Museums and Galleries

Museums and Galleries in Britain Economic, social and creative impacts Tony Travers, London School of Economics December 2006 Participating Institutions The institutions considered in this study include the larger museums and galleries funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, a number of equivalent institutions in Scotland and Wales and a group of larger regional museums. The participants include members of the National Museum Directors’ Conference and lead partner museums in the Renaissance in the Regions programme. Their inclusion is determined by such factors as the scale of their budgets and visitor numbers. Availability of data was also a criterion. Between them, these institutions operate 118 venues. A full list of sites can be find on the inside back cover. Full details about the Renaissance in the Regions programme can be found at www.mla.gov.uk More information about NMDC can be found at www.nationalmuseums.org.uk Regional Museums Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Bristol’s Museums, Galleries and Archives Hampshire County Council Museums & Archives Service Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums National Museum Directors’ Conference Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Archives National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science and Industry National Museums Liverpool National Museums Scotland National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Royal Armouries Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Contents 1 Introduction and summary of findings 5 2 Analysing the impacts of museums and galleries 9 3 Major museums and galleries in this study: a statistical analysis 14 4 How museums and galleries deliver wider benefits 49 5 Links between museums and galleries and wider society 70 6 The international context 78 7 Conclusion 85 List of tables and notes on data 4 Full list of venues of the museums and galleries included in this report 90 Cover: Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Right: Tate Britain Sure Start – Casting the nets and fishing, exploring Christopher Wood and Alfred Wallis List of tables Table 1 Total expenditure Table 2 Operating expenditure Table 3 Capital expenditure Table 4 Collections purchase Table 5 Average annual spend on collections purchase by museums and galleries – Britain and overseas (£m) Table 6 Total income Table 7a Grant-in-aid/public funding Table 7b Capital grant-in-aid Table 8 National Lottery funding Table 9 Donations and sponsorship Table 10 Trading income Table 11 Admissions income Table 12 Visitor numbers Table 13 Museum and gallery visit numbers and football club attendances Table 14 Overseas visitors Table 15 Website visits Table 16 Staff, volunteers and friends Table 17 Loans Table 18 Publications Table 19 Visits to major museum and galleries, Britain and overseas Notes on data The statistics published in this report have been collected from a questionnaire of a number of major museums and galleries (both DCMS and local authority funded) in Britain. The ‘population’ of institutions is intended to include most of the country’s leading institutions and museum services and brings together a family of bodies that are not always treated as homogeneous. Data have been collected and then cross-checked with institutions. However, there are always issues of interpretation and definition in an exercise of this kind. Data are collected for different purposes. The threat of double-counting is always present, particularly with potentially overlapping measures such as ‘donations’ and some kinds of ‘grants’. There are also problems associated with ‘net’ and ‘gross’ expenditure or income measures. Thus, the numbers here presented should be seen as a best effort to create a single population of institutions that, collectively, represent about two-thirds of all museum and gallery expenditure/ income in the UK. This sub-sector of the creative industries is one of the world’s largest and deserves attention because of its continuing potential to assist in building Britain’s postindustrial economy. Many countries can build consumer ‘white goods’. But few have the kind of extensive cultural sub-sector shown in the tables in this report. Figures are given, wherever possible, for each of the institutions covered by the survey. A blank space generally indicates a lack of data. In some cases, the institution did not exist in its current form for all years. Sub-totals and totals are shown in italics so as to remind the reader that not all totals are consistent because not all data cells are filled for every year. Nevertheless, the total of each column of data is provided. Future exercises of this kind will need to address the problem that official statistics within the cultural and creative industries remain less well developed than in, say, manufacturing. Only the government can command the authority and consistency necessary to create a fully robust set of statistics about museums, galleries and other cultural institutions. 4 INTRODUCTION AND 1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 6 Introduction and summary This report has been commissioned by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and the National Museums Directors’ Conference (NMDC) to provide an up-to-date analysis of a number of economic and social impacts of many of Britain’s major museums and galleries. There has been a growing recognition in recent years that these institutions play leading roles in encouraging civic development and economic regeneration within society. The Renaissance in the Regions policy, in particular, has made it possible for key regional museums to develop leadership and a voice for the major local government institutions. Recently developed leadership and wider functions are in addition to the traditional ones ascribed to museums and galleries over many years. It is clear, however, that as additional functions and expectations have been required of regional and national museums and galleries, it has not always been possible to provide sufficient additional resources to match new responsibilities. This report examines a number of the wider functions of museums and galleries and the ways these are delivered. The institutions considered in this study include the larger museums and galleries funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), a number of equivalent institutions in Scotland and Wales and a group of larger regional museums. They represent a sub-set of the wider population of British museums and galleries. Their inclusion is determined by such factors as the scale of their budgets and visitor numbers. Availability of data was also a criterion. It is, perhaps inevitably, important to begin with a note of caution. A number of reports have in recent years been devoted to the question of data sources for culture and the arts, and the use to which they are put. There is no, single, consistent data source for British museums and galleries, still less for the wider arts and cultural sector. The reasons for this omission are often considered. Such reasons include the following: (a) the fragmented and disparate nature of such institutions; (b) the relative novelty of considering cultural activity (as opposed to, say, agriculture or manufacturing) as an economic sector in its own right; and (c) the lack of a single statistical institution devoted to the sector in the way that, say, the Higher Education Statistics Agency collects numbers about universities. The MLA has been the institution that has, more than any other, sought to bring consistency and rationality to this issue. The numbers used here have been collected in a questionnaire sent out specifically for this exercise. They cover a number of major museums and galleries funded by the DCMS, the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and by local authorities. Between them, they represent a significant proportion of such activity in Britain, though there is no precise definitional ‘edge’ between those in and those outside of the study. A willingness to take part and complete the questionnaire was an important qualification. There are no better or more comprehensive data sets, though there is always a risk of a slight lack of comparability, given the differences between institutions surveyed. There are also minor difficulties associated with changes in definition from year to year. However, the general order of magnitude of the statistics and observations based upon them are robust. Introduction and summary 7 The key findings of this report are as follows: General importance of the sub-sector - Britain’s museum and gallery sub-sector consists of institutions that are among the very best in the world. The agglomeration of institutions, talent and audiences in Britain has parallels in only a few other countries. This concentration provides a major opportunity, deriving from the rapidly changing nature of the British economy. This country, along with other highly developed economies will face continuing demands for economic flexibility and creativity in the years ahead. - Museums and galleries offer a major internationally traded service (by generating exports) while also underpinning the creativity upon which future high value added economic activity is likely to be based. Thus, the sub-sector will help in the development of new services, products and even manufactured goods. States without such collections and centres of knowledge will find life more difficult. Economic impacts - Economic benefits of the sub-sector are estimated to be of the order of £1.5 billion per annum, taking account of turnover and plausible estimates of visitor expenditure. Wider economic impacts would be still greater; - Over 9,000 people are directly employed by major museums and galleries considered by this study; - National and regional institutions are directly contributing to programmes that assist economic development and the strengthening of social capital; Above: National Museums Liverpool – Stories behind the art at the Walker Art Gallery 8 Introduction and summary Right: National Museum of Scotland Creative and cultural impacts - Britain’s major museums and galleries are a key element in the mass communication of culture, creativity and ideas; - There are over 42 million visits each year to major museums and galleries. According to the initial results of the DCMS Taking Part survey, 43 per cent of the population attended a museum or gallery at least once during the past year. This number is supported by those revealed by the MLA/NMDC questionnaire; - The scale of attendance at museums and galleries is not a one-off,this level of participation has been sustained over a number of years. It is clear the sub-sector is a long-term contributor to national well-being; Civil society - Museums and galleries are playing roles in thousands of local, national and international civil society institutions, providing a bridge between, on the one hand, history and scholarship and, on the other, the future, creativity, leisure and social cohesion; - Our survey suggested there were 3,000 ‘volunteers’ and over 140,000 ‘friends’ linked to the museums included in this study – a major contribution towards civic engagement; Education and social impacts - Museums and galleries have expanded their activities as partners with universities and further education, as well as extending access to schools and increasing the numbers of visits by young people; Finance - Self-generated income to museums and galleries in this study has ranged as high as £200 million a year, including over £100 million in donations and sponsorship, over £100 million in trading income and some £20 million in ticket sales; - Up to a third of museum displays and facilities are in need of significant renovation; - Income has not been rising as fast as staff and other inflationary costs in the economy; - Without proper resources it is unlikely that the complex objectives now set for museums and galleries can continue to be delivered – additional income sources will be required; Governance and accountability - There are conflicting demands on institutions, which must act as traditional centres of scholarship and curatorial expertise, but also as teaching institutions, mass entertainments and, increasingly, moderators of scientific knowledge and agents for social change; - Museums and galleries face many demands for accountability, not only to central or local government (as a major source of funding) but also to local communities and business. Incentives may not always be consistent. 2 ANALYSING THE IMPACTS OF MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES 10 Analysing the impacts Cultural and creative institutions, including museums and galleries, have found themselves under a number of accountability pressures in recent years. Such pressures have a number of origins, including: government demands for ‘delivery’, changing public attitudes to institutions and fashion in the measurement of outcomes. This report considers a number of Britain’s leading museums and galleries in terms of their capacity to attract visitors, economic impacts, civic functions, contributions to the country’s creativity and educational performance. This approach is explicitly designed to address a number of possible official interests in what these institutions deliver. Museums and galleries are an important and recognised element in the British cultural economy. A number of studies have demonstrated the different impacts these institutions have on local, regional and national economies. Early studies considered the economic impact of cultural institutions. The evolution of ‘economic regeneration’ policies, particularly in larger cities, led to studies of the impacts of museums, galleries and other cultural bodies on postindustrial urban economies. Such studies considered both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ indicators, with the latter set of measures designed to test the impact of institutions on social cohesion. More recently, parts of the cultural sector have moved on to different kinds of research, notably studies designed to estimate the value people put on local heritage, museums, libraries and arts. The BBC, as part of its charter revision process, commissioned a major project to estimate the value people put on its output. This study sought, amongst other things, to measure how much people would be willing to pay for the BBC if, instead of paying through the licence fee, they were asked to subscribe for the same programmes. English Heritage and others, including DCMS, has supported a broadly similar piece of research to attribute a monetary value to aspects of the nation’s heritage (Eftec, 2005). A wider study of ‘public value’ approaches is currently under way at the Work Foundation (Work Foundation, 2005). This study seeks to draw together both the ‘economic’ efforts to assess public value (generally using techniques to attribute a monetary value to the importance people attach to cultural activities or institutions) and the more qualitative version of the concept. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has publicly stated her interest in the techniques used by academics such as Mark Moore (Moore, 1997). Recently, the National Trust published a document entitled Demonstrating the Public Value of Heritage, which provides a further step in the search for a ‘public value approach’ to the measurement of heritage (National Trust, 2006). The output of the research is intended to examine “the value organisations deliver from the perspective of the citizen, and how cost effectively this value has been delivered”. The report argues that traditional approaches to performance measurement have a number of limitations. First, there is insufficient focus on citizens and their requirements. Second, the focus is on outputs not outcomes and, third, there is a failure to reconcile outcomes and cost-effectiveness. The National Trust (NT), working with Accenture, came up with a method for measuring public value that attributed weights to a number of standard indicators. These indicators included a number of inputs, such as ‘total visitor numbers’, but also outputs, eg, economic impact and also qualitative measures, eg, ratings given by visitors. The measures and weightings were selected judgementally on this occasion. The different indicators and weights were then brought together into a single measure for each of the NT properties being considered. The NT/Accenture research is very much a first attempt at this kind of public value measure. It is not dissimilar to measures such as the local Analysing the impacts 11 government ‘Comprehensive Performance Assessment’ which brings together a number of performance indicators and qualitative measures into a single measurement. It is clear that a number of different methods of measuring ‘public value’ are evolving separately and, on present form, each will be hard to compare with the others. There may be good arguments for museums and galleries themselves exploring a number of these new techniques, though until the Treasury, DCMS, or some other institution provides an agreed and comparable framework within which to make measurements, the risk of a series of one-off studies of ‘public value’ persists. International comparisons of the scale and arrangements for funding cultural institutions can also be instructive. The amounts spent by governments and mechanisms for allocating culture support vary widely from country to country. By comparing numbers of visits to museums and galleries in Britain with those in other developed democracies, it is possible to benchmark performance in this country with what takes place elsewhere. The different approaches adopted to describing and measuring cultural institutions are evidence of a desire within a rapidly-developing sector of the economy to understand itself and its impacts. In part, such research allows museums, galleries and other cultural bodies to be held to account for the public resources they have already received. In part, it makes it possible for central and local government to decide where future resources would best be applied. Cultural institutions are, after all, in competition for both public resources and for individuals’ leisure expenditure. This study analyses the impacts of Britain’s larger museums and galleries on a number of economic, educational, civic and social aspects of the country’s performance. For the first time, major national and regional institutions are considered in the same report. By bringing together data about key museums and galleries from a number of major cities in the country, it has been possible to assess the collective impact of the sub-sector in the light of cross-party policy objectives relating to objectives such as the revival of urban centres, reductions in social and educational inequalities, and the strengthening of regional economies. The Chancellor commissioned Sir George Cox to review how Britain could better exploit its creative skills more effectively (Cox, 2005). His report made a number of recommendations, many of them aimed at universities and/or the smaller and medium enterprise sector. However, it also suggested there needed to be a more effective showcase for British creative talent, around a centre that would include exhibition space, seminar facilities, a hub for creative industry gatherings, educational facilities, space for professional and trade bodies, retail facilities and incubator space for creative businesses. The Design Museum in London, along with the Lighthouse in Scotland and the Northern Design Centre, were cited as good examples of the kind of initiative to be fostered more widely. Interestingly, the Cox Report included a picture of Tate Modern at the point of the report dealing with the proposals for showcase centres. The role of museums and galleries (many of which already have most of the facilities required for Sir George’s ‘creative hub’) in promoting and encouraging creativity should not be overlooked, particularly in the light of international competition. Many good examples of such activity are provided later in this report. The role of museums and galleries... in promoting and encouraging creativity should not be overlooked. 