Museums have been starved of resources for many years relying on donations and voluntary help from their local communities. It is ironic that David Cameron chose Liverpool to announce his Big Society concept. National Museums Liverpool receives 95% of its funding from central government and has been told to expect cuts of at least 30%. It is unlikely the Local Authorities of the area can readily make up the shortfall. Liverpool’s museums have now been forced to launch a petition protesting at potential cuts to their funding from central government. They may have to close some venues, including the National Conservation Centre, which gives the public a rare insight into heritage management and collections care, including archaeological science, and contains a good range of antiquities.
Show your support by signing this petition online at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nationalmuseumsliverpool/ and pass the message on to others who may not be aware that Liverpool’ s rich cultural resources are now under threat.
Other national museums are also having to rethink or cancel plans for major money earning exhibitions.
Regional collections will suffer a double whammy as many of them are funded jointly by DCMS and by local councils which separately face budget reductions of at least 25%.
Keep an eye on our Heritage cuts map for the latest on how the cuts are really affecting local museums.
- In face of the threat this is posing, Liverpool Museums are highlighting Ten Treasures in Ten Days from their collections – see http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/about/treasures/index.aspx