Museums Update
November 2013
Mary Godwin, Relationship Manager Museums
mary.godwin@artscouncil.org.uk Tel: 01392 229277
Mobile: 07712 854914
Our New ‘Green’ Booklet
We have now merged our pink and blue booklets which previously separately set out our vision
and goals for the Arts and Museums/Libraries respectively. It is now a unified ‘green’ booklet
entitled ‘Great Art and Culture for Everyone’. This sets out the 10-year vision for the Arts Council,
which will be delivered via our five goals.
1. Excellence is thriving and celebrated in the Arts, Museums and Libraries
2. Everyone has the opportunity to experience and be inspired by the Arts, Museums and
Libraries
3. The Arts, Museums and Libraries are resilient and environmentally sustainable
4. The leadership and workforce in the Arts, Museums and Libraries are diverse an
appropriately skilled
5. Every child and young person has the opportunity to experience the richness of the Arts,
Museums and Libraries
Our funding programmes link directly to addressing these goals so it’s definitely worth a read if
you’re planning to apply to us for funds. I’m afraid that I don’t currently have access to a supply of
printed copies of the booklet but I will let MDOs know if I am able to get hold of any!
In the meantime, you can download the green booklet and read more about our mission and goals
at this link: www.artscouncil.org.uk/wha-we-do/mission/
Next Round of ACE funding for Museums
The next round of ACE funding for museums which will run from April 2015 is starting to take
shape. Once again, it will be grouped into 4 main areas: Major Partner Museums, Strategic Funds,
Museum Development and National Programmes (e.g. Accreditation, Designation, Museums at
Night). The specific criteria and guidance for each of these areas will be developed to make the
most of the funding.
The next round of our Major Partner Museum (MPM) funding will open in January 2014 at the
same time as our major Arts funding programme; National Portfolio Organisations (NPO). The
next round of applications for Museum Development is planned to open in April and the next round
of our strategic funds for museums is planned for the autumn.
Information on all our current funding can be found at http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/applyfor-funding/
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Topical Debate: Funding Crisis?
On 12 November, the Arts Council’s Chair Sir Peter Bazalgette took part in a debate at the
Museums Association Conference 2013. Speaking alongside David Fleming, Director of National
Museums Liverpool, both responded (from rather different standpoints!) to the theme Crisis? What
crisis? In his speech, Peter (aka ‘Baz’) talked about investment in museums and the potential to
increase earned and philanthropic income. Amongst other examples, he praised the
redevelopment of the Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum, now renamed the Wilson, benefitting
from £6 million of public investment and philanthropic funds.
Connected to this, and a hot topic of debate in its own right at the Conference was the question of
fairness in the distribution of public investment in the Arts/Museums within and outside London.
This was generated by the recently published independent report entitled Rebalancing our Cultural
Capital by Peter Stark, Christopher Gordon and David Powell (see www.theroccreport.co.uk).
Here are some of the figures quoted in this discussion:
 Local Government is still by far the biggest single funder of arts and culture in England,
injecting around £720million annually
 Approximately £450million of funding to national museums, galleries and libraries is directly
funded by Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
 In 2012/13, around £440 million was distributed by the Arts Council from general taxation,
(Grant in Aid) from DCMS and the Department for Education, with £162 million going to
London.
 A further £317 million was also distributed by the Arts Council using proceeds from the
National Lottery.
There was also a heated debate on the theme of what the National Museums (i.e. those funded
directly by DCMS which fall outside the jurisdiction of ACE) should be doing for the wider sector!
Designation
The latest round of the Designation Development Fund, which supports museums with Designated
collections, has recently closed and the applications are now being assessed. The refreshed
Designation scheme is due to reopen to new applicants in Spring 2014.
Diversity and Accessibility
My Arts Council colleagues recently alerted me to an approach to working with special audiences
that’s used in the theatre, and it struck me that it might be something that might inspire museums.
Some theatres offer what are known as ‘relaxed performances’ which provide an informal
environment that could benefit people who may make involuntary noise, are likely to talk or move
around or who get disturbed by sudden loud noises. Relaxed Performances are often described as
‘the opposite of the quiet carriage on a train’ and are especially suited to people with an Autistic
Spectrum Condition, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, sensory or communication disorder,
or a learning disability. This environment lets everyone have an enjoyable experience without fear
that other audience members will complain and make the experience potentially awkward and
stressful. I would be very interested to hear if any museums offer special events, visits etc for
people who might need this kind of VIP treatment!
I also recently had the pleasure of meeting Pat Chesterton from Combe Martin Museum in North
Devon who told me that their museum is Makaton-Friendly!
Find out more at www.combe-martin-museum.co.uk and www.makaton.org
16/2/16
Tell us about your Major Events and Successes
There are many exciting things happening in South West museums and I would like to share these
with my colleagues at ACE as widely as possible. We may also be able to feature some stories on
our website or in our newsletter, providing significant regional and/or national publicity. But we
can’t help to spread the word if you don’t tell us about them! So please, if you know about a
significant event, initiative, project or story, please let me know and I will pass on the information to
my colleagues and our communications team.
And while we’re on the subject of success. . . . Gold for Tiverton
Congratulations to Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life which has won the Gold Award for the Visit
Devon Tourism Awards 2013! Andrea Rowe, Chairman of Trustees of the museum commented
‘Tiverton is not an obvious tourist destination amongst the riches of Devon as a whole. We have
always to work harder to get ourselves noticed.’ Winners all went through a three-stage judging
process, including assessment of their websites and entry forms, mystery visits and a final
independent judging panel which was chaired by David Fursdon, former High Sherriff of Devon,
who said: “Running a tourism business at a time of austerity is never easy but to do so with the
style and expertise shown by our award winners demands a special skill and I am delighted to see
them publicly recognised in this way.”
MG Nov 2013
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