Coventry Transport Museum and Herbert art gallery to merge

Coventry's transport museum and Herbert art gallery are set to merge under massive cuts plans, with job losses expected.



But Coventry City Council leaders say the move will protect the two city centre “crown jewels”, and prevent general admission charges.

The arms-length Coventry Heritage and Arts Trust, which runs the Herbert art gallery and museum, and the Coventry Transport Museum trust, would be expected by the council to find a total of £393,000-a-year “back-office and management savings”.

It comes against a backdrop of government funding cuts nationwide.

The proposals follow a council review of cultural services, in which it was eventually decided the Belgrade Theatre should remain a separate trust.

But it will have to find £272,000-a-year savings, a huge 25 per cent of its budget.

The council is cutting its £4million total grant to the three organisations by 17 per cent, and expects about 18 job losses among the trusts’ 146 full-time equivalent staff.

Council taxpayers are to pay an estimated £20,000 to independent consultants, Graham Devlin Associates, for its advice over the changes.

Global accountants PriceWaterHouseCoopers also acting as consultants.

Labour councillor Ed Ruane, cabinet member for culture, said other councils were closing down culture venues in response to swingeing government, council and Arts Council funding cuts.

He said, while the merger would enable continued free general admissions, council restrictions would be relaxed on the number of touring exhibitions allowed at the two venues, which could charge to increase the venues’ income.

He said: “The Belgrade, Coventry Transport Museum and the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum are all jewels in Coventry’s cultural crown, attracting thousands of visitors every year from across the world.

“The city’s cultural offer plays a key part in the regeneration of Coventry, and we want to make sure our cultural attractions have a viable future, are as efficient as possible and can market themselves effectively to local, regional and national audiences so they can grow and succeed in the future.

“The economic climate and public spending cuts mean that savings from the trusts need to be found, but we are determined to keep free entrance to the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum and to Coventry Transport Museum.

‘‘We know how much Coventry people value both museums and we want to make sure that entrance to both remains free so everyone can enjoy them.”

Council officers say other towns and cities introducing charges have seen a reduction in footfall through their cultural venues.

The council’s ruling Labour cabinet is expected to back the plan on October 9, ahead of a vote of all councillors at a full council meeting on October 23.

The trusts running the museums and theatre say they will work further with the council to find the best way of making savings.

But the Belgrade Theatre added it was disappointed with deep funding cuts.

Hamish Glen, artistic director and chief executive, said: “Although very disappointed at the level of cuts this will mean to its funding, the Belgrade agrees that it is well placed to withstand the reduction.”

He said the trust, as an independent organisation, would seek to safeguard its offer by “increasing income from sales, protecting its Arts Council grant aid and securing private giving”.

Joe Elliott, Coventry Transport Museum chairman, said the board “understands the financial pressures” so it would work with the council to “create a new framework that will achieve the necessary savings and ensure that Coventry Transport Museum and the wider city’s cultural offer remain vibrant for the future.”

Dorothy Wilson, Coventry Heritage and Arts Trust chair, said the trust would do all it could to ensure the final option protects free access.

She said 1.25million visitors had been through its doors over the four years of the trust.

The Herbert trust also runs Lunt roman fort at Baginton and the Priory visitor centre.

Ros Robins, Arts Council regional director, said it had worked closely with the council over the review, and supported the merger proposals as the best way to “safeguard” the city’s “excellent cultural offer”.

Coventry City Council could cut 18 arts jobs

Eighteen jobs from two museums and a theatre in Coventry could be cut as part of council plans to save £700,000.

People working at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, the Transport Museum and the Belgrade Theatre would be affected by the proposals.

Ed Ruane (pictured right), from the council, said the move would mean being able to keep admission to the museums free and keep opening times the same.

If approved the changes would be made by March 2014, he said.

'Not unexpected'

Mr Ruane said: "We're looking to bring in around 17% of savings but we're hoping the people of Coventry won't notice any changes."

The plans include one body running both museums instead of the two that currently manage them.

Hamish Glen, chief executive and artistic director of the theatre, told the BBC the plans were "not entirely unexpected".

The plans will be discussed at a meeting on 9 October before a full council meeting on 23 October.

The Labour-run council needs to make £17m of savings in 2012/13.

Coventry Transport Museum merges with the Herbert



Coventry Heritage and Arts Trust – which runs the Herbert, Lunt Roman Fort and the Priory Visitor Centre – and Coventry Transport Museum Trust are merging to become Culture Coventry.

The move is likely to lead to jobs going. Management and back office staff are set to bear the brunt of the redundancies, thought to number fewer than 20.

The new boss of Culture Coventry said the two trusts were merging to become a “more resilient and sustainable museum service for the city” and follows a £393,000 cut in city council funding.

To help with the transition, the Lottery-funded Arts Council has awarded the new trust £349,000 over the next 12 months to fund new commercial activities and marketing, to encourage more volunteers to help out, and to develop learning opportunities for the public.

Gary Hall, chief executive of Culture Coventry, said: “Arts Council England’s support will enable a smoother transition in the merging of both museum services.

“Their vision in supporting us through this period will ensure that we can become a more resilient and sustainable museum service for the city.”

Ludo Keston, chief executive of Coventry Heritage and Arts Trust, said: “During challenging economic conditions this award will enable our museum services deliver vital work to the local community, while helping achieve better value.”