One of the UK’s biggest unions for culture workers has said the funding crisis facing museums and galleries is putting the sector at “permanent risk”.
Noel McClean, the deputy general secretary of Prospect, spoke out after news broke at the weekend that the National Gallery in London is restructuring in response to a projected £8.2m deficit.
The London institution has introduced a voluntary exit scheme for staff, which may be followed by compulsory redundancies. Other cost saving measures being considered include higher ticket prices, fewer temporary exhibitions, and less international borrowing of artworks.
The restructure comes less than a year after the gallery unveiled an £85m transformation of its Sainsbury wing. The institution reported a record-breaking year for visitor numbers in 2025 thanks to the success of its Van Gogh exhibition and bicentenary celebrations.
In the coming years it is planning to build a new £375m wing to house its expanding collection, which will be the largest transformation of the gallery since its formation in 1824.
The gallery has blamed the restructure on factors beyond its control, including rising costs and stagnant income, which have left it facing a deficit of around £2m by the end of the current financial year.
The Art Newspaper has reported that without immediate remedial action, this deficit is expected to grow by a further £6.2m next year to reach £8.2m.
A National Gallery spokesperson said: “Due to many widely reported circumstances which are beyond our control, such as rises in operational costs and commercial pressures, we have now reached a point where we must make difficult and painful decisions.
“To achieve sustainability, we must balance our artistic and educational mission with a new operating structure.”
McClean said the gallery’s predicament showed that the level of funding for the sector was “nowhere near sufficient”.
He said: “News of these cuts at the National Gallery is worrying for everyone who works there and we will be working with the employer to try and avoid compulsory redundancies. That a major gallery is in such a dire financial position shows just how difficult things are in the sector.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that the level of funding for these vital cultural institutions is nowhere near sufficient and we are paying the price with the loss of skilled workers.
“If we don’t sort out a method of sustainable funding then the problems we’re seeing at National Gallery will be repeated across the country, putting our heritage and culture at permanent risk.”
Enjoy this article?
Most Museums Journal content is only available to members. Join the MA to get full access to the latest thinking and trends from across the sector, case studies and best practice advice.