Museums and

Galleries in Britain
Economic, social and creative impacts

Tony Travers, London School of Economics

December 2006
Participating Institutions
The institutions considered in this study include the larger museums and galleries funded by the
Department for Culture, Media and Sport, a number of equivalent institutions in Scotland and Wales
and a group of larger regional museums. The participants include members of the National Museum
Directors’ Conference and lead partner museums in the Renaissance in the Regions programme. Their
inclusion is determined by such factors as the scale of their budgets and visitor numbers. Availability
of data was also a criterion. Between them, these institutions operate 118 venues. A full list of sites
can be find on the inside back cover.

Full details about the Renaissance in the Regions

programme can be found at www.mla.gov.uk
More information about NMDC can be found at
www.nationalmuseums.org.uk

Regional Museums
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries and Archives
Hampshire County Council Museums & Archives Service
Leicester City Museums Service
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust
Tyne & Wear Museums

National Museum Directors’ Conference

Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales
British Museum
Imperial War Museum
Museum of London
National Archives
National Gallery
National Maritime Museum
National Museum of Science and Industry
National Museums Liverpool
National Museums Scotland
National Portrait Gallery
Natural History Museum
Royal Armouries
Tate
Victoria and Albert Museum
Contents
1 Introduction and summary of findings 5
2 Analysing the impacts of museums and galleries 9
3 Major museums and galleries in this study: a statistical analysis 14
4 How museums and galleries deliver wider benefits 49
5 Links between museums and galleries and wider society 70
6 The international context 78
7 Conclusion 85

List of tables and notes on data 4

Full list of venues of the museums and galleries included in this report 90

Cover: Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery

List of tables services and brings together a family of bodies
that are not always treated as homogeneous. Data
Table 1 Total expenditure have been collected and then cross-checked with
Table 2 Operating expenditure institutions. However, there are always issues of
interpretation and definition in an exercise of this
Table 3 Capital expenditure
kind. Data are collected for different purposes.
Table 4 Collections purchase The threat of double-counting is always present,
Table 5 Average annual spend on particularly with potentially overlapping measures
collections purchase by museums such as ‘donations’ and some kinds of ‘grants’.
and galleries – Britain and There are also problems associated with ‘net’ and
overseas (£m) ‘gross’ expenditure or income measures.

Table 6 Total income Thus, the numbers here presented should be seen
as a best effort to create a single population of
Table 7a Grant-in-aid/public funding institutions that, collectively, represent about
Table 7b Capital grant-in-aid two-thirds of all museum and gallery expenditure/
income in the UK. This sub-sector of the creative
Table 8 National Lottery funding
industries is one of the world’s largest and
Table 9 Donations and sponsorship deserves attention because of its continuing
Table 10 Trading income potential to assist in building Britain’s post-
industrial economy. Many countries can build
Table 11 Admissions income consumer ‘white goods’. But few have the kind
Table 12 Visitor numbers of extensive cultural sub-sector shown in the
tables in this report.
Table 13 Museum and gallery visit numbers
and football club attendances Figures are given, wherever possible, for each of
Table 14 Overseas visitors the institutions covered by the survey. A blank
space generally indicates a lack of data. In some
Table 15 Website visits cases, the institution did not exist in its current
Table 16 Staff, volunteers and friends form for all years. Sub-totals and totals are shown
in italics so as to remind the reader that not all
Table 17 Loans totals are consistent because not all data cells are
Table 18 Publications filled for every year. Nevertheless, the total of each
column of data is provided.
Table 19 Visits to major museum and
galleries, Britain and overseas Future exercises of this kind will need to address
the problem that official statistics within the
cultural and creative industries remain less well
Notes on data developed than in, say, manufacturing. Only the
government can command the authority and
The statistics published in this report have been
consistency necessary to create a fully robust set
collected from a questionnaire of a number of
of statistics about museums, galleries and other
major museums and galleries (both DCMS and
cultural institutions.
local authority funded) in Britain. The ‘population’
of institutions is intended to include most of the
country’s leading institutions and museum

Right: Tate Britain Sure Start – Casting the nets and

4 fishing, exploring Christopher Wood and Alfred Wallis
 INTRODUCTION AND
1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
 This report has been commissioned by the The reasons for this omission are often
Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) considered. Such reasons include the following:
and the National Museums Directors’ Conference (a) the fragmented and disparate nature of such
(NMDC) to provide an up-to-date analysis of a institutions; (b) the relative novelty of considering
number of economic and social impacts of many cultural activity (as opposed to, say, agriculture
of Britain’s major museums and galleries. There or manufacturing) as an economic sector in its
has been a growing recognition in recent years own right; and (c) the lack of a single statistical
that these institutions play leading roles in institution devoted to the sector in the way that,
encouraging civic development and economic say, the Higher Education Statistics Agency
regeneration within society. The Renaissance collects numbers about universities. The MLA has
in the Regions policy, in particular, has made it been the institution that has, more than any other,
possible for key regional museums to develop sought to bring consistency and rationality to
leadership and a voice for the major local this issue.
government institutions. Recently developed
leadership and wider functions are in addition The numbers used here have been collected
to the traditional ones ascribed to museums in a questionnaire sent out specifically for this
and galleries over many years. exercise. They cover a number of major museums
and galleries funded by the DCMS, the Scottish
It is clear, however, that as additional functions Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and
and expectations have been required of regional by local authorities. Between them, they represent
and national museums and galleries, it has not a significant proportion of such activity in Britain,
always been possible to provide sufficient though there is no precise definitional ‘edge’
additional resources to match new responsibilities. between those in and those outside of the study.
This report examines a number of the wider A willingness to take part and complete the
functions of museums and galleries and the ways questionnaire was an important qualification.
these are delivered. There are no better or more comprehensive data
sets, though there is always a risk of a slight lack
The institutions considered in this study include of comparability, given the differences between
the larger museums and galleries funded by the institutions surveyed. There are also minor
Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), difficulties associated with changes in definition
a number of equivalent institutions in Scotland from year to year. However, the general order of
and Wales and a group of larger regional magnitude of the statistics and observations
museums. They represent a sub-set of the wider based upon them are robust.
population of British museums and galleries.
Their inclusion is determined by such factors as
the scale of their budgets and visitor numbers.
Availability of data was also a criterion.
It is, perhaps inevitably, important to begin with
a note of caution. A number of reports have in
recent years been devoted to the question of data
sources for culture and the arts, and the use to
which they are put. There is no, single, consistent
data source for British museums and galleries,
still less for the wider arts and cultural sector.

6 Introduction and summary

 The key findings of this report are as follows:
General importance of the sub-sector
- Britain’s museum and gallery sub-sector
consists of institutions that are among the
very best in the world. The agglomeration of
institutions, talent and audiences in Britain
has parallels in only a few other countries. This
concentration provides a major opportunity,
deriving from the rapidly changing nature of the
British economy. This country, along with other
highly developed economies will face continuing
demands for economic flexibility and creativity
in the years ahead.
- Museums and galleries offer a major
internationally traded service (by generating
exports) while also underpinning the creativity
upon which future high value added economic
activity is likely to be based. Thus, the sub-sector
will help in the development of new services,
products and even manufactured goods. States
without such collections and centres of
knowledge will find life more difficult.
Economic impacts
- Economic benefits of the sub-sector are
estimated to be of the order of £1.5 billion per
annum, taking account of turnover and plausible
Above: National Museums Liverpool – Stories behind the art estimates of visitor expenditure. Wider economic
at the Walker Art Gallery impacts would be still greater;
- Over 9,000 people are directly employed by major
museums and galleries considered by this study;
- National and regional institutions are directly
contributing to programmes that assist
economic development and the strengthening
of social capital;

Introduction and summary 7

Creative and cultural impacts Finance
- Britain’s major museums and galleries are a key - Self-generated income to museums and
element in the mass communication of culture, galleries in this study has ranged as high as
creativity and ideas; £200 million a year, including over £100 million
in donations and sponsorship, over £100 million
- There are over 42 million visits each year to major in trading income and some £20 million in
museums and galleries. According to the initial ticket sales;
results of the DCMS Taking Part survey, 43 per
cent of the population attended a museum or - Up to a third of museum displays and facilities
gallery at least once during the past year. This are in need of significant renovation;
number is supported by those revealed by the
MLA/NMDC questionnaire; - Income has not been rising as fast as staff
and other inflationary costs in the economy;
- The scale of attendance at museums and
galleries is not a one-off, this level of participation - Without proper resources it is unlikely that
has been sustained over a number of years. It is the complex objectives now set for museums
clear the sub-sector is a long-term contributor and galleries can continue to be delivered –
to national well-being; additional income sources will be required;

Civil society Governance and accountability

- Museums and galleries are playing roles in - There are conflicting demands on institutions,
thousands of local, national and international which must act as traditional centres of
civil society institutions, providing a bridge scholarship and curatorial expertise, but also as
between, on the one hand, history and teaching institutions, mass entertainments and,
scholarship and, on the other, the future, increasingly, moderators of scientific knowledge
creativity, leisure and social cohesion; and agents for social change;

- Our survey suggested there were 3,000 - Museums and galleries face many demands
‘volunteers’ and over 140,000 ‘friends’ linked to for accountability, not only to central or local
the museums included in this study – a major government (as a major source of funding)
contribution towards civic engagement; but also to local communities and business.
Incentives may not always be consistent.
Education and social impacts
- Museums and galleries have expanded their
activities as partners with universities and
further education, as well as extending access to
schools and increasing the numbers of visits by
young people;

8 Introduction and summary Right: National Museum of Scotland

 ANALYSING THE IMPACTS
2 OF MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
 Cultural and creative institutions, including A wider study of ‘public value’ approaches is
museums and galleries, have found themselves currently under way at the Work Foundation
under a number of accountability pressures in (Work Foundation, 2005). This study seeks to draw
recent years. Such pressures have a number of together both the ‘economic’ efforts to assess
origins, including: government demands for public value (generally using techniques to
‘delivery’, changing public attitudes to institutions attribute a monetary value to the importance
and fashion in the measurement of outcomes. people attach to cultural activities or institutions)
This report considers a number of Britain’s leading and the more qualitative version of the concept.
museums and galleries in terms of their capacity The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and
to attract visitors, economic impacts, civic Sport has publicly stated her interest in the
functions, contributions to the country’s creativity techniques used by academics such as Mark
and educational performance. This approach is Moore (Moore, 1997).
explicitly designed to address a number of
possible official interests in what these Recently, the National Trust published a document
institutions deliver. entitled Demonstrating the Public Value of Heritage,
which provides a further step in the search for a
Museums and galleries are an important and ‘public value approach’ to the measurement of
recognised element in the British cultural heritage (National Trust, 2006). The output of
economy. A number of studies have demonstrated the research is intended to examine “the value
the different impacts these institutions have on organisations deliver from the perspective of the
local, regional and national economies. Early citizen, and how cost effectively this value has
studies considered the economic impact of been delivered”.
cultural institutions. The evolution of ‘economic
regeneration’ policies, particularly in larger The report argues that traditional approaches
cities, led to studies of the impacts of museums, to performance measurement have a number
galleries and other cultural bodies on post- of limitations. First, there is insufficient focus
industrial urban economies. Such studies on citizens and their requirements. Second, the
considered both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ indicators, with focus is on outputs not outcomes and, third,
the latter set of measures designed to test the there is a failure to reconcile outcomes and
impact of institutions on social cohesion. cost-effectiveness.

More recently, parts of the cultural sector have The National Trust (NT), working with Accenture,
moved on to different kinds of research, notably came up with a method for measuring public value
studies designed to estimate the value people that attributed weights to a number of standard
put on local heritage, museums, libraries and arts. indicators. These indicators included a number
The BBC, as part of its charter revision process, of inputs, such as ‘total visitor numbers’, but also
commissioned a major project to estimate the outputs, eg, economic impact and also qualitative
value people put on its output. This study sought, measures, eg, ratings given by visitors. The
amongst other things, to measure how much measures and weightings were selected
people would be willing to pay for the BBC if, judgementally on this occasion. The different
instead of paying through the licence fee, indicators and weights were then brought
they were asked to subscribe for the same together into a single measure for each of the
programmes. English Heritage and others, NT properties being considered.
including DCMS, has supported a broadly similar The NT/Accenture research is very much a first
piece of research to attribute a monetary value attempt at this kind of public value measure. It
to aspects of the nation’s heritage (Eftec, 2005). is not dissimilar to measures such as the local

10 Analysing the impacts

government ‘Comprehensive Performance educational, civic and social aspects of the
Assessment’ which brings together a number of country’s performance. For the first time, major
performance indicators and qualitative measures national and regional institutions are considered
into a single measurement. It is clear that a in the same report. By bringing together data
number of different methods of measuring ‘public about key museums and galleries from a number
value’ are evolving separately and, on present of major cities in the country, it has been possible
form, each will be hard to compare with the others. to assess the collective impact of the sub-sector
There may be good arguments for museums and in the light of cross-party policy objectives relating
galleries themselves exploring a number of these to objectives such as the revival of urban centres,
new techniques, though until the Treasury, DCMS, reductions in social and educational inequalities,
or some other institution provides an agreed and and the strengthening of regional economies.
comparable framework within which to make
measurements, the risk of a series of The Chancellor commissioned Sir George Cox to
one-off studies of ‘public value’ persists. review how Britain could better exploit its creative
skills more effectively (Cox, 2005). His report made
International comparisons of the scale and a number of recommendations, many of them
arrangements for funding cultural institutions aimed at universities and/or the smaller and
can also be instructive. The amounts spent by medium enterprise sector. However, it also
governments and mechanisms for allocating suggested there needed to be a more effective
culture support vary widely from country to showcase for British creative talent, around a
country. By comparing numbers of visits to centre that would include exhibition space,
museums and galleries in Britain with those in seminar facilities, a hub for creative industry
other developed democracies, it is possible to gatherings, educational facilities, space for
benchmark performance in this country with professional and trade bodies, retail facilities
what takes place elsewhere. and incubator space for creative businesses.

The role of museums and galleries... in promoting and encouraging

creativity should not be overlooked.

The different approaches adopted to describing The Design Museum in London, along with the
and measuring cultural institutions are evidence Lighthouse in Scotland and the Northern Design
of a desire within a rapidly-developing sector of Centre, were cited as good examples of the kind of
the economy to understand itself and its impacts. initiative to be fostered more widely. Interestingly,
In part, such research allows museums, galleries the Cox Report included a picture of Tate Modern
and other cultural bodies to be held to account for at the point of the report dealing with the
the public resources they have already received. proposals for showcase centres. The role of
In part, it makes it possible for central and local museums and galleries (many of which already
government to decide where future resources have most of the facilities required for Sir George’s
would best be applied. Cultural institutions are, ‘creative hub’) in promoting and encouraging
after all, in competition for both public resources creativity should not be overlooked, particularly
and for individuals’ leisure expenditure. in the light of international competition. Many
good examples of such activity are provided later
This study analyses the impacts of Britain’s larger in this report.
museums and galleries on a number of economic,

Analysing the impacts 11

The DCMS Creative Economy Programme is
intended to be “the first step in achieving our
[ie the government’s] goal of making the UK the
world’s creative hub”. An Evidence and Analysis
group has been set up to consider questions such
as:“How much of the UK economy do creative
industries currently account for? What is their
indirect impact on other industries?” The research
will also consider how “good product design can
differentiate it from other products and add real
value” and “ What role will these industries play in
the future of the UK economy? Will they become
more or less important?” This report attempts to
answer these, and other, questions.
Museums and galleries contribute to the delivery
of a number of policy objectives determined by
government. It is reasonable that central and local
government expect the achievement of such
objectives because a significant proportion of
most institutions’ income comes from the State.
It is also possible, of course, that short-term
changes in policy may detract from the longer
term purposes of cultural institutions. On the
other hand, the public might be less likely to
support the arts and culture if there were felt to
be a lack of public accountability for taxpayers’
money. There is a delicate balance to be struck.
The contents of this report make clear that
Above: Young visitors on an ‘Action Station’ in the main
Britain’s museums and galleries have been exhibition space at Imperial War Museum North
increasingly successful in achieving a number
of outcomes desired by government. Increasing
overall attendances (over time) and the
observation that 43 per cent of all adults visit a
museum or gallery at least once a year (DCMS,
2006) suggests the sector has become a major
element in the delivery of an improved quality of
life. New museums and galleries have contributed
to the economic and social regeneration of
industrial cities. Research such as a recent study
of Bolton’s museum, library and archive services
(Jura Consultants, 2005) suggests the public
assign greater value to such services than they
actually cost.

12 Analysing the impacts

The increasing number of children and people There are other aspects of museums and galleries
from diverse backgrounds attracted to museums that may, in future, be thought to be important. The
and galleries also implies that the government’s capacity of cultural institutions to provide people
inclusion objectives are being achieved. The with opportunities to develop in ways that
inspiration achieved by visits to cultural enhance their happiness – a key government
institutions can be shown to result in value-added concern – is not yet researched. However, there is
benefits for those individuals and society more no doubt that museums and galleries can also be
generally. Section 4 and the case studies in this ordered and tranquil places in contrast to many of
report give examples of the ways in which museums the more challenging aspects of modern society,
and galleries can reach out to individuals and contributing to the achievement of happiness and
also inspire intellectual capacity-building other desirable ends.
between individuals and the wider economy. Such
capacity-building will improve employability and
self-confidence.

The inspiration achieved by visits

to cultural institutions can be
shown to result in value-added
benefits for those individuals
and society.

The impact of museums and galleries on the wider

economy can be measured both as the direct and
indirect economic impacts considered in Section Above: A visitor admiring a painting at the National War
Museum, Scotland
3, but also as the creation of wider productive
capacity of the kind the Chancellor wished to
encourage by the setting-up of the Cox inquiry
discussed above. Museums and galleries have
delivered ‘soft diplomacy’ (by subtly promoting
Britain overseas and to foreign visitors) as well
as providing the domestic economy with
creative input.
As Britain, along with other developed economies,
moves further and further away from primary
manufacturing and the delivery of low value-
added services, the country’s key cultural and
‘weightless’ assets will become more important.
Few countries have such a good starting-point for
this new economy as Britain. Moreover, because
of the country’s size, institutions are accessible
to most of the population.