12 Analysing the impacts The DCMS Creative Economy Programme is intended to be “the first step in achieving our [ie the government’s] goal of making the UK the world’s creative hub”. An Evidence and Analysis group has been set up to consider questions such as:“How much of the UK economy do creative industries currently account for? What is their indirect impact on other industries?” The research will also consider how “good product design can differentiate it from other products and add real value” and “ What role will these industries play in the future of the UK economy? Will they become more or less important?” This report attempts to answer these, and other, questions. Museums and galleries contribute to the delivery of a number of policy objectives determined by government. It is reasonable that central and local government expect the achievement of such objectives because a significant proportion of most institutions’ income comes from the State. It is also possible, of course, that short-term changes in policy may detract from the longer term purposes of cultural institutions. On the other hand, the public might be less likely to support the arts and culture if there were felt to be a lack of public accountability for taxpayers’ money. There is a delicate balance to be struck. The contents of this report make clear that Britain’s museums and galleries have been increasingly successful in achieving a number of outcomes desired by government. Increasing overall attendances (over time) and the observation that 43 per cent of all adults visit a museum or gallery at least once a year (DCMS, 2006) suggests the sector has become a major element in the delivery of an improved quality of life. New museums and galleries have contributed to the economic and social regeneration of industrial cities. Research such as a recent study of Bolton’s museum, library and archive services (Jura Consultants, 2005) suggests the public assign greater value to such services than they actually cost. Above: Young visitors on an ‘Action Station’ in the main exhibition space at Imperial War Museum North The increasing number of children and people from diverse backgrounds attracted to museums and galleries also implies that the government’s inclusion objectives are being achieved. The inspiration achieved by visits to cultural institutions can be shown to result in value-added benefits for those individuals and society more generally. Section 4 and the case studies in this report give examples of the ways in which museums and galleries can reach out to individuals and also inspire intellectual capacity-building between individuals and the wider economy. Such capacity-building will improve employability and self-confidence. The impact of museums and galleries on the wider economy can be measured both as the direct and indirect economic impacts considered in Section 3, but also as the creation of wider productive capacity of the kind the Chancellor wished to encourage by the setting-up of the Cox inquiry discussed above. Museums and galleries have delivered ‘soft diplomacy’ (by subtly promoting Britain overseas and to foreign visitors) as well as providing the domestic economy with creative input. As Britain, along with other developed economies, moves further and further away from primary manufacturing and the delivery of low valueadded services, the country’s key cultural and ‘weightless’ assets will become more important. Few countries have such a good starting-point for this new economy as Britain. Moreover, because of the country’s size, institutions are accessible to most of the population. There are other aspects of museums and galleries that may, in future, be thought to be important. The capacity of cultural institutions to provide people with opportunities to develop in ways that enhance their happiness – a key government concern – is not yet researched. However, there is no doubt that museums and galleries can also be ordered and tranquil places in contrast to many of the more challenging aspects of modern society, contributing to the achievement of happiness and other desirable ends. The inspiration achieved by visits to cultural institutions can be shown to result in value-added benefits for those individuals and society. Above: A visitor admiring a painting at the National War Museum, Scotland Analysing the impacts 13 MAJOR MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES 3 IN THIS STUDY: A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Statistical analysis 15 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 £m 97/98 05/06 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 British Museum Imperial War Museum Tyne & Wear Museums Britain’s major museums and galleries constitute a major sub-sector of the country’s cultural industries. This report estimates that the annual turnover of the whole sector – including all museums and galleries, from the largest national institutions to the smallest local ones – will exceed £900 million. If even very modest assumptions are made about the related economic activity (international visitors, regeneration expenditure and so on) are added to this total, the figure would exceed £1 billion. This suggests that broadly £1 in every £1,000 in the UK economy can be directly related to the museums and galleries sector. Although this is a relatively simplistic indicator, it gives a sense of the importance of the museums and galleries sub-sector to the wider economy. This section of the report is based on data provided in a major questionnaire-based exercise to assess the turnover, income sources and activities of Britain’s larger museums and galleries. The purpose of the tables and numbers referred to here is to provide a data-rich picture of the sub-sector and its activities. Expenditure – overall and operating Public expenditure in the UK has risen by 51 per cent (in cash) since 2000-01 (HM Treasury, 2006). Over the same period, expenditure by national museums has increased by 12 per cent.The major museums and galleries covered by this report spend over £650 million a year. Individual institutions spend as much as £91 million (Tate, 2005-06), while several museums spend in excess of £50 million a year. Not all of the larger bodies are in London. For example, National Museums Liverpool has an annual budget of almost £30 million, while the museum services in Tyne & Wear and Sheffield Museums & Galleries Trust both spent £12 to £13 million in 2005-6. In each case, the institution is responsible for a significant input into the local economy. Table 1 shows the pattern of spending from body to body. Looking at three major institutions for the full time series, it is possible to observe the movement of spending over almost a decade. The pattern of activity at any particular institution is prone to short-term movements as the result of one-off expenditure items. The overall increases in expenditure over the nine-year period range from under seven per cent at the British Museum to over 100 per cent at the Imperial War Museum (not adjusted for inflation). Total expenditure by selected museums and galleries, 1997-98 to 2005-06 (£m) Note:These figures have not been adjusted for inflation Left: SEARCH, Gosport 16 Statistical analysis 7,152 6,310 9,121 11,349 9,422 10,039 12,285 10,964 2,301 2,254 2,242 2,301 2,199 2,737 3,691 4,111 5,999 4,633 4,162 4,592 4,141 4,288 2,303 2,405 2,050 2,327 2,529 2,581 4,324 4,930 7,560 12,290 4,441 9,545 6,639 9,072 5,909 1,740 1,900 2,417 3,224 3,252 6,321 8,492 13,067 7,309 6,785 7,606 10,250 11,811 10,963 13,057 11,876 13,123 9,610 20,234 28,022 38,430 39,985 42,609 46,919 54,301 58,280 24,871 20,226 22,617 24,016 27,305 31,197 37,872 33,401 36,933 27,969 39,119 17,877 18,190 16,367 17,880 19,557 23,979 25,812 14,931 18,310 16,798 17,288 18,725 18,254 20,472 22,675 24,689 65,834 71,807 92,653 111,032 83,150 72,754 78,544 60,900 69,916 23,806 26,507 32,757 39,030 46,893 34,743 37,062 43,368 48,879 14,225 15,123 15,512 19,247 20,284 19,681 21,622 19,937 18,127 35,924 22,239 44,576 32,768 31,343 27,189 64,999 42,902 32,732 19,800 24,100 16,200 15,700 17,500 21,100 21,600 23,117 27,953 53,449 57,094 60,111 55,610 147,713 60,756 74,030 66,705 55,894 15,702 18,000 23,606 30,953 25,934 26,921 23,310 29,326 29,598 9,700 12,100 16,800 10,900 9,500 12,200 11,800 10,462 11,693 44,951 46,344 57,588 52,395 48,711 54,323 51,951 56,706 70,640 6,600 4,500 6,450 6,570 7,360 7,480 7,480 8,510 9,277 58,748 97,605 98,524 69,988 73,816 81,718 81,159 78,171 91,466 42,825 45,580 49,120 52,699 65,721 61,921 65,850 65,785 66,924 459,335 518,654 571,189 556,386 640,322 548,117 617,308 585,944 620,532 468,945 538,888 599,211 594,816 680,307 590,727 664,227 640,245 678,812 Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Hampshire County Council Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Archives National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Royal Armouries Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Expenditure Total expenditure (£000s) 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Figures relate to data in published statutory accounts or other financial statements, excluding depreciation Table 1:Total expenditure Statistical analysis 17 The economic importance of an individual institution to the local economy has been estimated in a number of studies. Benefits are felt by shops, hotels and restaurants in the immediate vicinity of the museum or gallery and also by the communities where the employees of these institutions live and the local businesses which provide many support services. It is not just the central cities that benefit from the economic activity generated by museums and galleries. The expenditure figures shown are partly funded by grant, but also by income from trading (eg, shops and restaurants) and from ticket sales. There are, of course, year-to-year variations because of one-off items such as major exhibitions or a significant period of lotteryfunded investment. But there is nevertheless evidence of turnover increases that match or exceed inflation, suggesting that these institutions are, collectively, holding their own in the increasingly competitive leisure sector. Unlike leisure institutions in the private sector, national museums and galleries cannot invest in their stock or assets unless the government allows them to. Local authority institutions are also subject to central controls over local government capital expenditure. Thus, looking ahead, it is hard to envisage these institutions being able to invest to expand unless there is some recognition of the competitive pressures that all museums and galleries face at regional and international levels. This is a key issue for DCMS, for a number of local authorities and for the lottery institutions. Table 2 looks at Operating Expenditure only. Capital and other one-off items are excluded. Generally, operating expenditure represents some 75 per cent of turnover, though there are variations. Expenditure – capital Capital expenditure has dropped sharply (as a proportion of total expenditure) since 2001-02. Table 3 shows capital expenditure in each institution. The variations here, predictably, are very wide. By its nature, capital investment will not be consistent from year to year. In Britain, with its traditionally boom-and-bust approach to public expenditure, institutions such as museums and galleries have faced years of feast and famine.The arrival of the lottery and the potential availability of funding for cultural institutions have meant that, during the period covered by Table 3, there have been very big differences in the expenditure of individual museums and galleries. Some of these investments have been widely publicised. Thus, for example, Tate is shown as having a capital expenditure figure of some £60 million a year in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, at the key point in the development of Tate Modern. Similarly, the British Museum, National Museums Scotland and the National Museum of Science and Industry have had years with substantial levels of capital investment, notably in the years from 1997-98 to 2001-02. Local authority museum services have enjoyed their own, albeit smaller, levels of capital spending. The peak for these latter investments came a little later than in the national institutions, perhaps reflecting real terms increases in council expenditure after 2000. DCMS sponsored institutions have witnessed a falling total of capital expenditure and an increased reliance on government support (see Table 7b). Earlier sources, such as the lottery, have declined and consequently capital grant-in-aid has increased as a share of the total. The impact has been less marked in other institutions, partly It is hard to envisage these institutions being able to invest to expand unless there is some recognition of the competitive pressures that all museums and galleries face at regional and international levels. 18 Statistical analysis 6,600 5,991 7,312 7,776 8,431 8,973 9,244 9,389 2,301 2,254 2,242 2,290 1,746 2,718 3,672 4,028 4,601 4,402 4,083 4,516 4,043 4,203 2,218 2,339 1,992 2,249 2,451 2,561 2,753 3,052 3,287 3,419 4,169 4,437 4,676 6,901 5,171 1,706 1,519 2,197 3,049 3,225 3,620 3,800 5,076 6,139 6,088 6,309 6,994 7,657 8,006 9,214 10,710 12,221 8,440 18,866 21,688 24,203 31,048 33,351 37,233 41,479 43,712 24,017 19,069 20,963 22,806 25,981 28,967 34,555 31,493 35,060 11,933 13,412 13,439 14,379 14,422 16,387 17,432 19,040 19,958 13,379 14,501 13,793 15,358 18,270 17,677 19,582 21,363 23,616 44,176 41,639 47,260 51,372 57,485 60,561 54,791 56,045 60,371 17,590 18,293 22,096 21,733 25,343 28,631 32,107 35,680 35,397 13,534 14,559 15,326 16,349 15,559 14,172 17,925 18,937 18,002 17,286 17,710 20,814 21,500 22,425 21,282 22,278 23,778 25,087 11,800 13,300 13,700 15,100 16,000 18,000 20,000 19,564 21,268 31,358 32,451 34,576 41,451 44,249 49,466 52,771 49,689 50,374 14,584 15,582 15,819 15,673 16,115 17,329 18,684 19,457 21,440 6,300 6,500 6,800 8,400 8,500 9,900 10,200 9,624 10,273 38,368 39,662 41,149 40,099 43,424 46,096 47,658 51,449 65,993 4,680 4,340 6,190 6,280 6,550 7,060 7,090 7,980 8,789 24,759 28,745 29,011 53,101 56,166 67,154 62,897 65,519 71,998 36,612 39,438 39,135 42,861 44,820 47,266 53,304 51,790 52,314 310,376 319,201 340,071 386,462 415,309 449,948 471,274 481,408 519,940 318,816 338,067 361,759 410,665 446,357 483,299 508,507 522,887 563,652 Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Hampshire County Council Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Archives National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Royal Armouries Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Expenditure Operating (£000s) 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Table 2:Operating expenditure Statistical analysis 19 because they received less from the lottery. Analysis of Table 3 makes a serious point about investment in Britain’s museums and galleries. Occasional availability of resources seems to have been linked to short-term phenomena such as the creation of the lottery and changes in local government funding patterns. Indeed, changes in lottery policy have meant that the level of grants seen in the late 1990s have not been maintained or repeated: Lottery income has dropped from a peak of £76 million in 1998-99 to around £26 million per annum today. Similarly, the brief period of local government expansion after 2000-01 (reinforced by capital control changes in 2004-05) is now coming to an end. Put simply, the availability of resources for investment in museums and galleries appears to be unrelated to the needs of the sector. Money has been available from time to time, but has been concentrated in a small number of major projects only. There has been little available for the improvement of existing assets. While such large investments (eg, Tate Modern, Great Court British Museum, National Museums Liverpool) have led to hugely successful new facilities with some benefit to the whole museums and galleries sector, there remain many other institutions that have not enjoyed an equivalent capital expenditure uplift. Table 3 points to the need for a more consistent and logical approach to capital investment in museums and galleries. The DCMS has in recent years attempted to secure increased investment resources for these institutions. There has, as observed above, been increased reliance on government funding for capital expenditure by national museums. But the evidence from this table is that the results are patchy. In a period when museums and galleries are expected to be relevant to changing modern tastes and concerns and also to maintain their large collections, there does not appear to be a consistent capital investment programme to allow institutions to achieve the day-to-day objectives set for them. Above: Young participant in the Leicester City Museums Service Leicester and Me project 20 Statistical analysis 552 1,748 3,526 947 795 2,810 1,427 424 1,033 232 78 46 55 34 85 65 53 62 17 16 1,555 1,879 4,273 7,398 272 4,887 1,833 1,856 567 34 373 183 132 27 2,420 4,598 7,991 802 638 1,241 3,233 4,141 2,516 3,815 937 750 802 1,309 5,953 12,616 8,789 8,472 8,926 11,811 13,681 854 1,157 1,654 1,210 1,324 2,230 3,317 1,908 1,873 15,255 25,481 3,916 3,211 1,476 907 1,543 4,432 3,787 1,028 482 251 46 155 360 806 519 19,792 26,988 42,939 49,935 7,818 9,955 17,175 3,692 7,225 5,769 7,794 10,301 17,071 21,456 5,935 4,764 7,498 13,482 691 564 186 2,898 4,706 5,319 3,437 125 125 4,514 3,651 3,878 1,718 1,917 4,239 6,965 11,748 4,383 7,800 10,300 2,100 400 800 1,700 1,500 3,206 6,500 21,935 24,380 25,362 13,998 103,376 11,265 21,250 17,012 5,500 818 2,260 7,687 15,128 9,489 5,549 4,138 8,161 8,158 3,000 5,200 9,300 2,200 200 1,300 900 135 371 6,583 6,682 16,439 12,296 5,116 8,227 4,293 5,257 4,647 1,920 150 260 290 600 240 200 310 327 25,010 60,320 57,104 8,413 10,285 3,277 1,397 3,669 6,136 5,020 5,226 8,395 9,025 18,398 13,248 10,675 12,707 13,528 118,961 181,181 190,003 138,044 187,007 73,546 81,914 80,666 76,560 119,763 182,490 195,956 150,660 195,796 82,018 90,839 92,477 90,241 Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Hampshire County Council Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Archives National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Royal Armouries Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Expenditure Capital (£000s) 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Excluding collections purchase Table 3:Capital expenditure Statistical analysis 21 Collections purchase In Table 4, we consider the resources available for the leading British museums and galleries to extend or improve their collections. As with the previous table, the numbers are ‘lumpy’ from year to year, reflecting the variable nature of museums’ and galleries’ capacities to invest in their stock of artefacts (though the ‘lumpy’ nature of objects coming to market may also be a factor). The average spend per year of this set of institutions is in the range £25 to £40 million, though there are years above and below this total. Larger expenditures on collections occur at the National Gallery, the British Museum and Tate. The latter, in particular, appears to manage a relatively consistent spend of around £10 million per year, though prices of many cultural artefacts have risen faster than inflation. For other national institutions, sums of under £1 million per annum are typical. In a number of cases, particularly the major regional museums included in this study, the amounts spent are less than £100,000 a year. Figures from Art Market Report suggest inflation in the cost of Old Master paintings over the period since 1980 has been over 400 per cent. For the top two per cent of paintings, the rise was very much higher. Thus, the amounts spent on acquisitions are very small. In some years, the amount spent by the leading British museums and galleries on purchasing new artefacts – ranging from scientific via heritage to artistic and natural history items – is less than £20 million. Major auction houses in New York, London and Paris from time to time sell individual items costing more than this total. Leading institutions in the United States can often spend several times as much. There can be little doubt that, coupled with the patchy nature of capital investment discussed above, this inability to build up collections by purchase means that British institutions are at an inevitable disadvantage compared with their equivalent institutions in the US and, from time to time, elsewhere in Europe. Of course, there are other ways for museums and galleries to extend their collections, most obviously by gifts and donations. But this source can only go so far in making up the modest sums available for purchases. Moreover, not everything that institutions would or should collect is currently the object of existing private collections. Also, the scale of private wealth in the United States is such that very much larger collections are likely to be built-up there. Table 5 compares the expenditure on collections purchase in leading British museums and galleries in recent years. In each case, the average annual expenditure for each year where data exists since 1997-98 is shown. For purposes of comparison, the equivalent data from a number of overseas institutions are also shown, though the time-series for these numbers is rather shorter. Although the ‘overseas’ museums available for comparison are to some extent opportunistically selected by being major institutions where there are published data for two or more years, the general point made by Table 5 is clear. There are a number of important museums and galleries in other countries, particularly the US, where the annual level of expenditure on purchases is significantly greater than in the leading UK institutions. Indeed, there are likely to be many American institutions that are spending significantly more on acquisitions than any British museum or gallery. Moreover, the scale of donations of artefacts and collections (as opposed to money) – particularly in the United States – means this table understates the disadvantage of the UK institutions compared with their American counterparts. Income Total income to museums and galleries, shown in Table 6, closely matches the expenditure figures shown in Table 1. The reasons for this are clear: institutions must balance their books and, compared with a number of other State 22 Statistical analysis 319 61 47 45 271 232 148 11 29 19 19 16 69 19 29 30 43 50 6 16 61 3 16 1,473 220 130 316 96 7 37 43 280 94 368 59 56 23 12 441 28 229 153 368 59 382 1,611 166 815 761 945 516 781 226 522 600 469 586 582 507 