Scotland’s galleries pull together

Scotland’s museums and galleries are to be united under a new 10-year strategy to promote greater collaboration, innovation and creativity between them. The first ever National Strategy for Scotland’s Museums and Galleries has been launched by Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop, with a view to maximising the sector’s reach, growth and potential. The Scottish Government hopes that, by working together and aligning its business plans and future direction to the strategy’s aims and objectives, the sector will be able to “achieve and deliver more than the sum of its parts”. The focus of Museums Galleries Scotland will change as it aligns its corporate plan with the Delivery Plan for the strategy and becomes the new National Development Body dedicated to supporting the sector to meet the strategy’s key objectives. The Scottish Government has announced £3.3m in grants over the next three years to be delivered through the National Development Body for implementing the strategy.

‘Going Further: The National Strategy for Scotland’s Museums and Galleries’ has been developed through a year of intensive dialogue with museums and galleries and their partner organisations. Fiona Ballantyne, Chair of the Museum Strategy Group and of Museums Galleries Scotland, described empowerment and ownership as “a fundamental element of the sector working together to deliver the strategy and will continue to be instrumental to its success.” Prompted by changes in the economic environment facing the sector, which were highlighted in 2010 by the Museums Think Tank report, the strategy is also a response to factors such as new technology, changes in local authority structures in Scotland, and continued sector and audience growth. It reflects the view that the sector can achieve more by partnership working and sharing best-practice. Six aims underpin the strategy, including inspiring greater public participation, learning and wellbeing; empowering a diverse workforce; and encouraging a culture of enterprise. The need to embed business and commercial skills throughout the sector is given a special mention, to ensure that organisations are equipped to make the most of opportunities. Under the strategy, the capacity and skills of governing bodies will also be in the spotlight, and support given to help boards operate effectively and “take informed and transparent decisions for the whole organisation”. Encouragement will also be given to improving organisations’ financial sustainability by exploiting a wider range of income sources and new ways of working, and to becoming more environmentally sustainable and responsible.