Analysing the impacts 13

 MAJOR MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
3 IN THIS STUDY: A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
 Britain’s major museums and galleries Looking at three major institutions for the
constitute a major sub-sector of the country’s full time series, it is possible to observe the
cultural industries. This report estimates that the movement of spending over almost a decade. The
annual turnover of the whole sector – including all pattern of activity at any particular institution is
museums and galleries, from the largest national prone to short-term movements as the result of
institutions to the smallest local ones – will one-off expenditure items. The overall increases
exceed £900 million. in expenditure over the nine-year period range
from under seven per cent at the British Museum
If even very modest assumptions are made about
to over 100 per cent at the Imperial War Museum
the related economic activity (international
(not adjusted for inflation).
visitors, regeneration expenditure and so on)
are added to this total, the figure would exceed Total expenditure by selected museums
£1 billion. This suggests that broadly £1 in every and galleries, 1997-98 to 2005-06 (£m)
£1,000 in the UK economy can be directly related
to the museums and galleries sector.
£m
Although this is a relatively simplistic indicator, 120
it gives a sense of the importance of the museums
and galleries sub-sector to the wider economy.
This section of the report is based on data
100
provided in a major questionnaire-based exercise
to assess the turnover, income sources and
activities of Britain’s larger museums and
galleries. The purpose of the tables and numbers 80
referred to here is to provide a data-rich picture
of the sub-sector and its activities.
Expenditure – overall and operating 60
Public expenditure in the UK has risen by 51 per
cent (in cash) since 2000-01 (HM Treasury, 2006).
Over the same period, expenditure by national
40
museums has increased by 12 per cent. The major
museums and galleries covered by this report
spend over £650 million a year. Individual
institutions spend as much as £91 million (Tate, 20
2005-06), while several museums spend in excess
of £50 million a year. Not all of the larger bodies
are in London. For example, National Museums
0
Liverpool has an annual budget of almost 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06
£30 million, while the museum services in Tyne
British Museum
& Wear and Sheffield Museums & Galleries Trust
Imperial War Museum
both spent £12 to £13 million in 2005-6. In each
case, the institution is responsible for a significant Tyne & Wear Museums
input into the local economy. Table 1 shows the
pattern of spending from body to body. Note:These figures have not been adjusted for inflation

Left: SEARCH, Gosport Statistical analysis 15

Table 1:Total expenditure

Institutions Expenditure
Total expenditure (£000s)
97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery 7,152 6,310 9,121 11,349 9,422 10,039 12,285 10,964
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives 2,301 2,254 2,242 2,301 2,199 2,737 3,691 4,111 5,999
Hampshire County Council 4,633 4,162 4,592 4,141 4,288
Leicester City Museums Service 2,303 2,405 2,050 2,327 2,529 2,581 4,324 4,930
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 7,560 12,290 4,441 9,545 6,639 9,072 5,909
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 1,740 1,900 2,417 3,224 3,252 6,321 8,492 13,067
Tyne & Wear Museums 7,309 6,785 7,606 10,250 11,811 10,963 13,057 11,876 13,123
Subtotal – regional museums 9,610 20,234 28,022 38,430 39,985 42,609 46,919 54,301 58,280
National Archives 24,871 20,226 22,617 24,016 27,305 31,197 37,872 33,401 36,933
National Museums of Scotland 27,969 39,119 17,877 18,190 16,367 17,880 19,557 23,979 25,812
Amgueddfa Cymru 14,931 18,310 16,798 17,288 18,725 18,254 20,472 22,675 24,689
British Museum 65,834 71,807 92,653 111,032 83,150 72,754 78,544 60,900 69,916
Imperial War Museum 23,806 26,507 32,757 39,030 46,893 34,743 37,062 43,368 48,879
Museum of London 14,225 15,123 15,512 19,247 20,284 19,681 21,622 19,937 18,127
National Gallery 35,924 22,239 44,576 32,768 31,343 27,189 64,999 42,902 32,732
National Maritime Museum 19,800 24,100 16,200 15,700 17,500 21,100 21,600 23,117 27,953
National Museum of Science & Industry 53,449 57,094 60,111 55,610 147,713 60,756 74,030 66,705 55,894
National Museums Liverpool 15,702 18,000 23,606 30,953 25,934 26,921 23,310 29,326 29,598
National Portrait Gallery 9,700 12,100 16,800 10,900 9,500 12,200 11,800 10,462 11,693
Natural History Museum 44,951 46,344 57,588 52,395 48,711 54,323 51,951 56,706 70,640
Royal Armouries 6,600 4,500 6,450 6,570 7,360 7,480 7,480 8,510 9,277
Tate 58,748 97,605 98,524 69,988 73,816 81,718 81,159 78,171 91,466
Victoria and Albert Museum 42,825 45,580 49,120 52,699 65,721 61,921 65,850 65,785 66,924
Subtotal – national museums 459,335 518,654 571,189 556,386 640,322 548,117 617,308 585,944 620,532
TOTAL 468,945 538,888 599,211 594,816 680,307 590,727 664,227 640,245 678,812

Figures relate to data in published statutory accounts or other financial statements, excluding depreciation

16 Statistical analysis
The economic importance of an individual Expenditure – capital
institution to the local economy has been Capital expenditure has dropped sharply (as a
estimated in a number of studies. Benefits are proportion of total expenditure) since 2001-02.
felt by shops, hotels and restaurants in the Table 3 shows capital expenditure in each
immediate vicinity of the museum or gallery and institution. The variations here, predictably, are
also by the communities where the employees of very wide. By its nature, capital investment will not
these institutions live and the local businesses be consistent from year to year. In Britain, with its
which provide many support services. It is not just traditionally boom-and-bust approach to public
the central cities that benefit from the economic expenditure, institutions such as museums and
activity generated by museums and galleries. galleries have faced years of feast and famine. The
arrival of the lottery and the potential availability
The expenditure figures shown are partly funded
of funding for cultural institutions have meant
by grant, but also by income from trading (eg,
that, during the period covered by Table 3, there
shops and restaurants) and from ticket sales.
have been very big differences in the expenditure
There are, of course, year-to-year variations
of individual museums and galleries. Some of
because of one-off items such as major
these investments have been widely publicised.
exhibitions or a significant period of lottery-
funded investment. But there is nevertheless Thus, for example, Tate is shown as having a
evidence of turnover increases that match capital expenditure figure of some £60 million a
or exceed inflation, suggesting that these year in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, at the key point
institutions are, collectively, holding their own in the development of Tate Modern. Similarly, the
in the increasingly competitive leisure sector. British Museum, National Museums Scotland

It is hard to envisage these institutions being able to invest to expand

unless there is some recognition of the competitive pressures that all
museums and galleries face at regional and international levels.
Unlike leisure institutions in the private sector, and the National Museum of Science and Industry
national museums and galleries cannot invest have had years with substantial levels of capital
in their stock or assets unless the government investment, notably in the years from 1997-98 to
allows them to. Local authority institutions are 2001-02. Local authority museum services have
also subject to central controls over local enjoyed their own, albeit smaller, levels of capital
government capital expenditure. Thus, looking spending. The peak for these latter investments
ahead, it is hard to envisage these institutions came a little later than in the national institutions,
being able to invest to expand unless there is perhaps reflecting real terms increases in council
some recognition of the competitive pressures expenditure after 2000.
that all museums and galleries face at regional
and international levels. This is a key issue for DCMS sponsored institutions have witnessed
DCMS, for a number of local authorities and for a falling total of capital expenditure and an
the lottery institutions. increased reliance on government support (see
Table 7b). Earlier sources, such as the lottery, have
Table 2 looks at Operating Expenditure only. declined and consequently capital grant-in-aid
Capital and other one-off items are excluded. has increased as a share of the total. The impact
Generally, operating expenditure represents some has been less marked in other institutions, partly
75 per cent of turnover, though there are variations.
Statistical analysis 17
Table 2: Operating expenditure

Institutions Expenditure
Operating (£000s)
97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery 6,600 5,991 7,312 7,776 8,431 8,973 9,244 9,389
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives 2,301 2,254 2,242 2,290 1,746 2,718 3,672 4,028 4,601
Hampshire County Council 4,402 4,083 4,516 4,043 4,203
Leicester City Museums Service 2,218 2,339 1,992 2,249 2,451 2,561 2,753 3,052
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 3,287 3,419 4,169 4,437 4,676 6,901 5,171
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 1,706 1,519 2,197 3,049 3,225 3,620 3,800 5,076
Tyne & Wear Museums 6,139 6,088 6,309 6,994 7,657 8,006 9,214 10,710 12,221
Subtotal – regional museums 8,440 18,866 21,688 24,203 31,048 33,351 37,233 41,479 43,712
National Archives 24,017 19,069 20,963 22,806 25,981 28,967 34,555 31,493 35,060
National Museums of Scotland 11,933 13,412 13,439 14,379 14,422 16,387 17,432 19,040 19,958
Amgueddfa Cymru 13,379 14,501 13,793 15,358 18,270 17,677 19,582 21,363 23,616
British Museum 44,176 41,639 47,260 51,372 57,485 60,561 54,791 56,045 60,371
Imperial War Museum 17,590 18,293 22,096 21,733 25,343 28,631 32,107 35,680 35,397
Museum of London 13,534 14,559 15,326 16,349 15,559 14,172 17,925 18,937 18,002
National Gallery 17,286 17,710 20,814 21,500 22,425 21,282 22,278 23,778 25,087
National Maritime Museum 11,800 13,300 13,700 15,100 16,000 18,000 20,000 19,564 21,268
National Museum of Science & Industry 31,358 32,451 34,576 41,451 44,249 49,466 52,771 49,689 50,374
National Museums Liverpool 14,584 15,582 15,819 15,673 16,115 17,329 18,684 19,457 21,440
National Portrait Gallery 6,300 6,500 6,800 8,400 8,500 9,900 10,200 9,624 10,273
Natural History Museum 38,368 39,662 41,149 40,099 43,424 46,096 47,658 51,449 65,993
Royal Armouries 4,680 4,340 6,190 6,280 6,550 7,060 7,090 7,980 8,789
Tate 24,759 28,745 29,011 53,101 56,166 67,154 62,897 65,519 71,998
Victoria and Albert Museum 36,612 39,438 39,135 42,861 44,820 47,266 53,304 51,790 52,314
Subtotal – national museums 310,376 319,201 340,071 386,462 415,309 449,948 471,274 481,408 519,940
TOTAL 318,816 338,067 361,759 410,665 446,357 483,299 508,507 522,887 563,652

18 Statistical analysis
because they received less from the lottery.
Analysis of Table 3 makes a serious point about
investment in Britain’s museums and galleries.
Occasional availability of resources seems to have
been linked to short-term phenomena such as
the creation of the lottery and changes in local
government funding patterns. Indeed, changes in
lottery policy have meant that the level of grants
seen in the late 1990s have not been maintained
or repeated: Lottery income has dropped from
a peak of £76 million in 1998-99 to around
£26 million per annum today. Similarly, the
brief period of local government expansion after
2000-01 (reinforced by capital control changes
in 2004-05) is now coming to an end.
Put simply, the availability of resources for
investment in museums and galleries appears to
be unrelated to the needs of the sector. Money has
been available from time to time, but has been
concentrated in a small number of major projects
only. There has been little available for the
improvement of existing assets. While such large
investments (eg, Tate Modern, Great Court British
Museum, National Museums Liverpool) have led to
hugely successful new facilities with some benefit Above: Young participant in the Leicester City Museums
to the whole museums and galleries sector, there Service Leicester and Me project
remain many other institutions that have not
enjoyed an equivalent capital expenditure uplift.
Table 3 points to the need for a more consistent
and logical approach to capital investment in
museums and galleries. The DCMS has in recent
years attempted to secure increased investment
resources for these institutions. There has, as
observed above, been increased reliance on
government funding for capital expenditure by
national museums. But the evidence from this
table is that the results are patchy. In a period
when museums and galleries are expected to be
relevant to changing modern tastes and concerns
and also to maintain their large collections, there
does not appear to be a consistent capital
investment programme to allow institutions to
achieve the day-to-day objectives set for them.

Statistical analysis 19
Table 3: Capital expenditure

Institutions Expenditure
Capital (£000s)
97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery 552 1,748 3,526 947 795 2,810 1,427
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives 424 1,033
Hampshire County Council 232 78 46 55 34
Leicester City Museums Service 85 65 53 62 17 16 1,555 1,879
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 4,273 7,398 272 4,887 1,833 1,856 567
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 34 373 183 132 27 2,420 4,598 7,991
Tyne & Wear Museums 802 638 1,241 3,233 4,141 2,516 3,815 937 750
Subtotal – regional museums 802 1,309 5,953 12,616 8,789 8,472 8,926 11,811 13,681
National Archives 854 1,157 1,654 1,210 1,324 2,230 3,317 1,908 1,873
National Museums of Scotland 15,255 25,481 3,916 3,211 1,476 907 1,543 4,432 3,787
Amgueddfa Cymru 1,028 482 251 46 155 360 806 519
British Museum 19,792 26,988 42,939 49,935 7,818 9,955 17,175 3,692 7,225
Imperial War Museum 5,769 7,794 10,301 17,071 21,456 5,935 4,764 7,498 13,482
Museum of London 691 564 186 2,898 4,706 5,319 3,437 125 125
National Gallery 4,514 3,651 3,878 1,718 1,917 4,239 6,965 11,748 4,383
National Maritime Museum 7,800 10,300 2,100 400 800 1,700 1,500 3,206 6,500
National Museum of Science & Industry 21,935 24,380 25,362 13,998 103,376 11,265 21,250 17,012 5,500
National Museums Liverpool 818 2,260 7,687 15,128 9,489 5,549 4,138 8,161 8,158
National Portrait Gallery 3,000 5,200 9,300 2,200 200 1,300 900 135 371
Natural History Museum 6,583 6,682 16,439 12,296 5,116 8,227 4,293 5,257 4,647
Royal Armouries 1,920 150 260 290 600 240 200 310 327
Tate 25,010 60,320 57,104 8,413 10,285 3,277 1,397 3,669 6,136
Victoria and Albert Museum 5,020 5,226 8,395 9,025 18,398 13,248 10,675 12,707 13,528
Subtotal – national museums 118,961 181,181 190,003 138,044 187,007 73,546 81,914 80,666 76,560
TOTAL 119,763 182,490 195,956 150,660 195,796 82,018 90,839 92,477 90,241

Excluding collections purchase

20 Statistical analysis
Collections purchase Of course, there are other ways for museums
In Table 4, we consider the resources available and galleries to extend their collections, most
for the leading British museums and galleries to obviously by gifts and donations. But this source
extend or improve their collections. As with the can only go so far in making up the modest sums
previous table, the numbers are ‘lumpy’ from year available for purchases. Moreover, not everything
to year, reflecting the variable nature of museums’ that institutions would or should collect is
and galleries’ capacities to invest in their stock currently the object of existing private collections.
of artefacts (though the ‘lumpy’ nature of objects Also, the scale of private wealth in the United
coming to market may also be a factor). The States is such that very much larger collections
average spend per year of this set of institutions are likely to be built-up there.
is in the range £25 to £40 million, though there
Table 5 compares the expenditure on collections
are years above and below this total.
purchase in leading British museums and
Larger expenditures on collections occur at the galleries in recent years. In each case, the average
National Gallery, the British Museum and Tate. The annual expenditure for each year where data
latter, in particular, appears to manage a relatively exists since 1997-98 is shown. For purposes of
consistent spend of around £10 million per year, comparison, the equivalent data from a number of
though prices of many cultural artefacts have overseas institutions are also shown, though the
risen faster than inflation. For other national time-series for these numbers is rather shorter.
institutions, sums of under £1 million per annum
Although the ‘overseas’ museums available for
are typical. In a number of cases, particularly the
comparison are to some extent opportunistically
major regional museums included in this study,
selected by being major institutions where there
the amounts spent are less than £100,000 a year.
are published data for two or more years, the
Figures from Art Market Report suggest inflation
general point made by Table 5 is clear. There are
in the cost of Old Master paintings over the period
a number of important museums and galleries
since 1980 has been over 400 per cent. For the
in other countries, particularly the US, where
top two per cent of paintings, the rise was very
the annual level of expenditure on purchases
much higher.
is significantly greater than in the leading
Thus, the amounts spent on acquisitions are very UK institutions.
small. In some years, the amount spent by the
Indeed, there are likely to be many American
leading British museums and galleries on
institutions that are spending significantly
purchasing new artefacts – ranging from scientific
more on acquisitions than any British museum
via heritage to artistic and natural history items –
or gallery. Moreover, the scale of donations of
is less than £20 million. Major auction houses in
artefacts and collections (as opposed to money)
New York, London and Paris from time to time
– particularly in the United States – means
sell individual items costing more than this total.
this table understates the disadvantage
Leading institutions in the United States can often
of the UK institutions compared with their
spend several times as much. There can be little
American counterparts.
doubt that, coupled with the patchy nature of
capital investment discussed above, this inability Income
to build up collections by purchase means that Total income to museums and galleries, shown in
British institutions are at an inevitable Table 6, closely matches the expenditure figures
disadvantage compared with their equivalent shown in Table 1. The reasons for this are clear:
institutions in the US and, from time to time, institutions must balance their books and,
elsewhere in Europe. compared with a number of other State
Statistical analysis 21
Table 4: Collections purchase

Institutions Expenditure
Collections purchase (£000s)
97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery 319 61 47 45 271 232 148
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives 11 29 19 19 16 69
Hampshire County Council 19 29 30 43 50
Leicester City Museums Service 6 16 61 3 16
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 1,473 220 130 316 96
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 7 37 43 280 94
Tyne & Wear Museums 368 59 56 23 12 441 28 229 153
Subtotal – regional museums 368 59 382 1,611 166 815 761 945 516
National Museums of Scotland 781 226 522 600 469 586 582 507 327
Amgueddfa Cymru 1,552 2,781 2,523 1,679 409 422 530 506 554
British Museum 1,866 3,180 2,454 9,725 17,847 2,238 6,578 1,163 2,320
Imperial War Museum 447 420 360 226 94 177 191 190 123
Museum of London 19 190 260 875
National Gallery 14,124 878 19,884 9,550 7,001 1,668 35,756 7,376 3,262
National Maritime Museum 200 500 400 200 700 1,400 100 347 185
National Museum of Science & Industry 156 263 173 161 88 25 9 4 20
National Museums Liverpool 300 158 100 152 330 4,043 488 1,708
National Portrait Gallery 400 400 700 300 800 1,000 700 703 1,049
Natural History Museum 171 5
Royal Armouries 340 250 240 90 240 210 250 260 131
Tate 8,979 8,540 12,409 8,474 7,365 11,287 16,865 8,983 13,332
Victoria and Albert Museum 1,193 916 1,590 813 2,503 1,408 1,872 1,287 1,082
Subtotal – national museums 30,338 18,512 41,355 31,970 38,036 24,654 64,181 23,909 22,390
TOTAL 30,706 18,571 41,737 33,581 38,202 25,468 64,941 24,854 22,906

