Its fair to say that 2020 has been a gravely difficult year for the UK museum industry. Due to increased safety concerns surrounding COVID 19, museums nationwide were forced to close in March – before giving the greenlight to reopen with the necessary social distancing measures in place in July.
Despite reopening throughout the Summer months and accepting grants from the UK Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, most museums have endured extreme financial losses through significantly reduced visitor numbers, enhanced cleaning/staff PPE costs and adjusting the museums’ collections to become COVID safe.
The announcement of a second national lockdown comes as a fresh major blow for the UK’s museum sector, which has forced all visitor experiences in England to shut their doors for at least a month from tomorrow (November 5).
The forced closures pose new challenges for all UK museums, here is what the leading organisations have to say..
Science Museum Group
Expecting an eyewatering £23 million in losses through COVID 19, the mighty Science Museum Group which represents the UK’s leading science guest experiences including Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum, Science Museum London and Locomotion feels sombre shutting for the second time.
Ian Blatchford, the Group’s Director and Chief Executive penned the following words which feature on the museum’s blog:
“Closing our doors to visitors is all the more difficult having witnessed people’s joyful return following the initial lockdown that began in March.
“I am immensely grateful for the support of our visitors, partners and, of course, our colleagues up and down the country who have worked tirelessly to provide a safe and enjoyable day out for more than 325,000 people since we re-opened in the summer.
“While our doors will be closed for a while, our incredible collection – and the inspirational stories it contains – remain open to our audiences online. Our talented teams, who have dealt so professionally with the challenges of the past few months, will continue to find new ways to ignite your curiosity and lift your spirits during these dark winter days.
“Thank you for supporting our museums and for pulling together once more at a time of grave challenge for the nation.”
Natural History Museum
The Autumn brought much joy to the Natural History Museum which unveiled its new Urban Nature Project and Fantastic Beasts: Wonder of Nature exhibition, planned to launch December 2020.
Though there’s much excitement surrounding the offerings at the much-loved experience, the forced closure has left the museum calling on the good-will of visitors to keep income afloat.
A statement from the website reads:
“We hope you share our passion for the Museum. We’re continuing to connect people to nature by bringing the Museum to you through inspiring stories and educational activities.
“But the Museum is a charity and we need your help. With our doors soon to be closed once again, we’ll lose vital income. So if you could help us with a donation – no matter the size – we’d greatly appreciate it. Thank you.”
Tate
Tate which has museums in London, Liverpool and St Ives has recently opened a new exhibition which celebrates the internationally acclaimed art museum’s 50th year anniversary.
Despite visitors not being able to open in-person for the next four weeks, the leading museum group is expanding its virtual offerings to ensure guests can enjoy the Tate experience from the comfort of their own homes.
An announcement by the organisation read: “Tate will continue to connect audiences with art and artists over the weeks ahead. Stay tuned to Tate’s social media channels for new digital content, including videos, podcasts and articles, and check out Tate Kids for a host of fun activities for children.
Adding: “The upcoming Zanele Muholi and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye exhibitions will now begin when Tate Modern and Tate Britain reopen.
Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)
V&A has suffered immensely through COVID 19 and as a result, has had to cut 10 per cent of its workforce. The second closure is expected to come as a new blow for the 168 year old museum, which is turning to digital platforms to maintain guest engagement.
Following the announcement of closure, the V&A website reads:
“The health and safety of our visitors and staff remains our highest priority.
“Whilst we are closed, you can stay in touch on social media and visit our blog, YouTube channel and website for a wealth of content bringing art, design and performance to life. We hope to welcome visitors back in early December.”
Here at Experience UK, we hope to see nationwide museums kickstart their recovery and get back on their feet soon.
In lighter museum news, Jane Austen House has unveiled a new virtual tour experience which fans can access from the comfort of their own home.
