Free entry to major museums and galleries is guaranteed
By Jon Hibbs, Political Correspondent (Daily Telegraph)
FREE entry to Britain's national museums and galleries by 2001 was
guaranteed yesterday under the UKP:290 million three-year investment
in the arts planned by the Government.
Charges for children will be abolished next year and for pensioners by
the turn of the century in a drive to increase visitors from all walks
of life to the 21 national collections. Chris Smith, the Culture
Secretary, hailed a "new start" and a "new contract" for the country's
cultural sector as he unveiled details of how the extra cash,
allocated in the comprehensive spending review, will be shared.
He said: "This represents an exciting new beginning for the arts and
cultural life in this country. It will give hundreds of thousands more
people the chance to enjoy the best of artistic activity to learn
about our culture and to visit the great collections of our nation.
"It will give a real boost to organisations that are doing excellent
work but have been struggling over the last few years."
The announcement was warmly welcomed throughout the arts world as it
ends years of frozen funding. But in return for more money, the
Government will expect radical reforms. Future grants will be strictly
tied to cuts in bureaucracy and improvements in public access, and a
new, independent watchdog will ensure that the investment is used
wisely.
The Arts Council will be effectively abolished and replaced by a new
organisation charged not only with providing policy advice to the
Government and distributing funding for both arts and crafts, but also
with bringing in more money from the private sector.
The Sports Council will also be revamped with extra cash, and a new
Film Council will be established with powers to allocate lottery
funding. This will replace the division of responsibility between the
Arts Council, the British Film Institute, British Screen and the
British Film Commission.
The multitude of separate regional bodies covering the arts, museums,
libraries, tourism and sport will be amalgamated into powerful new
cross-cultural forums based on the model of the proposed Regional
Development Agencies.
The Conservatives denounced the shake-up as "meddlesome and
disruptive" and warned that instead of devolving funding decisions to
local levels it would increase ministerial control. Peter Ainsworth,
the shadow culture spokesman, said: "These plans represent a massive
extension of state interference in areas that have historically
enjoyed a degree of independence."
Nevertheless, museums and galleries were delighted with the extra
UKP:100 million which should enable their trustees to phase in
universal free access to the national collections over the next three
years. David Barrie, director of the National Art Collections Fund,
which has campaigned for free admission, hailed "a very exciting
prospect". Neil MacGregor, director of the National Gallery, said:
"It is a Millennium promise which has delighted us all."
Charges have been introduced at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the
Science Museum, the National History Museum, the Imperial War Museum,
the National Museum of Scotland and the national collections on
Merseyside. Yet the announcement also lifts the threat that had been
hanging over institutions that are currently free, including the
British Museum, the National Gallery and the Tate.
The new money includes UKP:15 million earmarked for a challenge fund
to give 43 other designated museums the chance to bid for funds to
improve access to their collections and raise the standard of care.
However, the Museum and Galleries Commission - which now faces being
merged with the Library and Information Commission - warned that the
settlement did little to relieve the financial difficulties facing
hundreds of other independent museums and those run by local
authorities, the universities and the Armed Services.
The arts in general will get an extra UKP:125 million to allow
organisations with cash problems to get on an even keel and plan for
the future. This will be subject to the introduction of clear targets
for developing new audiences, such as doubling the number of
educational sessions.
Gerry Robinson, chairman of the Arts Council, said the increased
funding was "marvellous news" for artists and audiences and offered
the cultural world a unique opportunity. But his organisation came in
for stiff criticism in the consultation papers. It was "too
bureaucratic," had "failed to take the difficult decisions", "lacked
strategic direction" and "viewed its relationship with Government as
adversarial".
Mr Smith pledged that the arts, sport, heritage and charities would
continue to receive a guaranteed share of lottery cash after 2001
worth up to UKP:250 million each a year.
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