Donated pictures and donations relating to capitalised collection acquisitions are disclosed as donations
and sponsorship income, and donated collection acquisitions as collection purchases

22 Statistical analysis
Table 5: Average annual spend on collections purchase
by museums and galleries – Britain and overseas (£m)
Institution
Average annual expenditure on acquisitions 2001-2004*
(£m)
National Gallery 12.270
Tate 10.595
British Museum 7.621
Victoria and Albert Museum 1.577
National Museums Liverpool 1.344
Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales 0.709
National Portrait Gallery 0.701
National Maritime Museum 0.549
National Museums Scotland 0.549
Museum of London 0.336
Royal Armouries 0.210
Imperial War Museum 0.176
National Museum of Science & Industry 0.057
Natural History Museum 0.171
Van Gogh Museum (Netherlands) 17.402
Louvre (France) 6.416
Rijksmuseum (Netherlands) 3.851
State Museums Berlin (Germany) 1.377
Musee d’Orsay (France) 1.056
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Germany) 0.305
Deutches Museum (Germany) 0.187
J Paul Getty Museum (USA) 17.005
Metropolitan Museum (USA) 16.623
MoMA (USA) 9.859
MFA Boston (USA) 8.237

These figures do not record the value of donations and bequests, and therefore are not
representative of the overall collecting activity of institutions
Source for UK figures – MLA/NMDC questionnaire (data from 2000/1-2004/5)
Source for international figures – Published annual reports or annual financial statements,
2001-2004 where available. Research conducted for NMDC by AEA Consulting, 2005.
(Data not available for every year. Currency conversion at current rate, November 2006)
Additional work on this subject has now been published by The Art Fund, which suggests
that the analysis in this MLA/NMDC report may understate the problem (The Art Fund 2006)
Statistical analysis 23
Table 6:Total income

Institutions Income
Total income (£000s)
97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery 7,152 6,310 9,121 11,349 9,422 10,039 12,285 10,964
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives 2,301 2,254 2,242 2,301 2,623 2,737 3,691 4,361 5,999
Hampshire County Council 1,848 1,760 2,135 4,141 4,288
Leicester City Museums Service 2,303 2,405 2,050 2,327 2,529 2,581 4,322 4,741
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 7,802 11,936 4,463 9,555 6,870 8,973 6,720
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 1,770 2,229 2,354 3,226 3,210 6,210 9,436 12,105
Tyne & Wear Museums 6,772 6,330 7,345 9,654 11,159 10,762 12,720 11,741 13,123
Subtotal – regional museums 9,073 19,810 28,332 37,417 36,996 39,975 44,246 55,260 57,940
National Archives 24,871 20,226 22,617 24,016 28,155 32,147 38,972 34,634 36,932
National Museums of Scotland 27,578 35,051 21,105 18,325 17,938 19,472 19,483 22,934 26,648
Amgueddfa Cymru 15,928 17,948 17,456 18,184 20,826 24,403 24,919 24,797 29,268
British Museum 69,547 85,671 76,909 86,025 84,891 87,190 78,664 72,412 68,174
Imperial War Museum 24,815 25,992 32,709 39,718 45,765 34,462 37,278 41,832 49,149
Museum of London 14,399 15,421 17,584 18,859 21,700 18,391 18,203 19,528 20,378
National Gallery 36,106 24,932 44,794 35,804 31,851 30,931 66,585 39,786 34,422
National Maritime Museum 19,000 21,800 17,700 16,500 17,900 18,900 18,500 22,148 24,803
National Museum of Science & Industry 51,404 54,131 62,008 53,157 149,133 63,170 72,773 59,277 55,903
National Museums Liverpool 17,212 19,693 30,324 41,860 33,195 29,982 25,326 34,075 29,115
National Portrait Gallery 10,000 11,600 14,400 10,700 9,500 12,200 11,100 12,047 13,878
Natural History Museum 45,348 46,963 48,854 49,278 50,734 53,585 57,743 61,540 72,791
Royal Armouries 6,230 4,490 6,220 6,890 7,270 7,530 7,590 8,440 10,791
Tate 68,448 86,586 78,356 85,683 81,445 88,036 88,753 88,819 97,621
Victoria and Albert Museum 44,403 45,922 48,895 54,392 64,704 63,493 68,369 66,103 64,752
Subtotal – national museums 475,289 516,426 539,931 559,391 665,007 583,892 634,258 608,371 634,626
TOTAL 484,362 536,235 568,263 596,807 702,003 623,866 678,504 663,631 692,565

Gross ie before deduction of any associated costs, covering the entire group, including trading companies
See notes on page 48 for explanation of discrepancies between total income and total expenditure

24 Statistical analysis
institutions have been successful in matching grants and direct local government funding now
income to spending. Income levels have, like rise only in line with general inflation, and some
expenditure figures, risen in recent years, below this. Grants and direct local government
suggesting museums and galleries have been funding rising at the pace of inflation imply
effective in raising resources in competition with reduction compared with real cost increases
other public and private institutions. Trading in the wider economy. Real costs for premises,
income to the museums and galleries included salaries, goods and services have all gone up more
in this report rose by over 100 per cent (cash) than general inflation – for example, rising steel
between 1997-98 and 2005-06. prices have had a big impact on refurbishment
projects. This appears to be true for both local
Income – grants authority and DCMS funded institutions.
Grants, either from DCMS or represented by core
funding from local authorities, constitute slightly While it may not be realistic to expect and direct
over half of museum and gallery income. This local government funding to museums and
proportion appears to be somewhat higher in local galleries to rise faster than inflation each year,
government-funded institutions and rather lower the scale of increased visitor numbers (see Table
in a number of the DCMS funded ones. The British 12 and text below) in recent years raises important
Museum and the National Museum of Science and questions about stress on institutional fabric
Industry have, in most years, received less than and staff. It might also be expected there would
half their funding from grant-in-aid, while the be a reward for productivity improvements.
Imperial War Museum and Tate have received Rising visitor numbers alongside flat (in real
less than half their funding from grants in every terms) resources also raises questions about
year covered by the table. As far as DCMS the incentives to be provided to successful
sponsored institutions are concerned, despite institutions to maintain their productivity.
the increase in grant-in-aid for some museums as
Income – Lottery
a response to the removal of admission charges,
grant as a proportion of operating expenditure has The Lottery has provided most of the major
dropped in recent years. museums and galleries within this study with
income. In the early years covered by Table 8, from
Table 7a provides detailed figures for each 1997-98 to 1999-2000, between £48 million and
institution. A number of individual grants or local £65 million was provided in each year. However, in
government support totals over £30 million per the years since 2000-01, the total has slowed to
year, though these are generally to the larger around £20 to £30 million a year. Tate has been the
national institutions. Local government support largest individual recipient of Lottery resources
paid to the regional museums is significantly and in so doing, has made an important point
smaller than the grants to the national about the way investment in a gallery can have
institutions, with a single exception. profound long-term impacts. The National
Museum of Science and Industry and the British
Grant income to DCMS-funded institutions has Museum were also significant recipients of
been rising, though part of the increase was to Lottery money.
make up the loss of admission charge revenue
after the government decided to abolish such Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales’
charges in a number of national institutions. Industrial Strategy was made possible by
For many museums and galleries, increases in funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Here
year-on-year income from grants have tapered an investment of £7m from Amgueddfa Cymru –
off in the most recent years after faster rises in National Museum Wales brought in a further
the earlier part of the period under review. Many £42m to enable the complete refurbishment of
Statistical analysis 25
Table 7a: Grant-in-aid/net core revenue budget
or equivalent public funding
Institutions Income
Grant-in-Aid (£000s)
97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery 5,976 4,922 6,022 6,434 7,172 6,826 6,905 6,074
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives 2,301 2,254 2,242 2,290 2,170 2,718 2,882 2,929 2,999
Hampshire County Council 2,785 2,402 2,457 2,252 2,336
Leicester City Museums Service 2,059 2,112 1,799 2,048 2,112 2,084 2,270 2,381
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 2,558 2,944 3,183 3,246 3,375 3,723 3,848
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 1,214 1,347 1,359 2,046 2,029 2,159 2,066 2,230
Tyne & Wear Museums 4,158 4,133 4,205 4,583 5,109 5,604 5,771 6,320 6,496
Subtotal – regional museums 6,459 15,636 17,385 18,998 23,775 25,283 25,555 26,465 26,362
National Archives 22,378 18,144 20,301 21,113 22,789 27,019 33,117 29,790 33,134
National Museums of Scotland 11,244 13,768 12,927 13,242 14,877 17,045 17,045 17,943 18,193
Amgueddfa Cymru 11,552 11,362 12,741 13,734 15,828 17,095 17,999 19,304 21,035
British Museum 31,860 33,921 34,721 34,939 35,969 35,949 36,419 35,229 37,780
Imperial War Museum 10,571 10,573 11,509 11,743 12,868 15,990 16,241 16,891 17,816
Museum of London 4,310 4,210 4,361 4,481 4,519 4,519 4,919 4,851 4,921
National Gallery 18,343 18,689 19,478 19,215 19,949 19,949 19,449 20,257 20,986
National Maritime Museum 10,500 10,200 10,900 11,700 12,100 13,700 14,000 15,731 15,236
National Museum of Science & Industry 21,081 20,281 23,756 24,329 26,678 29,748 31,162 31,394 32,268
National Museums Liverpool 12,727 12,696 13,714 13,913 15,068 15,569 16,282 16,933 17,605
National Portrait Gallery 4,800 5,000 5,100 5,100 5,500 5,700 5,700 6,008 6,326
Natural History Museum 26,960 26,960 28,783 29,608 32,377 35,585 36,103 38,397 39,370
Royal Armouries 5,220 3,730 4,810 5,220 5,940 6,157 6,286 6,960 6,869
Tate 17,052 17,565 19,727 24,881 26,755 27,179 29,482 28,581 29,799
Victoria and Albert Museum 29,898 29,147 30,034 27,410 30,414 34,271 33,839 34,939 36,233
Subtotal – national museums 238,496 236,246 252,862 260,628 281,631 305,475 318,043 323,208 337,571
TOTAL 244,955 251,882 270,247 279,626 305,406 330,758 343,598 349,673 363,933

26 Statistical analysis
Table 7b: Capital grant-in-aid/government
or local authority funding for capital work
Institutions Income
Government or local authority funding for capital work/capital Grant-in-Aid
for national museums (£000s)
97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery 700 675 125 743 2,470 1,342
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives 424 500
Hampshire County Council 232 78 46 55 34
Leicester City Museums Service 25 65 53 62 17 16 1,509 1,606
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 271 1,547 65 2,028 563 1,056 304
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 463 1,773 985
Tyne & Wear Museums 110 77 443 399 209 682 1,253 451 750
Subtotal – regional museums 110 102 779 2,699 1,666 2,932 3,084 7,315 5,522
National Museums of Scotland 12,600 8,200 2,164 1,200 1,304 450 1,050 3,050 5,345
Amgueddfa Cymru 775 1,170 775 775 1,165 775 775 1,358 3,331
British Museum 500 936 2,664 2,014
Imperial War Museum 400 640 250 360 300 600 725
Museum of London 4,310 4,210 4,361 4,481 4,519 4,519 4,919 4,851 4,921
National Gallery 500 1,000 1,000 1,000
National Maritime Museum 500 500 550 540 1,800 1,033
National Museum of Science & Industry 1,000 400 1,500 2,850 1,600 1,700
National Museums Liverpool 400 100 400 1,000 1,050 400 550
National Portrait Gallery 100 100
Natural History Museum 700 800 800 2,500 3,500 1,250 2,100
Royal Armouries 500
Tate 1,611 1,653 600 800 1,300 2,000
Victoria and Albert Museum 3,039 1,923 500 1,000 1,250 2,000
Subtotal – national museums 20,796 15,233 9,740 11,295 10,061 13,754 18,720 21,223 27,319
TOTAL 20,906 15,335 10,519 13,994 11,727 16,686 21,804 28,538 32,841

Statistical analysis 27
Table 8: National Lottery funding

Institutions Income
Lottery (£000s)
97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery 331 769 2,381 207 241 529 5
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives 1,042
Hampshire County Council 18 29 61 38
Leicester City Museums Service 8 73 107
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 4,002 5,876 53 2,694 1,299 1,104 510
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 251 505 219 328 471 2,340 3,822 6,270
Tyne & Wear Museums 370 143 582 2,626 3,762 2,267 2,550 1,021 597
Subtotal – regional museums 370 725 5,089 9,490 6,524 5,665 6,459 6,609 8,569
National Archives 350 254 557 779 1,161 1,484 1,280 94 154
National Museums of Scotland 524 5,258 3,591 498 309 268 146
Amgueddfa Cymru 685 1,976 479 332 571 2,768 2,302 639 125
British Museum 7,787 11,058 14,817 9,431 607 3,009 1,915 258
Imperial War Museum 4,227 5 4,346 166 137 11 1,660 3,222 7,239
Museum of London 28 119 1,100 150 134 874 100
National Gallery 8,269 55 36 38 28 11,553 966 60
National Maritime Museum 4,300 5,600 400 300 900 500 352 2,279
National Museum of Science & Industry 7,637 12,475 12,383 4,727 724 3,482 3,170 3,671 500
National Museums Liverpool 1 1,260 5,321 10,437 6,339 3,102 1,579 3,830 592
National Portrait Gallery 3,230 5,850 1,640 304 127 185 143
Natural History Museum 63 1,931 115 471 109 886 2,334
Tate 19,914 31,200 16,700 3,928 1,778 4,501 230 1,788 3,459
Victoria and Albert Museum 592 1,423 4,039 6,362 5,509 1,400 444 379 523
Subtotal – national museums 54,377 75,843 69,619 38,450 17,722 21,728 24,869 16,886 17,912
TOTAL 54,747 76,568 74,708 47,940 24,246 27,393 31,328 23,495 26,481

28 Statistical analysis
three existing museums and the creation of a resources from donations and sponsorship.
new Collections Centre and a brand new flagship During the radical re-structuring of the British
museum in Swansea. economy during the 1980s, many public
institutions were told to look to the private sector
Tate Modern is one of the most successful new to augment their income. In the 1990s and 2000s,
galleries opened in recent years anywhere in the similar expectations have remained in place.
world. An investment of Lottery resources of
around £56 million has not only created a major The question of why British corporations and
new exhibition space, it has produced a series individuals are less willing than Americans to
of additional benefits in terms of regeneration, donate to cultural institutions, charities and
‘exports’ and national prestige. It is widely universities has been widely debated. Despite a
accepted that Tate Modern was the anchor for the number of changes to the tax regime, giving in this
massive improvements that have taken place in country continues to lag behind the level seen in
London’s Bankside. The millions of new visitors the US. Recognition and reward for donation are
include many from overseas who will have, at not sufficient to guarantee high levels of giving.
least in part, have come to Britain to see the Comparisons between, say, Harvard University
new institution. The expenditure associated and Oxford or Cambridge would make much the
with such international visitors is all an ‘export’. same point. The fact that British tax burdens have
now risen well above the levels in the US is hardly
National prestige is impossible to measure. likely to change this situation for the better in the
However, there can be little doubt that Tate years ahead.
Modern has been an important element in
Britain’s capacity to sell itself as a cutting edge Against this relatively unpromising background,
and modernising country. The scale of the a number of major museums and galleries have
development, coupled with the collection, make been successful in recent years in maintaining
a clear statement about the country and its a substantial income from donations and
image. The extraordinary success in generating sponsorship. Table 9 examines the trends,
four million visitors annually to the gallery is institution by institution, since 1997-98 and
unique by global standards. reveals that the Imperial War Museum, National
Gallery, the British Museum, the National Museum
The success of the Lottery in helping to fund of Science and Industry, National Museums
Tate Modern begs important questions about Liverpool, and Tate have been able to raise
the potential to repeat such success elsewhere. substantial income – as much as £29 million in
Regional museums and several of the national a single year – from donations and sponsorship.
ones have received little from the Lottery, and Each of these institutions has maintained a
certainly not the scale of support that would allow multi-million pound income from such sources.
the kind of development seen at the Great Court,
British Museum and Tate Modern. Yet the latter However, as the figures suggest, it is difficult
has shown how the Lottery can lead to a once- to rely on donations and sponsorship as a
and-for-all regeneration of an area, coupled with continuous and predictable income source.
a radical change of reputation. This is a lesson Companies and individuals face better and
that should surely be learned for the longer term. worse financial years. Fashions change.
Institutions cannot mount a blockbuster
Income – donations and sponsorship exhibition every year. The factors that influence
Successive governments have encouraged the yield of one-off donations and sponsorship
museums and galleries to raise additional are many and complex. Despite the obvious

Statistical analysis 29
Table 9: Donations and sponsorship

Institutions Income
Donations and sponsorship (£000s)
97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery 49 35 31 25 18 100 6 18
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives 11 29 19 19 389 191
Hampshire County Council 42 36 43 24 23
Leicester City Museums Service 13 15 14 11 11 10 16
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 187 805 61 208 304 313 139
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 9 1 33 25 24 11 10
Tyne & Wear Museums 132 41 83 67 112 63 90 48 101
Subtotal – regional museums 132 99 318 930 315 380 592 802 499
National Museums of Scotland 2,543 6,098 424 1,903 449 441 558 888 967
Amgueddfa Cymru 413 702 875 470 236 709 549 695 773
British Museum 10,661 23,820 10,966 21,729 23,767 4,997 15,800 4,071 4,760
Imperial War Museum 1,494 6,540 6,582 17,191 21,734 7,227 6,039 7,510 8,249
Museum of London 188 467 440 1,408 2,383 2,206 1,185 1,376 2,220
National Gallery 6,523 2,293 20,112 12,179 6,910 6,871 29,224 11,072 6,712
National Maritime Museum 700 1,900 1,400 600 900 1,900 400 1,439 2,644
National Museum of Science & Industry 3,208 9,780 12,468 6,931 4,681 8,895 9,298 7,143 5,500
National Museums Liverpool 785 2,603 8,218 14,540 8,098 7,673 3,599 9,982 2,377
National Portrait Gallery 450 980 980 570 1,560 2,140 1,460 1,845 3,168
Natural History Museum 1,274 1,570 2,938 2,271 1,456 1,137 2,819 3,134 3,000
Royal Armouries 100 180 300 380 300 700 100 190 113
Tate 13,777 13,827 23,112 23,023 16,350 14,273 23,858 16,976 18,404
Victoria and Albert Museum 2,120 3,808 5,000 4,155 16,666 9,070 10,666 16,489 11,902
Subtotal – national museums 44,236 74,568 93,815 107,350 105,490 68,239 105,555 82,810 70,789
TOTAL 44,368 74,667 94,133 108,280 105,805 68,619 106,146 83,613 71,288

