Museums and arts venues, including Ashcroft Arts Centre and Gosport Museum and Art Gallery, could close if Hampshire County Council goes ahead with proposed funding cuts, trust warns

Hampshire County Council is the trust’s largest funder, contributing £2.5m annually. Still, as part of its recent budget review, it is proposed that this funding will be cut by nearly 50 per cent.

The trust operates museums, art galleries and arts centres across Hampshire, including Ashcroft Arts Centre and Westbury Manor Museum, both in Fareham, as well as Gosport Museum and Art Gallery and many more. It also manages, conserves and maintains Hampshire’s museum collections.

The charity is urging the local authority to meet and consider a proportional reduction for the services as the council looks to save money.

Paul Sapwell, chief executive at HCT, said, “We have a huge sympathy for the position of the council; they are not the only council in this incredibly difficult position, this is a national issue they are facing. But we urge Hampshire County Council not to view a disproportionate cut to the funding of culture in our county as a simple solution to immediate budget pressures.

“The temptation is to reduce, obviously, the things that are easier to cut in the short term. We are not a statutory service; we are vulnerable and easy to remove, but museums and arts have been cut for over 10 years.

“We urge the council to consider the value of museum, arts and culture services to the county council as a long term. Looking at something that can be, We know the effects of removing services like ours that help to contribute to the happiness of our communities.

“We suggest the county council to consider whether the reduction is proportionate. We want to talk about the size of the reduction, the timescales of which they want to make that reduction, what those consequences would look like, and whether there are opportunities to mitigate that reduction through greater partnership to mutual benefit.

When asking Mr Sapwell what the consequences would be if the county council cut the funding in total, he said, “It is too early to tell what the consequences would be if the proposal got approved. If it is, it is highly likely that we have to review the scale of the services and operation.

“Future venue closures across the county will be inevitable if a cut of this scale is agreed. We believe a better solution can be found and that the trust can have a positive future, although tough decisions will need to be made.

“We believe a solution exists and we want to work with the County Council to find it.”

The trust is responsible for 2.5m objects that tell the story of Hampshire’s history, including unique items such as Jane Austen’s pelisse coat (the only known item of clothing that can be directly traced back to the author), an internationally significant collection of ceramics and a nationally important industrial heritage collection from giants of local manufacturing, Thornycroft and Taskers. More than 600,000 people visit trust venues annually, and 15,000 school pupils benefit from immersive education programmes.