A Scottish parliamentary briefing report has classified museums, galleries and heritage as “pro rich” services.
The report looks at the social impact of the 2016-17 local government budget and analyses how cuts are distributed across services. Six classifications are used, from “pro-rich” to “very pro-poor”.
The report finds that cuts hit poor communities the hardest – 69% affect services for the “neutral-poor” and “very pro-poor”.
However, the Museums Association reports that there has been criticism from museum professionals who believe that this classification promotes the idea that these services do not serve the wider community. There is also concern that museums will be targeted in the future for cuts as a result of the “pro rich” tag.
Image: National Museum of Scotland
https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/25112016-concern-over-report-museums-pro-rich