327 1,552 2,781 2,523 1,679 409 422 530 506 554 1,866 3,180 2,454 9,725 17,847 2,238 6,578 1,163 2,320 447 420 360 226 94 177 191 190 123 19 190 260 875 14,124 878 19,884 9,550 7,001 1,668 35,756 7,376 3,262 200 500 400 200 700 1,400 100 347 185 156 263 173 161 88 25 9 4 20 300 158 100 152 330 4,043 488 1,708 400 400 700 300 800 1,000 700 703 1,049 171 5 340 250 240 90 240 210 250 260 131 8,979 8,540 12,409 8,474 7,365 11,287 16,865 8,983 13,332 1,193 916 1,590 813 2,503 1,408 1,872 1,287 1,082 30,338 18,512 41,355 31,970 38,036 24,654 64,181 23,909 22,390 30,706 18,571 41,737 33,581 38,202 25,468 64,941 24,854 22,906 Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Hampshire County Council Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Royal Armouries Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Expenditure Collections purchase (£000s) 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Table 4:Collections purchase Donated pictures and donations relating to capitalised collection acquisitions are disclosed as donations and sponsorship income, and donated collection acquisitions as collection purchases Statistical analysis 23 Table 5:Average annual spend on collections purchase by museums and galleries – Britain and overseas (£m) 12.270 10.595 7.621 1.577 1.344 0.709 0.701 0.549 0.549 0.336 0.210 0.176 0.057 0.171 17.402 6.416 3.851 1.377 1.056 0.305 0.187 17.005 16.623 9.859 8.237 National Gallery Tate British Museum Victoria and Albert Museum National Museums Liverpool Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales National Portrait Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museums Scotland Museum of London Royal Armouries Imperial War Museum National Museum of Science & Industry Natural History Museum Van Gogh Museum (Netherlands) Louvre (France) Rijksmuseum (Netherlands) State Museums Berlin (Germany) Musee d’Orsay (France) Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Germany) Deutches Museum (Germany) J Paul Getty Museum (USA) Metropolitan Museum (USA) MoMA (USA) MFA Boston (USA) Institution Average annual expenditure on acquisitions 2001-2004* (£m) These figures do not record the value of donations and bequests, and therefore are not representative of the overall collecting activity of institutions Source for UK figures – MLA/NMDC questionnaire (data from 2000/1-2004/5) Source for international figures – Published annual reports or annual financial statements, 2001-2004 where available. Research conducted for NMDC by AEA Consulting, 2005. (Data not available for every year. Currency conversion at current rate, November 2006) Additional work on this subject has now been published by The Art Fund, which suggests that the analysis in this MLA/NMDC report may understate the problem (The Art Fund 2006) 24 Statistical analysis 7,152 6,310 9,121 11,349 9,422 10,039 12,285 10,964 2,301 2,254 2,242 2,301 2,623 2,737 3,691 4,361 5,999 1,848 1,760 2,135 4,141 4,288 2,303 2,405 2,050 2,327 2,529 2,581 4,322 4,741 7,802 11,936 4,463 9,555 6,870 8,973 6,720 1,770 2,229 2,354 3,226 3,210 6,210 9,436 12,105 6,772 6,330 7,345 9,654 11,159 10,762 12,720 11,741 13,123 9,073 19,810 28,332 37,417 36,996 39,975 44,246 55,260 57,940 24,871 20,226 22,617 24,016 28,155 32,147 38,972 34,634 36,932 27,578 35,051 21,105 18,325 17,938 19,472 19,483 22,934 26,648 15,928 17,948 17,456 18,184 20,826 24,403 24,919 24,797 29,268 69,547 85,671 76,909 86,025 84,891 87,190 78,664 72,412 68,174 24,815 25,992 32,709 39,718 45,765 34,462 37,278 41,832 49,149 14,399 15,421 17,584 18,859 21,700 18,391 18,203 19,528 20,378 36,106 24,932 44,794 35,804 31,851 30,931 66,585 39,786 34,422 19,000 21,800 17,700 16,500 17,900 18,900 18,500 22,148 24,803 51,404 54,131 62,008 53,157 149,133 63,170 72,773 59,277 55,903 17,212 19,693 30,324 41,860 33,195 29,982 25,326 34,075 29,115 10,000 11,600 14,400 10,700 9,500 12,200 11,100 12,047 13,878 45,348 46,963 48,854 49,278 50,734 53,585 57,743 61,540 72,791 6,230 4,490 6,220 6,890 7,270 7,530 7,590 8,440 10,791 68,448 86,586 78,356 85,683 81,445 88,036 88,753 88,819 97,621 44,403 45,922 48,895 54,392 64,704 63,493 68,369 66,103 64,752 475,289 516,426 539,931 559,391 665,007 583,892 634,258 608,371 634,626 484,362 536,235 568,263 596,807 702,003 623,866 678,504 663,631 692,565 Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Hampshire County Council Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Archives National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Royal Armouries Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Income Total income (£000s) 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Table 6:Total income Gross ie before deduction of any associated costs, covering the entire group, including trading companies See notes on page 48 for explanation of discrepancies between total income and total expenditure Statistical analysis 25 institutions have been successful in matching income to spending. Income levels have, like expenditure figures, risen in recent years, suggesting museums and galleries have been effective in raising resources in competition with other public and private institutions. Trading income to the museums and galleries included in this report rose by over 100 per cent (cash) between 1997-98 and 2005-06. Income – grants Grants, either from DCMS or represented by core funding from local authorities, constitute slightly over half of museum and gallery income. This proportion appears to be somewhat higher in local government-funded institutions and rather lower in a number of the DCMS funded ones. The British Museum and the National Museum of Science and Industry have, in most years, received less than half their funding from grant-in-aid, while the Imperial War Museum and Tate have received less than half their funding from grants in every year covered by the table. As far as DCMS sponsored institutions are concerned, despite the increase in grant-in-aid for some museums as a response to the removal of admission charges, grant as a proportion of operating expenditure has dropped in recent years. Table 7a provides detailed figures for each institution. A number of individual grants or local government support totals over £30 million per year, though these are generally to the larger national institutions. Local government support paid to the regional museums is significantly smaller than the grants to the national institutions, with a single exception. Grant income to DCMS-funded institutions has been rising, though part of the increase was to make up the loss of admission charge revenue after the government decided to abolish such charges in a number of national institutions. For many museums and galleries, increases in year-on-year income from grants have tapered off in the most recent years after faster rises in the earlier part of the period under review. Many grants and direct local government funding now rise only in line with general inflation, and some below this. Grants and direct local government funding rising at the pace of inflation imply reduction compared with real cost increases in the wider economy. Real costs for premises, salaries, goods and services have all gone up more than general inflation – for example, rising steel prices have had a big impact on refurbishment projects. This appears to be true for both local authority and DCMS funded institutions. While it may not be realistic to expect and direct local government funding to museums and galleries to rise faster than inflation each year, the scale of increased visitor numbers (see Table 12 and text below) in recent years raises important questions about stress on institutional fabric and staff. It might also be expected there would be a reward for productivity improvements. Rising visitor numbers alongside flat (in real terms) resources also raises questions about the incentives to be provided to successful institutions to maintain their productivity. Income – Lottery The Lottery has provided most of the major museums and galleries within this study with income. In the early years covered by Table 8, from 1997-98 to 1999-2000, between £48 million and £65 million was provided in each year. However, in the years since 2000-01, the total has slowed to around £20 to £30 million a year. Tate has been the largest individual recipient of Lottery resources and in so doing, has made an important point about the way investment in a gallery can have profound long-term impacts. The National Museum of Science and Industry and the British Museum were also significant recipients of Lottery money. Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales’ Industrial Strategy was made possible by funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Here an investment of £7m from Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales brought in a further £42m to enable the complete refurbishment of 26 Statistical analysis 5,976 4,922 6,022 6,434 7,172 6,826 6,905 6,074 2,301 2,254 2,242 2,290 2,170 2,718 2,882 2,929 2,999 2,785 2,402 2,457 2,252 2,336 2,059 2,112 1,799 2,048 2,112 2,084 2,270 2,381 2,558 2,944 3,183 3,246 3,375 3,723 3,848 1,214 1,347 1,359 2,046 2,029 2,159 2,066 2,230 4,158 4,133 4,205 4,583 5,109 5,604 5,771 6,320 6,496 6,459 15,636 17,385 18,998 23,775 25,283 25,555 26,465 26,362 22,378 18,144 20,301 21,113 22,789 27,019 33,117 29,790 33,134 11,244 13,768 12,927 13,242 14,877 17,045 17,045 17,943 18,193 11,552 11,362 12,741 13,734 15,828 17,095 17,999 19,304 21,035 31,860 33,921 34,721 34,939 35,969 35,949 36,419 35,229 37,780 10,571 10,573 11,509 11,743 12,868 15,990 16,241 16,891 17,816 4,310 4,210 4,361 4,481 4,519 4,519 4,919 4,851 4,921 18,343 18,689 19,478 19,215 19,949 19,949 19,449 20,257 20,986 10,500 10,200 10,900 11,700 12,100 13,700 14,000 15,731 15,236 21,081 20,281 23,756 24,329 26,678 29,748 31,162 31,394 32,268 12,727 12,696 13,714 13,913 15,068 15,569 16,282 16,933 17,605 4,800 5,000 5,100 5,100 5,500 5,700 5,700 6,008 6,326 26,960 26,960 28,783 29,608 32,377 35,585 36,103 38,397 39,370 5,220 3,730 4,810 5,220 5,940 6,157 6,286 6,960 6,869 17,052 17,565 19,727 24,881 26,755 27,179 29,482 28,581 29,799 29,898 29,147 30,034 27,410 30,414 34,271 33,839 34,939 36,233 238,496 236,246 252,862 260,628 281,631 305,475 318,043 323,208 337,571 244,955 251,882 270,247 279,626 305,406 330,758 343,598 349,673 363,933 Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Hampshire County Council Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Archives National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Royal Armouries Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Income Grant-in-Aid (£000s) 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Table 7a:Grant-in-aid/net core revenue budget or equivalent public funding Statistical analysis 27 700 675 125 743 2,470 1,342 424 500 232 78 46 55 34 25 65 53 62 17 16 1,509 1,606 271 1,547 65 2,028 563 1,056 304 463 1,773 985 110 77 443 399 209 682 1,253 451 750 110 102 779 2,699 1,666 2,932 3,084 7,315 5,522 12,600 8,200 2,164 1,200 1,304 450 1,050 3,050 5,345 775 1,170 775 775 1,165 775 775 1,358 3,331 500 936 2,664 2,014 400 640 250 360 300 600 725 4,310 4,210 4,361 4,481 4,519 4,519 4,919 4,851 4,921 500 1,000 1,000 1,000 500 500 550 540 1,800 1,033 1,000 400 1,500 2,850 1,600 1,700 400 100 400 1,000 1,050 400 550 100 100 700 800 800 2,500 3,500 1,250 2,100 500 1,611 1,653 600 800 1,300 2,000 3,039 1,923 500 1,000 1,250 2,000 20,796 15,233 9,740 11,295 10,061 13,754 18,720 21,223 27,319 20,906 15,335 10,519 13,994 11,727 16,686 21,804 28,538 32,841 Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Hampshire County Council Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Royal Armouries Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Income Government or local authority funding for capital work/capital Grant-in-Aid for national museums (£000s) 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Table 7b:Capital grant-in-aid/government or local authority funding for capital work 28 Statistical analysis 331 769 2,381 207 241 529 5 1,042 18 29 61 38 8 73 107 4,002 5,876 53 2,694 1,299 1,104 510 251 505 219 328 471 2,340 3,822 6,270 370 143 582 2,626 3,762 2,267 2,550 1,021 597 370 725 5,089 9,490 6,524 5,665 6,459 6,609 8,569 350 254 557 779 1,161 1,484 1,280 94 154 524 5,258 3,591 498 309 268 146 685 1,976 479 332 571 2,768 2,302 639 125 7,787 11,058 14,817 9,431 607 3,009 1,915 258 4,227 5 4,346 166 137 11 1,660 3,222 7,239 28 119 1,100 150 134 874 100 8,269 55 36 38 28 11,553 966 60 4,300 5,600 400 300 900 500 352 2,279 7,637 12,475 12,383 4,727 724 3,482 3,170 3,671 500 1 1,260 5,321 10,437 6,339 3,102 1,579 3,830 592 3,230 5,850 1,640 304 127 185 143 63 1,931 115 471 109 886 2,334 19,914 31,200 16,700 3,928 1,778 4,501 230 1,788 3,459 592 1,423 4,039 6,362 5,509 1,400 444 379 523 54,377 75,843 69,619 38,450 17,722 21,728 24,869 16,886 17,912 54,747 76,568 74,708 47,940 24,246 27,393 31,328 23,495 26,481 Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Hampshire County Council Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Archives National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Income Lottery (£000s) 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Table 8:National Lottery funding Statistical analysis 29 three existing museums and the creation of a new Collections Centre and a brand new flagship museum in Swansea. Tate Modern is one of the most successful new galleries opened in recent years anywhere in the world. An investment of Lottery resources of around £56 million has not only created a major new exhibition space, it has produced a series of additional benefits in terms of regeneration, ‘exports’ and national prestige. It is widely accepted that Tate Modern was the anchor for the massive improvements that have taken place in London’s Bankside. The millions of new visitors include many from overseas who will have, at least in part, have come to Britain to see the new institution. The expenditure associated with such international visitors is all an ‘export’. National prestige is impossible to measure. However, there can be little doubt that Tate Modern has been an important element in Britain’s capacity to sell itself as a cutting edge and modernising country. The scale of the development, coupled with the collection, make a clear statement about the country and its image. The extraordinary success in generating four million visitors annually to the gallery is unique by global standards. The success of the Lottery in helping to fund Tate Modern begs important questions about the potential to repeat such success elsewhere. Regional museums and several of the national ones have received little from the Lottery, and certainly not the scale of support that would allow the kind of development seen at the Great Court, British Museum and Tate Modern. Yet the latter has shown how the Lottery can lead to a onceand-for-all regeneration of an area, coupled with a radical change of reputation. This is a lesson that should surely be learned for the longer term. Income – donations and sponsorship Successive governments have encouraged museums and galleries to raise additional resources from donations and sponsorship. During the radical re-structuring of the British economy during the 1980s, many public institutions were told to look to the private sector to augment their income. In the 1990s and 2000s, similar expectations have remained in place. The question of why British corporations and individuals are less willing than Americans to donate to cultural institutions, charities and universities has been widely debated. Despite a number of changes to the tax regime, giving in this country continues to lag behind the level seen in the US. Recognition and reward for donation are not sufficient to guarantee high levels of giving. Comparisons between, say, Harvard University and Oxford or Cambridge would make much the same point. The fact that British tax burdens have now risen well above the levels in the US is hardly likely to change this situation for the better in the years ahead. Against this relatively unpromising background, a number of major museums and galleries have been successful in recent years in maintaining a substantial income from donations and sponsorship. Table 9 examines the trends, institution by institution, since 1997-98 and reveals that the Imperial War Museum, National Gallery, the British Museum, the National Museum of Science and Industry, National Museums Liverpool, and Tate have been able to raise substantial income – as much as £29 million in a single year – from donations and sponsorship. Each of these institutions has maintained a multi-million pound income from such sources. However, as the figures suggest, it is difficult to rely on donations and sponsorship as a continuous and predictable income source. Companies and individuals face better and worse financial years. Fashions change. Institutions cannot mount a blockbuster exhibition every year. The factors that influence the yield of one-off donations and sponsorship are many and complex. Despite the obvious 30 Statistical analysis 49 35 31 25 18 100 6 18 11 29 19 19 389 191 42 36 43 24 23 13 15 14 11 11 10 16 187 805 61 208 304 313 139 9 1 33 25 24 11 10 132 41 83 67 112 63 90 48 101 132 99 318 930 315 380 592 802 499 2,543 6,098 424 1,903 449 441 558 888 967 413 702 875 470 236 709 549 695 773 10,661 23,820 10,966 21,729 23,767 4,997 15,800 4,071 4,760 1,494 6,540 6,582 17,191 21,734 7,227 6,039 7,510 8,249 188 467 440 1,408 2,383 2,206 1,185 1,376 2,220 6,523 2,293 20,112 12,179 6,910 6,871 29,224 11,072 6,712 700 1,900 1,400 600 900 1,900 400 1,439 2,644 3,208 9,780 12,468 6,931 4,681 8,895 9,298 7,143 5,500 785 2,603 8,218 14,540 8,098 7,673 3,599 9,982 2,377 450 980 980 570 1,560 2,140 1,460 1,845 3,168 1,274 1,570 2,938 2,271 1,456 1,137 2,819 3,134 3,000 100 180 300 380 300 700 100 190 113 13,777 13,827 23,112 23,023 16,350 14,273 23,858 16,976 18,404 2,120 3,808 5,000 4,155 16,666 9,070 10,666 16,489 11,902 44,236 74,568 93,815 107,350 105,490 68,239 105,555 82,810 70,789 44,368 74,667 94,133 108,280 105,805 68,619 106,146 83,613 71,288 Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Hampshire County Council Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Royal Armouries Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Income Donations and sponsorship (£000s) 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Table 9:Donations and sponsorship Statistical analysis 31 entrepreneurial skills of a number of major museums and galleries, it will never be possible to rely on this particular source as a precise generator of income. There is a link between the overall capacity of the major museums and galleries to raise resources from donations and sponsorship and changes in the national economy: trading income has increased in recent years. There was a sharp overall increase in income from such sources in the period from 1998-99 to 2000-01, though it is also possible that this period was also influenced by the need to find matching funding for Lottery supported projects (though this, itself, would be an interesting finding). In the years from 2001-02 onwards, income from donations and sponsorship has fallen. This was a period when economic growth slowed down and also when there were a number of one-off events, notably terrorist attacks, that will have influenced national and urban economies. The implication of the numbers in Table 9 is that it is not going to be possible to rely for much more than 10 to 15 per cent of museum and gallery income from donations and sponsorship. Indeed, for most of the regional institutions and the smaller national ones, such income will generally be measured in hundreds of thousands of pounds per annum, not millions. For institutions based outside London, the fact that many company headquarters are in the capital is almost certainly a significant difficulty. Britain has a powerful concentration of political and economic decision making centred in London. Museums and galleries at a distance from this centre are bound to find it hard to convince key decision takers. Moreover, the prestige associated with ‘international’ collections or events based in capital cities such as London, Edinburgh or Cardiff is likely to make fundraising rather easier than in other cities and more rural areas. Income – trading income The government has also required cultural institutions to attempt to raise the proportion of their income derived from trading services – cafés, restaurants, shops and the many other charged activities associated with the core institutions. In many cities and towns, museum or gallery coffee shops and restaurants are elegant and attractive features that, because of their association with culture, are able to offer an alternative to more traditional locations. However, it is important to state that museums and galleries also exist for rather different purposes than running catering and other trading facilities. It is also important to note that accounting practice for trading varies from institution to institution in ways that will affect comparisons between them. In 2004, the National Audit Office (NAO) published a study of income generation by museums and galleries (NAO, 2004). This study considered the full range of income generation, including lottery grants, donations and trading. The NAO was broadly optimistic about the possibility of institutions increasing their income from trading and other sources in the years ahead, though there was no