We are aware that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been long lasting for our sector, having put financial strains on every museum in some regard.
For some, the loss of income and the changes to visitor habits following the pandemic threatens the museum’s ability to continue operating either temporarily (i.e., mothballing) or permanently (i.e., closure).
We were proud to award over £300,000 in small grants to museums in the south east between 2020-2022 to support their resilience, with the support of our partners Art Fund, MDUK and our funder, Arts Council England.
We continue to support museums in their recovery through our small grants scheme, free training offer for the museum workforce and on the ground expertise and advice from our team of Museum Development Officers.
Support Surgeries
Throughout 2023-24 we can offer free, private surgeries to help you review your museum’s position, talk through the options available to you and help identify the actions you need to take.
The surgeries are delivered as confidential, structured conversations with your Museum Development Officer and/or other members of the SEMD team.
To book a surgery, please contact your Museum Development Officer.
Helpful resources if you believe your museum is facing closure:
- Museum Association’s, “Museums Facing Closure: Legal and Ethical Issues”, produced with funding from Arts Council England, 2017
- ACE’s Managing Financial Difficulties Guide and Toolkit