NWFED

MA Council Proposes Governance Changes

MA presses Ed Vaizey to recognise importance of museum sector

Association director Mark Taylor and president Stuart Davies has met culture minister Ed Vaizey to make the case for the future of museums in England. Topics they discussed included Renaissance, the reallocation of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council’s role and programmes, help and support for medium and small museums, the role of national museums and how they will deal with cuts, and how museums can use collections more effectively.

http://tinyurl.com/38vnylj

Renewable Energy and the Historic Environment – Guidance for Historic Property Owners

Harnessing the power of nature is increasingly proving popular with homeowners looking for sustainable solutions to reducing energy consumption and their carbon footprint. A new free booklet Renewable Energy and your Historic Building – Installing Micro-generation Systems published by Cadw, the Welsh Assembly Government’s historic environment service, intends to raise awareness of the range of opportunities and solutions available to owners looking to install a micro-generation system in a historic building, conservation area, historic park or garden, ancient monument or archaeological site.

http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=21&NewsId=309

Relic trails in museums

The summer holidays have been an extremely fruitful period in terms of A History of the World with nearly 170 museums across the UK devising and running their own Relic trails, based on the British Museum/CBBC series Relic: Guardians of the Museum. If your museum is running a trail we’d be grateful if you could email us with some feedback for evaluation purposes? We would welcome any figures for the take-up of the trails and feedback from both users and staff.

And it’s not too late to confirm your interest in the Relic trails – many of the museums will continue to run trails after the summer and some will join in for the autumn half-term – please email claire.burgoyne@bbc.co.uk  if you need any information about taking part.

Vanessa Trevelyan to be MA president

Vanessa Trevelyan, Head of service at Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service will take over after the AGM in October. For this year’s Museums Association council elections, there were 16 vacancies in 14 categories. However, the MA received only four nominations: president, councillor for the South West, university museum institutional councillor and national museum institutional councillor.  Therefore members will not be required to vote and the nominees are elected or re-elected to council.

http://www.museumsassociation.org/news/10082010-trevelyan-new-ma-president

Taking Part: The National Survey of Culture, Leisure and Sport Adult and Child Report 2009/10

The latest estimates from the 2009/10 Taking Part adult and child surveys produced by DCMS were released on 19 August 2010 according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

http://www.dcms.gov.uk/publications/7386.aspx

MLA pledge a smooth transition

Responding to the government’s announcement that the MLA is to be wound up by April 2012, Chair Sir Andrew Motion and Chief Executive Roy Clare pledge a smooth and orderly transition to deliver the best possible future for museums, libraries and archives across England and for the people and communities who expect to use them.

http://www.mla.gov.uk/news_and_views/press_releases/2010/mla_gov_announcement

Collaboration Is The Word…

The European Cultural Foundation offers Collaboration Grants which fund transnational, cross-sectoral activities by independent cultural and artistic organisations working together or with independent organisations from other sectors. Collaboration grants are designed to support projects that bring a renewed understanding of Europe to people of all backgrounds. The ‘how to apply’ PDF booklet explains exactly what you need to do to make an eligible application. And can be accessed from the ECF website  http://www.eurocult.org/. Next deadline for applications: 6 September 2010. The selection process will be finalised in the week of 25 October 2010.

http://www.eurocult.org/grants/collaboration-grants

MA warns of danger of introducing admission charges at free museum.

Speaking on BBC Gloucestershire, incoming MA president Vanessa Trevelyan said: “I worked at the V&A when they were free and they brought in a charge and their visitor numbers fell by 40 per cent, and that’s a fairly standard percentage fall if you’re introducing a charge to a museum that’s hitherto been free.” Her comments follow an announcement that Gloucester City Council will ask its museum service to find around 20 per cent of savings, with the City Museum and Art Gallery’s annual grant reduced from £1m to £800,000, and is “actively considering” admission charges for it and the Folk Museum.

http://tinyurl.com/3975tzv

DCMS improves efficiency and cuts costs with review of arm’s length bodies

A number of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) 55 public bodies are set to be merged, abolished or streamlined as part of the Government’s drive to cut costs and increase transparency, accountability and efficiency, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced.

Mr Hunt has proposed a number of changes, including:

• abolishing the UK Film Council and establishing a direct and less bureaucratic relationship with the British Film Institute.  This would support front-line services while ensuring greater value for money. Government and Lottery support for film will continue;
• abolishing the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council to focus efforts on front-line, essential services and ensure greater value for money. Government support for museums, libraries and archives will continue; and
• merging UK Sport and Sport England, creating a more effective structure to deliver elite sport success and a wider sports legacy from the 2012 games. 

Some key functions carried out by these bodies would be transferred to other, existing organisations. DCMS will do further work over the summer to finalise the details and timing of these changes. It will also continue to look at its other arm’s length bodies and explore further opportunities to improve accountability and efficiency.
Mr Hunt said:

“The Government is committed to increasing the transparency and accountability of its public bodies, while at the same time reducing their number and cost. 

“Many of these bodies were set up a considerable length of time ago, and times and demands have changed. In the light of the current financial situation, and as part of our drive to increase openness and efficiency across Whitehall, it is the right time to look again at the role, size and scope of these organisations.

“The changes I have proposed today would help us deliver fantastic culture, media and sport, while ensuring value for money for the public and transparency about where taxpayers’ money is spent.”

Further proposals include:

• abolishing the Advisory Council on Libraries and winding up the Legal Deposit Advisory Panel;
• abolishing the Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites;
• declassifying the Advisory Committee on National Historic Ships and transferring its functions to another body; and
• declassifying the Theatres Trust so it can act as an independent statutory advisory body.

DCMS is also:

• looking at its responsibility for heritage and the built environment, and considering the role and remit of English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the National Heritage Memorial Fund;
• considering the role of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment;
• discussing with the Church of England the merits of declassifying the Churches Conservation Trust; and
• considering whether to change the status, role and functions of Visit England and Visit Britain.

In addition, DCMS confirmed today that it intends to merge the National Lottery Commission with the Gambling Commission, subject to further consideration of the business case.

Read the Written Ministerial Statement (PDF 36kb)