Wales’ cherished National Museum, which has seven sites around the nation, stands as a testament to the country’s rich cultural heritage. However, the imposing Victorian stone structure housing priceless artworks (including masterpieces by Monet and Cezanne), now faces a threat of closure due to its deteriorating condition. This is due to the significant reduction of funding from the Welsh government.
Museum Wales’ Chief Executive Jane Richardson has gone on record saying that the museum’s £4.5m budget reduction has been difficult to deal with. Museum Wales' grant was reduced by £3 million and had to address a total deficit of £4.5m by the end of March due to a year-on-year deficit of £1.5m.
She said: ‘If we were to get further cuts on that scale, I would need to be very honest with government and with all our stakeholders that we could not continue to run as the size of museum we are now.’
Ms Richardson also said that the museum might start charging for tours and exhibitions and in winter close early. She said they discovered the extent of the cuts during Christmas, and it was challenging to make amends in such a short period.
With 90 percent of the costs being for staff, Ms Richardson said the museum might be looking at reducing 90 job positions, but there still needs to be a confirmed total figure. There is no exact figure for the number of jobs at the organisation. However, the museum website mentions that it has over 600 staff and about 1.8 million visitors annually.
Ms Richardson said the building of the National Museum Cardiff needs urgent work due to faults such as water leaks and failing electrics. ‘Unless we're able to secure more funding for that building that will have to close.’
Did you see that Wales' free national museums could soon start charging entry fees?
Plus: Wales gets a luxurious spa resort
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.