With museums and galleries welcoming visitors once more now that the lockdown restrictions have been eased further, new research has suggested that over half of these institutions have concerns about their long-term survival.
A press release from charity Art Fund says that its research has found that 55 per cent of museums and galleries are worried about their ability to stay open. A survey of museum directors showed that 24 per cent were not overly concerned about their ongoing survival, and 4 per cent were not concerned at all.
Art Fund quizzed a total of 316 gallery and museum directors to conduct its research. 39 per cent of respondents said they relied on grants from local authorities to get by during the pandemic, and 38 per cent took advantage of the Government funding from the Culture Recovery Fund.
Visitor numbers at museums and galleries were down 75 per cent in 2021/21 compared to the previous year, according to Art Fund.
The charity’s director Jenny Waldman said: “This past year we have all been deprived of our galleries, museums and historic houses.
“Now everyone has the power to breathe life back into their favourite museum by going with family and friends. These much-loved places have made heroic efforts to stay afloat over the past year and are now ready to safely welcome everybody back.”
Museums and galleries will initially reopen with social distancing measures in place and visitors will need to wear a face covering.
The Tate galleries, the Natural History Museum and British Museum in London and Newcastle’s Laing Art Gallery are among the venues welcoming back visitors from Monday 17 May.
Some venues including Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery and National Museum Cardiff will open later in the week.
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