A member of Cardiff Council’s cabinet has been appointed to the board of trustees of the Museum of Cardiff. This is despite it facing the prospect of having to leave its current location as part of cost-saving proposals from the unitary authority.
Following its draft budget proposals for 2023-24 the council has started a consultation on the future of the museum, which could see it moving out its current home in the listed Old Library building at the Hayes in the centre of the city.
A report to the council’s cabinet last month said an option for the museum, which receives subsidy funding of nearly £500,000 a year from the council which operates it, is for it to become a mobile attraction in a move that would generate a saving of £266,000 a year -while not ruling out at a future point a new permanent home being established.
However, union staff at one of the UK's leading museums, the V&A (Victoria and Albert)in London, believe that a mobile option would be unworkable and without a permanent home it would likely have to close for good.
Cabinet member Jennifer Burke-Davies, who has responsibility for culture, park and events, has been appointed to the museum’s development trust.
Its board is independent of the museum which is operated and administered by the council. It consists of unpaid volunteers and was established over a decade ago as a charitable fundraising organisation. It has a remit to raise money and provide grants to the museum in support of its cultural, educational and heritage activities.
Councillor Burke-Davies, who has been a strong advocate for the museum, said: “I am very familiar with the outstanding voluntary work done by the trustees. I am delighted to be joining them to make my personal contribution to securing the financial security of the Museum of Cardiff.”
The trustees have concerned that if the museum becomes a mobile attraction, it could lose its museum status, which they believe would rule it of receiving any future lottery funding, as well as from philanthropic backers.
A spokesman for the trustees said: “Our priority right now is to secure a stable future for the Museum of Cardiff. Like numerous museum professionals we remain sceptical a mobile solution will achieve this. We have started a dialogue with Cardiff Council, which with the participation of Councillor Burke-Davies as a trustee, we anticipate will result in a constructive outcome."
Responding to the consultation in a social media tweet staff working for the V&A through the PCS union said: “Proposal for this museum (Cardiff) is that it will become “mobile”. Anyone who understands museums knows that you cannot simply pack one up and put it on the road. This is not workable and will likely end in the museum closing for good.”
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