‘National museums must wise up as business model broken’
ACRITICAL report into the state of Wales’ national museums has been published. The report says that while National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Cymru is a “great museum staffed by great people” its business model is “essentially broken”.
It lays bare the “breakdown in relationship” between Welsh Government and National Museum Wales, which runs museums including the National Museum Cardiff and St Fagans.
The report also lists ways in which more money could be generated including charging for special exhibitions, doubling the cost of parking at St Fagans through an annual pass and improving the offering of shops and cafés.
The review has been carried out by Dr Simon Thurley on behalf of the Welsh Government.
Cabinet Secretary for Culture Dafydd Elis-Thomas said that he would respond fully in a debate in the Assembly in around a fortnight.
He has made 20 recommendations and says that the museum and Welsh Government need to be “willing to roll up their sleeves and agree a jointly owned improvement plan”.
The report says that National Museum Wales relies on grant aid and while it has a commercial arm, which operates retail, catering, car parking, licensing, and corporate hire.
Most money is made from car parking at National Museum Cardiff, which has a profit of £79,000, and at St Fagans that has a profit of £261,000.
“Without these the total trading profit would only be £79,000, a low level for a museum of its size and potential,” Dr Thurley writes.
A number of money-making schemes are discussed, including charging entry for special exhibitions.
In England and Wales governments have made the policy decision that for the museums they fund there will be no entrance charge and in Wales Carwyn Jones said there would be “no charge for any attractions”.
However, Dr Thurley, who interviewed 68 people for the report, writes “there is no moral reason why people should get free access to museums”.
Research for the museum found that people were prepared to pay for special exhibitions and events.
The report says charging for some entry brings other opportunities including being able to set up a proper database which could include ticket sales, shop transactions, the website, telephone, direct mail, marketing materials and social media.
That could also see a proper membership scheme set up. While there is a friends scheme (at a cost of £20 a year) a membership scheme could charge £40 a year, lower than the British Museum, V&A, National Gallery and Cadw.
Catering is another area where money could be made. There is inhouse catering at National Wool Museum and Big Pit. Both lose money and the majority of visitors do not visit the café.
At St Fagans, the National Museum Cardiff and the National Waterfront Museum catering is franchised on a contract that still has another eight years to run.
The contractor makes its money through the National Museum Cardiff, mainly through events.
Catering at the National Waterfront Museum loses the contractor money and a new restaurant will be opened at St Fagans. However, the report says that closing the cafés is not the answer as they are a “crucial part of the visitor experience”.
The report found that some of the shops are “poorly located”.
“Location is not the only problem, one tourism professional who I listened to described ‘the impoverished nature of the merchandise and the inadequacy of the breadth and range of merchandise’.”
The report also reveals that from April 1 this year the hourly rate paid by the Museum will be £9.47. High street shops Next, Topshop and Sainsbury’s all pay under £8 and M&S under £9.
The employer contribution to the pension scheme is 21.3%. “Most employees would consider 10% as quite generous,” Dr Thurley writes.
There is currently a £5 charge for cars at St Fagans and coaches are free. That has made £260,000.
The report suggests instead charging £10 for an annual pass.
That would see an increase in money from one-off tourists, but also ensure details from repeat visitors are kept in a database.
“Similar schemes could be introduced at Big Pit, and if a deal could be done on the car park at the National Slate Museum, there also”.
Tourists visiting via coach should also pay more.
“There is no reason why each tourist coach should not be charged at a commercial rate: £50 a coach would put £1 on the individual ticket price for day-trippers but a more realistic charge per coach would be £100”.
The report says in the low season there are days with just a dozen visitors at some sites. It suggests Big Pit, National Slate Museum, National Wool Museum and National Roman Legion Museum opening from Easter until October half-term; St Fagans could open weekends only from November 1 until March 1 except for Christmas events.