Museums and heritage

The rateable value of an Exeter museum fell from £445,000 to just £1 following a Tribunal ruling that has opened the doors for others to appeal their rates bills.

Museums and galleries are preparing to address the conflicting challenges of attracting audiences back whilst having to postpone the most popular exhibitions until social distancing measures are lifted.

Volunteer programmes have been suspended and freelance contracts are at risk as museums take measures to sustain themselves through the Covid crisis.

UK museums, libraries, galleries and archives must “visibly and robustly stand up for freelancers who they frequently depend so greatly on”.

Historic England envisages the community-led scheme will become a “catalyst for wider regeneration” in a similar way to Creative People and Places.

Several museums and galleries have recorded their highest visitor numbers in a decade – leading DCMS to claim it was a “record breaking year for museums and galleries in England”.

The Heritage Alliance is calling for greater recognition and funding to support the historic places and objects that underpin creative and cultural activities, challenging the stereotype of heritage as “a decorative incidental backdrop to contemporary creative work”.