Success will require more than money

There may well be some raised eyebrows at the news that the V&A Dundee is being awarded an additional payout from the Scottish Government. The eagerly-awaited new design museum, due to welcome its first visitors on September 15, will receive an extra £361,000 in its first year, taking its total support package from the government to £1.36 million for 2018-19, on top of the previously agreed £1 million a year for its first decade and £5 million towards development costs.

The additional funding will help ensure the V&A “reaches its full potential”, says Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop. But there are some who question the spending.

Objectors are already planning protests for the opening weekend, claiming the hefty sums spent on the museum could be put to better use lifting residents out of poverty.

And yet businesses are telling a more positive story. “Fully booked” signs are going up at hotels in the city, travel companies are putting on additional trains and buses and bars and restaurants are bracing themselves for an influx of visitors.

The buzz is undoubtedly building but the V&A is a building, not a magic wand. The government clearly has faith in the museum’s potential to transform Dundee’s fortunes and the money to back it up. It will be down to everyone in the city and the wider area to ensure the momentum continues long after the opening weekend and the V&A fulfils its promise for the benefit of us all.