Tonight:
4°c
Boris Johnson calls for voluntary museum charges as he joins Kevin Spacey for arts boost
Ben Bailey21.09.09
Boris Johnson has called for voluntary museum charges on the American model to combat the effects of the recession.
A system of “recommended” or “suggested” fees as charged by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New
York could be the answer to funding problems in London.
The effect of free admission was that “cynical young people think they're seeing something that isn't prized”, the Mayor said. A voluntary fee might help them to value the experience.
The issue had to be considered because London's arts are under threat from reductions in funding with 70 per cent of arts bodies suffering a cut in business investment in the last year.
Hosting a conference on arts and the recession, Mr Johnson said funding might not pick up again until 2011.
“We have to rise to the challenge brought about by the downturn,” he added. “Arts and culture are not a luxury, they are part of this city's DNA, its USP. It is why people want to live and
work here, and seven out of 10 tourists say it is a reason for their visit.”
However, museum heads pointed out they already offered collecting boxes and asked visitors to donate.
Mark Jones, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and Sandy Nairne, of the National Portrait Gallery, warned against discouraging visitors.
Mr Jones said there was a pressure on visitors in the US which he wanted to avoid. He was once refused entry to the Met in New York when he declined to pay its “voluntary” charge.
“We don't want people to feel inhibited because they're under a moral pressure to pay up,” he added.
The Met has a “recommended” fee of $20 while its natural history museum has a “suggested” admission charge of $16, with entry impossible to either without going to the ticket desk.
Kevin Spacey, artistic director of the Old Vic, said the economic argument for supporting the arts was indisputable and action must be taken.
“I genuinely believe that the UK's pre-eminence in arts and culture constitutes one of the nation's most powerful natural resources,” he said.
“The question is not what can the economy do for the arts, but what can the arts do for the economy.”
Reader views (6)
I totally agree with Spacey's last sentence. OF COURSE an entrance fee should be charged, even if it's only £1 - less than anything else you can buy, like a cup of coffee.
If people really can't be bothered to pay then they're obviously not that interested in art.
It will make NO difference to how much they spend in the shop. How do you work that one out?
As for 'poor' people - the only really poor people in this country are also poor in education, and are unlikely to have the slightest interest in culture.
- Diana Nicol, London england
Free Museums and gallery support tourism and London in this deep recession needs the jobs. The Mayor needs to promote the arts to a wider community and not follow NY blindly. If people want to help why not join the Art Fund Org?
- Andrew, London
When does voluntary seem or become compulsory? Like Mr Jones I found the Met. in NY was not "voluntary". Lets not put off tourism, which employs so many Londoners' in the middle of a deep recession. Tourists spend more in the museum/gallery shops if there is no entrance fee.
- Andrew, London
Typical Tory policy from Johnson. Everyone pays their taxes to help run the museums but only those who can afford to pay more are allowed in. The poor subsidising the rich again.
- Mick, London, England
Boris, “Arts and culture are not a luxury,", your right, they are an extravagant waste of money. Just look at the thousands that so called artists have been paid for what can only be described as 'holding the cats backside to the fire', only they haven't done that yet!
If someone wants to go to the ballet or an art gallery, fine, as long as they pay for it without subsidy. As long as people are dying for want of a prescription of an expensive drug then no more funding should be given to the arts!!!!
- Alan, carlisle uk
How about charging foreign visitors, but not those of us who actually who live here (and pay our taxes)? Then we'll see how interested the tourists actually are in seeing something simply than going to Albertoplis because it's free?
- Blue Baby, London
