museum cuts

Nearly one in five museums has introduced charging in the last year or will do so this year, according to a survey by the Museum Association.

The survey of 115 museums found 18% of UK museums have had to close a part or branch of their museum in the last year or will have to do so in 2016.

The Association said the changes were due to cultural spending cuts for local authorities.

More than 40 museums have closed across the UK since 2010 – with the Association suggesting more will close in 2016 as there has been a 28% cut in cultural spending by local authorities since 2010.

Nearly half of respondents – 45% – also said they had increased the number of voluntary staff, compared with 32% the previous year.

The government has made a commitment to keep entry to national museums free but this does not cover the vast majority of museums in the UK.

Financial pressure is also having an impact on museum collections, with 11% of all museums considering selling off items for financial reasons, up from 9% in 2014.

Yet 61% of museums surveyed reported an increase in visitor numbers year-on-year.