30 Statistical analysis
entrepreneurial skills of a number of major their income derived from trading services – cafés,
museums and galleries, it will never be possible restaurants, shops and the many other charged
to rely on this particular source as a precise activities associated with the core institutions. In
generator of income. many cities and towns, museum or gallery coffee
shops and restaurants are elegant and attractive
There is a link between the overall capacity of the features that, because of their association with
major museums and galleries to raise resources culture, are able to offer an alternative to more
from donations and sponsorship and changes traditional locations. However, it is important to
in the national economy: trading income has state that museums and galleries also exist for
increased in recent years. There was a sharp rather different purposes than running catering
overall increase in income from such sources in and other trading facilities. It is also important to
the period from 1998-99 to 2000-01, though it is note that accounting practice for trading varies
also possible that this period was also influenced from institution to institution in ways that will
by the need to find matching funding for Lottery affect comparisons between them.
supported projects (though this, itself, would be
an interesting finding). In the years from 2001-02 In 2004, the National Audit Office (NAO) published
onwards, income from donations and sponsorship a study of income generation by museums and
has fallen. This was a period when economic galleries (NAO, 2004). This study considered the
growth slowed down and also when there were full range of income generation, including lottery
a number of one-off events, notably terrorist grants, donations and trading. The NAO was
attacks, that will have influenced national and broadly optimistic about the possibility of
urban economies. institutions increasing their income from trading
and other sources in the years ahead, though
The implication of the numbers in Table 9 is that there was no suggestion that such income could
it is not going to be possible to rely for much more become a significantly greater share of overall
than 10 to 15 per cent of museum and gallery income. Moreover, two constraints were noted.
income from donations and sponsorship. Indeed, First, because resources are not available, it is
for most of the regional institutions and the hard to buy in the skills needed to trade more
smaller national ones, such income will generally effectively. Second, government limits on
be measured in hundreds of thousands of pounds borrowing make it hard for institutions to raise
per annum, not millions. For institutions based the resources that a private company would
outside London, the fact that many company generate to invest in new activities.
headquarters are in the capital is almost certainly
a significant difficulty. Britain has a powerful Nevertheless, institutions are earning a solid
concentration of political and economic decision income from trading services. On average, these
making centred in London. Museums and galleries services are contributing around 10 per cent of
at a distance from this centre are bound to find it gross income. For DCMS sponsored institutions,
hard to convince key decision takers. Moreover, trading income has increased from an average of
the prestige associated with ‘international’ 13.1 per cent of total expenditure to 17.4 per cent.
collections or events based in capital cities such Of course, only a part of this turnover will be
as London, Edinburgh or Cardiff is likely to make ‘profit’ to plough back into core museum and
fundraising rather easier than in other cities and gallery services. Tate (£25.5 million in 2005-06),
more rural areas. the National Museum of Science and Industry
(£14.1 million), and the British Museum
Income – trading income (£14.1 million) are the biggest earners from trading
The government has also required cultural income, followed by the Natural History Museum
institutions to attempt to raise the proportion of
Statistical analysis 31
Table 10:Trading income
(including gross catering and retail income)
Institutions Income
Trading income (£000s)
97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery 320 358 343 354 293 666 636 552
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives 90 72 91
Hampshire County Council 165 207 186 197 190
Leicester City Museums Service 108 102 113 113 120 151 143 169
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 207 72 191 209 201 218 232
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 54 47 57 302 373 359 424 444
Tyne & Wear Museums 311 308 283 378 455 498 614 615 534
Subtotal – regional museums 311 790 997 963 1,580 1,699 2,267 2,305 2,211
National Archives 2,143 1,828 1,759 2,124 3,355 2,694 3,475 3,517 3,644
National Museums of Scotland 426 280 296 355 270 334 467
Amgueddfa Cymru 526 588 607 597 1,110 1,138 1,285 1,667 1,930
British Museum 9,327 8,743 9,117 11,509 15,564 15,848 15,850 14,732 14,173
Imperial War Museum 5,632 6,185 6,137 6,746 7,156 8,025 9,162 9,504 8,750
Museum of London 4,571 5,461 6,493 7,302 6,827 5,216 5,624 5,868 6,606
National Gallery 1,078 1,555 1,792 1,949 1,821 1,631 2,247 2,111 2,524
National Maritime Museum 700 800 1,100 900 1,000 1,000 1,300 1,116 1,354
National Museum of Science & Industry 5,710 7,201 8,606 12,866 16,759 17,386 16,949 13,710 14,100
National Museums Liverpool 1,542 1,515 1,445 1,336 1,179 1,502 1,652 1,698 1,702
National Portrait Gallery 1,510 1,450 1,500 1,830 2,410 2,480 2,080 3,001 2,975
Natural History Museum 5,159 5,422 6,323 6,434 7,610 7,689 7,745 10,368 12,786
Royal Armouries 530 130 310 430 650 760 800 860 787
Tate 7,862 9,665 8,203 20,277 20,025 24,218 20,514 23,759 25,515
Victoria and Albert Museum 5,301 7,171 5,776 7,655 6,745 7,673 10,933 8,450 7,225
Subtotal – national museums 51,591 57,714 59,594 82,235 92,507 97,615 99,886 100,695 104,538
TOTAL 51,902 58,504 60,591 83,198 94,087 99,313 102,153 103,000 106,749

32 Statistical analysis
Table 11: Admissions income
(including for temporary exhibitions)
Institutions Income
Admissions (£000s)
97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery 39 42 125 133 119 396 49 74
Hampshire County Council 598 486 409 409 395
Leicester City Museums Service 24 52 7
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 311 210 482 479 490 585 709
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 2 2 103 94 50 51 55
Tyne & Wear Museums 371 214 217 246 346 220 262 229 168
Subtotal – regional museums 371 279 624 582 1,662 1,398 1,606 1,328 1,400
National Museums of Scotland 109 471 747 544 195 371 238 481 969
Amgueddfa Cymru 848 907 802 685
British Museum 547 163 893 349 1,215 576 126 916 1,416
Imperial War Museum 2,491 2,689 3,495 3,872 3,620 2,849 3,378 3,950 4,241
Museum of London 351 464 485 534 2,444 189 195 132
National Gallery 537 1,178 1,738 1,118 1,921 1,154 1,819 2,957 1,711
National Maritime Museum 1,200 1,300 1,800 1,500 1,100 100 700 189 415
National Museum of Science & Industry 3,724 4,013 3,191 3,042 2,366
National Museums Liverpool 507 566 455 335
National Portrait Gallery 694 874
Natural History Museum 4,423 4,751 4,255 4,333 3,647 574 1,149 678 1,077
Royal Armouries 460 510 330 143 156 160 502
Tate 1,734 2,182 1,888 2,271 3,863 5,550 3,213 5,539 6,795
Victoria and Albert Museum 2,334 2,513 1,840 2,821 1,550 1,611 2,903 1,972 2,206
Subtotal – national museums 18,805 21,197 22,049 21,914 22,251 12,928 13,871 17,731 20,338
TOTAL 19,176 21,476 22,673 22,496 23,912 14,326 15,477 19,059 21,738

Statistical analysis 33
(£12.8 million), suggesting that institutions with sources. In this sense, the admission charges
large visitor numbers in London are best able to policy for national museums and galleries is very
maximise their earnings from these sources. different from the recently adopted model for
universities. In higher education, a means-tested
For the major regional museums included in this fee is being introduced from the autumn of
study, the potential for major trading income 2006 specifically designed to raise income from
generation is clearly less. Tyne & Wear Museums those who benefit from the provision. In the longer
and Birmingham are the leaders in terms of total term, fee income will allow universities to take
yield, with £500,000 to £600,000 per annum in advantage of the earnings growth of graduates.
each case. The overall yield to the museums and Museums and galleries, unlike theatres, have
galleries in the study is around £100 million a year. virtually no equivalent capacity to generate
This figure is significantly more predictable than income from the economic benefits they produce.
the ‘donations and sponsorship’ income totals
considered above. However, the NAO study Of course, there are some who argue for free
suggests there is little chance that surpluses admissions as an absolute right. The difficulty
on trading can realistically make more than with this position is that it appears to condemn
a marginal contribution to core income. museums and galleries to a flow of public
resources that is likely to decline in real terms over
Income – admission charges time. With little capacity to benefit from raising
The final category of income considered here incomes, museums and galleries risk being badly
is admission charges. For the DCMS-funded left behind in the contest for national resources.
national museums and galleries, the government
has implemented a policy of free admission that Visitor numbers
applies to core collections. Of course, the national The number of visits to the major institutions
institutions are still able to charge for one-off examined in this report was over 42 million in
exhibitions. Regional museums and galleries 2005-6. The DCMS’s Taking Part survey (DCMS,
operate their own local policies, but the vast 2005) suggests that 43 per cent of people visit
majority maintain free admission. a museum or gallery at least once a year, while
the number shown in Table 12 is more than the
A number of regional museums are raising more attendance at the Premiership plus the whole
in admission charges than some national bodies. of the rest of league football for 2004-05. It is
For example, Norfolk Museums & Archaeology 50 per cent more than the number of people
Service generated admission charges income of who annually visit the West End and Broadway
over £700,000 in 2005-6. An odd consequence of theatres combined. Tate has over six million
the free admissions policy is that places where visitors per annum, followed by the British
museum and gallery admissions might be Museum and the National Gallery with over four
expected to be lower (ie smaller cities and rural million. The National Museum of Science and
areas) find themselves generating more in such Industry, the Natural History Museum, the Victoria
charges than some key national institutions with and Albert Museum and Imperial War Museum
many overseas visitors. each have between two and four million visitors.
The government’s policy towards free admissions The regional museums and galleries are also
is well understood. However it is important to mass attractions, with over 500,000 visitors to
make clear that in the absence of the capacity to the Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives.
tap into the rising national spend on leisure and Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery and
recreation, museums and galleries come under Sheffield Museums and Galleries Trust and
additional pressure to raise money from other well over 1.5 million at Tyne & Wear Museums.
34 Statistical analysis
These numbers suggest that Britain’s leading There has been a similar focus in DCMS
museums and galleries are part of the mass visitor institutions. Museums and galleries are delivering
attraction business. According to research by the social as well as economic benefits to society.
Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, seven
out of the top ten leading visitor attractions in
the UK are national museums (ALVA, 2005). Table
13 makes this point by comparing a number
of leading national museum visit numbers with
those of major football clubs in the most recent
year for which full numbers exist. The comparison
is instructive. The major national museums and
galleries have between three and four times as
many visitors per year than even Manchester
United. Of course, there is a charge for visiting a
football match and they occur only once or twice
a week. But the mass scale of visits to the national
and regional hub museums is such that it must
be seen as an enterprise with an equivalent
economic and social importance, albeit with
different cultural attributes.
If the DCMS’s Taking Part statistics are compared
with MORI research about interest in sport, the
results are revealing. Whereas 43 per cent of the
population have actually visited a museum or
gallery within the past year (suggesting sufficient
interest to make a trip to the institution concerned),
MORI’s Tracking the Field research shows just
41 per cent of the population are ‘interested’
in football (MORI, 2005).
The kinds of people visiting museums and
galleries is changing. In evidence to the Culture, Above: Visitors enjoying an exhibition
at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Media and Sport Select Committee presented in
January 2006 (MLA, 2006), the Museums Libraries
and Archives Council provided evidence that the
“Renaissance in the Regions policy, which has
focused on increasing and developing wider
audiences to regional museums” has had a
number of beneficial effects.“Between 2002-03
and 2003-04 participation by socio-economic
groups C2,D&Es and by black and minority ethnic
groups who have traditionally not been active
users of or visitors to museums increased by
15.2 per cent and 60 per cent respectively.”

Statistical analysis 35
Table 12: Visitor numbers

Institutions Visitors
Visitor numbers (000s)
97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery 700 1,005 778 788 698 553 660 599 540
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives 251 432 455 449 489 492 495 548 553
Hampshire County Council 256 251 262 403 381 340 330 356 240
Leicester City Museums Service 275 280 302 259 285 291 320 242 248
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 231 131 261 301 279 316 314
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 193 195 195 368 433 503 481 505
Tyne & Wear Museums 1,153 1,155 1,056 1,166 1,450 1,278 1,342 1,674 1,569
Subtotal – regional museums 2,635 3,316 3,279 3,391 3,934 3,688 3,929 4,217 3,969
National Archives 88 95 98 101 106 108 104 104 108
National Museums of Scotland 1,050 661 854 1,110 1,250 1,330 1,290 1,320 1,430
Amgueddfa Cymru 739 718 661 690 1,430 1,278 1,222 1,318 1,344
British Museum 4,488 4,368 4,589 4,813 4,624 4,622 4,778 4,485
Imperial War Museum 1,374 1,372 1,609 1,608 1,980 1,966 2,056 1,907
Museum of London 299 333 338 371 312 363 382 557 375
National Gallery 4,865 4,800 5,000 4,780 4,859 4,100 4,648 4,900 3,953
National Maritime Museum 470 480 860 800 1,000 1,208 1,365 1,518 1,512
National Museum of Science & Industry 2,250 2,158 2,831 2,822 3,061 4,260 4,270 3,816 3,577
National Museums Liverpool 916 832 792 710 952 1,237 1,526 1,538 1,608
National Portrait Gallery 950 990 1,000 1,220 1,480 1,320 1,426 1,469 1,528
Natural History Museum 1,778 1,806 1,702 1,636 2,188 2,921 3,012 3,230 3,309
Royal Armouries 335 218 235 338 398 394 433 395
Tate 3,034 2,483 6,783 5,528 6,333 6,215 6,293 6,412
Victoria and Albert Museum 1,416 1,438 1,217 1,342 1,863 2,533 2,669 2,472 2,196
Subtotal – national museums 14,821 23,542 23,794 28,798 30,787 33,993 35,110 35,800 34,138
TOTAL 17,456 26,858 27,073 32,188 34,721 37,681 39,040 40,017 38,107

Total number of visits

36 Statistical analysis
Table 13: Museum and gallery visit numbers
and football club attendances, 2004-05
visitors/
National attendance
Tate 6,292,505
National Gallery 4,900,000
British Museum 4,778,000
National Museum of Science & Industry 3,815,850
Natural History Museum 3,230,250
Manchester United 1,289,541
Newcastle United 985,040
Liverpool 809,150
Chelsea 795,534
Arsenal 721,602
Regional
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives 548,338
Hampshire CC Museums & Archives 355,874
Leicester City Museums Service 242,249
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 316,182
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 480,808
Tyne & Wear Museums 1,673,917
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery 599,303
Bristol Rovers 162,776
Southampton 581,583
Leicester City 555,146
Norwich City 462,203
Sheffield Wednesday 531,289
Newcastle United 985,040
Birmingham City 546,434

(Sources: (i) MLA/NMDC Questionnaire; (ii) www.football365.com)

Statistical analysis 37
Visitors – overseas website visits and the National Archives achieved
Data about overseas visitors is less easily over 11 million. Among the major regional
available than for total attendance. Nevertheless, museums included in this study, Birmingham
Table 14 suggests that in the years 2002-03 to Museums & Galleries had 1.36 million website
2005-06, there was a total of 10 to 11 million visits and Tyne & Wear museums 679,000.
overseas visitors per year at the major institutions
Museums and galleries have been successful
covered by this study. Although these numbers are
in opening up their collections to wider public
predominantly generated by a small number of
access. The question of what proportion of
national institutions (for example, the British
the museum or gallery’s holdings can be
Museum, Tate, National Gallery and Natural
comprehensively available to website visitors is
History Museum) there is clear evidence that the
inevitably linked to the availability of resources. As
number of overseas visitors to major cities outside
internet services develop, the costs of maintaining
Britain is increasing. National Museums Liverpool
attractive website access will doubtless increase.
has seen its international visitor total rise from
49,000 to 112,000 within seven years. Staff, volunteers and ‘friends’
The implications of such large numbers of foreign Table 16 shows the total number of staff employed,
visitors to major British museums and galleries full and part-time, by the major museums and
are two-fold. First, it is clear that these galleries within this report in 2004-05. There are
institutions are a key element in Britain’s visitor almost 8,300 full-time staff, plus more than
‘offer’. This point is supported by a number of 1,100 part-timers. Institutions have just under
surveys undertaken by VisitBritain. Given the 3,000 volunteers and over 140,000 ‘friends’.
relatively large expenditure by international The staff totals, showing about nine and a half
visitors to the UK, the attribution of even a small thousand employees, suggest that major
part of the overall visitor spend to museums and museums and galleries will be significant
galleries would be likely to run into hundreds contributors to the local and regional economy
of millions of pounds. In the NMDC’s Valuing where they are located. Thus, for example, the
Museums report, published in 2004, it was 219 full-time staff at Tyne & Wear Museums or the
estimated that some £320 million per year was 481 at National Museums Liverpool will represent
spent in the UK by overseas visitors solely as the a significant group within the local economy,
result of the time they were willing to attribute cascading spending power into neighbourhoods
to museums and galleries. This estimate has not well beyond the institution itself. But these
been challenged and it appears likely that the employees will also include a number of key
slightly wider population of institutions considered ‘knowledge economy’ workers of the kind much
in the current report will by now have exceeded prized in economic regeneration studies. Along
this number. Thus, it seems realistic to assume with university staff, public sector managers and
that at least £350 million a year is now generated senior private sector employees, museums and
overseas visitors attracted by major museums galleries employ many of the kind of creative and
and galleries. educated individuals associated with economic
Visitors – website success by academics such as Richard Florida.
In his book The Rise of the Creative Class, Florida
Table 15 shows the number of website visits to
(Florida, 2002) argued that economic progress in
the major museums and galleries covered by this
a city can be linked to the proportion of ‘creatives’
report. The total for 2005-06 is over 100 million.
within its population.
Several individual institutions had over ten million

