and created a petition to show how much support there is for that museum.
This will be what the SMG want. They don't want to shut anything... they want less of their funding cut....
The government are still trying to pretend that the cuts in cultural funding are all eliminating 'inefficiency' and those pesky 'backroom staff' who clearly do nothing useful (!?!?).... That is not true, and it's about time more museums stood up and pointed out that they are facing death by a thousand cuts and it cannot continue to have minimal effect on the really big things the public see (like how many museums are open).
Lyndsey Clark
Interpretation - Exhibitions - Engagement Projects
e: [log in to unmask]
web: http://ltclarkuk.wordpress.com
twitter: @ltclarkuk
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