Money’s been tight recently. And it’s not just us normal people who don't have any to spare, loads of museums across Scotland, as a new report from Museum Galleries Scotland (MGS) has revealed, are at risk of closure by the end of the year.
According to the research, fewer visitors, rising costs and government cuts have put dozens of museums in an ‘extremely precarious’ position. MGS has asked the Scottish government to commit to a £100m increase in funding, stating that the current amount received is ‘inadequate to meet the urgent needs and ambitions of 98 per cent of the sector.’
It isn’t big places you might have heard of that are feeling this pressure the most but instead smaller, non-government owned spaces that are likely more specific to local areas or industries. These are often central to preserving and celebrating local history and culture, but many of them are struggling to keep the lights on or pay their staff the real living wage, which, in turn, can be an issue when applying for government grants. It’s a sort of monetary catch 22 – they can’t afford to pay higher wages due to a lack of funds, and can’t apply for funds until they begin to pay more. Lose-lose.
Pretty much the only thing that can save these smaller venues is a cash injection into the arts sector, argues MGS. The organisation calls on the government to prioritise culture, saying: ‘There is an urgent need to invest in museums and galleries to avoid further closures, depletion of the workforce, and loss of community enriching programming.’
The Scottish Government has admitted that it is in a tough spot at the moment, and, essentially, that there isn’t enough money to go around. The gov is yet to directly respond to the findings, but it has previously expressed a desire to increase spending in the arts, so maybe once the economy evens itself out a little bit we might see some more money flowing into niche museums.
Only time will tell if these museums make it to 2025, but we’re definitely rooting for them. If you are too, check out your town’s smallest gallery this weekend. You’ve got nothing to lose, and they've got everything to gain.
Museum mad
Visit 'em while you still can. We’ve got rankings of all of our favourite museums in the UK, as well as the best immersive museums, and some pretty spectacular sculpture parks across the country.
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