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Science Museum Group Cut Backs

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plugwash

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I hope these cutbacks don't affect the exhibits at the museum, or they don't decide to change the format of the place. I've been visiting since I was a small child but still enjoy visiting just as much now I am in my 20's.

I went to the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester back in 2018 to see Tim Peake's Spacecraft. I had a good day but while walking around with my Mum we realised that certain things were missing.
Yeah, I'm disappointed that at MOSI they seem to have closed or stripped out galeries instead of maintaining and updating them. I remember the space exhibitions in the early 2000s still saying it was hoped we would return to the moon by 2000.

And some of what is left feels very disconnected. For example the "1830 warehouse" has some exhibitions on the printing and communications industries, but the rest of the building is used as event space, which is great if there is a public event on there but otherwise it feels like an empty void. Similarly there is some stuff on waste-management near the now-closed electricity/gas/underground manchester galleries which is pretty isolated (IIRC you can get to it through the station exhibitions).

And then there was the whole ordsal chord thing, they were supposed to be re-structuring their track layout so they could still run trains, albiet on a shorter route, but that doesn't seem to have happened yet.
 
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It's a little bit of a divergence, but I'm surprised that the Imperial War Museum (London) hasn't been mentioned with regards to dumbing-down. It's probably one of the worst examples of this worrying trend.

Before the Great War centenary, the basement galleries were full of artefacts from both world conflicts (including a cracking trench walkthrough) and the atrium packed with tanks, aeroplanes and other material. After an extensive closure and refit, it opened again to great fanfare. The basement was demolished to create a more cavernous atrium....with less in it. Out was Monty's tank and a Jagdpanther; in was a wrecked car from a IED in Iraq. Out went the myriad of artefacts about the Great War, largely replaced by video-installations and a reduced number of selected items that "told a story". They'd in-effect attempted to become the Lambeth branch of the Tate.

Whilst the holocaust exhibit is still world-class (different funding/curation I think), the rest of the museum is a shadow of its former self.

I think this, as it is within many other walks of life, is attributable to a breed of managers who define themselves by their job-titles; not their interest areas. A one-size fits all approach dictated by the latest management dogma or trend, rather than the needs of the industry or specific interest area they happen to manage (before they chase the money and head elsewhere).
 

Tom B

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The first mistake anyone could make is that this is the first sign of cuts at the institution. There have been 11 years of cutbacks and reductions within SMG - there have been previous rounds of redundancies, many staff not replaced, staff pension schemes withdrawn and services reduced. Those who actively wanted to leave and were happy to do so have already left.
The first round of austerity included a requirement for nationals to seek income from elsewhere and reduce their reliance on government funding - hence why spaces are given over to corporate events, why galleries are sponsored, etc.
Closure on Monday/Tuesday is purely to do with staffing levels, a 5 day a week operation needs fewer staff.
The warehouse at MoSI requires significant repair work to make safe, there is no money for this. There are a number of other examples across the group. Stationary engines at MoSI again requires significant repair work plus replacement of some staff posts vacated a couple of years ago.
Admission charges would require a change in the law and the NMDC would only be on board if this improved matters (I expect the government would withdraw their funding).
Galleries which are end-of-life will usually be left if there is no money to update or improve, with anything especially difficult to look after removed, or areas closed, or staffing removed. They will only be closed off when redevelopment is near.
 

WesternLancer

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It's a little bit of a divergence, but I'm surprised that the Imperial War Museum (London) hasn't been mentioned with regards to dumbing-down. It's probably one of the worst examples of this worrying trend.

Before the Great War centenary, the basement galleries were full of artefacts from both world conflicts (including a cracking trench walkthrough) and the atrium packed with tanks, aeroplanes and other material. After an extensive closure and refit, it opened again to great fanfare. The basement was demolished to create a more cavernous atrium....with less in it. Out was Monty's tank and a Jagdpanther; in was a wrecked car from a IED in Iraq. Out went the myriad of artefacts about the Great War, largely replaced by video-installations and a reduced number of selected items that "told a story". They'd in-effect attempted to become the Lambeth branch of the Tate.

Whilst the holocaust exhibit is still world-class (different funding/curation I think), the rest of the museum is a shadow of its former self.