suggestion that such income could become a significantly greater share of overall income. Moreover, two constraints were noted. First, because resources are not available, it is hard to buy in the skills needed to trade more effectively. Second, government limits on borrowing make it hard for institutions to raise the resources that a private company would generate to invest in new activities. Nevertheless, institutions are earning a solid income from trading services. On average, these services are contributing around 10 per cent of gross income. For DCMS sponsored institutions, trading income has increased from an average of 13.1 per cent of total expenditure to 17.4 per cent. Of course, only a part of this turnover will be ‘profit’ to plough back into core museum and gallery services. Tate (£25.5 million in 2005-06), the National Museum of Science and Industry (£14.1 million), and the British Museum (£14.1 million) are the biggest earners from trading income, followed by the Natural History Museum 32 Statistical analysis 320 358 343 354 293 666 636 552 90 72 91 165 207 186 197 190 108 102 113 113 120 151 143 169 207 72 191 209 201 218 232 54 47 57 302 373 359 424 444 311 308 283 378 455 498 614 615 534 311 790 997 963 1,580 1,699 2,267 2,305 2,211 2,143 1,828 1,759 2,124 3,355 2,694 3,475 3,517 3,644 426 280 296 355 270 334 467 526 588 607 597 1,110 1,138 1,285 1,667 1,930 9,327 8,743 9,117 11,509 15,564 15,848 15,850 14,732 14,173 5,632 6,185 6,137 6,746 7,156 8,025 9,162 9,504 8,750 4,571 5,461 6,493 7,302 6,827 5,216 5,624 5,868 6,606 1,078 1,555 1,792 1,949 1,821 1,631 2,247 2,111 2,524 700 800 1,100 900 1,000 1,000 1,300 1,116 1,354 5,710 7,201 8,606 12,866 16,759 17,386 16,949 13,710 14,100 1,542 1,515 1,445 1,336 1,179 1,502 1,652 1,698 1,702 1,510 1,450 1,500 1,830 2,410 2,480 2,080 3,001 2,975 5,159 5,422 6,323 6,434 7,610 7,689 7,745 10,368 12,786 530 130 310 430 650 760 800 860 787 7,862 9,665 8,203 20,277 20,025 24,218 20,514 23,759 25,515 5,301 7,171 5,776 7,655 6,745 7,673 10,933 8,450 7,225 51,591 57,714 59,594 82,235 92,507 97,615 99,886 100,695 104,538 51,902 58,504 60,591 83,198 94,087 99,313 102,153 103,000 106,749 Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Hampshire County Council Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Archives National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Royal Armouries Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Income Trading income (£000s) 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Table 10:Trading income (including gross catering and retail income) Statistical analysis 33 39 42 125 133 119 396 49 74 598 486 409 409 395 24 52 7 311 210 482 479 490 585 709 2 2 103 94 50 51 55 371 214 217 246 346 220 262 229 168 371 279 624 582 1,662 1,398 1,606 1,328 1,400 109 471 747 544 195 371 238 481 969 848 907 802 685 547 163 893 349 1,215 576 126 916 1,416 2,491 2,689 3,495 3,872 3,620 2,849 3,378 3,950 4,241 351 464 485 534 2,444 189 195 132 537 1,178 1,738 1,118 1,921 1,154 1,819 2,957 1,711 1,200 1,300 1,800 1,500 1,100 100 700 189 415 3,724 4,013 3,191 3,042 2,366 507 566 455 335 694 874 4,423 4,751 4,255 4,333 3,647 574 1,149 678 1,077 460 510 330 143 156 160 502 1,734 2,182 1,888 2,271 3,863 5,550 3,213 5,539 6,795 2,334 2,513 1,840 2,821 1,550 1,611 2,903 1,972 2,206 18,805 21,197 22,049 21,914 22,251 12,928 13,871 17,731 20,338 19,176 21,476 22,673 22,496 23,912 14,326 15,477 19,059 21,738 Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Hampshire County Council Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Royal Armouries Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Income Admissions (£000s) 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Table 11:Admissions income (including for temporary exhibitions) 34 Statistical analysis (£12.8 million), suggesting that institutions with large visitor numbers in London are best able to maximise their earnings from these sources. For the major regional museums included in this study, the potential for major trading income generation is clearly less. Tyne & Wear Museums and Birmingham are the leaders in terms of total yield, with £500,000 to £600,000 per annum in each case. The overall yield to the museums and galleries in the study is around £100 million a year. This figure is significantly more predictable than the ‘donations and sponsorship’ income totals considered above. However, the NAO study suggests there is little chance that surpluses on trading can realistically make more than a marginal contribution to core income. Income – admission charges The final category of income considered here is admission charges. For the DCMS-funded national museums and galleries, the government has implemented a policy of free admission that applies to core collections. Of course, the national institutions are still able to charge for one-off exhibitions. Regional museums and galleries operate their own local policies, but the vast majority maintain free admission. A number of regional museums are raising more in admission charges than some national bodies. For example, Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service generated admission charges income of over £700,000 in 2005-6. An odd consequence of the free admissions policy is that places where museum and gallery admissions might be expected to be lower (ie smaller cities and rural areas) find themselves generating more in such charges than some key national institutions with many overseas visitors. The government’s policy towards free admissions is well understood. However it is important to make clear that in the absence of the capacity to tap into the rising national spend on leisure and recreation, museums and galleries come under additional pressure to raise money from other sources. In this sense, the admission charges policy for national museums and galleries is very different from the recently adopted model for universities. In higher education, a means-tested fee is being introduced from the autumn of 2006 specifically designed to raise income from those who benefit from the provision. In the longer term, fee income will allow universities to take advantage of the earnings growth of graduates. Museums and galleries, unlike theatres, have virtually no equivalent capacity to generate income from the economic benefits they produce. Of course, there are some who argue for free admissions as an absolute right. The difficulty with this position is that it appears to condemn museums and galleries to a flow of public resources that is likely to decline in real terms over time. With little capacity to benefit from raising incomes, museums and galleries risk being badly left behind in the contest for national resources. Visitor numbers The number of visits to the major institutions examined in this report was over 42 million in 2005-6. The DCMS’s Taking Part survey (DCMS, 2005) suggests that 43 per cent of people visit a museum or gallery at least once a year, while the number shown in Table 12 is more than the attendance at the Premiership plus the whole of the rest of league football for 2004-05. It is 50 per cent more than the number of people who annually visit the West End and Broadway theatres combined. Tate has over six million visitors per annum, followed by the British Museum and the National Gallery with over four million. The National Museum of Science and Industry, the Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and Imperial War Museum each have between two and four million visitors. The regional museums and galleries are also mass attractions, with over 500,000 visitors to the Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives. Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery and Sheffield Museums and Galleries Trust and well over 1.5 million at Tyne & Wear Museums. Statistical analysis 35 These numbers suggest that Britain’s leading museums and galleries are part of the mass visitor attraction business. According to research by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, seven out of the top ten leading visitor attractions in the UK are national museums (ALVA, 2005). Table 13 makes this point by comparing a number of leading national museum visit numbers with those of major football clubs in the most recent year for which full numbers exist. The comparison is instructive. The major national museums and galleries have between three and four times as many visitors per year than even Manchester United. Of course, there is a charge for visiting a football match and they occur only once or twice a week. But the mass scale of visits to the national and regional hub museums is such that it must be seen as an enterprise with an equivalent economic and social importance, albeit with different cultural attributes. If the DCMS’s Taking Part statistics are compared with MORI research about interest in sport, the results are revealing. Whereas 43 per cent of the population have actually visited a museum or gallery within the past year (suggesting sufficient interest to make a trip to the institution concerned), MORI’s Tracking the Field research shows just 41 per cent of the population are ‘interested’ in football (MORI, 2005). The kinds of people visiting museums and galleries is changing. In evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee presented in January 2006 (MLA, 2006), the Museums Libraries and Archives Council provided evidence that the “Renaissance in the Regions policy, which has focused on increasing and developing wider audiences to regional museums” has had a number of beneficial effects.“Between 2002-03 and 2003-04 participation by socio-economic groups C2,D&Es and by black and minority ethnic groups who have traditionally not been active users of or visitors to museums increased by 15.2 per cent and 60 per cent respectively.” There has been a similar focus in DCMS institutions. Museums and galleries are delivering social as well as economic benefits to society. Above: Visitors enjoying an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum 36 Statistical analysis 700 1,005 778 788 698 553 660 599 540 251 432 455 449 489 492 495 548 553 256 251 262 403 381 340 330 356 240 275 280 302 259 285 291 320 242 248 231 131 261 301 279 316 314 193 195 195 368 433 503 481 505 1,153 1,155 1,056 1,166 1,450 1,278 1,342 1,674 1,569 2,635 3,316 3,279 3,391 3,934 3,688 3,929 4,217 3,969 88 95 98 101 106 108 104 104 108 1,050 661 854 1,110 1,250 1,330 1,290 1,320 1,430 739 718 661 690 1,430 1,278 1,222 1,318 1,344 4,488 4,368 4,589 4,813 4,624 4,622 4,778 4,485 1,374 1,372 1,609 1,608 1,980 1,966 2,056 1,907 299 333 338 371 312 363 382 557 375 4,865 4,800 5,000 4,780 4,859 4,100 4,648 4,900 3,953 470 480 860 800 1,000 1,208 1,365 1,518 1,512 2,250 2,158 2,831 2,822 3,061 4,260 4,270 3,816 3,577 916 832 792 710 952 1,237 1,526 1,538 1,608 950 990 1,000 1,220 1,480 1,320 1,426 1,469 1,528 1,778 1,806 1,702 1,636 2,188 2,921 3,012 3,230 3,309 335 218 235 338 398 394 433 395 3,034 2,483 6,783 5,528 6,333 6,215 6,293 6,412 1,416 1,438 1,217 1,342 1,863 2,533 2,669 2,472 2,196 14,821 23,542 23,794 28,798 30,787 33,993 35,110 35,800 34,138 17,456 26,858 27,073 32,188 34,721 37,681 39,040 40,017 38,107 Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Hampshire County Council Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Archives National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Royal Armouries Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Visitors Visitor numbers (000s) 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Table 12:Visitor numbers Total number of visits Statistical analysis 37 Table 13:Museum and gallery visit numbers and football club attendances, 2004-05 6,292,505 4,900,000 4,778,000 3,815,850 3,230,250 1,289,541 985,040 809,150 795,534 721,602 548,338 355,874 242,249 316,182 480,808 1,673,917 599,303 162,776 581,583 555,146 462,203 531,289 985,040 546,434 Tate National Gallery British Museum National Museum of Science & Industry Natural History Museum Manchester United Newcastle United Liverpool Chelsea Arsenal Regional Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Hampshire CC Museums & Archives Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Bristol Rovers Southampton Leicester City Norwich City Sheffield Wednesday Newcastle United Birmingham City National visitors/ attendance (Sources: (i) MLA/NMDC Questionnaire; (ii) www.football365.com) 38 Statistical analysis Visitors – overseas Data about overseas visitors is less easily available than for total attendance. Nevertheless, Table 14 suggests that in the years 2002-03 to 2005-06, there was a total of 10 to 11 million overseas visitors per year at the major institutions covered by this study. Although these numbers are predominantly generated by a small number of national institutions (for example, the British Museum, Tate, National Gallery and Natural History Museum) there is clear evidence that the number of overseas visitors to major cities outside Britain is increasing. National Museums Liverpool has seen its international visitor total rise from 49,000 to 112,000 within seven years. The implications of such large numbers of foreign visitors to major British museums and galleries are two-fold. First, it is clear that these institutions are a key element in Britain’s visitor ‘offer’. This point is supported by a number of surveys undertaken by VisitBritain. Given the relatively large expenditure by international visitors to the UK, the attribution of even a small part of the overall visitor spend to museums and galleries would be likely to run into hundreds of millions of pounds. In the NMDC’s Valuing Museums report, published in 2004, it was estimated that some £320 million per year was spent in the UK by overseas visitors solely as the result of the time they were willing to attribute to museums and galleries. This estimate has not been challenged and it appears likely that the slightly wider population of institutions considered in the current report will by now have exceeded this number. Thus, it seems realistic to assume that at least £350 million a year is now generated overseas visitors attracted by major museums and galleries. Visitors – website Table 15 shows the number of website visits to the major museums and galleries covered by this report. The total for 2005-06 is over 100 million. Several individual institutions had over ten million website visits and the National Archives achieved over 11 million. Among the major regional museums included in this study, Birmingham Museums & Galleries had 1.36 million website visits and Tyne & Wear museums 679,000. Museums and galleries have been successful in opening up their collections to wider public access. The question of what proportion of the museum or gallery’s holdings can be comprehensively available to website visitors is inevitably linked to the availability of resources. As internet services develop, the costs of maintaining attractive website access will doubtless increase. Staff, volunteers and ‘friends’ Table 16 shows the total number of staff employed, full and part-time, by the major museums and galleries within this report in 2004-05. There are almost 8,300 full-time staff, plus more than 1,100 part-timers. Institutions have just under 3,000 volunteers and over 140,000 ‘friends’. The staff totals, showing about nine and a half thousand employees, suggest that major museums and galleries will be significant contributors to the local and regional economy where they are located. Thus, for example, the 219 full-time staff at Tyne & Wear Museums or the 481 at National Museums Liverpool will represent a significant group within the local economy, cascading spending power into neighbourhoods well beyond the institution itself. But these employees will also include a number of key ‘knowledge economy’ workers of the kind much prized in economic regeneration studies. Along with university staff, public sector managers and senior private sector employees, museums and galleries employ many of the kind of creative and educated individuals associated with economic success by academics such as Richard Florida. In his book The Rise of the Creative Class, Florida (Florida, 2002) argued that economic progress in a city can be linked to the proportion of ‘creatives’ within its population. Statistical analysis 39 6 4 4 11 19 22 10 13 14 12 11 12 15 19 30 52 39 12 11 12 15 19 57 88 79 30 21 14 43 86 69 157 141 98 67 2,800 2,647 2,404 2,496 2,389 2,242 632 560 560 670 540 589 540 475 136 149 130 109 163 187 211 2,400 2,500 2,400 2,400 2,100 2,324 1,700 1,502 222 420 408 472 480 495 827 802 420 364 245 380 672 1,189 622 612 50 47 43 57 49 107 108 113 80 219 244 444 390 366 272 331 522 482 581 1,475 957 1,028 905 1,794 1,921 2,155 2,514 887 863 932 4,024 4,781 7,381 7,918 10,238 11,636 10,729 10,536 4,036 4,792 7,392 7,932 10,258 11,693 10,817 10,616 Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Archives Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Visitors Overseas visitors (000s) 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 Table 14:Overseas visitors 40 Statistical analysis 1,359,047 152,491 240,429 102,692 208,026 135,520 678,897 2,877,102 11,963,644 3,900,000 1,292,733 8,755,000 7,787,302 1,637,486 6,754,100 7,427,214 12,634,572 4,338,588 7,440,000 11,002,569 233,652 8,000,000 11,580,600 104,747,460 107,624,562 Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Hampshire County Council Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Archives National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Royal Armouries Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Visitors No. of unique website visits 2005/06 Table 15:Website visits Statistical analysis 41 68 26 250 75 550 73 56 0 143 0 43 18 2 61 350 94 48 15 195 195 71 34 0 10 824 219 71 26 285 1,836 568 253 293 769 3,755 507 93 60 150 534 368 116 0 183 7,900 506 95 168 35 1,092 947 35 43 350 13,010 556 115 193 1,000 5,049 349 57 20 0 15,000 376 48 27 0 355 116 0 50 3,211 756 54 0 243 1,804 481 54 0 264 2,400 206 (FTE) 759 (FTE) 85 218 6,000 160 50 0 4 0 660 0 0 90 72,798 667 80 400 210 12,354 7,653 913 996 2,797 141,152 8,221 1,166 1,289 3,566 144,907 Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Hampshire County Council* Leicester City Museums Service Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Tyne & Wear Museums Subtotal – regional museums National Archives National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London* National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry* National Museums Liverpool National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum* Royal Armouries Tate Victoria and Albert Museum Subtotal – national museums TOTAL Institutions Staff Full-time Part-time Other Volunteers Friends Table 16:Staff, volunteers and friends * 2004/05 figures The 143,000 ‘friends’ or equivalent supporters are important for a different reason. These individuals represent a major voluntary input not just into a museum or gallery, but into civil society more generally. At a time when national politicians are concerned about the loss of trust in government and many State institutions, the willingness of such a relatively large number of people to become involved in a major museum or gallery is useful evidence of the capacity of public institutions to engage citizens in a positive way. Museums and galleries probably have skills here that are of wider benefit to society. Area of operations and the need for renovation The questionnaire sent to museums and galleries asked them to state the amount of space they occupy and how much of this is judged to be in need of significant renovation. The results are shown in the chart below. Alarmingly, over one-third of all the space in use in major museums and galleries covered by this report is deemed ‘in need of significant renovation’. In a number of individual institutions, notably National Museums Scotland, National Museum Wales, Imperial War Museum and Leicester City Museums Service, around half or more of their space is in need of renovation. Without investment in their infrastructure museums are forced to work less effectively and efficiently than they are capable of, because buildings and services constraints hinder achievement of optimum performance. Area renovated since 1995 Area currently in need of significant renovation Area not in need of renovation Loans and publications Table 17 below provides numbers of artefacts loaned by museums and galleries to other institutions within Britain or overseas. A key element in allowing a wider population to access the collections held in major institutions is the possibility of sending exhibits to be viewed elsewhere. The, incomplete,data shown in Table 17 below suggests that at least 180,000 exhibits were loaned in 2004-05. Many of these loans were small items from the Natural History Museum whose prodigious loan activities, albeit often to individual researchers, are extraordinary. But many other regional and national institutions are sending artefacts to locations locally, nationally and overseas. The maps on the following pages show a full list of the locations visited by museum and gallery exhibits during 2004-05. National Archives National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London* National Gallery National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool* Natural History Museum Tate * Victoria and Albert Museum TOTAL Institutions Loans No. of objects loaned in UK 2005/06 No. of objects loaned internationally 