Huge job cuts at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) could be imminent, with curators and conservators expected to be hard hit.
The redundancies are part of a “recovery strategy” which could see the museum's curatorial department cut by 20%.
According to an insider, 28 of 47 posts are affected. They said conservators at the museum are already being "restructured", conservation departments are currently "in negotiation", and a voluntary redundancy scheme is underway.
Another staff member accused the V&A of “hollowing out the expertise of the museum".
While the pandemic has had a considerable impact on finances at the museum, staff believe that the cost of its new outpost at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford has played a part in the cuts. The V&A denied this.
In a statement, the V&A said: “Due to the ongoing financial impact of Covid-19, and the need to find £10m sustainable savings per year, the V&A is reviewing the structure of its curatorial teams, as part of its recovery strategy."