I think this, as it is within many other walks of life, is attributable to a breed of managers who define themselves by their job-titles; not their interest areas. A one-size fits all approach dictated by the latest management dogma or trend, rather than the needs of the industry or specific interest area they happen to manage (before they chase the money and head elsewhere).
Very depressing to read. As a child I used to go there very often as my mum worked in an office close by. During school hols she would dispatch me there and tell me to come to her office at lunch time to meet her and we would go to a cafe near Lambeth North tube station. Those spaces fascinated me and I would happily spend time looking at the artefacts.

I can watch a 'video installation' at home (on TV...)

Your last para is certainly the reason. Key decision makers, and their bosses, often too idle to understand the subject matter themselves and thus threatened by people who do (inc the visitors) - then hide this with talk of 'widening access' and 'relevance' which are elusive concepts that no one can really argue with - even when the museums do have wide access and are relevant...then when funding streams esp lottery money are linked to it it's another dimension. Yet when you actually go to deprived and/or so called "left behind" areas you still don't see much in the way of Lottery funded attractions....

The first mistake anyone could make is that this is the first sign of cuts at the institution. There have been 11 years of cutbacks and reductions within SMG - there have been previous rounds of redundancies, many staff not replaced, staff pension schemes withdrawn and services reduced. Those who actively wanted to leave and were happy to do so have already left.
The first round of austerity included a requirement for nationals to seek income from elsewhere and reduce their reliance on government funding - hence why spaces are given over to corporate events, why galleries are sponsored, etc.
Closure on Monday/Tuesday is purely to do with staffing levels, a 5 day a week operation needs fewer staff.
The warehouse at MoSI requires significant repair work to make safe, there is no money for this. There are a number of other examples across the group. Stationary engines at MoSI again requires significant repair work plus replacement of some staff posts vacated a couple of years ago.
Admission charges would require a change in the law and the NMDC would only be on board if this improved matters (I expect the government would withdraw their funding).
Galleries which are end-of-life will usually be left if there is no money to update or improve, with anything especially difficult to look after removed, or areas closed, or staffing removed. They will only be closed off when redevelopment is near.
This is also very accurate.
 
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Very depressing to read. As a child I used to go there very often as my mum worked in an office close by. During school hols she would dispatch me there and tell me to come to her office at lunch time to meet her and we would go to a cafe near Lambeth North tube station. Those spaces fascinated me and I would happily spend time looking at the artefacts.

I can watch a 'video installation' at home (on TV...)

Your last para is certainly the reason. Key decision makers, and their bosses, often too idle to understand the subject matter themselves and thus threatened by people who do (inc the visitors) - then hide this with talk of 'widening access' and 'relevance' which are elusive concepts that no one can really argue with - even when the museums do have wide access and are relevant...then when funding streams esp lottery money are linked to it it's another dimension. Yet when you actually go to deprived and/or so called "left behind" areas you still don't see much in the way of Lottery funded attractions....


This is also very accurate.
Indeed, I also had very fond memories of endlessly wandering around the exhibits and galleries as a child, learning something new each time I peered into the back of a display case to spot an item I hadn't noticed before. I shan't go back until they've had a considerable change in their displays; better to take the time to go to Duxford instead (I honestly think the Land Warfare hanger currently displays a greater number of items than IWM London now)!

You're also spot-on regarding managers with your second point. I think it goes further though, and there seems to be a real reticence to have any subject matter that mentally challenges the visitor or requires reasonable engagement from them in order to comprehend it. Larger Museums seem to be so afraid of garnering negative reviews by being too "inaccessible" that they've shifted the focus too far in the other direction. I think this is in-part visitor driven as much as it is from management: people increasingly expect instant gratification and reward of the sort they get from social media. I dare say that if they go to a museum and they leave not fully understanding an item or topic, they look at that as a waste of an afternoon, rather than a reason to further explore and research the topic.
 

WesternLancer

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Indeed, I also had very fond memories of endlessly wandering around the exhibits and galleries as a child, learning something new each time I peered into the back of a display case to spot an item I hadn't noticed before. I shan't go back until they've had a considerable change in their displays; better to take the time to go to Duxford instead (I honestly think the Land Warfare hanger currently displays a greater number of items than IWM London now)!

You're also spot-on regarding managers with your second point. I think it goes further though, and there seems to be a real reticence to have any subject matter that mentally challenges the visitor or requires reasonable engagement from them in order to comprehend it. Larger Museums seem to be so afraid of garnering negative reviews by being too "inaccessible" that they've shifted the focus too far in the other direction. I think this is in-part visitor driven as much as it is from management: people increasingly expect instant gratification and reward of the sort they get from social media. I dare say that if they go to a museum and they leave not fully understanding an item or topic, they look at that as a waste of an afternoon, rather than a reason to further explore and research the topic.
I'm sure that is correct - plus of course the tendency to make decisions based on 'evidence' which is little more than a short satisfaction survey forced into the hands of a visitor on departure (which in cases like NRM / IWM may well be completed by bored parent instead of fascinated child....).
Of course this is made more tricky for museums etc by virtue of them being expected to compete with other leisure activities like retail's extended hours (well that might not be around for long the way things are going...)

