These are the results of the statistical survey of 114 cultural organizations conducted by the Museum Association of Britain.

According to a survey conducted by the Association of British Museum of 114 cultural institutions, 22 percent of organizations surveyed indicated that they fully or partially closed in the last year.

Director Association's Museum Mark Taylor said with regret that while the outlook is not promising, the financing of culture is not increased, and in some areas is reduced. Falling attendance, which particularly affects well-being of provincial museums, many of which are hopelessly ill and unlikely to stand up. "It's sad because these are the soul of this museum of its small towns and villages" - complains Mark Taylor.

In the survey did not include the more successful national museums, tried to make the sample as representative for regional museums. In total, the UK registered about two thousand museums.

51 percent of respondents said reducing the budget compared with last year, which negatively affects the level of service. Many museums have to reduce staff and to introduce a service charge tour groups of school children, which certainly reduces the number of such excursions.

Almost a third of the interviewed representatives of museums talk about reducing the budget more than 10 per cent. This was reflected in the number of supervisors, the volumes of research and quality of exhibitions. To the aid of many volunteers come to museums, but their experience is not enough to compensate for the lack of specialized professionals.

Prepared by Mary Onuchina, AI

Source: bbc.co.uk , artinvestment.ru