museum

[oxna]

This is hardly unexpected news given the current financial climate. A great facility indeed but have a quick look around the reception area alone and you'll see that the staffing levels are laughable. And how many people does it take to maintain an archive that's really only used regularly by very few.

[MuckleJoannie]

[fusion]

is the masive cut to the museum not the development contrabution on what saving they have done without actualy affecting themselves- looking after the jobs for the boys?

[shetlandpeat]

^ Now then, can you prove this, it would be a great angle to have if you can.

Was the restaurant not meant to provide high class dishes at a reasonable cost? It has always been good in there. That may be the reason to pay a higher salary, not only do the staff cook, they clean and put stock away, oh, hehe, we already know that from another thread.

Are you happy to lower standards at the museum? Could a local chef be hired, did one come forward?
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"In this life we cannot always do great things. But we can do small things with great love." -Mother Teresa

[fusion]

Nope, no proof at all, just a stray thought, as they hunt to cut services the general public services seem to be prime target.

I would be interested to know what savings they have made. Anyone know?

I think JWills asked the very question on what is finance, development and other departments in the big white hoose (and other places) doing to take their share or the cuts. Seems that childrens services/social care apear to be prime target just now.

[MuckleJoannie]

[Infiltrator]

I suspect the problem with the restaurant is that it´s being run as a council funded operation and not as a real business - it´ll end up being franchised, seperated from the Museum budgets, and probably serving modern traditional Shetland food - Chinese it would seem

3 years ago all the council run cafe´s were running at a loss (being subsidised) but the projection at the same time from the Mareel project was that the cafe there would make a reasonable profit, time will tell.

[EM]

[Longdog]

Not sheat stirring, may be unfortunately miss-informed , as I was told that it islesburgh and clickimin cafe were. If that's the case sorry. Teach me to post on here eh....
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http://moder-dye.blogspot.com/

[fusion]

here's an idea! Why don't they up the quality of the seats in the museum theatre then rent it out to mareel who will take up even more films - it could be its 3rd screen. I think screen 1 is fine but 2 is too small where screen 3 could be a half way house earning more money for shet arts and the muesum would get a room hire out of it and we get an even better cinema experence!??? The muesum screen is masive next to mareel screen 2.

it be a win win for everyone

[Shetland_boys]

This might have been covered but why do they not charge for entry, im sure alot of visitors are foreign and in their countries you have to pay. In new york we payed around $20 each to view the museum.

[MuckleJoannie]

[CHUCK NORR1S]

[mitzy]

I have only once been in the cafe but do visit the museum to see the exhibitions and often also take a dander around the static displays as they do change. I live here. It would be shame to see such a wonderful place closed.

[CHUCK NORR1S]

[owre-weel]

I went for the second time last week and due to having more time I was surprised at how much I missed the first time.

It really is a first class museum, so I do hope they can sort the funding issues, and keep adding to/changing the exhibits.
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Have grace to accept what can't be changed, strength to change what can and wisdom to see the difference.

[Shetland_boys]

[MuckleJoannie]

I think that this goes back to 2001. Prior to that the Thatcher government made national museums charge admission with VAT on top, the idea being to save government money. The museums soon discovered that charging VAT meant you could reclaim it as well so they had a bonanza in buying up artefacts. The amount of VAT reclaimed on these purchases meant that the government wasn't saving any money, Free entry was agreed by Labour in 2001 in return for funding.
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Facts are chiels that winna ding, An' downa be disputed - Rabbie Burns

[shetlandpeat]

The benefit is that more people who would not be able to afford to go can, these generally are the young. It makes school trips affordable. There are some who would say that museums were benefiting of return visits, if someone needs to go more than once to see it all or take it in or even complete a project, it means, more young folk have taken an interest.
There is talk about having an age threshold for paying. Some museums around the world charge quite a sum of money.

Museums can, as they do in the Science museum charge for some of the displays, as with the Imax experience and the Dr. Who experience, but to get in will and should be free.
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"In this life we cannot always do great things. But we can do small things with great love." -Mother Teresa