'Decline into zombie museums' warning in Wales

There was a risk museums could become 'little more than cabinets of curiosities'

Local museums in Wales are in a cycle of decline and will turn into "zombie" museums unless there is a major shake-up in how they are managed, an independent review has warned.

It estimates only a quarter are currently sustainable with "systemic shortcomings on a significant scale".

There are 120 museums in Wales and more than a third are managed by councils.

Ten recommendations include creating three regional bodies and a national museums' council to improve management.

An expert panel was commissioned by the deputy culture minister last autumn.

Local museums attract 2m visitors a year, a 24% increase since 2004, with half receiving some support from local councils.

They look after a million artefacts, employ 1,300 staff and have more than 2,100 volunteers.

But the 70-page report found many were in difficulty with major challenges that needed to be addressed.

Findings included:

• Changes are required in almost every area of activity if museums are to flourish in future.

• Good examples of museum developments were the "exceptions" with decline the dominant theme for many.

• "Too many" were disappointing with faults including "rudimentary" exhibition standards, "simplistic" and "stereotypical" displays, some of which had not been changed for five years.

• In the climate of council cutbacks, the writers feared funding for museums could be reduced to the same level in real terms as the 1950s, when the number of council-run museums was only a quarter of that of today

• A review of entry charges is needed, with a "lack of consistency confusing for the public", as a third of council-run museums charge while National Museum Wales sites are free.

'Economic hardship'

It warned unless action was taken, the decline would continue.

It called on the Welsh government to develop a museums' charter and National Museum Wales to provide expert help.

This shows the financial climate facing museums

Vice president of National Museum Wales Dr Haydn Edwards, who chaired the panel, appealed for local councils to look beyond standard responses as they faced financial hardships.

He said they believed councils should decide the immediate future of their museums but the Welsh government should help enable "a major upgrade" of the service.

The Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales said it was pleased to see the report looked at radical changes.

David Anderson, director general of National Museum Wales, said all museums needed to adapt in order to become more resilient in times of economic hardship, adding: "We have a lot to learn from each other."