Ode to the Federations
This week the Arts Council England, the quango responsible for the English museum sector, announced the latest round of savings, which will amount to it losing 21% of its staff, which means over 117 full time posts!
So what, you might think. But the role of government funded museum agencies has been a long(ish) one and before ACE and MLA, the Museums & Galleries Commission supported regional Area Museum Councils that provided grants, training, touring exhibitions, conservation expertise, training and design advice for small and large museums alike. Now that all of that has gone and ACE will just have 5 main offices around the nation, their local support will be sorely tested.
However not all is lost, there are a range of other sources of support, including the venerable Museum Federations. Long before the advocate for the Big Society was a twinkle in somebody’s eye, these bodies, run by museum people, for museum people, both professional and volunteer provided support, advice and training for museums. They still exist in the Midlands, South West, North West, Yorkshire, East and Central England, Scotland and Wales, but sadly not London and the south coast.
If you are not a member why not join one, the South Midlands Museums Federation is running a study trip to Belfast this January, why enjoy the craoic!
contact Josh about the Belfast study trip josh.tidy@letchworth.com
