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GENERAL FAQS ABOUT MUSEUMS

Does The Art Fund campaign to safeguard local museum services?

The Art Fund is concerned that local authority-owned museums across the UK are facing difficulties – and in some cases, total closure – because of council budget cuts. It seems that heritage services, including museums and galleries, are often first in the firing line when savings are to be made.

The Art Fund unfortunately cannot campaign to save every museum faced with closure but steps in where possible if we believe access to or care of the collection is under threat.

We are currently working with a number of local museums to help safeguard future access to their collections. We have been instrumental in helping to save a number of museums from the threat of closure over the years, including Hatton Gallery in Newcastle, Pickford’s House Museum in Derby and Fleetwood Museum, Lancashire.

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My local museum is closing. What can I do?

If you are unhappy that a local museum is to close, there are several things you can do.

Visit the museum: Firstly, visit the museum and talk to staff or other visitors to learn more about the plans and to see how, if needed, you might be able to help. There may already be a local group campaigning to save the museum that you can get involved with.

Write to your council or MP: If the museum is owned by a local authority, you can write to the Leader of the Council to voice your concerns. Details of how to contact your council can usually be found in your local library, newspaper or on the council’s website.

You can also contact your local MP – find out who your local MP is here. The best way to is usually by letter or email, but you can also go along to one of their regular surgeries. Again, details of when and where surgeries are held can be found in your local library, newspaper or on the MP’s website.

Get in touch with the Art Fund: Contact Us at The Art Fund and let us know if you are concerned about your local museum. While The Art Fund cannot campaign to save every museum from closure, we may be able to offer assistance or advice.

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My local museum is planning to sell a work of art from its collection. Is it allowed to do this?  

Museums may undertake responsible disposal as part of their long-term collections policy. The Museums Association has published a Code of Ethics (PDF) for museums, which states that wherever possible, museums should retain objects in the public domain, and should give priority to transferring objects to another museum.
 
Museums should not dispose principally for financial reasons, and sales are only allowed in exceptional circumstances, where it will significantly improve the long-term public benefit derived from the remaining collection, after extensive consultation with the sector and as a last resort after all other sources of funding have been explored. Any money raised from a sale must be ring-fenced solely and directly for the benefit of the museum's collection.

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How can I support a campaign to save a work of art?

You can join The Art Fund! The Art Fund exists to make great art available for everyone to enjoy. With the help of our members, over the years we have campaigned to save countless art treasures for UK public collections, from Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus for the National Gallery in 1906, to the Macclesfield Psalter for the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, in 2005.

If The Art Fund is campaigning or planning to campaign to save a particular work of art we always let our members know – through our website, our magazine Art Quarterly, our e-newsletters and often through local events.

If you are concerned about a work of art or another issue in your local museum, please contact us.

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GENERAL FAQS ABOUT MUSEUMS

What is a museum?

Museums are institutions that hold collections a definition that includes art galleries with collections of works of art, as well as museums such as the British Museum, with historical collections of objects.

The Museums Association, the trade body for the sector, agreed a definition in September 1998: 'Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society.'

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How many museums are there in the UK?

There is no complete listing of the number of museums in the UK but it is estimated that there are approximately 2,500.

Around 1,800 museums are accredited by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). Registration under the MLA Accreditation Scheme signifies that a museum has achieved nationally approved standards in museum management, collection care and the information and services they offer to visitors. It shows that the museum is a suitable home for collections that are part of our common heritage. It also means that the museum can apply for and receive support from a wide range of sources, including The Art Fund.

There are several different ‘types’ of museum, depending on how they are owned, managed and funded. Of the 1,800 or so accredited museums:

  • over 700 are Independent Museums (owned by Registered Charities and a rare few other independent bodies)
  • around 650 are Local Authority Museums (owned by Town, Parish, Borough, City, or County Councils and other local authority bodies)
  • 155 are owned by the National Trust (Properties of the National Trust or the National Trust for Scotland)
  • 91 are University Museums (owned by Universities); and
  • 54 are National Museums (established or funded by Central Government)

The remaining museums are a mix of English Heritage properties and museums associated with the armed services.

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How many museums are there in my region?

The approximately 1,800 museums in the UK are spread as follows:

East Midlands

96

East of England

163

London

137

North West

223

Northern Ireland

37

Scotland

265

South East

257

South West

227

Wales

80

West Midlands

141

Yorkshire

164

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How many people work in museums in the UK?

The number of paid workers in UK museums is estimated at around 40,000, although figures vary considerably according to the source.

In 1999 the Labour Force Survey reported 37,075 employed workers in Britain's museums, although this figure is likely to cover all jobs in museums, and not just those that are museum-specific (so it includes IT specialists as well as conservators and curators). Thus the number of full-time permanent museum-specific positions may be closer to 10,000-15,000.

The sector also has a large representation of volunteers as part of its workforce, and an estimated 20 per cent of museums do not employ paid staff at all.