38 Statistical analysis
Table 14: Overseas visitors

Institutions Visitors
Overseas visitors (000s)
98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06
Leicester City Museums Service 6 4 4
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 11 19 22
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 10 13 14
Tyne & Wear Museums 12 11 12 15 19 30 52 39
Subtotal – regional museums 12 11 12 15 19 57 88 79
National Archives 30 21 14 43
Amgueddfa Cymru 86 69 157 141 98 67
British Museum 2,800 2,647 2,404 2,496 2,389 2,242
Imperial War Museum 632 560 560 670 540 589 540 475
Museum of London 136 149 130 109 163 187 211
National Gallery 2,400 2,500 2,400 2,400 2,100 2,324 1,700 1,502
National Maritime Museum 222 420 408 472 480 495 827 802
National Museum of Science & Industry 420 364 245 380 672 1,189 622 612
National Museums Liverpool 50 47 43 57 49 107 108 113
National Portrait Gallery 80 219 244 444 390 366 272 331
Natural History Museum 522 482 581 1,475 957 1,028 905
Tate 1,794 1,921 2,155 2,514
Victoria and Albert Museum 887 863 932
Subtotal – national museums 4,024 4,781 7,381 7,918 10,238 11,636 10,729 10,536
TOTAL 4,036 4,792 7,392 7,932 10,258 11,693 10,817 10,616

Statistical analysis 39
Table 15: Website visits

Institutions Visitors
No. of unique
website visits
2005/06
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery 1,359,047
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives 152,491
Hampshire County Council 240,429
Leicester City Museums Service 102,692
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 208,026
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 135,520
Tyne & Wear Museums 678,897
Subtotal – regional museums 2,877,102
National Archives 11,963,644
National Museums of Scotland 3,900,000
Amgueddfa Cymru 1,292,733
British Museum 8,755,000
Imperial War Museum 7,787,302
Museum of London 1,637,486
National Gallery 6,754,100
National Maritime Museum 7,427,214
National Museum of Science & Industry 12,634,572
National Museums Liverpool 4,338,588
National Portrait Gallery 7,440,000
Natural History Museum 11,002,569
Royal Armouries 233,652
Tate 8,000,000
Victoria and Albert Museum 11,580,600
Subtotal – national museums 104,747,460
TOTAL 107,624,562

40 Statistical analysis
Table 16: Staff, volunteers and friends

Institutions Staff
Full-time Part-time Other Volunteers Friends
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives 68 26 250 75 550
Hampshire County Council* 73 56 0 143 0
Leicester City Museums Service 43 18 2 61 350
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service 94 48 15 195 195
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust 71 34 0 10 824
Tyne & Wear Museums 219 71 26 285 1,836
Subtotal – regional museums 568 253 293 769 3,755
National Archives 507 93 60 150 534
National Museums of Scotland 368 116 0 183 7,900
Amgueddfa Cymru 506 95 168 35 1,092
British Museum 947 35 43 350 13,010
Imperial War Museum 556 115 193 1,000 5,049
Museum of London* 349 57 20 0 15,000
National Gallery 376 48 27 0
National Maritime Museum 355 116 0 50 3,211
National Museum of Science & Industry* 756 54 0 243 1,804
National Museums Liverpool 481 54 0 264 2,400
National Portrait Gallery 206 (FTE)
Natural History Museum* 759 (FTE) 85 218 6,000
Royal Armouries 160 50 0 4 0
Tate 660 0 0 90 72,798
Victoria and Albert Museum 667 80 400 210 12,354
Subtotal – national museums 7,653 913 996 2,797 141,152
TOTAL 8,221 1,166 1,289 3,566 144,907

* 2004/05 figures

Statistical analysis 41
The 143,000 ‘friends’ or equivalent supporters are Loans and publications
important for a different reason. These individuals Table 17 below provides numbers of artefacts
represent a major voluntary input not just into a loaned by museums and galleries to other
museum or gallery, but into civil society more institutions within Britain or overseas. A key
generally. At a time when national politicians are element in allowing a wider population to access
concerned about the loss of trust in government the collections held in major institutions is the
and many State institutions, the willingness possibility of sending exhibits to be viewed
of such a relatively large number of people to elsewhere. The, incomplete, data shown in Table
become involved in a major museum or gallery 17 below suggests that at least 180,000 exhibits
is useful evidence of the capacity of public were loaned in 2004-05. Many of these loans were
institutions to engage citizens in a positive way. small items from the Natural History Museum
Museums and galleries probably have skills whose prodigious loan activities, albeit often to
here that are of wider benefit to society. individual researchers, are extraordinary. But
many other regional and national institutions are
Area of operations and the need for renovation
sending artefacts to locations locally, nationally
The questionnaire sent to museums and galleries and overseas. The maps on the following pages
asked them to state the amount of space they show a full list of the locations visited by museum
occupy and how much of this is judged to be in and gallery exhibits during 2004-05.
need of significant renovation. The results are
shown in the chart below. Alarmingly, over one-third Table 17: Loans –
of all the space in use in major museums and
galleries covered by this report is deemed ‘in need UK and International
of significant renovation’. In a number of individual Institutions Loans
institutions, notably National Museums Scotland, No. of objects No. of objects
National Museum Wales, Imperial War Museum loaned in UK loaned
and Leicester City Museums Service, around half 2005/06 internationally
or more of their space is in need of renovation. 2005/06
Without investment in their infrastructure National Archives 65 4
museums are forced to work less effectively and National Museums of Scotland 2,540 70
efficiently than they are capable of, because
Amgueddfa Cymru 26,175 13,661
buildings and services constraints hinder
achievement of optimum performance. British Museum 1,868 1,692
Imperial War Museum 380 81
Area renovated since 1995
Museum of London* 106 170
Area currently in need of significant renovation
Area not in need of renovation National Gallery 215 43
National Museum of Science
105 23
& Industry
National Museums Liverpool* 605 29
26% Natural History Museum 23,080 47,403
Tate * 393 723
40%
Victoria and Albert Museum 2,587 400
TOTAL 58,263 64,532

34%
* 2004/05 figures
UK venues to which objects were loaned in 2004/2005

Statistical analysis 43
Towns and cities where objects from collections
were loaned in 2004/2005
Statistical analysis 45
Table 18: Publications Table 18 also provides a summary of the number
of publications from individuals based in museums
and galleries. Overall, more than 1,400 academic
Institutions Publications or similar publications were recorded during
No. of 2004-05. This total is an important indicator of the
publications continuing importance of the serious academic
2005/06 and expert contributions made by institutions
National Archives 48 and their staff.
National Museums of Scotland 105 The basic facts and figures about Britain’s major
Amgueddfa Cymru 109 museums and galleries covered by this report
British Museum 194
reveal a cultural sub-sector with a very wide
reach. It is evident that institutions have been
Imperial War Museum 20
able to evolve into mass tourist attractions while
Museum of London* 65 retaining their original educational and curatorial
National Gallery 69 expertise. The precise nature of the relationship
between the large public-facing museums and
National Maritime Museum 84
galleries and the complex science of maintaining
National Museum of Science & Industry 26 exhibits and promoting scholarship cannot be
National Museums Liverpool* 35 ignored. There is a clear danger that the many
National Portrait Gallery* 56 demands placed on institutions will, unless
resources rise to match expectations, undermine
Natural History Museum 613
traditional scholarship. It is not impossible to do
Tate * 80 many different things simultaneously. However
Victoria and Albert Museum 130 it will be increasingly costly to do so.
TOTAL 1,398 Economic impact
* 2004/05 figures In recent years, many studies of the arts and
cultural institutions have attempted to estimate
the scale of economic activity represented by
either a sector, a sub-sector or an individual
institution. A major starting-point for such studies
is the Policy Studies Institute’s pioneering
1988 study The Economic Impact of the Arts in
Britain (Myerscough, 1988). Subsequently, there
have been analyses of key sectors, such as
heritage, and individual one-off events such as
the Eden Project (Jasper, 2002).
In Valuing Museums, an earlier report on major
museums and galleries (NMDC, 2004), it was
estimated that the full economic impact of the
museums and galleries (including their direct
expenditure, spending by visitors and indirect/
induced effects) was in the range £1.83 billion
to £2.07 billion. The ‘population’ studied in the

46 Statistical analysis
current report is rather different. It excludes some Productivity
DCMS-funded bodies, but includes several key The Chancellor commissioned Sir Peter Gershon
regional museum services. The expenditure of to produce a major report on the scope for
the 2006 institutions is slightly less than those efficiency within the public sector. Museums and
studied in 2004, though with the exception of galleries, in common with other central and local
the British Library, the major bodies covered in government-funded bodies, are expected to
2004 are in the 2006 study. deliver efficiencies. In the 2005-2008 Efficiency
Target Technical Note published by DCMS, one
Critiques of economic impact studies (eg,
of the targets set is to increase the numbers
University of Durham, 2000) have pointed to
accessing museums’ and galleries’ collections by
both the advantages and also the limitations of
two per cent by 2008. The Note comments that a
economic impact studies. Such research may
number of museums and galleries have already
provide important insights into the overall scale
made significant efficiency savings and redirected
of a sector. On the other hand, there are problems
resources to frontline services.
associated with the different multipliers used to
estimate wider economic effects. There must also In the ‘Efficiency Programme Projects’ section of
be a risk of double-counting of the same economic the Note, one of the criteria for success is “getting
activity. Moreover, as Section 2 of this report more outputs or improved quality... for the same
suggested, new kinds of analysis are being inputs” or “for an increase in resources that is
undertaken to assess the value the public proportionately less than the increase in output
attaches to cultural and arts institutions. or quality”. The evidence of recent years, as
suggested by Table 7 (grant-in-aid) and Table
Nevertheless, if the turnover of the institutions
12 (visitor numbers), is that the number of visits to
covered in this report were subject to the same
institutions has risen faster than grants. Over the
further calculations as those made for the
period 1998-99 to 2005-06 (with full sets of data
2004 study, the overall economic impact would be
for both years), the number of visits to national
very similar. The predicted expenditure by visitors
museums was up 52 per cent, while direct
will, if anything, have risen with growth in the
government funding rose by 41 per cent (in cash) –
national and international economy. International
implying a major and sustained productivity gain
visitors, who tend to spend significantly more
in the terms suggested by the Technical Note.
than British ones, have increasingly ventured into
the core cities as well as London. The, relatively The previous achievement of expansion ahead
conservative, multipliers used in the 2004 report of grant-in-aid rises may, of course, make further
would be no less appropriate than before. productivity gains more difficult to achieve.
Institutions with millions of annual visitors can,
The overall economic impact of the institutions
presumably, only expand so far within their
covered by this report is likely, therefore, to be in
existing structures and staff totals. However,
the range £1.5 to £2 billion. That is, the ancillary
there is no doubt that recent evidence suggests
effects of visitor spending and indirect/induced
museums and galleries have been effective at
impacts are likely to be slightly more than double
delivering productivity improvements. Past
the turnover of the sub-sector. Of course, the full
investment allowed such improvements to occur
museums and galleries sub-sector, as measured
and could, presumably do so again in the future.
by MLA, has a turnover of about £900 million, so
the full economic impact will almost certainly be
in excess of £2 billion per year.

Statistical analysis 47
Notes on discrepancies between total income
and total expenditure (Tables 1 and 6)
Leicester City Museums Service
1995/96 to 1997/98 n/a = Leicester City Museums Service came in to being following Local
Government re organisation in April 1997. 04/05 and 05/06 mismatch of income to expenditure
due to more capital expenditure than capital income received.
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service
These figures have been compiled from a number of sources. The Operating Expenditure is made
up of Norfolk County Council revenue accounts and also external partnership funding which is
accounted for separately. The difference between total income and total expenditure may also be
due to income received in one year being spent in subsequent financial years.
Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust
Differences between total income and total expenditure are used by the Trust to build up reserves
to be used on future projects, the use of these reserves on those projects, and to build up a general
reserve to protect the Trust in times where income falls below expectations. An £18 million project
to refurbish Weston Park Museum was begun in 2003, and has lead to increased funding as a result.
At end of March 2005 £976,000 had been received in advance of capital expenditure on Weston Park
Museum and was included in the Trust’s reserves.
Tyne & Wear Museums
The additional expenditure is Capital Expenditure and was finance from Europe, Trust Funds
and Foundations.
National Archives
These figures are reconciled to the Incoming Resources and Resources Expended line of our
statutory accounts. The difference is due to: Donated Assets; Depreciation; Pension Finance Costs;
Capitalised expenditure (including capitalised heritage assets) and the difference between accrued
expenditure financed from grant in aid (which itself is not accrued) and grant transfers (deducted
from both income and expenditure).
British Museum
Over the period 1997/98 to 2001/02 differences reflect the timing of expenditure on the Great Court.
Difference in 2002/03 reflects profit on sale of a building and in 2004/05 VAT recovery.
Museum of London
Timing differences for large archaeological and capital projects.
National Gallery
The National Gallery’s catering and retail operations are outsourced, and these figures therefore
represent net catering and retail income. Gross figures would be between £5m and £10m higher.
National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI)
In 1995-96 NMSI Trading Ltd was not consolidated with the NMSI accounts but figures included
show it consolidated on a consistent basis with later years.
Tate
Linked to phasing of capital income and expenditure and movement on reserves.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Caveats about comparability and special factors in particular years apply: e.g. Apsley House
included in early years; Museum of Childhood closed Oct 05-Nov 06. South Kensington only series
included as they often go back further than for branch museums. Estimates given where they could
be based on reasonable assumptions about data available.

48 Statistical analysis Right: Victoria and Albert Museum

 HOW MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
4 DELIVER WIDER BENEFITS
 Britain’s leading museums and galleries The main types of project exemplified have
are involved with a wide range of institutions the following characteristics or purposes:
throughout the public, private and not-for-profit - providing the country, a city or county with an
sectors. Their engagements are at many levels understanding of its history;
and are designed to use collections and expertise
for a number of benefits. Some of these benefits - working with the media to promote exhibitions
will relate directly to central or local government and therefore to propagate ideas, debate
programmes and expectations. Others are or knowledge;
influenced by longer term partnerships or support
requirements of international scholarship and - initiatives for schools and young people to
subject research. A number have resulted from attract them into museums and galleries;
the needs of local residents. - programmes for new citizens to provide a
This section of the report examines a number stepping-stone into British culture and life;
of the initiatives and programmes undertaken
- encouraging intergenerational links
by leading museums and galleries. Not all the
and understanding;
institutions are represented. Rather, the purpose
is to provide a wide range of projects and to show - helping the government deliver educational
the ways institutions feed their expertise into or social initiatives;
society. A number of the projects involve the
media or heavily promoted exhibitions and were - working with other public, private and voluntary
designed to allow the widest possible access to bodies to promote economic or social objectives;
museum and gallery collections.
- reacting to current affairs and providing
Regional and national institutions regularly a context for analysis;
collaborate on projects. A number of initiatives
- promoting British ideas and creativity overseas;
of this kind are shown on the following pages.
- understanding how museums and galleries can
better link to a changing population in a rapidly-
developing and competitive world.
A number of projects may pursue two or more
of these objectives in parallel. Each of the case
studies in the following section of this report
describe one or more programmes or projects
from a national or regional museum or gallery.

50 Delivering wider benefits

Case studies 2 – A programme for Africa
An approach to international relations
British Museum
1 – A response to Iraq The British Museum, as lead partner in Africa
Responding to an international situation 2005, organised a very extensive programme of
exhibitions, events, debates etc in London, the tour
The British Museum highlighted the danger to
of the Throne of Weapons throughout the UK and
the antiquities of Mesopotamia at the outbreak
the programme of loans to Africa including the
of war with Iraq and again after the looting of the
first ever exhibition curated by an African using
Baghdad Museum, the illegal excavation of the
the Museum’s African Collection. The Commission
archaeological sites and irreparable damage to
for Africa Report was launched at the British
the site of Babylon (reported in 2005). Working
Museum with the Prime Minister, Tony Blair.
with colleagues in Iraq the Museum has
The Museum developed a partnership with the
consistently drawn attention to these issues
BBC on behalf of all of the Africa 05 partners
resulting in international media coverage on an
(approximately 60) across all channels and all
unprecedented scale. The museum organised
platforms including online. The British Museum
programmes of exchange and training for Iraqi
also worked with the BBC to host the last ever
colleagues and a wide-ranging public programme
Ground Force programme, building an African
in London – conferences, lectures, gallery talks,
Garden at the Museum and partnered again
a Guardian debate etc – and around the UK with
with the BBC for Africa Live. Sir Bob Geldof and
the tour of the Queen of the Night. This shows how
Chancellor Gordon Brown both attended the
the museum can play a crucial role in deepening
public-facing day of fantastic free events for all
public understanding of contemporary issues
ages which included dance, music performance,
by placing them in their historical context.
workshops, and gallery talks. This partnership
is widely regarded as groundbreaking and a
model for future collaboration. It also helped
people understand Africa as a place of rich
cultural achievement beyond the stories in the
main headlines.

Conservator Karen Birkhoelzer with visiting Iraqi

curators at the British Museum

Africa Live 2005 – The African Childrens Choir on stage

at the British Museum

Delivering wider benefits 51

Imperial War Museum
1 – Their Past Your Future
Touring and on-line exhibitions across the UK
Their Past Your Future, (TPYF) is a national An online version of the exhibition (which can be
initiative led by the Imperial War Museum viewed at www.theirpast-yourfuture.org.uk) was
developing a touring exhibition and providing launched in July 2005. The TPYF exhibition formed
funding for events and publicity to commemorate part of the Living Museum in St James’s Park
the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. during Veterans’ Awareness Week at the
Between February 2005 and March 2006 nine beginning of July. St James’s Park received some
touring exhibitions visited 70 venues throughout 85,000 visitors, of which over a thousand people
the UK. Over 2 million people visited the exhibitions. left their reflections and memories of the Second
In all, 117 museums, libraries and archives World War for inclusion in the project’s Reflections
partnered with over 188 local community groups Wall. Research commissioned to evaluate the
and organisations to run over 1,000 educational response to the exhibition has provided very
activities for people of all generations. positive feedback. The full evaluation report is
available on the project’s website, and
www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

After seeing the Their Past Your Future touring exhibition over 1000 people contributed
their thoughts and tributes to the Reflections Wall at The Living Museum, July 2005

52 Delivering wider benefits

2 – Partners in Time The objectives for the project are:
A collaboration between national and
regional museums - To deliver activities supporting both History
and Science and Technology elements of the
Patners in Time is an outreach programme in National Curriculum by means of outreach
partnership between IWM Duxford (lead museum), and museum visits.
Norfolk Museums Services and Suffolk Museums.
It has been jointly funded by the Department for - To break down the barriers to participation
Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Department to cultural life that are present or perceived
for Education and Skills (DfES). Groups have the for people who feel isolated due to their
opportunity to visit museums which they may not geographical, social, ethnic or economic origins.
have considered visiting in the past due to lack of - To create a commitment from schools to
funds, lack of knowledge of the collections and making more use of museums and to make
perceived lack of relevance to their studies. This this relationship sustainable.
project focuses on areas of deprivation and is
aimed at children of 5-18 years of age. - To raise levels of attainment in schools, some
of which are in areas considered to be deprived
according to national standards.
- To tackle rural isolation and low
educational aspirations.

