An Action Framework for Museums
Introduction
The Scottish Executive's National Cultural Strategy strives to promote opportunities for all of Scotland's people to participate in the celebration and understanding of our rich and diverse cultural heritage. The strategy also recognises the contribution culture makes to wider Scottish Executive priorities such as health, education, social justice, economic development, regeneration, tourism and equality.
Scotland has approximately 400 museums and galleries of different sizes covering a range of subjects. These include:
The National Museums of Scotland (NMS) and National Galleries of Scotland (NGS).
Local authorities' museums and galleries.
Independent museums and galleries (run and funded by trusts but often heavily reliant on a mix of local government grants and income from admissions and trading).
Regimental museums (funded by the Ministry of Defence but sometimes with indirect support from Historic Scotland and income from admission charges).
University collections (with special factor funding from the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC)).
Many of the independent museums were established through local enthusiast or collector initiatives over the years, but without reference at the time to their place in any wider contexts or to their long-term sustainability within what is now a highly competitive market.
The Scottish Executive recognises that the existing framework lacks consistency and strategic direction. There is a need to ensure that collections important to Scotland are protected and made available to present and future generations. As a first step the Executive commissioned a National Audit of Museums and Galleries from the Scottish Museums Council. This identified size, location, significance and composition of collections in the public domain. Funding of 250,000 was provided to carry out the work.
The National Audit made no formal recommendations but gave pointers on key issues for consideration. It identified that any action plan developed for the sector would have to recognise the role and contribution of many partners, and be shared by those partners. In September 2002, the then Minister for Tourism Culture and Sport launched a consultation exercise to assist the development of a framework for further action.