Responding to the Coronavirus crisis – Museums Galleries 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 Rosie King, Marketing and PR Officer, Museums Galleries Scotland. 

Museums and galleries across Scotland are continuing to be active participants in their communities, providing access to digital collections and a wide range of activities. However, many in the sector are working or have been furloughed whilst facing financial and organisational uncertainty.   

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) are in daily contact with the sector and are highly aware of the challenges faced by them, especially independent museums, who have been particularly hard-hit through loss of income. To support the sector through this challenging time MGS has initiated a three-phased approach of ‘Emergency, Recovery and Resilience’ for museums and galleries during 2020/21.   

To immediately address the precarious financial situation of independent museums the Scottish Government provided £700,000 of funding for MGS to distribute through an Urgent Response Fund. We have also created a fund to help museums to purchase the necessary equipment to work from home and to provide digital access to museum collections and activity.  

We are in regular contact with the Scottish Government, Visit Scotland and other tourism, heritage, and funding bodies to inform them of the sector’s situation. It is vital that museums and galleries keep us regularly updated, so that we can best address their needs as circumstances change.   

We have developed guidance, knowledge exchange events, free health and wellbeing sessions and twice weekly stand ups. We are looking at what guidance and resources museums will need for re-opening post-lockdown.   

Rosie King, Marketing and PR Officer 

www.museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk/advice/coronavirus-guidance-for-museums