American Air Museum at Imperial War Museum Duxford which stands as a memorial to the 30,000 Americans killed while
flying from bases in the UK during the Second World War. It is an award winning building, designed by Lord Foster

Delivering wider benefits 53

Leicester City Museums Service 2 – Engaging Refugees and Asylum Seekers
1 – Leicester and Me Supporting refugee and asylum seekers by
A programme of eleven events celebrating facilitating access to museum services and
different heritages learning opportunities
This project, supported by the Heritage Lottery This project was developed in partnership with the
Fund and the European Regional Development National Museums of Liverpool, Tyne & Wear
Fund, was managed in partnership with the Museums and Salford Museums as part of the
Friends of Leicester and Leicestershire Museums. DCMS and DfES museums and galleries
It enabled this traditional supporters organisation education programme which encouraged regional
to become involved in our work across a wide and national partnership working. Activities
range of communities. A two-year programme of include school sessions, workshops, a conference,
internal and outreach activities culminated in a an exhibition and training sessions for museum
‘Celebration of Cultures’, a unique inter-cultural staff, and refugees and asylum seekers now
museum event, at which the steering group was routinely attend many mainstream museum
represented:The Friends of Leicester and events. The project has so far worked with over
Leicestershire Museums Service, The Friends of 700 refugees and asylum seekers. Further funding
Jewry Wall Museum, Guru Nanak Sikh Museum, has been secured from the Baring Foundation
The Refugee Sports Development project, (until October 2007) and from the DCMS/DfES
Leicester Masaya Link Group, Pakistan Youth and (until March 2007).
Community Centre, the Chinese Community
Centre, Highfields Youth and Community Centre,
Leicester African Caribbean Arts Forum,
Leicester Black History Season, The Beltane
Spring Fayre Group.

Chinese calligraphy at the Leicester City Museums Drama workshop,part of the Leicester City Museums Service
Service Leicester and Me project Engaging Refugees and Asylum Seekers project

54 Delivering wider benefits

3 – My Story My Leicester National Gallery
A travelling exhibition for community venues 1 – Line of Vision
Line of Vision: A multi-phased creative art
Funding was secured from Leicester’s programme for Looked after Children (teenagers).
Neighbourhood Renewal Fund to develop
transportable cases and an exhibition to tour Line of Vision started three years ago and to date
the most deprived neighbourhoods in the city. has involved partnerships between the National
The first exhibition, showing the different festivals Gallery and seven London social services
celebrated in the city, was developed Belgrave departments, a consultant Art Therapist and
Neighbourhood Centre’s elders group working professional artists. Experienced participants
with a local primary school. The cases have so are encouraged to mentor those visiting for the
far toured seven neighbourhoods. They are on first time, and in the instance of one young person,
show at sports centres, libraries and schools, this role has led to a full-time job as Youth
and a programme of events is held at each venue Participation Worker for Waltham Forest Social
working with local schools and elders groups. Services. Others have been inspired to undertake
Arts related formal education courses.

Young people, all from children’s homes or foster

families, participating in one of the National Gallery’s
Line of Vision workshops

Delivering wider benefits 55

2 – The Raphael exhibition
A major exhibition leads to significant
‘export’ benefits

Raphael exhibition:This was the first major Attendance figures for the exhibition totalled
exhibition of paintings and drawings by the great 231,000, including around 40,000 visitors from
Renaissance painter Raphael to be held in Britain, overseas: a vital contribution to sustaining
and indeed the most comprehensive showing of tourism in a period of international uncertainty,
his paintings ever held anywhere. The Gallery’s and particularly impressive as the exhibition ran
Communications department worked over the winter months outside of the peak tourist
successfully to generate extensive media season. These attendance figures demonstrate
coverage of Raphael as the ‘must-see’ event for the popularity of the exhibition, but an Economic
autumn 2004, raising the profile of both the Impact Survey carried out by MEW Research goes
Gallery and London itself as a major destination further and suggests that a large number of these
for the arts. There was also excellent exposure on visitors would not otherwise have come to London.
radio and TV, including BBC 10 o’clock News and The survey indicated that for 59% of all visitors
Channel 4 news as well as inclusion in Channel 5’s Raphael was the main reason for making their trip
popular show ‘Tim Marlow on…’ and a documentary to London that day.
on BBC1 entitled Raphael: A Mortal God.

The Raphael exhibition at The National Gallery

56 Delivering wider benefits

Natural History Museum (NHM)
1 – SYNTHESYS
International collaboration and research
on the natural world
In 2004, 20 European natural history museums Standards sets standards for the long-term
and botanic gardens, led by the Natural History preservation and access to the collections, and
Museum, London were successful in securing will assess the collections to identify priorities
a multi-million EU funded grant, called for improvement through mechanisms such as
SYNTHESYS. This five-year grant comprises two training courses.
parts which together aim to create an integrated
European infrastructure for researchers in the Databases coordinates the development of
natural sciences. collection databases across Europe to create
an integrated, European collection system.
Part 1 – Access: enables researchers based
in Europe to access the earth and life science New collections (such as tissue samples for
collections, facilities and taxonomic expertise molecular study) establishes common policies
at 20 institutions in 11 countries. and methodologies.

Part 2 – Networking Activities: focused on New analytical methods assesses techniques

creating a single ‘virtual’ museum service: from other disciplines, such as the use of the
medical imaging technique of CT (Computed
Complementarity brings together information Tomography) scans, and assess how they might
on the strengths of each institution’s collections be applied to natural history.
and expertise, leading to a coordinated European
development plan.

A SYNTHESYS visitor from Spain using the Natural History Museum Analytical Imaging Facilities

Delivering wider benefits 57

2 – Ground-breaking minerals research
International cooperation and exchanges with
emerging economies
The Centre for Russian and Central Asian Mineral
Studies (CERCAMS) at the Natural History
Museum, London, serves the international mineral
deposits community as a centre for research into
geodynamics and metallogenesis. The Centre
pursues cutting edge research into mineral
deposits through grant-funded doctoral,
post-doctoral and academic researchers.
CERCAMS has attracted funding from several
industry Patrons. Patronage payments support
short-term research fellowships visits to the
NHM by colleagues from Russia, Kazakhstan and
Mongolia. These collaborations result in research
papers, reports, maps and other outputs which
are vital to the emerging economies of the region.
Major research projects on ore deposits are
underway and expert fieldtrips and workshops
are regularly organised. CERCAMS has led to a
significant increase in contract income for mining
consultancy and effective interaction with
academic partners in Russia and Central Asia.

Exploration geologists in the open pit of the giant

Muruntau gold deposit, Kyzylkum, Uzbekistan, at
an expert trip guided through CERCAMS

58 Delivering wider benefits

National Museums Liverpool (NML)
1 – Sculpture Conservation Technologies (SCT)
Selling skills and promoting knowledge
SCT been formed from National Museum laser training courses, haptic interactive systems
Liverpool’s department of Sculpture Conservation as well as new products using artefacts from
and Laser Technology who have developed their museum collections. Conservation Technologies
research and commercial activities with the partners include councils, other museums,
assistance from DCMS (Public Sector Research government bodies as well as national and
Exploitation grant). Conservation Technologies has international organisations and private collectors
developed core activities of laser cleaning, laser with the added benefits of knowledge transfer,
scanning and non-contact replication to improve income generation, accessibility to NML’s
best practice in the field of monuments and collections and publicity which raises the profile
sculpture conservation. They have developed of NML and its departments.

National Museums Liverpool: Up Close at the Lady Lever Art Gallery

Delivering wider benefits 59

2 – Liverpool Slavery Remembrance Initiative Norfolk Museums &
Connecting a city to its history Archaeology Service (NMAS)
1 – The Imagine Outreach Project
This initiative is a partnership of National Working with young children
Museums Liverpool, Liverpool City Council, and
individuals from the local black community. The The Imagine Outreach Project, initiated by Norfolk
partnership promotes Slavery Remembrance Day Museums & Archaeology Service at the Ancient
on 23 August each year, and the need for improved House Museum Thetford in 2000, was a two-year
opportunities to learn about the Transatlantic project which supported innovative museum
Slave Trade and address its contemporary legacy, outreach work with young children in the Thetford
whether through schools or adult and community area, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund
learning programmes. As a result, Slavery (HLF). This imaginative work has been sustained
Remembrance Day has now been adopted as with grant from the Sainsbury’s Monument Trust
an annual civic event in Liverpool. This is very to provide an ongoing educational programme,
closely associated with the development of the now under the auspices of the locally based
International Slavery Museum, the UK’s major Keystone Development Trust and in partnership
physical legacy of 2007 and the 200th anniversary with NMAS.
of the abolition of the British slave trade, a
celebration of international importance. 2 – Intangible Heritage
Working with young offenders
Great Yarmouth Museums working in partnership
with the Seachange Trust and the Youth Offending
Team delivered an HFL project in 2005 called
‘Intangible Heritage’. As part of their Reparation
Programme a group of young offenders
participated in a filmmaking project focusing on
the fishing industry. The participants carried out
oral history interviews with older people and used
the Time and Tide Museum as inspiration and as
a research facility, producing an animation/film
based on their oral history recordings and
archive images.

60 Delivering wider benefits

National Museum of Science and Industry
1 – Locomotion
Promoting economic regeneration and tourism
in the North East
The development of Locomotion, The National Auckland Heritage Line. This project will make
Railway Museum at Shildon will provide a reason a significant contribution to the economic
for visiting Shildon and create a major new tourist regeneration of Shildon and build upon the work
attraction of national importance. The attraction already carried out there by the Shildon SRB
will add to the critical mass of tourist attractions Partnership. The introduction of tourism within the
within the region, complementing other town will assist to diversify the local economy and
attractions in the area such as the Darlington create jobs.
Railway Museum and the Darlington to Bishop

City of Truro visits Locomotion for its 2006 steam party event

Delivering wider benefits 61

2 – Creative Canals
Science and Industrial history for schools
and communities
An educational project delivering to schools and a trip on the floating classroom, beginning with
community groups (60+ age groups and ESOL – a visit to the Canal Museum, and a hosted visit
English for speakers of other languages); to the Science Museum. Many of the adults and
20 groups in all this year. The project is a children involved in the Creative Canals project
partnership between the Science Museum, this year had never been on a boat or canal
a floating classroom on the Regents Canal before. The project offered them the chance
(Beauchamp Lodge Settlement) and the London to experience their own locality from a new
Canal Museum. The programme includes a visit perspective and combine this with memorable
(with show) to the school or community group, learning opportunities.

Participants in the Creative Canals project on the floating classroom

62 Delivering wider benefits

Tate 2 – A Picture of Britain
1 – Sure Start A major series of television programmes
Working to deliver a government programme
A Picture of Britain, developed by BBC producers
Sure Start is a Government initiative that works and Tate Britain curators comprised a Tate Britain
to improve the quality of life for families with exhibition and major BBC programming – the
children under five. Sure Start works in designated centrepiece of which is a landmark six-part
high-deprivation wards across the country. BBC One series presented by David Dimbleby.
Services are delivered by teams of professionals It explored how the British landscape has inspired
from Health, Education, Social Services and the artists for three hundred years and how these
voluntary sector. Tate Britain’s unique Sure Start artists have come to define how we view
programme, Big and Small, uses Tate’s Collection the landscape.
as a starting point for creative engagement and
to improve early education for local children and
families. Over five hundred local families from
diverse social, ethnic and economic backgrounds
have taken part in the weekly programme, which
uses an extensive variety of artists’ materials and
provides real experiences through multisensory
approaches learning across the early years
curriculum. The programme is devised by a team
of artists and educators at Tate Britain alongside
the skills and expertise of the South Westminster
Sure Start team.

Tate Britain, Sure Start – Making surrealist costumes

in the Paris Experiment Display 2006

Delivering wider benefits 63

Tyne & Wear Museums
1 – ‘Clued Up’
Working with refugees and asylum seekers
‘Clued Up’ was part of the national and regional The film was launched at Sunderland Museum
museum education partnership programme and Winter Gardens in 2005 in partnership with
(funded by DCMS and DfES) to engage with the Youth Participation Team in Sunderland. The
Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Sunderland. film is being used by Sunderland City Council to
take into schools and show to local children for
A key element of ‘Clued Up’ was the production of a discussion about issues of asylum and community
DVD produced by young refugees who took part in integration. The North East Refugee Service
weekly film making sessions led by a documentary (NERS) is also using the film as part of its
film maker. During the process the young people community integration work. The film is shown
learnt techniques of lighting, editing and during monthly awareness-raising training with
scriptwriting and decided on the content of their community groups in Sunderland. NERS has
film. Their aim was to produce a film for other local commented during evaluation that because it is
young people that illustrated what it is to be a set in Sunderland it has an immediate impact for
refugee or asylum seeker in Sunderland. They discussion with local people.
filmed discussions that took place over a meal
between refugees and asylum seekers about their
situations, what they have left behind and their
feelings about being in Sunderland.

A young actress being filmed for ‘Clued Up’

64 Delivering wider benefits

2 - PlayTyne Gallery 3 – Social Impact of Museums
A project for the under sevens Identifying the opportunities for social impacts
PlayTyne is an interactive water play gallery This project was led by Tyne & Wear Museums
designed specifically for 7-year-olds and under. (TWM) with collaboration from Bristol’s Museums
Based on model of the River Tyne basin, the water Galleries & Archives (BMGA) and support from
tank features opening bridges, lock gates and the North East Museums Libraries and Archives
cranes and was created to provide a space for Council (now MLA North East). This project
young families and nurseries where children investigated demonstrable social impacts of the
could learn through play. work of museums.
Since opening, the Gallery has been in regular The study comprised three main elements:
use by family visitors and organised nursery and
reception school groups. The area has been used 1. A literature review of recent published material
for storytelling sessions and it was used as the relating to impact measurement and evaluation.
focus for a major family project called ‘Flapjack 2. An analysis of audience data collected by
the Pirate’. Flapjack was created in 2004 during TWM and BMGA between 1998 – 2003 as part
family learning week; children used PlayTyne as of a Group for Large Local Authority Museums
an inspiration to create a story and artwork which (GLLAM) benchmarking exercise.
is now displayed in the gallery. PlayTyne has also
inspired many water-themed family holiday 3. Post-evaluation of 7 TWM/BMGA projects/
activities as well as regular pirate days and programmes that took place between
craft activities. 1999 and 2004.
Post-evaluation took the form of focus group
sessions and interviews with people who took
part in the original projects. The results indicated
that museums can have a social impact and
these results are feeding in directly to national
initiatives including the development of a new set
of Generic Social Outcome indicators by MLA.

Visitors enjoying the PlayTyne Gallery

Delivering wider benefits 65

 Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)
1 – Brilliant: promoting contemporary design
Connecting designers, makers and the public
to promote design
Brilliant, the V&A exhibition of contemporary
lighting (Feb-Apr 2004) exerted considerable
influence and initiated fruitful relationships
between the museum, designers, design students,
manufacturers and clients. It generated many
sales for the participating designers and helped
to launch emerging practitioners: for example,
Sharon Marston, who makes individual works to
commission, reckoned it led to at least two years’
worth of work. The curator was consulted by the
organisers of several subsequent design events,
such as the 100% East Design Festival and the
British Council for their touring exhibition of
contemporary lighting, and contributed to design
student projects/works at the Royal College of
Art and Buckinghamshire Chilterns University.
Students of the latter turned lighting into
performance art by creating wearable lighting
for, and on, visitors to a V&A Friday Late event.
Brilliant exemplified the V&A’s aim of connecting
designers, makers and the public at the cutting
edge of contemporary art and design.

Tord Boontje installation for ‘Brilliant’ exhibition, V&A

Museum, 2004

66 Delivering wider benefits

2 – Vivienne Westwood 3 – BBC programmes on Modernism
Promoting British creativity to the world Working with the BBC to promote an exhibition
Vivienne Westwood’s clothes are often overtly As a result of research for the Modernism
influenced by historical costume, a result of exhibitions (V&A, 6 April - 23 July 2006), BBC2
her study of collections at the V&A (and other decided to produce a series of four programmes
museums) – not just costume collections, entitled “Marvels of the Modern World”. The BBC’s
but also, for example, paintings and furniture. Development Department used the expertise of
Her ‘Cut and Slash’ collection of spring/summer V&A Curators to ‘pitch’ the idea and, once it was
1991 was a result of studying 17th century accepted, V&A staff were regularly consulted by
costume at the V&A. She has also featured the producer and researchers to develop the story
accurately-observed corsetry and 19th century and write the scripts. Programmes aired from May
men’s tailoring. The V&A presented a major 2006 while an exhibition is running at the V&A.
retrospective exhibition, Vivienne Westwood
(April - July 2004: 171,000 visits), that has since
toured to Canberra, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo,
Dusseldorf and Bangkok and was visited by over
half a million visitors worldwide. The exhibition
will continue to tour to at least three further
international venues in the US and Europe before
being shown in Sheffield, making it a highly
successful showcase for UK culture and the
creative industries.

Vivienne Westwood poster on a tuk tuk taxi in Bangkok,

Thailand (promoting the exhibition at Thailand Creative
and Design Centre, Bangkok)

Delivering wider benefits 67

Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales
1 – On Common Ground
Engaging disadvantaged young people
On Common Ground, a social inclusion project
aimed at 16-24 year olds in disadvantaged areas
in communities across Wales, involved young
people themselves addressing why this age group
don’t traditionally engage with heritage and
museums. The participants were involved in
designing a variety of initiatives to interest their
peers in heritage and museums. The outputs
included websites, videos, travelling displays,
artwork, trails, and a publication ‘Participatory
Techniques for Use with Young People’. This guide,
which was originally commissioned to train
project participants, appears on the Dysg
Website (counterpart to the Learning and
Skills Development Agency in England;
http://www.dysg.org.uk/research/project04.asp)
and is now more widely used. More recently, with On Common Ground – ‘Skools Out’ and Antic Youth
Theatre Project, Summer 2005
major funding from the European Social Fund
and Heritage Lottery Fund, the emphasis of On
Common Ground has shifted towards developing
the skills of young people, encouraging and
enabling them to access further education and/or
work opportunities. The project is being subject
to detailed external evaluation.
http://oncommonground.co.uk

68 Delivering wider benefits

2 – Cyfoeth Cymru Gyfan: Sharing Treasures
A national partnership programme
National Museum Wales has a comprehensive CyMAL (Museums, Libraries and Archives Wales)
Partnerships Programme involving other learning plans to promote participation in the scheme as
institutions, the tourism industry, commercial partners both to those venues taking part in the
enterprises and, of course, the Museum’s pilots and to other venues. Partners will be able
collections. The programme includes ‘Cyfoeth to devise medium-term strategies to enable the
Cymru Gyfan: Sharing Treasures’, a pilot improvement of presentation of the Museum’s
programme with Carmarthenshire Museum, loan material. This will continue the promotion of
Pontypool Museum, Wrexham Museum, Oriel Ynys high standards and a collaborative approach to
Mon, and Brecknock Museum and Art Gallery. This presentation, and further enhance the availability
programme is now being developed and in future of the Museum’s loans.