I suspect there is also a dimension related to school requirements. A friend of mine who had been a local authority industrial museum curator noted that when he retired the role was filled by a former teacher (as opposed to a trained museums curator I think was his point) and the collection heavily orientated by the national curriculum requirements - which are centrally dictated of course by govt, as opposed to teachers in local areas using whatever local history was available in their area as a resource. He noted that over time the space dedicated to local industrial history that was not part of the National Curriculum closed and was placed in store (or possibly even disposed of). I wonder if this is what has perhaps happened with some of the collections mentioned up thread at Manchester Museum of Science and Industry that were reported as now closed by @ryan125hst .
 

Iskra

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Also worth bearing in mind how much a free museum will contribute to the local economy via visitor spending. Whilst York has a large number of tourists visiting, places like Shildon probably don’t. A visit to Locomotion might lead to visiting local hospitality venues or shopping centres as part of a wider trip, generating income for these businesses. Liverpool is a good example of where most of the museums / attractions are free or reasonably priced, for example the Mersey Tunnel tour was an absolute bargain at £5.
There’s nothing around Locomotion to benefit. There’s a Covid testing site and a large derelict car park with people camped on it.

Also just to add, Locomotion does have an extension planned, they are building another shed.
 

WesternLancer

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There’s nothing around Locomotion to benefit. There’s a Covid testing site and a large derelict car park with people camped on it.

Also just to add, Locomotion does have an extension planned, they are building another shed.
Yes, that is what I found when on a day trip - but if you went to stay in the area for a few things then you are spending money in the general area.

Handy for a drive to Barnard Castle too ;)
 

LSWR Cavalier

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The Bowes Museum at Barney is worth a trip
I should need a week for the NRM, not been there for many years

I prefer small museums where one is not overwhelmed by thousands of artifacts
An art museum with thousands of artefacts and thousands of visitors in air-conditioned brightly lit rooms is exhausting too
 

trebor79

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It's a little bit of a divergence, but I'm surprised that the Imperial War Museum (London) hasn't been mentioned with regards to dumbing-down. It's probably one of the worst examples of this worrying trend.

Before the Great War centenary, the basement galleries were full of artefacts from both world conflicts (including a cracking trench walkthrough) and the atrium packed with tanks, aeroplanes and other material. After an extensive closure and refit, it opened again to great fanfare. The basement was demolished to create a more cavernous atrium....with less in it. Out was Monty's tank and a Jagdpanther; in was a wrecked car from a IED in Iraq. Out went the myriad of artefacts about the Great War, largely replaced by video-installations and a reduced number of selected items that "told a story". They'd in-effect attempted to become the Lambeth branch of the Tate.
Yes I felt the redevelopment was an act of cultural vandalism. It's always distressing to see actual exhibits removed from museums to be replaced by audio-visual stuff. I can watch The World at War at home!
Indeed, I also had very fond memories of endlessly wandering around the exhibits and galleries as a child, learning something new each time I peered into the back of a display case to spot an item I hadn't noticed before. I shan't go back until they've had a considerable change in their displays; better to take the time to go to Duxford instead (I honestly think the Land Warfare hanger currently displays a greater number of items than IWM London now)!
Yes I've been to Duxford many times but only this summer trekked to the Land Warfare Hall. Excellent, Monties caravan, lots of tanks, narrow gauge military railway (which I think is demonstrated from time to time), big guns and plenty of detailed information about all of the exhibits. There is the obligatory audio-visual experience but notably I didn't see many people hanging around that bit for too long. A volunteer group maintains some of the tanks in running order and demonstrates them outside on selected days of the year (when we aren't all hiding behind the sofa from coronavirus!)
The Bowes Museum at Barney is worth a trip
I should need a week for the NRM, not been there for many years

I prefer small museums where one is not overwhelmed by thousands of artifacts
An art museum with thousands of artefacts and thousands of visitors in air-conditioned brightly lit rooms is exhausting too
One of the best museums I've been to recently is the Southwold town museum. An absolutely superb cottage museum exploring the history of the town and local area. A surprisingly densely packed small space, with plenty for adults and kids to learn about, a dressing up area for children (but with material to explain, for example, what and ARP warden did and why they were necessary) and many interesting exhibits. All volunteer run and I was very happy to make a substantial donation - it was the epitome of what a modern museum should be like. Some of the bigger museums could learn a lot from it.

