New era for city museums

At the official launch of the York Museums Trust, chief executive Janet Barnes set its aims high: "the potential of the museums and the collections in York could and should be first class," she said.

This bold pledge was not issued lightly. The new boss acknowledged there is a long way to go.

After years languishing in council control, the Castle Museum, the Yorkshire Museum and the Art Gallery are generally acknowledged to be undervalued and undersold. And the York Story is shut.

The local authority has other spending priorities. Inadequate investment has left exhibitions looking tired and visitor numbers dwindling.

By relinquishing control to an independent trust, the council has granted the museums new freedom. Freedom to attract funding, freedom to innovate.

It is a wonderful opportunity to make the best of these remarkable, underrated city assets - and one which must not be squandered.

The Museums Trust has got off to an assured start. Its decision to reintroduce free entry to the art gallery, reversing the ill-considered entrance fee, was a positive gesture of intent.

The Trust is also investigating the conferencing potential of the museums. Firms queue up to hire the Natural History Museum in London, to hold their "do" among the dinosaurs. Why not transform the empty night-time hours of the Yorkshire Museum into profitable activity?

Much was made of the new corporate logo last night. But York residents will be more interested in how the trust will make the museums relevant to them.

Janet Barnes previously told this paper that some people had lived in York for ten years without knowing the Yorkshire Museum existed. She is determined to change that.

It is crucial to the success of the trust that it attracts the support of local people. Here too, it made a good impression last night by inviting guests of all ages to the launch.

We shall watch the development of York's museums with keen anticipation.

Updated: 10:58 Friday, October 04, 2002