Cyfoeth Cymru Gyfan: Sharing Treasures – Installation of objects from Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum
Wales’ Japanware collection at Pontypool Museum

Delivering wider benefits 69

 LINKS BETWEEN MUSEUMS AND
5 GALLERIES AND WIDER SOCIETY
 In common with most public and wider society. See the detailed list for each
semi-public institutions, museums and galleries institution below.
have a wider role in society. That is, they engage
The Natural History Museum has links to
with a number of institutions that are directly or
hundreds of institutions and professional bodies.
indirectly concerned with what in recent years has
Some of these are official or governmental bodies,
come to be described as ‘civil society’. The reasons
while others are other museums. There is a good
for such engagement is relatively obvious, but has
representation of British and overseas bodies.
only recently been given any serious consideration.
Apart from a small number of other national
The think tank Demos, for example, has recently
museums and galleries, and perhaps universities,
prepared a report on Knowledge and Inspiration:
it is difficult to imagine many other institutions
the Democratic Face of Culture.
maintaining so many formal and semi-formal links
In this publication, the authors argue “the sector to other prestigious institutions. There are many
[museums, libraries and archives] also facilitates links to regional museums.
political engagement, enabling the expression of
National Museums Liverpool (NML) has a list
new forms of identity through new channels and
of connections that looks dissimilar to those of
platforms”. And also they enable “reflection across
the Natural History Museum, but which neatly
time, as well as geography, and give us the
demonstrates the very different focus of a major
opportunity to think of contemporary issues
institution in a leading city outside the capital
afresh”. Museums and galleries, it is stated, have
to one in London. Regeneration and renewal has
become “ever more entrepreneurial” in providing
been a key local, regional and national priority
people with the places and ideas where they can
for Merseyside in recent years. The links between
develop their identity.
NML and the Mersey Partnership or Liverpool
To fulfil this wider civil society role, institutions Biennial are evidence of the way in which the
have had to look outwards. Of course, many museum has been able to work with local
individual employees of museums and galleries authorities and other partners in rebuilding the
have long played a full role in professional and local economy. Local and regional links with a
expert bodies. But in recent years, there has range of cultural and business groups are also
been an increasing corporate willingness to take maintained by individual board memberships.
part in partnerships, networks, regeneration
Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service (NMAS)
programmes, local promotional initiatives and
is different again, reflecting local needs and
an array of other activities. Importantly, museums
interests. East Anglia has different economic
and galleries have increasingly opened their doors
needs to, say, Merseyside, and the NMAS
to become ‘civic space’ where people can meet and
maintains different kinds of partnership links.
develop ideas.
Interestingly, a number of the links are with
This report takes, as examples, a selection of national institutions, suggesting an opportunity
civil society connections in four leading museums for the county to look outwards into the national
and galleries. It should be stressed that these community. On the other hand, local institutions
institutions are used solely to demonstrate the are also seen as important. The museums and
width and depth of what is being done. Each of the archaeology service is clearly a conduit through
selected institutions has provided information which ideas can flow from the national to the
about partnerships, board memberships and local level and vice versa.
other key linkages. The resulting lists suggest
The Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust,
an incredible set of links and involvement with
like its Norfolk counterpart, provides national

Left: Royal Armouries, Leeds Links to wider society 71

and local linkages. Like Liverpool, Sheffield is a end of World War II. The exhibition was shown at
‘core city’ with an extraordinary industrial past. Leicester’s Abbey Pumping Station throughout
Museums and galleries offer local people an September 2005 and had a significant impact
opportunity to understand the rapidly changed on visitor figures there.
industrial and economic geography of their
Another aspect of civic activity and partnership
area. They are also, through the Sheffield First
is the extent to which museums and galleries can
Partnership Agency, part of the efforts to
reach out to audiences who, traditionally, have
regenerate the city for a different future. The Trust
been under-represented within attendances.
also has many links to national and international
Museums and galleries are increasingly expected
bodies including partnership arrangements with
to improve their appeal to newer groups within
the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate and the
society, to younger people and to the least
National Portrait Gallery.
advantaged. Many of the partnerships and links
listed in this report will have had the effect of
National museums are increasingly allowing museums and galleries to work with
working with regional museums other bodies in the achievement of a number
of social and educational objectives.
through strong partnerships, which
go beyond the traditional approach
of loans.
The national museums are increasingly
working with regional museums through strong
partnerships, which go beyond the traditional
approach of loans. For example, Tyne & Wear
Museums and Leicester Museums Service worked
in partnership with the British Museum on the
tour of The Throne of Weapons, a sculpture made
from de-commissioned guns by a Mozambique
artist and Across the Board: Around the World in
18 Board games an exhibition featuring the
Lewis Chessmen and links board games from
many countries. Details of Engaging Refugees
and Asylum Seekers, a project developed in
partnership with the National Museums of
Liverpool, Tyne & Wear Museums and Salford
Museums is included in the case studies.
Leicester Museums Service have also hosted
two major exhibition from the Victoria and Albert
Museum: Cinema India-The Art of Bollywood
and Black British Style. Their Past Your Future, Above: The Madonna of the Pinks (‘La Madonna dei Garofani’)
a national initiative led by the Imperial at the National Gallery
War Museum developed a touring exhibition
and provided funding for events and publicity
to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the

72 Links to wider society

The success of leading museums and galleries
in achieving the many good government or civil
society objectives expected of them will depend,
to some extent, on the resources available. In
common with all cultural institutions heavily
dependent on Whitehall or local authority funding,
there is a risk that expectations for new initiatives
or to reach new audience groups will exceed what
can plausibly be achieved.
The fact that museums and gallery audiences
are relatively easy to measure and monitor may
have led to greater pressures being brought to
bear on this sector than other parts of the arts
and culture. Both DCMS and local authorities
set targets for sponsored bodies. There remains a
risk that a number of laudable ‘good government’
initiatives and developments of the kind discussed
in this section will be threatened if, as seems
likely, resources are put under pressure in the near
future. Unless new forms of revenue can be found
for museums and galleries, their civil society role
could be eroded. At a time of significant societal
change and uncertainty, the role of museums
Above: The impressive architecture
and galleries in underpinning civil society is of the Imperial War Museum North
surely pivotal.

Links to wider society 73

Natural History Museum (selection only) Kings College London, European Centre
Partnerships for Risk Management
Jurassic World Heritage Coast Project Linnean Society of London
European Science Centre Network Malacological Society of London
World Health Organisation Marine Biological Association, UK
Indentification Qualifications Museums Association
MARBEF NatSCA (Natural Sciences Collections Association)
European Network on Biodiversity Information Natural Sciences Collections Association
European ‘Catalogue of Life’ project NERC Molecular Genetic Facilities
Eden Project Percy Sladen Memorial Fund
TRANSMAP Porcupine Marine Natural History Society
National Biodiversity Network Powell-Cotton Museum, Birchington, Kent
Board memberships Primate Society of Great Britain
Air Pollution Research in London (APRIL) Professor Hering Memorial Research Fund
American Entomological Institute Rotunda Museum, Scarborough
Ancient Human Occupation of Britain Project Royal Entomological Society
Arts and Humanities Research Council Society for Systematic Biology
BioNet International South London Botanical Institute
Biosciences Federation SPNHC (The Society for the Preservation of Natural
History Collections)
Bird Exploration Fund
Suffolk Naturalists’ Society
Botanical Society of the British Isles
Systematics Association
British Bryological Society
The British Society for Parasitology
British Classifictaion Society
The Fleet Study Group
British Entomological & Natural History Society
The Geological Society
British Herpetolgocial Society
The Micropalaentology Society
British Lichen Society
The Palaeontographical Society
British Ornithologists’ Club
The Palaeontological Association
Cetacean and Marine Turtle Group (DEFRA)
The Ray Society
Darwin Initiative (DEFRA)
The Royal Society
Earth Science Education Unit Committee
The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine
Entomological Society of Japan
The Society of Protozoologists
European Association for Forensic Entomology
The Systematics Association
Forum for the History of Science,Technology
and Medicine Tropical Biology Association
GCG (Geology Curators Group) UK Saline Lagoon Working Group
Geological Curator’s Group UKRG (UK Registrars Group)
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Unitas Malacologica
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Willi Hennig Society
International Association for Human Palaeontology Windber Medical Research Institute, USA
International Association of Meiobenthologists World Association of Copepodologists
International Bryozoology Association World Federation of Parasitologists
International Foundation for Science, Stockholm Yorkshire Geological Society
International Nannoplankton Association Zoologische Reihe, Mitteilungen aus dem Museum fur
Naturkunde in Berlin
John Spedan Lewis Trust for the Advancement
of Natural Sciences

74 Links to wider society

Other civil society links Museum of East Anglian Life
Abergavenny Museum Museum of Tropical Queensland (Australia)
American Museum of Natural History Museumvereniging (Dutch Museums Association)
National Museum of Australia (Australia) National Army Museum
British Museum National Museum (Czech Republic)
Californian Academy of Sciences National Museum of Ireland
Canadian Museum of Nature National Museum of Kenya
Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre (Charmouth Parish Council) National Museums and Galleries Wales
Chiba Natural History Museum and Institute (Japan) National Museums and Galleries, Merseyside
Culture Division of the Iwaki City Board of Education (Japan) National Museums Scotland
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) National Science Museum (Japan)
Dorset County Council National Trust
Dulwich Picture Gallery Naturalis
Embassy of Japan NEMO (Network of European Museum Organizations)
English Heritage Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (USA)
English Nature Okinawa Prefectural Museum (Japan)
Flemish Ministry of Culture Penlee House Gallery & Museum
Gunma Museum of Natural History (Japan) Queensland Museum (Australia)
Hampshire County Council Museum Service Romanian Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs
Haslemere Museum Royal Ontario Museum
Historic Royal Palaces Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts at the University
Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) of East Anglia
HM Customs and Revenue School of World Arts and Museology at the University
Humboldt Museum, Berlin of East Anglia
Hungarian Natural History Museum Science Museum
Ibaraki Nature Museum (Japan) Smithsonian Institution (USA)
International Council of Museums (ICOM) Surrey Museums Consultative Committee
Imperial War Museum Swedish Museum of Natural History
Jersey Heritage Trust The Tate Museum (in all its forms)
Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History (Japan) The Field Museum
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew The National Art Collection Fund
Kitakyushu Museum and Institute of Tokyo University – Faculty of Science (Japan)
Natural History (Japan) Towner Art Gallery
Kyoto University – Faculty of Science (Japan) University of California – Berkeley
Lake Biwa Museum (Japan) University of Cambridge – Sedgwick Museum of Geology
Latvian State Authority on Museums University of Oxford – Museum of Natural History
Leeds Museums and Galleries Victoria and Albert Museum
Lyme Regis Development Trust York Museums Trust
Lyme Regis Museum Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Manchester Museum London Borough of Camden
MDA (the renamed Museums
Documentation Association)
Missouri Botanical Garden
MLA

Links to wider society 75

National Museums Liverpool Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service
Partnerships Partnerships
Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) South Midlands Museums
Wirral Consortium English Nature
John Moores Exhibition Trust and Foundation English Heritage
Liverpool Biennial Geological Society of Norfolk
Local Compact Groups Quarternary Research Association
Local Sure Starts, Merseyside Network Group British Geological Survey
The Mersey Partnership Natural History Museum
Civic Trust Norfolk and Norwich Natural History Society
National Trust Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society
National Association of Decorative and Victoria and Albert Museum (Costume and Textile Forum)
Fine Art Societies (NADFAS) Board memberships
Board memberships Ancient House Museum Thetford
Culture NorthWest Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail project
International Icom Committee on Museum Management) Maharajah Duleep Singh Centenary Trust
International Council of Museums - UK (ICOM-UK) South Midlands Museums Federation
Mersey Tourism Board Museums Association
Bluecoat Arts Centre East Anglian Archaeology.
Merseyside Dance Initiative Osteoarchaeology Editorial Board
The Mersey Partnership National Society for Church Archaeology
Beatles Industry Group Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society
St George’s Hall Ceramic Curators’ Network
Liverpool Culture Company Ancient Hominid Occupation of Britain Project
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society Adu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey
Mere Hall Conservation Association United Kingdom Maritime Collections Strategy
Lakeland Arts Trust Maritime Curators Group
Gower Street Estates Great Yarmouth Economic Forum :inteGREAT
Chambre Hardman Trust Norfolk and Waveney Maritime Partnership
Pilkington Glass Collection Trust Other civil society links
West Derby Community Association Local authorities in Norfolk
Linnean Society The Prehistoric Society
Open Eye Photography Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies
Heritage and Regeneration Committee Society for Medieval Archaeology
Liverpool Culture Company Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology
Other civil society links
Aim Higher
Greater Merseyside
Institute of Popular Music, Liverpool
Mersey Volunteer Bureau
Merseyside Guild of Weavers
Local authorities (Liverpool, Sefton, Halton, Wirral,
Knowsley, Cheshire)
Victorian Society

76 Links to wider society

Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust
Partnerships
Guild of St George
Sheffield City Council
Charity Finance Directors Group
Hawley Trust
Touring Exhibitions Group
Sheffield First Partnership Agency – Cultural Executive Group
Sheffield Cultural Forum
Visual Arts and Galleries Association (VAGA)
Campaign for Learning through Museums and Galleries
Heritage Lottery Fund
National Portrait Gallery
Victoria and Albert Museum
Tate
Board memberships
Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)
Other civil society links
Group for Education in Museums (GEM)
National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE)
National Art Collection Fund
Canada House
Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
Department for Education and Skills (DfES)
National Endowment for Science,Technology
and the Arts (NESTA)
UK Registrar’s Group
Museums Copyright Group

Links to wider society 77

 THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
6
 Britain is one of a small number of countries museums and galleries in comparison with
with a significant number of internationally analogous institutions elsewhere.
recognised museums and galleries. Few countries
have the range and scale of institutions with the Number and scale of institutions
potential to provide a competitive advantage to a British museums and galleries, as a sub-sector
number of economic sectors, including tourism, of the arts and cultural industries, appear to
universities, design and basic science. constitute a mass of institutions that are at least
as significant as any other in the developed world.
National collections of this kind depend on a Indeed, because of Britain’s relatively tight
number of factors. Collecting habits and the physical scale, there is probably no other country
interests of a small number of individuals is one in the world with such a powerful museum and
key element. A country’s history is a second. It is gallery cluster within such a relatively small
also important that a reasonably settled system space. In part, this finding is an accident of
of government has existed for a prolonged period, geography and history. Few countries in the world
with the capacity for a society to preserve have so many big cities within such a small area.
artefacts and other aspects of its heritage. There
are also a number of less tangible factors such as Table 19 below shows data about number of
a society’s values and ambitions. For a number of visits for a selection of major museums and
these reasons, Britain has been gifted with very galleries in a number of countries, including
large and important collections. Britain. Every effort has been made to ensure
reasonable comparability.
In recent times, most countries have evolved
cultural policies that seek to protect their heritage The figures in the table on page 82 cover larger
and also to project a national image. There are institutions in the countries shown. The only other
different approaches. In the US, for example, countries with a significant number of institutions
private philanthropy has been officially comparable with those in the table that would
encouraged with tax breaks, public recognition have over one and a half million visitors per year
and other instruments. In France, the State has are probably Italy and China. There are also a
invested heavily in a number of heritage and art number in the US for which no data are available.
forms so as to project an image of French culture
What is clear from Table 19 (and Table 12) is the
and technology. Britain, predictably, has balanced
extraordinary number of museums and galleries
somewhere between the often privately driven US
with very heavy visitor numbers within the UK.
model and the more publicly funded approach
Even before the advent of free admissions, the
found in a number of European countries.
numbers of visitors at UK institutions appear to
There is no ‘right solution’ to the question of how have been higher than in equivalent institutions
best to fund and govern museums and galleries. elsewhere, but in the years since the removal of
Moreover, international comparisons are often admission charges, UK visitor numbers have
difficult to make because of uncertainties about stepped up still further.
ways of measuring or reporting particular
Of course, the national institutions included in
numbers. But it is possible to make broad
Table 19 are only a proportion of major institutions
comparisons of the approaches adopted from
and major regional museums within the UK
place to place so as to allow judgements about
(see also Table 12). Equally, there are many other
the importance and dynamism of different
museums and galleries in Britain and other
arrangements. This section looks at Britain’s
countries. Recent research for the MLA suggests

Left: Africa Garden at the British Museum in collaboration with

the BBC, Camden Council, Kew Gardens and the Eden Project International context 79
that in total there are 1848 museums in the UK, the growth in public use of world class museums
compared with 1,180 in France, 6,501 in Germany and galleries. The creative industries more
and 15,460 in the US (MLA, 2006, page 139). Given generally are seen as the future for the British
the absence of reliable comparative statistics, it is economy. In a speech made at the end of
clearly going to be difficult for governments and 2005,James Purnell the Minister for Creative
researchers to draw reliable conclusions about Industries stated:
the effects of particular museum and gallery
policies (in so far as these affect attendance) on “In the last eight years, the creative industries
aspects of economic competitiveness. have been growing by twice the rate of the rest of
the British economy, creating three times as many
The British government’s free museums policy jobs and exporting four times as many goods and
was intended to encourage visitors, but also to services. People ask politicians where the jobs for
widen access to groups who had not traditionally the future will come from in an increasingly
visited such institutions. Given the extraordinary globalised world – part of the answer is the
scale of overall numbers attending museums and creative industries.
galleries (considered in more detail elsewhere in
this report), there can be little doubt that Britain is Yes, it’s a challenge that Bollywood is now the
at the top end of international access to the kinds biggest film industry in the world, in terms of sheer
of major institutions shown in Table 19. That is, volume. Yes, it’s true that South Korea has one of
the weight of numbers seeing the artefacts at the the best online content industries in the world”
kinds of leading national museums and galleries and a “more advanced broadband and a digital
considered in this report is almost certainly higher infrastructure of which most Western countries
in Britain than in most – if not all – other countries. can only dream. But the UK’s current strength in