To bring it back to the Science Museum, I was disappointed upon my last visit. The atrium is even more of a kids playground than it was before, and now they have another playground in the basement. Most distressing of all the Welcome Collection has been swept away and that space was being turned into some kind of event space. I understand the Welcome Collection is now housed in it's own museum, but my parents have been and report it's nowhere near as good as the gallery in the Science Museum was.
 

Tom B

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It is worth mentioning the staffing difficulties that this institution has had for some time. Staff turnover a couple of years back across the organisation was at 45% per annum. Ironically, most of this was in specialist roles - turnover amongst security and cleaning staff was only 9%.

To bring it back to the Science Museum, I was disappointed upon my last visit. The atrium is even more of a kids playground than it was before, and now they have another playground in the basement. Most distressing of all the Welcome Collection has been swept away and that space was being turned into some kind of event space. I understand the Welcome Collection is now housed in it's own museum, but my parents have been and report it's nowhere near as good as the gallery in the Science Museum was.

For the record the "other kids playground in the basement" has been there for 25 years. The last significant changes to the atrium were in 2004 and early plans for future redevelopment are (/were) afoot.

The Wellcome Museum was decanted around 5 years ago. Whilst interesting and quirky, it was also 40 years old, incredibly dated, poorly laid out, in a difficult to find location, and poorly lit. As a consequence, poorly regarded and visited. The collections have now been updated and redisplayed in 5 galleries on the first floor. As to the re-use of the 4/5th floors, their location and height have always been a difficulty with people struggling to find them - the re-use as an events space (let us not forget the desire, coming from the government, for museums to make money by hiring out facilities) is designed to allow other areas of the museum to be returned to gallery use which were previously blocked out for event hires and reduce disruption. I would also add that in the last 15 years the number of closed areas of the Museum has decreased with a diktat from up above that all gallery space should be returned to use - not blocked off for furniture storage, dumping grounds, office space or simply because nobody knows what to do with it.
 

eldomtom2

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What precisely is the point of the Science Museum itself (not the SMG)? It mainly seems to duplicate stuff found in other museums, in the process taking important artifacts away from them.
 

trebor79

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It is worth mentioning the staffing difficulties that this institution has had for some time. Staff turnover a couple of years back across the organisation was at 45% per annum. Ironically, most of this was in specialist roles - turnover amongst security and cleaning staff was only 9%.
Why is that though? It's one of the UK's premier museums, so why do staff leave?
The Wellcome Museum was decanted around 5 years ago. Whilst interesting and quirky, it was also 40 years old, incredibly dated, poorly laid out, in a difficult to find location, and poorly lit. As a consequence, poorly regarded and visited.
Poorly regarded by whom? I, and everyone I know, felt it was one of the best galleries in the museum. Quiet, cosy thanks to the subdued lighting and dark colours and full of interesting (and sometimes horrific) artifacts that were properly explained. It was possible to see how medicine had changed thorough the ages, and be very thankful we live now and not in previous times.
Yes, it was full of glass cases and didn't have any "audio visual journeys", so perhaps wasn't in vogue with museum professionals. Being 40 years old isn't a reason to condemn something that was very good.
The collections have now been updated and redisplayed in 5 galleries on the first floor.
I thought they were all in the new museum on the Euston Road?
As to the re-use of the 4/5th floors, their location and height have always been a difficulty with people struggling to find them - the re-use as an events space (let us not forget the desire, coming from the government, for museums to make money by hiring out facilities) is designed to allow other areas of the museum to be returned to gallery use which were previously blocked out for event hires and reduce disruption. I would also add that in the last 15 years the number of closed areas of the Museum has decreased with a diktat from up above that all gallery space should be returned to use - not blocked off for furniture storage, dumping grounds, office space or simply because nobody knows what to do with it.
They were perfect for the more academic sections of the museum, far from the madding crowds. And I'd concur that gallery space ought to be used for displaying collections rather than storage or just blocked off empty. Lord knows the Science Museum has plenty of stuff locked away away from public view at Wroughton that it ought not to have any difficulty filling exhibition space with exhibits!
 
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