2005/06 Table 17:Loans – UK and International * 2004/05 figures 65 4 2,540 70 26,175 13,661 1,868 1,692 380 81 106 170 215 43 105 23 605 29 23,080 47,403 393 723 2,587 400 58,263 64,532 26% 34% 40% Statistical analysis 43 UK venues to which objects were loaned in 2004/2005 Towns and cities where objects from collections were loaned in 2004/2005 Statistical analysis 45 46 Statistical analysis Table 18 also provides a summary of the number of publications from individuals based in museums and galleries. Overall, more than 1,400 academic or similar publications were recorded during 2004-05. This total is an important indicator of the continuing importance of the serious academic and expert contributions made by institutions and their staff. The basic facts and figures about Britain’s major museums and galleries covered by this report reveal a cultural sub-sector with a very wide reach. It is evident that institutions have been able to evolve into mass tourist attractions while retaining their original educational and curatorial expertise. The precise nature of the relationship between the large public-facing museums and galleries and the complex science of maintaining exhibits and promoting scholarship cannot be ignored. There is a clear danger that the many demands placed on institutions will, unless resources rise to match expectations, undermine traditional scholarship. It is not impossible to do many different things simultaneously. However it will be increasingly costly to do so. Economic impact In recent years, many studies of the arts and cultural institutions have attempted to estimate the scale of economic activity represented by either a sector, a sub-sector or an individual institution. A major starting-point for such studies is the Policy Studies Institute’s pioneering 1988 study The Economic Impact of the Arts in Britain (Myerscough, 1988). Subsequently, there have been analyses of key sectors, such as heritage, and individual one-off events such as the Eden Project (Jasper, 2002). In Valuing Museums, an earlier report on major museums and galleries (NMDC, 2004), it was estimated that the full economic impact of the museums and galleries (including their direct expenditure, spending by visitors and indirect/ induced effects) was in the range £1.83 billion to £2.07 billion. The ‘population’ studied in the 48 105 109 194 20 65 69 84 26 35 56 613 80 130 1,398 National Archives National Museums of Scotland Amgueddfa Cymru British Museum Imperial War Museum Museum of London* National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool* National Portrait Gallery* Natural History Museum Tate * Victoria and Albert Museum TOTAL Institutions Publications No. of publications 2005/06 Table 18:Publications * 2004/05 figures Statistical analysis 47 current report is rather different. It excludes some DCMS-funded bodies, but includes several key regional museum services. The expenditure of the 2006 institutions is slightly less than those studied in 2004, though with the exception of the British Library, the major bodies covered in 2004 are in the 2006 study. Critiques of economic impact studies (eg, University of Durham, 2000) have pointed to both the advantages and also the limitations of economic impact studies. Such research may provide important insights into the overall scale of a sector. On the other hand, there are problems associated with the different multipliers used to estimate wider economic effects. There must also be a risk of double-counting of the same economic activity. Moreover, as Section 2 of this report suggested, new kinds of analysis are being undertaken to assess the value the public attaches to cultural and arts institutions. Nevertheless, if the turnover of the institutions covered in this report were subject to the same further calculations as those made for the 2004 study, the overall economic impact would be very similar. The predicted expenditure by visitors will, if anything, have risen with growth in the national and international economy. International visitors, who tend to spend significantly more than British ones, have increasingly ventured into the core cities as well as London. The, relatively conservative, multipliers used in the 2004 report would be no less appropriate than before. The overall economic impact of the institutions covered by this report is likely, therefore, to be in the range £1.5 to £2 billion. That is, the ancillary effects of visitor spending and indirect/induced impacts are likely to be slightly more than double the turnover of the sub-sector. Of course, the full museums and galleries sub-sector, as measured by MLA, has a turnover of about £900 million, so the full economic impact will almost certainly be in excess of £2 billion per year. Productivity The Chancellor commissioned Sir Peter Gershon to produce a major report on the scope for efficiency within the public sector. Museums and galleries, in common with other central and local government-funded bodies, are expected to deliver efficiencies. In the 2005-2008 Efficiency Target Technical Note published by DCMS, one of the targets set is to increase the numbers accessing museums’ and galleries’ collections by two per cent by 2008. The Note comments that a number of museums and galleries have already made significant efficiency savings and redirected resources to frontline services. In the ‘Efficiency Programme Projects’ section of the Note, one of the criteria for success is “getting more outputs or improved quality... for the same inputs” or “for an increase in resources that is proportionately less than the increase in output or quality”. The evidence of recent years, as suggested by Table 7 (grant-in-aid) and Table 12 (visitor numbers), is that the number of visits to institutions has risen faster than grants. Over the period 1998-99 to 2005-06 (with full sets of data for both years), the number of visits to national museums was up 52 per cent, while direct government funding rose by 41 per cent (in cash) – implying a major and sustained productivity gain in the terms suggested by the Technical Note. The previous achievement of expansion ahead of grant-in-aid rises may, of course, make further productivity gains more difficult to achieve. Institutions with millions of annual visitors can, presumably, only expand so far within their existing structures and staff totals. However, there is no doubt that recent evidence suggests museums and galleries have been effective at delivering productivity improvements. Past investment allowed such improvements to occur and could, presumably do so again in the future. 48 Statistical analysis Right: Victoria and Albert Museum Notes on discrepancies between total income and total expenditure (Tables 1 and 6) Leicester City Museums Service 1995/96 to 1997/98 n/a = Leicester City Museums Service came in to being following Local Government re organisation in April 1997. 04/05 and 05/06 mismatch of income to expenditure due to more capital expenditure than capital income received. Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service These figures have been compiled from a number of sources. The Operating Expenditure is made up of Norfolk County Council revenue accounts and also external partnership funding which is accounted for separately. The difference between total income and total expenditure may also be due to income received in one year being spent in subsequent financial years. Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Differences between total income and total expenditure are used by the Trust to build up reserves to be used on future projects, the use of these reserves on those projects, and to build up a general reserve to protect the Trust in times where income falls below expectations. An £18 million project to refurbish Weston Park Museum was begun in 2003, and has lead to increased funding as a result. At end of March 2005 £976,000 had been received in advance of capital expenditure on Weston Park Museum and was included in the Trust’s reserves. Tyne & Wear Museums The additional expenditure is Capital Expenditure and was finance from Europe, Trust Funds and Foundations. National Archives These figures are reconciled to the Incoming Resources and Resources Expended line of our statutory accounts. The difference is due to: Donated Assets; Depreciation; Pension Finance Costs; Capitalised expenditure (including capitalised heritage assets) and the difference between accrued expenditure financed from grant in aid (which itself is not accrued) and grant transfers (deducted from both income and expenditure). British Museum Over the period 1997/98 to 2001/02 differences reflect the timing of expenditure on the Great Court. Difference in 2002/03 reflects profit on sale of a building and in 2004/05 VAT recovery. Museum of London Timing differences for large archaeological and capital projects. National Gallery The National Gallery’s catering and retail operations are outsourced, and these figures therefore represent net catering and retail income. Gross figures would be between £5m and £10m higher. National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI) In 1995-96 NMSI Trading Ltd was not consolidated with the NMSI accounts but figures included show it consolidated on a consistent basis with later years. Tate Linked to phasing of capital income and expenditure and movement on reserves. Victoria and Albert Museum Caveats about comparability and special factors in particular years apply: e.g. Apsley House included in early years; Museum of Childhood closed Oct 05-Nov 06. South Kensington only series included as they often go back further than for branch museums. Estimates given where they could be based on reasonable assumptions about data available. 4 HOW MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES DELIVER WIDER BENEFITS Britain’s leading museums and galleries are involved with a wide range of institutions throughout the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Their engagements are at many levels and are designed to use collections and expertise for a number of benefits. Some of these benefits will relate directly to central or local government programmes and expectations. Others are influenced by longer term partnerships or support requirements of international scholarship and subject research. A number have resulted from the needs of local residents. This section of the report examines a number of the initiatives and programmes undertaken by leading museums and galleries. Not all the institutions are represented. Rather, the purpose is to provide a wide range of projects and to show the ways institutions feed their expertise into society. A number of the projects involve the media or heavily promoted exhibitions and were designed to allow the widest possible access to museum and gallery collections. Regional and national institutions regularly collaborate on projects. A number of initiatives of this kind are shown on the following pages. The main types of project exemplified have the following characteristics or purposes: - providing the country, a city or county with an understanding of its history; - working with the media to promote exhibitions and therefore to propagate ideas, debate or knowledge; - initiatives for schools and young people to attract them into museums and galleries; - programmes for new citizens to provide a stepping-stone into British culture and life; - encouraging intergenerational links and understanding; - helping the government deliver educational or social initiatives; - working with other public, private and voluntary bodies to promote economic or social objectives; - reacting to current affairs and providing a context for analysis; - promoting British ideas and creativity overseas; - understanding how museums and galleries can better link to a changing population in a rapidlydeveloping and competitive world. A number of projects may pursue two or more of these objectives in parallel. Each of the case studies in the following section of this report describe one or more programmes or projects from a national or regional museum or gallery. 50 Delivering wider benefits Delivering wider benefits 51 Case studies British Museum 1 – A response to Iraq Responding to an international situation The British Museum highlighted the danger to the antiquities of Mesopotamia at the outbreak of war with Iraq and again after the looting of the Baghdad Museum, the illegal excavation of the archaeological sites and irreparable damage to the site of Babylon (reported in 2005). Working with colleagues in Iraq the Museum has consistently drawn attention to these issues resulting in international media coverage on an unprecedented scale. The museum organised programmes of exchange and training for Iraqi colleagues and a wide-ranging public programme in London – conferences, lectures, gallery talks, a Guardian debate etc – and around the UK with the tour of the Queen of the Night. This shows how the museum can play a crucial role in deepening public understanding of contemporary issues by placing them in their historical context. 2 – A programme for Africa An approach to international relations The British Museum, as lead partner in Africa 2005, organised a very extensive programme of exhibitions, events, debates etc in London, the tour of the Throne of Weapons throughout the UK and the programme of loans to Africa including the first ever exhibition curated by an African using the Museum’s African Collection. The Commission for Africa Report was launched at the British Museum with the Prime Minister, Tony Blair. The Museum developed a partnership with the BBC on behalf of all of the Africa 05 partners (approximately 60) across all channels and all platforms including online. The British Museum also worked with the BBC to host the last ever Ground Force programme, building an African Garden at the Museum and partnered again with the BBC for Africa Live. Sir Bob Geldof and Chancellor Gordon Brown both attended the public-facing day of fantastic free events for all ages which included dance, music performance, workshops, and gallery talks. This partnership is widely regarded as groundbreaking and a model for future collaboration. It also helped people understand Africa as a place of rich cultural achievement beyond the stories in the main headlines. Africa Live 2005 – The African Childrens Choir on stage at the British Museum Conservator Karen Birkhoelzer with visiting Iraqi curators at the British Museum 52 Delivering wider benefits Imperial War Museum 1 – Their Past Your Future Touring and on-line exhibitions across the UK Their Past Your Future,(TPYF) is a national initiative led by the Imperial War Museum developing a touring exhibition and providing funding for events and publicity to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Between February 2005 and March 2006 nine touring exhibitions visited 70 venues throughout the UK. Over 2 million people visited the exhibitions. In all, 117 museums, libraries and archives partnered with over 188 local community groups and organisations to run over 1,000 educational activities for people of all generations. An online version of the exhibition (which can be viewed at www.theirpast-yourfuture.org.uk) was launched in July 2005. The TPYF exhibition formed part of the Living Museum in St James’s Park during Veterans’ Awareness Week at the beginning of July. St James’s Park received some 85,000 visitors, of which over a thousand people left their reflections and memories of the Second World War for inclusion in the project’s Reflections Wall. Research commissioned to evaluate the response to the exhibition has provided very positive feedback. The full evaluation report is available on the project’s website, and www.biglotteryfund.org.uk After seeing the Their Past Your Future touring exhibition over 1000 people contributed their thoughts and tributes to the Reflections Wall at The Living Museum, July 2005 Delivering wider benefits 53 2 – Partners in Time A collaboration between national and regional museums Patners in Time is an outreach programme in partnership between IWM Duxford (lead museum), Norfolk Museums Services and Suffolk Museums. It has been jointly funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Department for Education and Skills (DfES). Groups have the opportunity to visit museums which they may not have considered visiting in the past due to lack of funds, lack of knowledge of the collections and perceived lack of relevance to their studies. This project focuses on areas of deprivation and is aimed at children of 5-18 years of age. The objectives for the project are: - To deliver activities supporting both History and Science and Technology elements of the National Curriculum by means of outreach and museum visits. - To break down the barriers to participation to cultural life that are present or perceived for people who feel isolated due to their geographical, social, ethnic or economic origins. - To create a commitment from schools to making more use of museums and to make this relationship sustainable. - To raise levels of attainment in schools, some of which are in areas considered to be deprived according to national standards. - To tackle rural isolation and low educational aspirations. American Air Museum at Imperial War Museum Duxford which stands as a memorial to the 30,000 Americans killed while flying from bases in the UK during the Second World War. It is an award winning building, designed by Lord Foster 54 Delivering wider benefits Leicester City Museums Service 1 – Leicester and Me A programme of eleven events celebrating different heritages This project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund, was managed in partnership with the Friends of Leicester and Leicestershire Museums. It enabled this traditional supporters organisation to become involved in our work across a wide range of communities. A two-year programme of internal and outreach activities culminated in a ‘Celebration of Cultures’, a unique inter-cultural museum event, at which the steering group was represented:The Friends of Leicester and Leicestershire Museums Service, The Friends of Jewry Wall Museum, Guru Nanak Sikh Museum, The Refugee Sports Development project, Leicester Masaya Link Group, Pakistan Youth and Community Centre, the Chinese Community Centre, Highfields Youth and Community Centre, Leicester African Caribbean Arts Forum, Leicester Black History Season, The Beltane Spring Fayre Group. 