Museums and galleries have been shown to be a significant factor

in attracting visitors to the UK, but they will need to develop if they
are to continue to compete against institutions that are developing
in other countries.
There is, oddly, little research about the creative industries – and its willingness and
comparative advantage to a country of the kind of ability to innovate – will continue to provide us
mass access to leading museums and galleries with real opportunities”.
revealed in Table 19 and Table 12. The possibility
of attributing monetary of value to the benefits of Such benefits include straightforward
having cultural institutions is being attempted in balance-of-payments flows from inbound
a number of studies, for example the ‘public value’ international tourism, but also improved design,
calculations being made for the BBC as part of the enhanced creativity and the less tangible
Corporation’s charter renewal process. But the impacts associated with Britain’s image abroad.
international competitive benefits of culture and Broad estimates of the level of international visitor
of ‘soft’ cultural diplomacy do not benefit from a expenditure are included elsewhere in this report.
significant research base. There is little doubt that in Britain’s mature
Nevertheless, a number of government tourism economy, new and repeat tourists will
publications have suggested a number of potential require an offer that includes both tradition and
competitive benefits that are likely to flow from also evidence of continuous change. Museums
and galleries have been shown to be a significant
80 International context
factor in attracting visitors to the UK, but they will exploited over time. But, for these benefits to be
need to develop if they are to continue to compete maximised, museums and galleries will need to be
against institutions that are developing in other able to show and develop their collections in ways
countries. Major cultural investments in that are attractive in a competitive environment.
museums/galleries in cities as diverse as Berlin,
St Petersburg, New York and Denver mean that If the creative benefits of museum and gallery
Britain will be less likely to attract affluent ‘repeat’ holdings are difficult to quantify, the benefits of
visitors unless its institutions are also moving ‘soft’ cultural diplomacy are even more difficult to
ahead. Liverpool has been successful in recent measure. Thus, for example, when the Victoria and
years in turning investment in museums and Albert Museum’s Vivienne Westwood exhibition
galleries into part of a growing tourist sector. visited China during 2005, it will have helped
strengthen Britain’s image in that country. As the
The way that museums and galleries have US has shown, it is possible for a country to have
collaborated with companies and educational a very different official image (as represented by
institutions is considered elsewhere in this report. its use of military power and diplomacy) from that
Designers and other creative workers draw evolved by its culture (eg, rock music and the
inspiration and ideas from things they see in the cinema). Countries such as Britain, France and
collections held in regional or national museums. Italy are probably in a similar position to the US,
While it is possible to cite examples of how such if less internationally exposed.
transfers take place, it is difficult (probably
impossible) to provide a robust quantitative The stock held by major museums
analysis of they way a person translates an image and galleries in Britain and a
or response into something that contributes to
additional value added in a service or manufacturing. small number of other developed
But what is certain is that this capacity to evolve democracies is likely to be
‘weightless’ economic benefit is one of the keys of incalculable benefit in the
to Britain’s longer term prosperity. As developing
economies become adept at sophisticated
economic period that lies ahead.
manufacturing, the older ones in Europe and
North America will have to use their ingenuity and
advantages to evolve new services and products
that people in the rapidly growing countries will
want to buy. While manufactured goods are, it
would appear, relatively easy to copy and produce,
creative products are virtually impossible to
develop in the same way.
The stock held by major museums and galleries
in Britain and a small number of other developed
democracies is likely to be of incalculable benefit
in the economic period that lies ahead. The easy
access most British people have to the major
institutions covered by this report means that
the kinds of creative benefits generated by their
holdings for the economy can potentially be
Above: Tate Modern – Turbine Hall

International context 81
Table 19: Visits to major museum and
gallery numbers, Britain and overseas
Visitor
numbers
(millions)
Britain Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales 1.34
British Museum 4.49
Imperial War Museum 1.91
National Gallery 3.95
National Maritime Museum 1.51
National Museum of Science & Industry 3.58
National Museums Liverpool 1.61
National Museums Scotland 1.43
National Portrait Gallery 1.53
Natural History Museum 3.31
Tate 6.41
Tyne & Wear Museums 1.57
Victoria and Albert Museum 2.20
France Cite des Sciences/La Villette 3.19
Louvre 7.30
Musee d’Art Moderne (Pompidou) 2.33
Museum national d’Histoire naturelle 1.24
Musee de l’Armee 1.07
Musee d’Orsay 2.93
Germany Deutsches Museum 1.40
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden * 1.55
State Museums Berlin Total * 4.67
Art Galleries 2.67
Spain Prado 2.28
Reina Sophia 1.59
Russia State Hermitage Museum 2.60

82 International context
Table 19: continued

Visitor
numbers
(millions)
USA American Museum of Natural History 4.00
Art Institute of Chicago 1.39
J.Paul Getty Museum 1.30
LA County Museum of Art 1.45
Metropolitan Museum 4.57
MFA Boston 1.00
MoMA 2.47
Smithsonian ** 24.00
National Air and Space Museum 6.10
National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy 1.20
National Museum of American History 3.00
National Museum of American Indian 2.20
National Museum of Natural History 5.60
Smithsonian Institution Building,‘The Castle’ 1.30
New Zealand Te Papa 1.26
Japan National Museum of Modern Art 1.06
National Science Museum, Tokyo * 1.20
Tokyo National Museum 1.44

Notes: Figures are for 2005; table includes the institutions with the highest visitor figures
in each country. For the UK these are the museums with over 1 million visitors per year
* 2004 figures (2005 figures unavailable)
** Combined visitor figures for all 19 Smithsonian museums (individual figures unavailable)
Source for international figures: AEA Consulting research for NMDC

International context 83
Table 19 provides evidence of Britain’s capacity Visitor numbers – International exhibitions
to project its culture though a number of major
institutions. Each of these museums and galleries
(and the others covered by this report) has a large Number of visitors

7,875,947
number of overseas visitors and is also able to (millions)

take exhibitions to other countries. 8

The broad benchmarking made possible by the

figures in Table 19 and from the MLA Cultural
Spend and Infrastructure project suggest Britain’s
6
major museums and galleries are operating with
levels of cost-effectiveness that are at least in line
with those elsewhere. However, the concentration

4,121,327
3,806,079

3,792,364
of world-class institutions in this country would

3,527,563
appear to be greater than elsewhere, certainly if 4

3,136,754

2,965,341
2,881,810
their visitor numbers are a guide. The ‘hard’ and
2,680,498

2,443,350
‘soft’ economic benefits of the sector are likely to

1,973,993
become ever more important in the 21st century.
1,530,308

Museums and galleries of the kind considered in 2

this report are a key element in building
714,482

717,000

690,752
productivity in this new economy.
354,100 2000
There are other international statistics that 2005
suggest a need to increase Britain’s international 0
Bilbao

London

Los Angeles

New York

Paris

San Francisco

Tokyo

Washington
competitiveness. The numbers of people
attending major international exhibitions in
City

London show London performing relatively well in

comparison with most other world cities, though
well behind the levels of visitor attendance in New Source: The Art Newspaper, No 111 Feb 2001
York. London has averaged about four million such World-Wide Exhibition Figures in 2000
visits in each year from 2000 to 2005, while the The Art Newspaper, No 167 March 2006,
New York number is almost double that. Paris has Exhibition Attendance Figures 2005
generally been well behind London, but may be Figures used are taken from the top 250
catching up. exhibitions worldwide in each year

84 International context Right: National Museum of Flight, Scotland

 CONCLUSION
7
 This report has analysed a major part of their competitors has advantages in terms of
Britain’s museum and gallery sub-sector. It has speed and nourishment. Ingenuity and creativity
revealed a group of institutions that are among will only go so far in overcoming a worsening lack
the very best in the world. The agglomeration of resources.There are also threats to researching,
of institutions, talent and audiences in Britain displaying and writing about collections.
has parallels in only a few other countries.
However, because it has grown up over many Most British museums and galleries are funded in
years, there is a risk the institutions will be taken such a way that makes it hard for them to expend
from granted and not seen as the potential their income sources in line with growth in the
opportunity they represent. wider economy. With limited access to admission

Museums and galleries offer both a major internationally traded

service (by generating exports) but also underpin the creativity upon
which future high value-added economic activity is likely to be based.

This opportunity derives from the rapidly changing charges, modest opportunities to raise donations
nature of the global economy. Britain was first into and grants/direct local government funding at
the Industrial Revolution and has been one of the best linked to the Retail Prices Index or the
first countries to evolve a fully post-modern Consumer Price Index, income and expenditure
economy, with a significant dependence on traded is most unlikely to expand at the speed of most
services. There is little evidence to suggest that people’s household incomes. There is a risk of
this country, or other highly developed ones, will deterioration for collections and the buildings that
not face continuing demands for economic house them. There will certainly be no significant
flexibility and creativity in decades ahead. resources to add to collections.
Museums and galleries offer both a major Productivity improvements have been delivered
internationally traded service (by generating by museums and galleries long before the
exports) but also underpin the creativity upon government’s recent Gershon initiative.Visitor
which future high value added economic activity numbers in recent years have risen faster than
is likely to be based. The storehouses represented grants-in-aid and direct local government funding.
by these institutions will encourage people in Many institutions have become massive tourist
this country to use their creativity and talent businesses, though without the resources that
to develop new services, products and even such enterprises would normally enjoy. For
manufactured goods. Nations without such example, museums and galleries are not allowed
repositories of inspiration have less chance to borrow commercially to expand their activities:
of success. there are government imposed borrowing
constraints. Institutions are required to be
But there are threats to Britain’s position. business-like without the freedoms of a
Other countries, notably the US, have funding proper business.
arrangements that continue to allow their
collections to grow and develop. Britain’s The optimism and enthusiasm of institutions’
museums and galleries find themselves in a boards, directors, staff and ‘friends’ will hide the
highly competitive race where at least one of decline. As if to demonstrate the creativity that

86 Conclusion
museums and galleries can propagate in others,
many leading bodies have been able to open new
facilities with one-off grants, have used buildings
or artefacts to evoke a sense of progress and, more
generally, have disguised the overall relative decline
of their sector. Such a process cannot continue
indefinitely with very limited resources.
But, to finish this report on an optimistic note, it is
important to make clear that Britain’s museums
and galleries could, with a greater capacity to
expand and improve, continue to allow this country
to be a world leader in creativity and scholarship.
To achieve this benign objective, investment and
new resources will be required. It would be possible
organically to build on existing success.The
potential is virtually limitless.The only question is
whether, collectively, there is a national desire to
deliver, maintain and expand this particular
creative sector.

Above: Visitors at the Science Museum, London

Conclusion 87
References Moore, M. H, Creating Public Value, Cambridge:
Harvard University Press
The Art Fund, 2006, Museum Collecting:
An International Comparison www.artfund.org MORI, 2005, Tracking the Field Issue 1,
London: MORI, page 7
The Art Newspaper, No 111 Feb 2001
World-Wide Exhibition Figures in 2000 Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, 2006,
Research Project “Cultural Spend and
The Art Newspaper, No 167 March 2006,
Infrastructure: A Comparative Study”,
Exhibition Attendance Figures 2005.
London: AEA Consulting
Association of Leading Visitor Attractions,
Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, 2006,
Visits Made in 2005 to Visitor Attractions in
Memorandum submitted to Select Committee on
Membership with ALVA
Culture, Media and Sport, HC 912-II Session
(http://www.alva.org.uk/visitor_statistics/)
2005-06, London:TSO
Cox, G, 2005 Cox Review of Creativity
Myerscough,John, 1988, The Economic
in Business: building on the UK’s strengths,
Importance of the Arts in Britain,
London: HM Treasury
London: Policy Studies Institute
Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2006,
National Audit Office, 2004, Income generated
Taking part:The national survey of culture, leisure
by the Museums and Galleries, Report by the
and sport, Provisional results from the 2005/2006
Comptroller and Auditor General, HC 235 2003-
survey, London: DCMS
2004, London:TSO
Eftec, 2005, Valuation of the Historic Environment
National Museums Directors Conference, 2004,
The scope for using results of valuation studies in
Valuing Museums, London: NMDC
the appraisal and assessment of heritage-related
projects and programmes, London:Eftec National Trust, (2006), Demonstrating the Public
Value of Heritage, London;The National Trust
Florida, R, 2002, The Rise of the Creative Class,
New York: Perseus Books Group HM Treasury, 2006, Public Expenditure Statistical
Analyses, May 2006, London: HMSO
Holden,J, and Jones, S, 2006, Knowledge and
Inspiration: the Democratic Face of Culture: University of Durham, 2000, The Economic Impact
Evidence in Making the Case for Museums, of Museums A Critique, by Peter Johnson and
Libraries and Archives, London: MLA Barry Thomas, Durham: University of Durham
Business School
Jasper, Andrew, 2002, The Economic Impact
of the Eden Project, St Austell: Eden Project Work Foundation, 2005 ‘Adding public value’ in
Work in Progress, London:The Work Foundation
Jura Consultants, 2005, Bolton’s Museums,
Libraries and Archive Services An Economic
Valuation, Edinburgh:Jura Consultants

88 Conclusion
About this report Credits
National Museum Directors’ Conference (NMDC) Design: red-stone.com
The NMDC represents the leaders of the UK’s Printed on Revive Silk, 75% de-inked,
national collections, including the national post-consumer waste
museums and galleries in England, Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland, The National Photography credits
Archives, the British Library and the National Cover, 14, Cristian Barnett
Library of Scotland. It was founded in 1929,
5, © Tate Courtesy Richard Eaton
in anticipation of a Royal Commission
recommendation that the national collections 7, 59, Courtesy of the Board of Trustees of National
should ‘coordinate their work and discuss matters Museums Liverpool
of mutual concern’. Today the NMDC provides its 9, 13, 85, © National Museums Scotland,
membership with a valuable forum for discussion Photographer: Sean Bell
and debate and an opportunity to share 35, 49, Davey Jones V&A
information and work collaboratively. More 52, Their Past Your Future, Imperial War Museum
information about NMDC can be found on our 53, © Imperial War Museum
website at www.nationalmuseums.org.uk
56, 72, © National Gallery, London
Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) 58, Photograph: Courtesy Mike Porter
MLA works with the nine regional agencies in the 63, © Tate Courtesy Paula Leite
MLA Partnership to improve people’s lives by 66, Peter Kelleher, V&A
building knowledge, supporting learning, inspiring 70, Charles Dragazis
creativity and celebrating identity. The Partnership
81, Tate Photography
acts collectively for the benefit of the sector
and the public, leading the transformation of
museums, libraries and archives for the future.
Note of thanks
Many thanks to all those who provided data,
information and advice for this report.
Particular thanks to the Working Group:
Mark Jones (Chair), Victoria and Albert Museum
Dawn Austick, British Museum
Alex Beard, Tate
Emily Candler, NMDC
Amy de Joia, National Museums Liverpool
Nick Dodd, Sheffield Museums and Galleries Trust
Sue Howley, MLA
Sarah Levitt, Leicester City Museums Service
John MacAuslan, National Gallery
Simon Matty, MLA
Suzie Tucker, NMDC

Conclusion 89
Full list of venues of the museums National Museum of Science & Industry
and galleries included in this report Science Museum
National Museums National Railway Museum
Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales National Museum of Photography,Film & Television
Sain Ffagan:Amgueddfa Werin Cymry – St Fagans: Science Museum Wroughton
National History Museum Locomotion
National Waterfront Museum Blythe House
Amgueddfa Lechi Cymru – National Slate Museum National Museums Liverpool
Amgueddfa Lleng Rufeinig Cymru – National World Museum Liverpool
Roman Legion Museum Walker Art Galler
Amgueddfa Wlan Cymru – National Wool Museum Lady Lever Art Gallery
Amgueddfa Lofaol Cymru – Big Pit:National Coal Merseyside Maritime Museum
Museum Museum of Liverpool Life
Amgeuddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd – National HM Customs and Excise National Museum
Museum Cardiff Sudley House
British Museum Conservation Centre
British Museum National Museums Scotland
Imperial War Museum National Museum of Scotland
Imperial War Museum Royal Museum
Churchill Museum & Cabinet War Rooms National War Museum
HMS Belfast National Museum of Rural Life
IWM Duxford National Museum of Flight
IWM North National Museums Collection Centre
National Museum of Costume
Museum of London
Museum of London National Portrait Gallery
Museum in Docklands National Portrait Gallery
Mortimer Wheeler House Montacute House
Beningbrough Hall
The National Archives Bodelwyddan Castle
The National Archives
The Family Records Centre Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
National Gallery The Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum
National Gallery
Royal Armouries
National Maritime Museum Royal Armouries Museum
National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House and Tower of London National Collection of
Royal Observatory Arms and Armour
National Maritime Museum Cornwall Fort Nelson

90 Conclusion
Tate Leicester City Museums Service
Tate Britain Abbey Pumping Station
Tate Modern Belgrave Hall Museum and Gardens
Tate Liverpool The Guildhall
Tate St Ives Jewry Wall Museum
Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden New Walk Museum and Art Gallery
Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) Newarke Houses Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service
V&A Museum of Childhood Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery
V&A Museum of Performance Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum
Blythe House Bridewell Museum
Strangers’ Hall Museum
Regional Museums Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Time and Tide Museum
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Elizabethan House Museum
Aston Hall Tolhouse Museum
Blakesley Hall Cromer Museum
Museum of the Jewellery Quarter Ancient House, Museum of Thetford Life
Sarehole Mill Town House Museum
Soho House Lynn Museum
Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust
Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery Millennium Galleries
The Red Lodge Graves Art Gallery
Georgian House Museum Weston Park Museum
Bristol Industrial Museum Bishops’ House Museum
Blaise Castle House Museum
Tyne & Wear Museums
Hampshire Museums Service Discovery Museum
Milestones Living History Museum Arbeia Roman Fort and Museum
Aldershot Military Museum Hancock Museum
Allen Gallery Laing Art Gallery
Andover Museum and Museum of the Iron Age Segedunum Roman Forts, Baths and Museum
Basing House South Shields Museum and Art Gallery
Bursledon Windmill Shipley Art Gallery
Curtis Museum Stephenson Railway Museum
Eastleigh Museum Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens
Gosport Museum Monkwearmouth Station Museum
Havant Museum Washington F Pit
Red House Museum
Rockbourne Roman Villa
SEARCH
Westbury Manor Museum
Willis Museum
Conclusion 91
Published in the United Kingdom Copies of this publication can be
by the National Museum Directors’ Conference provided in alternative formats.
and Museums, Libraries and Archives Council Please contact MLA publications
ISBN 0-9536047-8-0
December 2006
on 020 7273 1428

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