Policy Officer at the Museums Association.

The central sculpture hall of the Glasgow (now Kelvingrove) Art Gallery and Museum, newly opened for the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1901.

What hope for civic museums?

In the last decade local authority funding for museums has declined rapidly – but are some reasons for optimism emerging?

28 May 2019
Image: Tom Lobo Brennan

Museums in the UK have been sold short by the new Cultural Development Fund

The government has pledged £20m of investment in five regions – but cultural institutions are unlikely to be better off than before

25 Jan 2019

Can a local authority really get rid of 90 per cent of its art?

Once part of a pioneering schools loan programme, most of Hertfordshire County Council’s art collection looks set to be flogged off

5 Apr 2018
Arts Council England

At last, some welcome relief for regional museums

Arts Council England had some good news for museums this week, but it can’t be the sector’s knight in shining armour

30 Jun 2017
Kirklees council leader David Sheard put forward the idea of selling Francis Bacon's 'Figure Study II' in the council collection late last year

How long can our great civic museums hold out?

Kirklees Council’s proposal to sell off Francis Bacon’s ‘Figure Study II’ is just a taste of things to come

6 Jan 2017

Museums must engage in the Brexit debate – whether they like it or not

There is more than you might think at stake for arts and culture in this referendum

7 Mar 2016

Out of sight: Unseen Public Collections

A recent report claimed that public bodies in the UK are keeping £3.5bn worth of art in storage. Is this accurate and what should museums do with objects that they can never display?

2 Nov 2015

Is Culture Bigger Than Politics? The British Museum and Abu Dhabi

The ‘Museum for the World’ is a noble but dangerous ideal

10 Jun 2015

Ed Vaizey and museum professionals face off at pre-election hustings

It might have been an entertaining clash were there not so much at stake

1 May 2015