Museum cuts will have wider effect
DEAR Editor, I am concerned to learn about Birmingham City Council’s proposal to cut a further £500,000 from Birmingham Museum Trust’s funding for 2017/18, in addition to the previously agreed reduction of £250,000.
The activities of the Birmingham Museums Trust (BMT) extend far beyond the museums’ walls, and the Trust returns significant educational, social and economic dividends for residents of Birmingham, and in doing so delivers on the council’s commitment to cultural provision.
In addition, each visit to one of BMT’s sites generates around £30 for local businesses, and taken together all BMT’s museums and galleries are worth an annual £30 million to the local economy. Funding BMT offers a great return on investment.
Art Fund has been a significant supporter of Birmingham museums for many decades. Since 2010 the city’s museums have benefited, both directly and indirectly, from funding approaching £3 million, and have been key participants in important national initiatives.
I am aware that the council faces severe budget challenges and must take difficult decisions to make unprecedented levels of savings across its services. But if the proposed cut to BMT is carried out, it will have a fundamental, long-term and detrimental impact upon BMT, substantially reducing the local, national and international public’s access to its museums through potential closures and reduced opening hours.
I therefore hope that the final budget cut to BMT will be reduced to the previously agreed level, within which BMT can continue to deliver its world-class cultural services, enriching the lives of those in the region and beyond. Stephen Deuchar, Director, Art Fund