Museums and Galleries Month Provides Time to Celebrate says Tessa Jowell
Soaring visitor numbers at national museums and progress on creating a new framework for regional museums have set a very positive backdrop for museums and galleries in this country Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said today.
Tessa Jowell was launching Museums and Galleries Month at the Globe Theatre in Southwark. The theme of this year's MGM will be Celebration with some 1,400 museums and galleries participating and over 1,000 special events and exhibitions.
Commenting on latest figures for visitor numbers Tessa Jowell said:
" In the four months since the introduction of free admission on December 1, visitor numbers have gone up 75% at those museums and galleries that previously charged. That means an extra 1.7 million people have been able to enjoy the treasures that these national storehouses contain.
" I am particularly pleased to see that visits by children have gone up 10% in the last financial year. Museums and galleries have enormous potential to enrich children's education. Our aim is that children should be able to use museums more and more; and to use them better and better; in the future. "
The Culture Secretary said the Department was working with the Department for Education and Skills to create the conditions in which that could happen. The DfES Museums and Galleries Education Programme from 1999-2001 had contributed funding to 65 projects. And further funding of £1m had been announced by Baroness Ashton, the Schools Minister, to continue the Education Programme.
In London alone an extra 1.4 million visits have been made to ex charging museums and galleries in London in the four months since free admission. That represents an average increase of 81% on the same period last year. The figures are:
London Museums (Ex-chargers) Dec - Mar Dec - Mar
00/01 01/02 %change
Imperial War Museum (Lambeth) 224,520 238,000 6%
National Maritime Museum 207,119 297,790 44%
Natural History Museum
(Kensington) 521,727 987,916 89%
Science Museum (Kensington) 414,160 754,948 82%
Victoria & Albert Museum
(Kensington) 245,131 727,535 197%
Museum of London 123,442 131,264 6%
Total 1,736,099 3,137,453 81%
Tessa Jowell also commented on plans for the reorganisation of regional museums:
" I am delighted to see that plans for a new framework for regional museums, centred on the renewal of our leading regional museums, are progressing well. I understand Resource has received one application for hub status, to consist of a leading museum and up to three partner museums or 'satellites' which would work together to provide leadership and set new standards in the museum sector, from each of the nine English regions. That is an extremely positive result.
" The fact that England's regional museums have collaborated and co-operated in pulling together to submit their applications for hub status shows the widespread support for the initiative. "
Concluding Tessa Jowell said:
" Museums and galleries in this country make an invaluable contribution to the quality of people's lives. I hope that the various events organised for Museums and Galleries Month will also serve as a reminder of their great potential, and will encourage people to visit and enjoy their regional or local museum, as well as the nationals. I wish those taking part every success for their events."
Notes to Editors
The Regional Museums Task Force, chaired by Matthew Evans the Chairman of Resource, published its report, Renaissance in the Regions: A New Vision for England's Museums on October 23 2001. The report recommended the creation of a 'hub' in each of the nine English regions consisting of a leading museum and up to three partner museums or 'satellites' which would work together to provide leadership and set new standards in the museums sector.
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