While I understand the enthusiastic response of the major museums and
galleries in the UK to being able to offer free entry to visitors, spare
a thought for the smaller regional museums. I very clearly recall
enjoying The Science Museum but also enjoyed the wonderful museum just
15 minutes up the road at St Albans. This brilliant interpretation of
Roman occupation will be forever under threat while its illustrious
neighbours gobble up the taxpayer support.

Peter Millward
Manager, Education & Visitor Services
Melbourne Museum  [MUSEUM VICTORIA]
ph 61 3 9651 8162
fx   61 3 9651 6378
email   [log in to unmask]

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> From:         Museum Security Network[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Reply To:     Museum discussion list
> Sent:         Saturday, 25 July 1998 8:36 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Free entry to major museums and galleries is guaranteed
>
> 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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