THREE of Britain’s top museums may have to start charging for entry unless the government acts to protect them from funding cuts.
The Science Museum, Natural History Museum and Imperial War Museum, which draw more than 9m visitors a year to their London bases alone, believe their grants must be “ring-fenced” like funding for the NHS if free admission is to continue.
The demand for ring- fencing is contained in a letter to the chancellor, George Osborne, who plans spending cuts of 30% over four years in “unprotected” departments such as culture.
The letter, sent by the National Museum Directors’ Council (NMDC), chaired by Diane Lees of the Imperial War Museum, does not say explicitly that leading institutions want the freedom to reintroduce some charging, but the subtext is clear.
It is estimated that up to 60% of visitors to the British Museum, National Gallery and Tate Modern are from overseas. Many large attractions have boxes near the entrance for voluntary donations, but the income from them is tiny.
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Museums and art galleries can introduce charges without the need for legislation but could be influenced by the government because it funds them through grants.
The NMDC’s executive committee, which sent the letter to No 11, includes Ian Blatchford, who runs the Science Museum Group, and Mike Dixon of the Natural History Museum.
Sir Roy Strong, who used to run the National Portrait Gallery and then the Victoria and Albert Museum, where in his latter years as director a voluntary charge was introduced, said: “Free entry now is an anomaly. The major museums should be freed from government control with some charging brought in, though you would probably exempt the young, students and pensioners.
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“Some might also decide to keep it free for adults — well, those who are British. But tourists should no longer be allowed free entry. It is not free for tourists in other European countries.”
While there is pressure from some museums to bring in charging, others — including the British Museum and Tate — are against. Some on the committee that sent the letter, such as Neil MacGregor, outgoing head of the British Museum, have always opposed charging. Sir Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate, is also an opponent but is expected to retire by 2017.
Since free entry came in, some national museums have charged at their “outposts” such as the aviation museum at Duxford, near Cambridge, which is part of the Imperial War Museum, Tate St Ives and the Royal Observatory, part of the National Maritime Museum.
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Most local authority museums have also been free in recent years. But with local government cuts, some have introduced charging, including those in Brighton and York, albeit after refurbishment.
“Our art gallery is now a bigger place, so will require more energy and staff to run and invigilate it,” said Janet Barnes, chief executive of the York Museums Trust. “So we have to bridge that gap. We would love to be free. But if the national and regional governments aren’t paying, we have to make it pay ourselves.”
David Fleming, who runs National Museums Liverpool and is president of the Museums Association, said: “I’m absolutely certain that museums all over the country are considering admission fees to try to plug the gaps in their budgets.”
It is also understood that museums in Birmingham, home to the highly regarded Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery with its famed collection of Pre-Raphaelite art, and in Sheffield are threatened with serious cutbacks.