Museums - Campaign against closures
WORKERS, MAR 2007 ISSUE
MORE THAN 200 people attended a mass visit to the William Morris Gallery in north east London on 14 February as part of the campaign to prevent its closure, along with that of the Vestry House Museum, a local history museum, archive and former workhouse.
Waltham Forest council plans to limit access to weekends and school holidays at both. Education programmes will be taken to the schools rather than inviting schools to the museums. Work at both is to be restructured, meaning the loss of jobs, skills and expertise, leading to the almost certain complete closure of the museums.
Great support for the two museums has been expressed in a sustained campaign (see February issue of Workers) and no good reason has been given for this destructive move, which will save considerably less than the £56,000 quoted. No explanation has been given of where the money is to be redirected, but councillors make it clear they are implementing a policy of central government.