More People Are Visiting Museums During the Recession

According to an article from artdaily.org, the recession has had a positive impact on attendance at Great Britain’s museums and galleries this summer. The Art Fund, an independent art charity, conducted a nationwide survey that found half of UK museums and galleries saw an increase in visitors between March and September of this year.

Though the survey results seem positive in these tough times, museum budgets are actually being cut, staff is under pressure, and the basic costs of keeping these institutions running are increasing.

Free entry to Britain’s national museums was a clear incentive for cash-strapped families this past summer. Sixty percent of museums that saw an increase in attendance offer free admission to their permanent collections. At the same time, a quarter of all publicly funded museums saw a cut in funding and more than a third of museums funded by a local authority experienced cuts in funding. In addition, running costs are climbing. About 30% of museums said they spent more this year than they did in the same period last year. Increases in utility costs and the money necessary to cater to the increase in visitors were both reasons for the rising costs of running Britain’s museums.

Due to budget cuts, recruitment freezes and posts being merged, 22% of museums in the survey reported a reduction in their numbers of paid staff. About 25% of museums surveyed said they have recently increased their reliance on volunteers.

The recession has taken its toll on museums. Some have already had to cancel activities, and future exhibitions may have to be less ambitious. Many are concerned that the economy will cause collections to suffer.

Director of the Art Fund, Andrew MacDonald, feels that during tough times like these, cultural institutions offer a great value to people because of their low or free costs and the distraction they offer from financial worries. He is concerned that investment in museums and galleries is decreasing when they have the most to offer people. MacDonald says, “We need to be vigilant to ensure that the quality of what our museums and galleries can offer does not suffer as a result of their need to economize.”