Stoke-on-Trent City Council has today issued a statement commenting on the recent public consultation as it sets its 2022/23 budget.
In particular, council leader Cllr Abi Brown outlines the response to residents’ concerns regarding the proposed changes and closures at the city’s much-loved museums.
The council still proposes to combine the ‘stewardship’ teams of both the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery and the Gladstone Pottery Museum, eventually working with the expertise of external partners ‘to enhance our ceramics curatorial offer’.
In the short term, however, until partnership arrangements with external expertise can be agreed upon, Cllr Brown says: “we will pause the proposed changes to the curatorial staffing and remove the budget reduction with a view to bringing back a preferred model in a month or two’s time.”
Regarding changes to the weekly and seasonal opening times at both venues, the council is making amendments to its original proposals.
The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, “will open to the public Wednesday to Sunday, we will also make Tuesdays a special day for schools where pupils can get exclusive access to the exhibitions and associated educational resources and opportunity.”
At Gladstone Pottery Museum, “rather than closing our doors to the public through the whole winter, we will seek to open around Christmas time and at February half-term with special themed events aimed at attracting families to visit.”
Two other city heritage venues which currently receive an annual council subsidy, Ford Green Hall and Etruria Industrial Museum, will be funded for one more year. The council pledges to work with each to help secure their viability into the future.
You can read Cllr Brown’s full statement by following the link below.
