Responding to the Coronavirus crisis – Industrial Museums Scotland

We contacted a range of sector bodies from across the UK to get their take on the current coronavirus crisis and their organisation’s response. Today we hear from Emma Halford-Forbes, Industrial Museums Scotland Coordinator. 

Industrial Museums Scotland (IMS), a partnership of museums holding almost a quarter of Scotland’s collections recognised as being of National Significance, has called for an urgent intervention by major funders if closures and redundancies are to be avoided, actions that will destroy public trust and be felt keenly by the communities around each museum.   

In Scotland, support – both grants and advice – has been forthcoming from our national development body, Museums Galleries Scotland. Its website has an advice page here and the team has been running online events on a variety of issues, including wellbeing.   

The Museums Association has been putting out a series of great messages that we feel reflect our concerns, recently about what reopening might look like. Our members have also been very grateful to AIM for putting out great advice and support. The National Lottery Heritage Fund has been incredibly supportive to the sector in Scotland and are providing important financial support for independent museums. And the Scottish Government has been taking on board feedback from independent museum and the heritage and wider tourism sectors, and have developed a good understanding of the complex and changing situation.   

But, at the end of the day, independent museums need more than advice and grant funding. Industrial Museums Scotland believe a financial relief package would be minimal in terms of the wider crisis funding but would be hugely beneficial to Scotland’s heritage and its communities. It would enable museums to help support Scotland’s recovery from the public health crisis, as they are well placed to do, as key employers, educators, and contributors to the communities in which they operate.  

Industrial Museums Scotland museums collectively engage 900,000 visitors a year and contribute over £9m to the Scottish economy. Independent museums are a significant part of Scotland’s culture and heritage offer, a key draw for visitors to Scotland. At local level, independent museums can also help rebuild communities post Covid-19 by continuing with the countless health and well-being community initiatives they support, from men’s sheds, creative projects and youth councils through to expansive volunteer programmes that are the backbone of community-based museums.   

Emma Halford-Forbes, Industrial Museums Scotland Coordinator 

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