UK Government Confirms Free Admission For England's National Museums

(MENAFN- USA Art News) England's national museums will maintain their policy of free admission for all visitors, according to an announcement from the UK government. This decision puts an end to months of speculation that international visitors might face charges to enter institutions such as the British Museum, Tate, and National Museums Liverpool.

The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Lisa Nandy, made the announcement on Monday, September 28. Her remarks came during an event hosted at Tate Liverpool by Art Fund and the think tank the Cultural Policy Unit. The policy of universal free entry to the UK's 15 national museums, which took effect on December 1, 2001, will mark its 25th anniversary later this year.

Alison Cole, Director of the Cultural Policy Unit, which advocated for continued free admission, described the policy as“one of the landmark cultural policies of our times, one that has established itself as a universal public good.” Cole previously served as editor of The Art Newspaper. Several national museum directors, including Tristram Hunt of the Victoria and Albert Museum and Nicholas Cullinan of the British Museum, also expressed their support for the decision.

Gabriele Finaldi, Director of London's National Gallery, stated,“Free entry to national museums is one of the UK's greatest cultural assets: it enables millions to visit, enjoy and learn. Thanks to free entry our museums are a deeply integral part of national life and free entry to museums is widely admired among our museum peers internationally.”

The DCMS initially sparked discussions about charging tourists in its response to a review of Arts Council England (ACE) by Labour peer Margaret Hodge, whose recommendations on ACE's future were published last December. While the policy's continuation is confirmed, questions remain regarding how the UK government will sustain funding for national museums. Earlier this month, some UK cultural leaders welcomed the government's decision to grant regional mayors in England the authority to implement a“tourist tax,” officially known as an Overnight Visitor Levy (OVL), emphasizing that revenue generated should be specifically allocated to arts and culture. However, Mark Jones, former interim director of the British Museum, raised concerns in July 2024, suggesting an admission fee of £20 for overseas visitors.

Source: The Art Newspaper

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