2 – Engaging Refugees and Asylum Seekers Supporting refugee and asylum seekers by facilitating access to museum services and learning opportunities This project was developed in partnership with the National Museums of Liverpool, Tyne & Wear Museums and Salford Museums as part of the DCMS and DfES museums and galleries education programme which encouraged regional and national partnership working. Activities include school sessions, workshops, a conference, an exhibition and training sessions for museum staff, and refugees and asylum seekers now routinely attend many mainstream museum events. The project has so far worked with over 700 refugees and asylum seekers. Further funding has been secured from the Baring Foundation (until October 2007) and from the DCMS/DfES (until March 2007). Drama workshop,part of the Leicester City Museums Service Engaging Refugees and Asylum Seekers project Chinese calligraphy at the Leicester City Museums Service Leicester and Me project National Gallery 1 – Line of Vision Line of Vision: A multi-phased creative art programme for Looked after Children (teenagers). Line of Vision started three years ago and to date has involved partnerships between the National Gallery and seven London social services departments, a consultant Art Therapist and professional artists. Experienced participants are encouraged to mentor those visiting for the first time, and in the instance of one young person, this role has led to a full-time job as Youth Participation Worker for Waltham Forest Social Services. Others have been inspired to undertake Arts related formal education courses. Delivering wider benefits 55 3 – My Story My Leicester A travelling exhibition for community venues Funding was secured from Leicester’s Neighbourhood Renewal Fund to develop transportable cases and an exhibition to tour the most deprived neighbourhoods in the city. The first exhibition, showing the different festivals celebrated in the city, was developed Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre’s elders group working with a local primary school. The cases have so far toured seven neighbourhoods. They are on show at sports centres, libraries and schools, and a programme of events is held at each venue working with local schools and elders groups. Young people, all from children’s homes or foster families, participating in one of the National Gallery’s Line of Vision workshops 56 Delivering wider benefits 2 – The Raphael exhibition A major exhibition leads to significant ‘export’ benefits Raphael exhibition:This was the first major exhibition of paintings and drawings by the great Renaissance painter Raphael to be held in Britain, and indeed the most comprehensive showing of his paintings ever held anywhere. The Gallery’s Communications department worked successfully to generate extensive media coverage of Raphael as the ‘must-see’ event for autumn 2004, raising the profile of both the Gallery and London itself as a major destination for the arts. There was also excellent exposure on radio and TV, including BBC 10 o’clock News and Channel 4 news as well as inclusion in Channel 5’s popular show ‘Tim Marlow on…’ and a documentary on BBC1 entitled Raphael: A Mortal God. Attendance figures for the exhibition totalled 231,000, including around 40,000 visitors from overseas: a vital contribution to sustaining tourism in a period of international uncertainty, and particularly impressive as the exhibition ran over the winter months outside of the peak tourist season. These attendance figures demonstrate the popularity of the exhibition, but an Economic Impact Survey carried out by MEW Research goes further and suggests that a large number of these visitors would not otherwise have come to London. The survey indicated that for 59% of all visitors Raphael was the main reason for making their trip to London that day. The Raphael exhibition at The National Gallery Delivering wider benefits 57 Natural History Museum (NHM) 1 – SYNTHESYS International collaboration and research on the natural world In 2004, 20 European natural history museums and botanic gardens, led by the Natural History Museum, London were successful in securing a multi-million EU funded grant, called SYNTHESYS. This five-year grant comprises two parts which together aim to create an integrated European infrastructure for researchers in the natural sciences. Part 1 – Access: enables researchers based in Europe to access the earth and life science collections, facilities and taxonomic expertise at 20 institutions in 11 countries. Part 2 – Networking Activities: focused on creating a single ‘virtual’ museum service: Complementarity brings together information on the strengths of each institution’s collections and expertise, leading to a coordinated European development plan. Standards sets standards for the long-term preservation and access to the collections, and will assess the collections to identify priorities for improvement through mechanisms such as training courses. Databases coordinates the development of collection databases across Europe to create an integrated, European collection system. New collections (such as tissue samples for molecular study) establishes common policies and methodologies. New analytical methods assesses techniques from other disciplines, such as the use of the medical imaging technique of CT (Computed Tomography) scans, and assess how they might be applied to natural history. A SYNTHESYS visitor from Spain using the Natural History Museum Analytical Imaging Facilities 58 Delivering wider benefits 2 – Ground-breaking minerals research International cooperation and exchanges with emerging economies The Centre for Russian and Central Asian Mineral Studies (CERCAMS) at the Natural History Museum, London, serves the international mineral deposits community as a centre for research into geodynamics and metallogenesis. The Centre pursues cutting edge research into mineral deposits through grant-funded doctoral, post-doctoral and academic researchers. CERCAMS has attracted funding from several industry Patrons. Patronage payments support short-term research fellowships visits to the NHM by colleagues from Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. These collaborations result in research papers, reports, maps and other outputs which are vital to the emerging economies of the region. Major research projects on ore deposits are underway and expert fieldtrips and workshops are regularly organised. CERCAMS has led to a significant increase in contract income for mining consultancy and effective interaction with academic partners in Russia and Central Asia. Exploration geologists in the open pit of the giant Muruntau gold deposit, Kyzylkum, Uzbekistan, at an expert trip guided through CERCAMS Delivering wider benefits 59 National Museums Liverpool (NML) 1 – Sculpture Conservation Technologies (SCT) Selling skills and promoting knowledge SCT been formed from National Museum Liverpool’s department of Sculpture Conservation and Laser Technology who have developed their research and commercial activities with the assistance from DCMS (Public Sector Research Exploitation grant). Conservation Technologies has developed core activities of laser cleaning, laser scanning and non-contact replication to improve best practice in the field of monuments and sculpture conservation. They have developed laser training courses, haptic interactive systems as well as new products using artefacts from museum collections. Conservation Technologies partners include councils, other museums, government bodies as well as national and international organisations and private collectors with the added benefits of knowledge transfer, income generation, accessibility to NML’s collections and publicity which raises the profile of NML and its departments. National Museums Liverpool: Up Close at the Lady Lever Art Gallery 60 Delivering wider benefits 2 – Liverpool Slavery Remembrance Initiative Connecting a city to its history This initiative is a partnership of National Museums Liverpool, Liverpool City Council, and individuals from the local black community. The partnership promotes Slavery Remembrance Day on 23 August each year, and the need for improved opportunities to learn about the Transatlantic Slave Trade and address its contemporary legacy, whether through schools or adult and community learning programmes. As a result, Slavery Remembrance Day has now been adopted as an annual civic event in Liverpool. This is very closely associated with the development of the International Slavery Museum, the UK’s major physical legacy of 2007 and the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British slave trade, a celebration of international importance. Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service (NMAS) 1 – The Imagine Outreach Project Working with young children The Imagine Outreach Project, initiated by Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service at the Ancient House Museum Thetford in 2000, was a two-year project which supported innovative museum outreach work with young children in the Thetford area, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). This imaginative work has been sustained with grant from the Sainsbury’s Monument Trust to provide an ongoing educational programme, now under the auspices of the locally based Keystone Development Trust and in partnership with NMAS. 2 – Intangible Heritage Working with young offenders Great Yarmouth Museums working in partnership with the Seachange Trust and the Youth Offending Team delivered an HFL project in 2005 called ‘Intangible Heritage’. As part of their Reparation Programme a group of young offenders participated in a filmmaking project focusing on the fishing industry. The participants carried out oral history interviews with older people and used the Time and Tide Museum as inspiration and as a research facility, producing an animation/film based on their oral history recordings and archive images. Delivering wider benefits 61 National Museum of Science and Industry 1 – Locomotion Promoting economic regeneration and tourism in the North East The development of Locomotion, The National Railway Museum at Shildon will provide a reason for visiting Shildon and create a major new tourist attraction of national importance. The attraction will add to the critical mass of tourist attractions within the region, complementing other attractions in the area such as the Darlington Railway Museum and the Darlington to Bishop Auckland Heritage Line. This project will make a significant contribution to the economic regeneration of Shildon and build upon the work already carried out there by the Shildon SRB Partnership. The introduction of tourism within the town will assist to diversify the local economy and create jobs. City of Truro visits Locomotion for its 2006 steam party event 62 Delivering wider benefits 2 – Creative Canals Science and Industrial history for schools and communities An educational project delivering to schools and community groups (60+ age groups and ESOL – English for speakers of other languages); 20 groups in all this year. The project is a partnership between the Science Museum, a floating classroom on the Regents Canal (Beauchamp Lodge Settlement) and the London Canal Museum. The programme includes a visit (with show) to the school or community group, a trip on the floating classroom, beginning with a visit to the Canal Museum, and a hosted visit to the Science Museum. Many of the adults and children involved in the Creative Canals project this year had never been on a boat or canal before. The project offered them the chance to experience their own locality from a new perspective and combine this with memorable learning opportunities. Participants in the Creative Canals project on the floating classroom Delivering wider benefits 63 Tate 1 – Sure Start Working to deliver a government programme Sure Start is a Government initiative that works to improve the quality of life for families with children under five. Sure Start works in designated high-deprivation wards across the country. Services are delivered by teams of professionals from Health, Education, Social Services and the voluntary sector. Tate Britain’s unique Sure Start programme, Big and Small, uses Tate’s Collection as a starting point for creative engagement and to improve early education for local children and families. Over five hundred local families from diverse social, ethnic and economic backgrounds have taken part in the weekly programme, which uses an extensive variety of artists’ materials and provides real experiences through multisensory approaches learning across the early years curriculum. The programme is devised by a team of artists and educators at Tate Britain alongside the skills and expertise of the South Westminster Sure Start team. 2 – A Picture of Britain A major series of television programmes A Picture of Britain, developed by BBC producers and Tate Britain curators comprised a Tate Britain exhibition and major BBC programming – the centrepiece of which is a landmark six-part BBC One series presented by David Dimbleby. It explored how the British landscape has inspired artists for three hundred years and how these artists have come to define how we view the landscape. Tate Britain, Sure Start – Making surrealist costumes in the Paris Experiment Display 2006 64 Delivering wider benefits Tyne & Wear Museums 1 – ‘Clued Up’ Working with refugees and asylum seekers ‘Clued Up’ was part of the national and regional museum education partnership programme (funded by DCMS and DfES) to engage with Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Sunderland. A key element of ‘Clued Up’ was the production of a DVD produced by young refugees who took part in weekly film making sessions led by a documentary film maker. During the process the young people learnt techniques of lighting, editing and scriptwriting and decided on the content of their film. Their aim was to produce a film for other local young people that illustrated what it is to be a refugee or asylum seeker in Sunderland. They filmed discussions that took place over a meal between refugees and asylum seekers about their situations, what they have left behind and their feelings about being in Sunderland. The film was launched at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens in 2005 in partnership with the Youth Participation Team in Sunderland. The film is being used by Sunderland City Council to take into schools and show to local children for discussion about issues of asylum and community integration. The North East Refugee Service (NERS) is also using the film as part of its community integration work. The film is shown during monthly awareness-raising training with community groups in Sunderland. NERS has commented during evaluation that because it is set in Sunderland it has an immediate impact for discussion with local people. A young actress being filmed for ‘Clued Up’ Delivering wider benefits 65 2 - PlayTyne Gallery A project for the under sevens PlayTyne is an interactive water play gallery designed specifically for 7-year-olds and under. Based on model of the River Tyne basin, the water tank features opening bridges, lock gates and cranes and was created to provide a space for young families and nurseries where children could learn through play. Since opening, the Gallery has been in regular use by family visitors and organised nursery and reception school groups. The area has been used for storytelling sessions and it was used as the focus for a major family project called ‘Flapjack the Pirate’. Flapjack was created in 2004 during family learning week; children used PlayTyne as an inspiration to create a story and artwork which is now displayed in the gallery. PlayTyne has also inspired many water-themed family holiday activities as well as regular pirate days and craft activities. 3 – Social Impact of Museums Identifying the opportunities for social impacts This project was led by Tyne & Wear Museums (TWM) with collaboration from Bristol’s Museums Galleries & Archives (BMGA) and support from the North East Museums Libraries and Archives Council (now MLA North East). This project investigated demonstrable social impacts of the work of museums. The study comprised three main elements: 1. A literature review of recent published material relating to impact measurement and evaluation. 2. An analysis of audience data collected by TWM and BMGA between 1998 – 2003 as part of a Group for Large Local Authority Museums (GLLAM) benchmarking exercise. 3. Post-evaluation of 7 TWM/BMGA projects/ programmes that took place between 1999 and 2004. Post-evaluation took the form of focus group sessions and interviews with people who took part in the original projects. The results indicated that museums can have a social impact and these results are feeding in directly to national initiatives including the development of a new set of Generic Social Outcome indicators by MLA. Visitors enjoying the PlayTyne Gallery 66 Delivering wider benefits Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) 1 – Brilliant: promoting contemporary design Connecting designers, makers and the public to promote design Brilliant, the V&A exhibition of contemporary lighting (Feb-Apr 2004) exerted considerable influence and initiated fruitful relationships between the museum, designers, design students, manufacturers and clients. It generated many sales for the participating designers and helped to launch emerging practitioners: for example, Sharon Marston, who makes individual works to commission, reckoned it led to at least two years’ worth of work. The curator was consulted by the organisers of several subsequent design events, such as the 100% East Design Festival and the British Council for their touring exhibition of contemporary lighting, and contributed to design student projects/works at the Royal College of Art and Buckinghamshire Chilterns University. Students of the latter turned lighting into performance art by creating wearable lighting for, and on, visitors to a V&A Friday Late event. Brilliant exemplified the V&A’s aim of connecting designers, makers and the public at the cutting edge of contemporary art and design. Tord Boontje installation for ‘Brilliant’ exhibition, V&A Museum, 2004 Delivering wider benefits 67 2 – Vivienne Westwood Promoting British creativity to the world Vivienne Westwood’s clothes are often overtly influenced by historical costume, a result of her study of collections at the V&A (and other museums) – not just costume collections, but also, for example, paintings and furniture. Her ‘Cut and Slash’ collection of spring/summer 1991 was a result of studying 17th century costume at the V&A. She has also featured accurately-observed corsetry and 19th century men’s tailoring. The V&A presented a major retrospective exhibition,Vivienne Westwood (April - July 2004: 171,000 visits), that has since toured to Canberra, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo, Dusseldorf and Bangkok and was visited by over half a million visitors worldwide. The exhibition will continue to tour to at least three further international venues in the US and Europe before being shown in Sheffield, making it a highly successful showcase for UK culture and the creative industries. 3 – BBC programmes on Modernism Working with the BBC to promote an exhibition As a result of research for the Modernism exhibitions (V&A, 6 April - 23 July 2006), BBC2 decided to produce a series of four programmes entitled “Marvels of the Modern World”. The BBC’s Development Department used the expertise of V&A Curators to ‘pitch’ the idea and, once it was accepted, V&A staff were regularly consulted by the producer and researchers to develop the story and write the scripts. Programmes aired from May 2006 while an exhibition is running at the V&A. Vivienne Westwood poster on a tuk tuk taxi in Bangkok, Thailand (promoting the exhibition at Thailand Creative and Design Centre, Bangkok) 68 Delivering wider benefits Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales 1 – On Common Ground Engaging disadvantaged young people On Common Ground, a social inclusion project aimed at 16-24 year olds in disadvantaged areas in communities across Wales, involved young people themselves addressing why this age group don’t traditionally engage with heritage and museums. The participants were involved in designing a variety of initiatives to interest their peers in heritage and museums. The outputs included websites, videos, travelling displays, artwork, trails, and a publication ‘Participatory Techniques for Use with Young People’. This guide, which was originally commissioned to train project participants, appears on the Dysg Website (counterpart to the Learning and Skills Development Agency in England; http://www.dysg.org.uk/research/project04.asp) and is now more widely used. More recently, with major funding from the European Social Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund, the emphasis of On Common Ground has shifted towards developing the skills of young people, encouraging and enabling them to access further education and/or work opportunities. The project is being subject to detailed external evaluation. http://oncommonground.co.uk On Common Ground – ‘Skools Out’ and Antic Youth Theatre Project, Summer 2005 Delivering wider benefits 69 2 – Cyfoeth Cymru Gyfan: Sharing Treasures A national partnership programme National Museum Wales has a comprehensive Partnerships Programme involving other learning institutions, the tourism industry, commercial enterprises and, of course, the Museum’s collections. The programme includes ‘Cyfoeth Cymru Gyfan: Sharing Treasures’, a pilot programme with Carmarthenshire Museum, Pontypool Museum, Wrexham Museum, Oriel Ynys Mon, and Brecknock Museum and Art Gallery. This programme is now being developed and in future CyMAL (Museums, Libraries and Archives Wales) plans to promote participation in the scheme as partners both to those venues taking part in the pilots and to other venues. Partners will be able to devise medium-term strategies to enable the improvement of presentation of the Museum’s loan material. This will continue the promotion of high standards and a collaborative approach to presentation, and further enhance the availability of the Museum’s loans. Cyfoeth Cymru Gyfan: Sharing Treasures – Installation of objects from Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales’ Japanware collection at Pontypool Museum 5 LINKS BETWEEN MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES AND WIDER SOCIETY Links to wider society 71 In common with most public and semi-public institutions, museums and galleries have a wider role in society. That is, they engage with a number of institutions that are directly or indirectly concerned with what in recent years has come to be described as ‘civil society’. The reasons for such engagement is relatively obvious, but has only recently been given any serious consideration. The think tank Demos, for example, has recently prepared a report on Knowledge and Inspiration: the Democratic Face of Culture. In this publication, the authors argue “the sector [museums, libraries and archives] also facilitates political engagement, enabling the expression of new forms of identity through new channels and platforms”. And also they enable “reflection across time, as well as geography, and give us the opportunity to think of contemporary issues afresh”. Museums and galleries, it is stated, have become “ever more entrepreneurial” in providing people with the places and ideas where they can develop their identity. To fulfil this wider civil society role, institutions have had to look outwards. Of course, many individual employees of museums and galleries have long played a full role in professional and expert bodies. But in recent years, there has been an increasing corporate willingness to take part in partnerships, networks, regeneration programmes, local promotional initiatives and an array of other activities. Importantly, museums and galleries have increasingly opened their doors to become ‘civic space’ where people can meet and develop ideas. This report takes, as examples, a selection of civil society connections in four leading museums and galleries. It should be stressed that these institutions are used solely to demonstrate the width and depth of what is being done. Each of the selected institutions has provided information about partnerships, board memberships and other key linkages. The resulting lists suggest an incredible set of links and involvement with wider society. See the detailed list for each institution below. The Natural History Museum has links to hundreds of institutions and professional bodies. Some of these are official or governmental bodies, while others are other museums. There is a good representation of British and overseas bodies. Apart from a small number of other national museums and galleries, and perhaps universities, it is difficult to imagine many other institutions maintaining so many formal and semi-formal links to other prestigious institutions. There are many links to regional museums. National Museums Liverpool (NML) has a list of connections that looks dissimilar to those of the Natural History Museum, but which neatly demonstrates the very different focus of a major institution in a leading city outside the capital to one in London. Regeneration and renewal has been a key local, regional and national priority for Merseyside in recent years. The links between NML and the Mersey Partnership or Liverpool Biennial are evidence of the way in which the museum has been able to work with local authorities and other partners in rebuilding the local economy. Local and regional links with a range of cultural and business groups are also maintained by individual board memberships. Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service (NMAS) is different again, reflecting local needs and interests. East Anglia has different economic needs to, say, Merseyside, and the NMAS maintains different kinds of partnership links. Interestingly, a number of the links are with national institutions, suggesting an opportunity for the county to look outwards into the national community. On the other hand, local institutions are also seen as important.The museums and archaeology service is clearly a conduit through which ideas can flow from the national to the local level and vice versa. The Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust, like its Norfolk counterpart, provides national Left: Royal Armouries, Leeds 72 Links to wider society and local linkages. Like Liverpool, Sheffield is a ‘core city’ with an extraordinary industrial past. Museums and galleries offer local people an opportunity to understand the rapidly changed industrial and economic geography of their area. They are also, through the Sheffield First Partnership Agency, part of the efforts to regenerate the city for a different future. The Trust also has many links to national and international bodies including partnership arrangements with the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate and the National Portrait Gallery. The national museums are increasingly working with regional museums through strong partnerships, which go beyond the traditional approach of loans. For example, Tyne & Wear Museums and Leicester Museums Service worked in partnership with the British Museum on the tour of The Throne of Weapons, a sculpture made from de-commissioned guns by a Mozambique artist and Across the Board: Around the World in 18 Board games an exhibition featuring the Lewis Chessmen and links board games from many countries. Details of Engaging Refugees and Asylum Seekers, a project developed in partnership with the National Museums of Liverpool, Tyne & Wear Museums and Salford Museums is included in the case studies. Leicester Museums Service have also hosted two major exhibition from the Victoria and Albert Museum: Cinema India-The Art of Bollywood and Black British Style.Their Past Your Future, a national initiative led by the Imperial War Museum developed a touring exhibition and provided funding for events and publicity to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. The exhibition was shown at Leicester’s Abbey Pumping Station throughout September 2005 and had a significant impact on visitor figures there. Another aspect of civic activity and partnership is the extent to which museums and galleries can reach out to audiences who, traditionally, have been under-represented within attendances. Museums and galleries are increasingly expected to improve their appeal to newer groups within society, to younger people and to the least advantaged. Many of the partnerships and links listed in this report will have had the effect of allowing museums and galleries to work with other bodies in the achievement of a number of social and educational objectives. National museums are increasingly working with regional museums through strong partnerships, which go beyond the traditional approach of loans. Above: The Madonna of the Pinks (‘La Madonna dei Garofani’) at the National Gallery Links to wider society 73 Above: The impressive architecture of the Imperial War Museum North The success of leading museums and galleries in achieving the many good government or civil society objectives expected of them will depend, to some extent, on the resources available. In common with all cultural institutions heavily dependent on Whitehall or local authority funding, there is a risk that expectations for new initiatives or to reach new audience groups will exceed what can plausibly be achieved. The fact that museums and gallery audiences are relatively easy to measure and monitor may have led to greater pressures being brought to bear on this sector than other parts of the arts and culture. Both DCMS and local authorities set targets for sponsored bodies. There remains a risk that a number of laudable ‘good government’ initiatives and developments of the kind discussed in this section will be threatened if, as seems likely, resources are put under pressure in the near future. Unless new forms of revenue can be found for museums and galleries, their civil society role could be eroded. At a time of significant societal change and uncertainty, the role of museums and galleries in underpinning civil society is surely pivotal. 74 Links to wider society Natural History Museum (selection only) Partnerships Jurassic World Heritage Coast Project European Science Centre Network World Health Organisation Indentification Qualifications MARBEF European Network on Biodiversity Information European ‘Catalogue of Life’ project Eden Project TRANSMAP National Biodiversity Network Board memberships Air Pollution Research in London (APRIL) American Entomological Institute Ancient Human Occupation of Britain Project Arts and Humanities Research Council BioNet International Biosciences Federation Bird Exploration Fund Botanical Society of the British Isles British Bryological Society British Classifictaion Society British Entomological & Natural History Society British Herpetolgocial Society British Lichen Society British Ornithologists’ Club Cetacean and Marine Turtle Group (DEFRA) Darwin Initiative (DEFRA) Earth Science Education Unit Committee Entomological Society of Japan European Association for Forensic Entomology Forum for the History of Science,Technology and Medicine GCG (Geology Curators Group) Geological Curator’s Group Global Biodiversity Information Facility Global Biodiversity Information Facility International Association for Human Palaeontology International Association of Meiobenthologists International Bryozoology Association International Foundation for Science, Stockholm International Nannoplankton Association John Spedan Lewis Trust for the Advancement of Natural Sciences Kings College London, European Centre for Risk Management Linnean Society of London Malacological Society of London Marine Biological Association, UK Museums Association NatSCA (Natural Sciences Collections Association) Natural Sciences Collections Association NERC Molecular Genetic Facilities Percy Sladen Memorial Fund Porcupine Marine Natural History Society Powell-Cotton Museum, Birchington, Kent Primate Society of Great Britain Professor Hering Memorial Research Fund Rotunda Museum, Scarborough Royal Entomological Society Society for Systematic Biology South London Botanical Institute SPNHC (The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections) Suffolk Naturalists’ Society Systematics Association The British Society for Parasitology The Fleet Study Group The Geological Society The Micropalaentology Society The Palaeontographical Society The Palaeontological Association The Ray Society The Royal Society The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine The Society of Protozoologists The Systematics Association Tropical Biology Association UK Saline Lagoon Working Group UKRG (UK Registrars Group) Unitas Malacologica Willi Hennig Society Windber Medical Research Institute, USA World Association of Copepodologists World Federation of Parasitologists Yorkshire Geological Society Zoologische Reihe, Mitteilungen aus dem Museum fur Naturkunde in Berlin Links to wider society 75 Other civil society links Abergavenny Museum American Museum of Natural History National Museum of Australia (Australia) British Museum Californian Academy of Sciences Canadian Museum of Nature Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre (Charmouth Parish Council) Chiba Natural History Museum and Institute (Japan) Culture Division of the Iwaki City Board of Education (Japan) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Dorset County Council Dulwich Picture Gallery Embassy of Japan English Heritage English Nature Flemish Ministry of Culture Gunma Museum of Natural History (Japan) Hampshire County Council Museum Service Haslemere Museum Historic Royal Palaces Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) HM Customs and Revenue Humboldt Museum, Berlin Hungarian Natural History Museum Ibaraki Nature Museum (Japan) International Council of Museums (ICOM) Imperial War Museum Jersey Heritage Trust Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History (Japan) Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Kitakyushu Museum and Institute of Natural History (Japan) Kyoto University – Faculty of Science (Japan) Lake Biwa Museum (Japan) Latvian State Authority on Museums Leeds Museums and Galleries Lyme Regis Development Trust Lyme Regis Museum Manchester Museum MDA (the renamed Museums Documentation Association) Missouri Botanical Garden MLA Museum of East Anglian Life Museum of Tropical Queensland (Australia) Museumvereniging (Dutch Museums Association) National Army Museum National Museum (Czech Republic) National Museum of Ireland National Museum of Kenya National Museums and Galleries Wales National Museums and Galleries, Merseyside National Museums Scotland National Science Museum (Japan) National Trust Naturalis NEMO (Network of European Museum Organizations) Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (USA) Okinawa Prefectural Museum (Japan) Penlee House Gallery & Museum Queensland Museum (Australia) Romanian Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs Royal Ontario Museum Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts at the University of East Anglia School of World Arts and Museology at the University of East Anglia Science Museum Smithsonian Institution (USA) Surrey Museums Consultative Committee Swedish Museum of Natural History The Tate Museum (in all its forms) The Field Museum The National Art Collection Fund Tokyo University – Faculty of Science (Japan) Towner Art Gallery University of California – Berkeley University of Cambridge – Sedgwick Museum of Geology University of Oxford – Museum of Natural History Victoria and Albert Museum York Museums Trust Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea London Borough of Camden 76 Links to wider society National Museums Liverpool Partnerships Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) Wirral Consortium John Moores Exhibition Trust and Foundation Liverpool Biennial Local Compact Groups Local Sure Starts, Merseyside Network Group The Mersey Partnership Civic Trust National Trust National Association of Decorative and Fine Art Societies (NADFAS) Board memberships Culture NorthWest International Icom Committee on Museum Management) International Council of Museums - UK (ICOM-UK) Mersey Tourism Board Bluecoat Arts Centre Merseyside Dance Initiative The Mersey Partnership Beatles Industry Group St George’s Hall Liverpool Culture Company Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society Mere Hall Conservation Association Lakeland Arts Trust Gower Street Estates Chambre Hardman Trust Pilkington Glass Collection Trust West Derby Community Association Linnean Society Open Eye Photography Heritage and Regeneration Committee Liverpool Culture Company Other civil society links Aim Higher Greater Merseyside Institute of Popular Music, Liverpool Mersey Volunteer Bureau Merseyside Guild of Weavers Local authorities (Liverpool, Sefton, Halton, Wirral, Knowsley, Cheshire) Victorian Society Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Partnerships South Midlands Museums English Nature English Heritage Geological Society of Norfolk Quarternary Research Association British Geological Survey Natural History Museum Norfolk and Norwich Natural History Society Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society Victoria and Albert Museum (Costume and Textile Forum) Board memberships Ancient House Museum Thetford Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail project Maharajah Duleep Singh Centenary Trust South Midlands Museums Federation Museums Association East Anglian Archaeology. Osteoarchaeology Editorial Board National Society for Church Archaeology Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society Ceramic Curators’ Network Ancient Hominid Occupation of Britain Project Adu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey United Kingdom Maritime Collections Strategy Maritime Curators Group Great Yarmouth Economic Forum :inteGREAT Norfolk and Waveney Maritime Partnership Other civil society links Local authorities in Norfolk The Prehistoric Society Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies Society for Medieval Archaeology Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology Links to wider society 77 Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Partnerships Guild of St George Sheffield City Council Charity Finance Directors Group Hawley Trust Touring Exhibitions Group Sheffield First Partnership Agency – Cultural Executive Group Sheffield Cultural Forum Visual Arts and Galleries Association (VAGA) Campaign for Learning through Museums and Galleries Heritage Lottery Fund National Portrait Gallery Victoria and Albert Museum Tate Board memberships Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Other civil society links Group for Education in Museums (GEM) National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) National Art Collection Fund Canada House Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Department for Education and Skills (DfES) National Endowment for Science,Technology and the Arts (NESTA) UK Registrar’s Group Museums Copyright Group 6 THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT International context 79 Britain is one of a small number of countries with a significant number of internationally recognised museums and galleries. Few countries have the range and scale of institutions with the potential to provide a competitive advantage to a number of economic sectors, including tourism, universities, design and basic science. National collections of this kind depend on a number of factors. Collecting habits and the interests of a small number of individuals is one key element. A country’s history is a second. It is also important that a reasonably settled system of government has existed for a prolonged period, with the capacity for a society to preserve artefacts and other aspects of its heritage. There are also a number of less tangible factors such as a society’s values and ambitions. For a number of these reasons, Britain has been gifted with very large and important collections. In recent times, most countries have evolved cultural policies that seek to protect their heritage and also to project a national image. There are different approaches. In the US, for example, private philanthropy has been officially encouraged with tax breaks, public recognition and other instruments. In France, the State has invested heavily in a number of heritage and art forms so as to project an image of French culture and technology. Britain, predictably, has balanced somewhere between the often privately driven US model and the more publicly funded approach found in a number of European countries. There is no ‘right solution’ to the question of how best to fund and govern museums and galleries. Moreover, international comparisons are often difficult to make because of uncertainties about ways of measuring or reporting particular numbers. But it is possible to make broad comparisons of the approaches adopted from place to place so as to allow judgements about the importance and dynamism of different arrangements. This section looks at Britain’s museums and galleries in comparison with analogous institutions elsewhere. Number and scale of institutions British museums and galleries, as a sub-sector of the arts and cultural industries, appear to constitute a mass of institutions that are at least as significant as any other in the developed world. Indeed, because of Britain’s relatively tight physical scale, there is probably no other country in the world with such a powerful museum and gallery cluster within such a relatively small space. In part, this finding is an accident of geography and history. Few countries in the world have so many big cities within such a small area. Table 19 below shows data about number of visits for a selection of major museums and galleries in a number of countries, including Britain. Every effort has been made to ensure reasonable comparability. The figures in the table on page 82 cover larger institutions in the countries shown. The only other countries with a significant number of institutions comparable with those in the table that would have over one and a half million visitors per year are probably Italy and China. There are also a number in the US for which no data are available. What is clear from Table 19 (and Table 12) is the extraordinary number of museums and galleries with very heavy visitor numbers within the UK. Even before the advent of free admissions, the numbers of visitors at UK institutions appear to have been higher than in equivalent institutions elsewhere, but in the years since the removal of admission charges, UK visitor numbers have stepped up still further. Of course, the national institutions included in Table 19 are only a proportion of major institutions and major regional museums within the UK (see also Table 12). Equally, there are many other museums and galleries in Britain and other countries. Recent research for the MLA suggests Left: Africa Garden at the British Museum in collaboration with the BBC, Camden Council, Kew Gardens and the Eden Project 80 International context that in total there are 1848 museums in the UK, compared with 1,180 in France, 6,501 in Germany and 15,460 in the US (MLA, 2006, page 139). Given the absence of reliable comparative statistics, it is clearly going to be difficult for governments and researchers to draw reliable conclusions about the effects of particular museum and gallery policies (in so far as these affect attendance) on aspects of economic competitiveness. The British government’s free museums policy was intended to encourage visitors, but also to widen access to groups who had not traditionally visited such institutions. Given the extraordinary scale of overall numbers attending museums and galleries (considered in more detail elsewhere in this report), there can be little doubt that Britain is at the top end of international access to the kinds of major institutions shown in Table 19.That is, the weight of numbers seeing the artefacts at the kinds of leading national museums and galleries considered in this report is almost certainly higher in Britain than in most – if not all – other countries. There is, oddly, little research about the comparative advantage to a country of the kind of mass access to leading museums and galleries revealed in Table 19 and Table 12. The possibility of attributing monetary of value to the benefits of having cultural institutions is being attempted in a number of studies, for example the ‘public value’ calculations being made for the BBC as part of the Corporation’s charter renewal process. But the international competitive benefits of culture and of ‘soft’ cultural diplomacy do not benefit from a significant research base. Nevertheless, a number of government publications have suggested a number of potential competitive benefits that are likely to flow from the growth in public use of world class museums and galleries. The creative industries more generally are seen as the future for the British economy. In a speech made at the end of 2005,James Purnell the Minister for Creative Industries stated: “In the last eight years, the creative industries have been growing by twice the rate of the rest of the British economy, creating three times as many jobs and exporting four times as many goods and services. People ask politicians where the jobs for the future will come from in an increasingly globalised world – part of the answer is the creative industries. Yes, it’s a challenge that Bollywood is now the biggest film industry in the world, in terms of sheer volume. Yes, it’s true that South Korea has one of the best online content industries in the world” and a “more advanced broadband and a digital infrastructure of which most Western countries can only dream. But the UK’s current strength in creative industries – and its willingness and ability to innovate – will continue to provide us with real opportunities”. Such benefits include straightforward balance-of-payments flows from inbound international tourism, but also improved design, enhanced creativity and the less tangible impacts associated with Britain’s image abroad. Broad estimates of the level of international visitor expenditure are included elsewhere in this report. There is little doubt that in Britain’s mature tourism economy, new and repeat tourists will require an offer that includes both tradition and also evidence of continuous change. Museums and galleries have been shown to be a significant Museums and galleries have been shown to be a significant factor in attracting visitors to the UK, but they will need to develop if they are to continue to compete against institutions that are developing in other countries. International context 81 factor in attracting visitors to the UK, but they will need to develop if they are to continue to compete against institutions that are developing in other countries. Major cultural investments in museums/galleries in cities as diverse as Berlin, St Petersburg, New York and Denver mean that Britain will be less likely to attract affluent ‘repeat’ visitors unless its institutions are also moving ahead. Liverpool has been successful in recent years in turning investment in museums and galleries into part of a growing tourist sector. The way that museums and galleries have collaborated with companies and educational institutions is considered elsewhere in this report. Designers and other creative workers draw inspiration and ideas from things they see in the collections held in regional or national museums. While it is possible to cite examples of how such transfers take place, it is difficult (probably impossible) to provide a robust quantitative analysis of they way a person translates an image or response into something that contributes to additional value added in a service or manufacturing. But what is certain is that this capacity to evolve ‘weightless’ economic benefit is one of the keys to Britain’s longer term prosperity. As developing economies become adept at sophisticated manufacturing, the older ones in Europe and North America will have to use their ingenuity and advantages to evolve new services and products that people in the rapidly growing countries will want to buy. While manufactured goods are, it would appear, relatively easy to copy and produce, creative products are virtually impossible to develop in the same way. The stock held by major museums and galleries in Britain and a small number of other developed democracies is likely to be of incalculable benefit in the economic period that lies ahead. The easy access most British people have to the major institutions covered by this report means that the kinds of creative benefits generated by their holdings for the economy can potentially be exploited over time. But, for these benefits to be maximised, museums and galleries will need to be able to show and develop their collections in ways that are attractive in a competitive environment. If the creative benefits of museum and gallery holdings are difficult to quantify, the benefits of ‘soft’ cultural diplomacy are even more difficult to measure. Thus, for example, when the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Vivienne Westwood exhibition visited China during 2005, it will have helped strengthen Britain’s image in that country. As the US has shown, it is possible for a country to have a very different official image (as represented by its use of military power and diplomacy) from that evolved by its culture (eg, rock music and the cinema). Countries such as Britain, France and Italy are probably in a similar position to the US, if less internationally exposed. The stock held by major museums and galleries in Britain and a small number of other developed democracies is likely to be of incalculable benefit in the economic period that lies ahead. Above: Tate Modern – Turbine Hall 82 International context Table 19:Visits to major museum and gallery numbers, Britain and overseas 1.34 4.49 1.91 3.95 1.51 3.58 1.61 1.43 1.53 3.31 6.41 1.57 2.20 3.19 7.30 2.33 1.24 1.07 2.93 1.40 1.55 4.67 2.67 2.28 1.59 2.60 Britain Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales British Museum Imperial War Museum National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Museum of Science & Industry National Museums Liverpool National Museums Scotland National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum Tate Tyne & Wear Museums Victoria and Albert Museum France Cite des Sciences/La Villette Louvre Musee d’Art Moderne (Pompidou) Museum national d’Histoire naturelle Musee de l’Armee Musee d’Orsay Germany Deutsches Museum Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden * State Museums Berlin Total * Art Galleries Spain Prado Reina Sophia Russia State Hermitage Museum Visitor numbers (millions) International context 83 4.00 1.39 1.30 1.45 4.57 1.00 2.47 24.00 6.10 1.20 3.00 2.20 5.60 1.30 1.26 1.06 1.20 1.44 USA American Museum of Natural History Art Institute of Chicago J.Paul Getty Museum LA County Museum of Art Metropolitan Museum MFA Boston MoMA Smithsonian ** National Air and Space Museum National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy National Museum of American History National Museum of American Indian National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Building,‘The Castle’ New Zealand Te Papa Japan National Museum of Modern Art National Science Museum, Tokyo * Tokyo National Museum Visitor numbers (millions) Table 19:continued Notes: Figures are for 2005; table includes the institutions with the highest visitor figures in each country. For the UK these are the museums with over 1 million visitors per year * 2004 figures (2005 figures unavailable) ** Combined visitor figures for all 19 Smithsonian museums (individual figures unavailable) Source for international figures: AEA Consulting research for NMDC Table 19 provides evidence of Britain’s capacity to project its culture though a number of major institutions. Each of these museums and galleries (and the others covered by this report) has a large number of overseas visitors and is also able to take exhibitions to other countries. The broad benchmarking made possible by the figures in Table 19 and from the MLA Cultural Spend and Infrastructure project suggest Britain’s major museums and galleries are operating with levels of cost-effectiveness that are at least in line with those elsewhere. However, the concentration of world-class institutions in this country would appear to be greater than elsewhere, certainly if their visitor numbers are a guide. The ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ economic benefits of the sector are likely to become ever more important in the 21st century. Museums and galleries of the kind considered in this report are a key element in building productivity in this new economy. There are other international statistics that suggest a need to increase Britain’s international competitiveness. The numbers of people attending major international exhibitions in London show London performing relatively well in comparison with most other world cities, though well behind the levels of visitor attendance in New York. London has averaged about four million such visits in each year from 2000 to 2005, while the New York number is almost double that. Paris has generally been well behind London, but may be catching up. 84 International context 2,680,498 1,530,308 3,806,079 4,121,327 714,482 2,881,810 3,527,563 7,875,947 717,000 3,792,364 354,100 3,136,754 690,752 2,443,350 2,965,341 1,973,993 0City 2 2000 2005 4 6 8 Number of visitors (millions) Visitor numbers – International exhibitions Source:The Art Newspaper, No 111 Feb 2001 World-Wide Exhibition Figures in 2000 The Art Newspaper, No 167 March 2006, Exhibition Attendance Figures 2005 Figures used are taken from the top 250 exhibitions worldwide in each year Bilbao London Los Angeles New York Paris San Francisco Tokyo Washington Right: National Museum of Flight, Scotland 7 CONCLUSION This report has analysed a major part of Britain’s museum and gallery sub-sector. It has revealed a group of institutions that are among the very best in the world. The agglomeration of institutions, talent and audiences in Britain has parallels in only a few other countries. However, because it has grown up over many years, there is a risk the institutions will be taken from granted and not seen as the potential opportunity they represent. This opportunity derives from the rapidly changing nature of the global economy. Britain was first into the Industrial Revolution and has been one of the first countries to evolve a fully post-modern economy, with a significant dependence on traded services. There is little evidence to suggest that this country, or other highly developed ones, will not face continuing demands for economic flexibility and creativity in decades ahead. Museums and galleries offer both a major internationally traded service (by generating exports) but also underpin the creativity upon which future high value added economic activity is likely to be based. The storehouses represented by these institutions will encourage people in this country to use their creativity and talent to develop new services, products and even manufactured goods. Nations without such repositories of inspiration have less chance of success. But there are threats to Britain’s position. Other countries, notably the US, have funding arrangements that continue to allow their collections to grow and develop. Britain’s museums and galleries find themselves in a highly competitive race where at least one of their competitors has advantages in terms of speed and nourishment. Ingenuity and creativity will only go so far in overcoming a worsening lack of resources.There are also threats to researching, displaying and writing about collections. Most British museums and galleries are funded in such a way that makes it hard for them to expend their income sources in line with growth in the wider economy. With limited access to admission charges, modest opportunities to raise donations and grants/direct local government funding at best linked to the Retail Prices Index or the Consumer Price Index, income and expenditure is most unlikely to expand at the speed of most people’s household incomes. There is a risk of deterioration for collections and the buildings that house them. There will certainly be no significant resources to add to collections. Productivity improvements have been delivered by museums and galleries long before the government’s recent Gershon initiative.Visitor numbers in recent years have risen faster than grants-in-aid and direct local government funding. Many institutions have become massive tourist businesses, though without the resources that such enterprises would normally enjoy. For example, museums and galleries are not allowed to borrow commercially to expand their activities: there are government imposed borrowing constraints. Institutions are required to be business-like without the freedoms of a proper business. The optimism and enthusiasm of institutions’ boards, directors, staff and ‘friends’ will hide the decline. As if to demonstrate the creativity that 86 Conclusion Museums and galleries offer both a major internationally traded service (by generating exports) but also underpin the creativity upon which future high value-added economic activity is likely to be based. Conclusion 87 museums and galleries can propagate in others, many leading bodies have been able to open new facilities with one-off grants, have used buildings or artefacts to evoke a sense of progress and, more generally, have disguised the overall relative decline of their sector. Such a process cannot continue indefinitely with very limited resources. But, to finish this report on an optimistic note, it is important to make clear that Britain’s museums and galleries could, with a greater capacity to expand and improve, continue to allow this country to be a world leader in creativity and scholarship. To achieve this benign objective, investment and new resources will be required. It would be possible organically to build on existing success.The potential is virtually limitless.The only question is whether, collectively, there is a national desire to deliver, maintain and expand this particular creative sector. Above: Visitors at the Science Museum, London References The Art Fund, 2006,Museum Collecting: An International Comparison www.artfund.org The Art Newspaper, No 111 Feb 2001 World-Wide Exhibition Figures in 2000 The Art Newspaper, No 167 March 2006, Exhibition Attendance Figures 2005. Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, Visits Made in 2005 to Visitor Attractions in Membership with ALVA (http://www.alva.org.uk/visitor_statistics/) Cox, G, 2005 Cox Review of Creativity in Business: building on the UK’s strengths, London: HM Treasury Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2006, Taking part:The national survey of culture, leisure and sport, Provisional results from the 2005/2006 survey, London: DCMS Eftec, 2005, Valuation of the Historic Environment The scope for using results of valuation studies in the appraisal and assessment of heritage-related projects and programmes, London:Eftec Florida, R, 2002,The Rise of the Creative Class, New York: Perseus Books Group Holden,J, and Jones, S, 2006,Knowledge and Inspiration: the Democratic Face of Culture: Evidence in Making the Case for Museums, Libraries and Archives, London: MLA Jasper, Andrew, 2002,The Economic Impact of the Eden Project, St Austell: Eden Project Jura Consultants, 2005,Bolton’s Museums, Libraries and Archive Services An Economic Valuation, Edinburgh:Jura Consultants Moore, M. H,Creating Public Value, Cambridge: Harvard University Press MORI, 2005,Tracking the Field Issue 1, London: MORI, page 7 Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, 2006, Research Project “Cultural Spend and Infrastructure: A Comparative Study”, London: AEA Consulting Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, 2006, Memorandum submitted to Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport, HC 912-II Session 2005-06, London:TSO Myerscough,John, 1988,The Economic Importance of the Arts in Britain, London: Policy Studies Institute National Audit Office, 2004,Income generated by the Museums and Galleries, Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, HC 235 2003- 2004, London:TSO National Museums Directors Conference, 2004, Valuing Museums, London: NMDC National Trust, (2006),Demonstrating the Public Value of Heritage, London;The National Trust HM Treasury, 2006,Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, May 2006, London: HMSO University of Durham, 2000,The Economic Impact of Museums A Critique, by Peter Johnson and Barry Thomas, Durham: University of Durham Business School Work Foundation, 2005 ‘Adding public value’ in Work in Progress, London:The Work Foundation 88 Conclusion Credits Design: red-stone.com Printed on Revive Silk, 75% de-inked, post-consumer waste Photography credits Cover, 14, Cristian Barnett 5, © Tate Courtesy Richard Eaton 7, 59, Courtesy of the Board of Trustees of National Museums Liverpool 9, 13, 85, © National Museums Scotland, Photographer: Sean Bell 35, 49, Davey Jones V&A 52, Their Past Your Future, Imperial War Museum 53, © Imperial War Museum 56, 72, © National Gallery, London 58, Photograph: Courtesy Mike Porter 63, © Tate Courtesy Paula Leite 66, Peter Kelleher, V&A 70, Charles Dragazis 81, Tate Photography About this report National Museum Directors’ Conference (NMDC) The NMDC represents the leaders of the UK’s national collections, including the national museums and galleries in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, The National Archives, the British Library and the National Library of Scotland. It was founded in 1929, in anticipation of a Royal Commission recommendation that the national collections should ‘coordinate their work and discuss matters of mutual concern’. Today the NMDC provides its membership with a valuable forum for discussion and debate and an opportunity to share information and work collaboratively. More information about NMDC can be found on our website at www.nationalmuseums.org.uk Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) MLA works with the nine regional agencies in the MLA Partnership to improve people’s lives by building knowledge, supporting learning, inspiring creativity and celebrating identity. The Partnership acts collectively for the benefit of the sector and the public, leading the transformation of museums, libraries and archives for the future. Note of thanks Many thanks to all those who provided data, information and advice for this report. Particular thanks to the Working Group: Mark Jones (Chair), Victoria and Albert Museum Dawn Austick, British Museum Alex Beard,Tate Emily Candler, NMDC Amy de Joia, National Museums Liverpool Nick Dodd, Sheffield Museums and Galleries Trust Sue Howley, MLA Sarah Levitt, Leicester City Museums Service John MacAuslan, National Gallery Simon Matty, MLA Suzie Tucker, NMDC Conclusion 89 90 Conclusion Full list of venues of the museums and galleries included in this report National Museums Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales Sain Ffagan:Amgueddfa Werin Cymry – St Fagans: National History Museum National Waterfront Museum Amgueddfa Lechi Cymru – National Slate Museum Amgueddfa Lleng Rufeinig Cymru – National Roman Legion Museum Amgueddfa Wlan Cymru – National Wool Museum Amgueddfa Lofaol Cymru – Big Pit:National Coal Museum Amgeuddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd – National Museum Cardiff British Museum British Museum Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museum Churchill Museum & Cabinet War Rooms HMS Belfast IWM Duxford IWM North Museum of London Museum of London Museum in Docklands Mortimer Wheeler House The National Archives The National Archives The Family Records Centre National Gallery National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House and Royal Observatory National Maritime Museum Cornwall National Museum of Science & Industry Science Museum National Railway Museum National Museum of Photography,Film & Television Science Museum Wroughton Locomotion Blythe House National Museums Liverpool World Museum Liverpool Walker Art Galler Lady Lever Art Gallery Merseyside Maritime Museum Museum of Liverpool Life HM Customs and Excise National Museum Sudley House Conservation Centre National Museums Scotland National Museum of Scotland Royal Museum National War Museum National Museum of Rural Life National Museum of Flight National Museums Collection Centre National Museum of Costume National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery Montacute House Beningbrough Hall Bodelwyddan Castle Natural History Museum Natural History Museum The Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum Royal Armouries Royal Armouries Museum Tower of London National Collection of Arms and Armour Fort Nelson Conclusion 91 Tate Tate Britain Tate Modern Tate Liverpool Tate St Ives Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) Victoria and Albert Museum V&A Museum of Childhood V&A Museum of Performance Blythe House Regional Museums Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Aston Hall Blakesley Hall Museum of the Jewellery Quarter Sarehole Mill Soho House Bristol’s Museums,Galleries & Archives Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery The Red Lodge Georgian House Museum Bristol Industrial Museum Blaise Castle House Museum Hampshire Museums Service Milestones Living History Museum Aldershot Military Museum Allen Gallery Andover Museum and Museum of the Iron Age Basing House Bursledon Windmill Curtis Museum Eastleigh Museum Gosport Museum Havant Museum Red House Museum Rockbourne Roman Villa SEARCH Westbury Manor Museum Willis Museum Leicester City Museums Service Abbey Pumping Station Belgrave Hall Museum and Gardens The Guildhall Jewry Wall Museum New Walk Museum and Art Gallery Newarke Houses Museum Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum Bridewell Museum Strangers’ Hall Museum Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse Time and Tide Museum Elizabethan House Museum Tolhouse Museum Cromer Museum Ancient House, Museum of Thetford Life Town House Museum Lynn Museum Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust Millennium Galleries Graves Art Gallery Weston Park Museum Bishops’ House Museum Tyne & Wear Museums Discovery Museum Arbeia Roman Fort and Museum Hancock Museum Laing Art Gallery Segedunum Roman Forts, Baths and Museum South Shields Museum and Art Gallery Shipley Art Gallery Stephenson Railway Museum Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens Monkwearmouth Station Museum Washington F Pit Published in the United Kingdom by the National Museum Directors’ Conference and Museums, Libraries and Archives Council ISBN 0-9536047-8-0 December 2006 www.nationalmuseums.org.uk www.mla.gov.uk Copies of this publication can be provided in alternative formats. 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