Community fights to save the Royal Cornwall Museum after funding is pulled
A Cornish MP is one of many speaking out as the Truro museum faces the risk of closure
The Duchy is coming together to try and save the Royal Cornwall Museum which we're told is at the real risk of closure.
Cornwall Council has withdrawn its funding as part of the Culture and Creative Investment Programme.
Truro's MP says she is "incredibly disappointed" by the decision and has been holding urgent talks, saying the closure would be a "catastrophic loss".
Cherilyn Mackrory, MP for Truro and Falmouth, wrote: "I was incredibly disappointed to hear the news that Cornwall Council will be withdrawing financial support from the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro.
"Following the council’s withdrawal of financial support, there is a very real threat the museum will have to close its doors. This would be a catastrophic loss to the people of Cornwall, and our young Cornish children".
The council's Culture and Creative Investment Programme will see more than 20 creative organisations across the Duchy share a £1.8 million funding package.
We're told the programme received over 50 applications requesting a total amount of £6,905,437 over a £1,868,000 budget allocation from Cornwall Council for four years, meaning some cuts had to be made to local venues.
Cherilyn Mackrory continued: "Each year thousands of Cornish school children, from each corner of Cornwall, visit the museum to see their various exhibitions. The museum educates and inspires both adults and our young people alike. A centre for Cornish heritage and culture - a museum for Cornwall.
"Over the next few days and in the weeks ahead, I will continue to work with the team at the Royal Cornwall Museum to keep the doors open so that the people and children of Cornwall can continue to view and be educated by their excellent exhibitions".
Meanwhile Cornwall Councillor Andrew George is calling on officials to reverse their decision and has raised questions with the Council's audit committee which meets later this week.
He told us: "The museum provides a phenomenally important education and research resource, as well as of course protecting artefacts which are central to Cornwall's culture, history and archaeology.
"The impact would be on every school in school, it would be on the Institute of Cornish Studies which use it as a fundamental resource. I think we all need to work together to challenge this decision."
Executive director at the Royal Cornwall Museum, Jonathan Morton, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the support in letters, emails, phone calls and on social media following the news that Cornwall Council have decided to remove funding to Cornwall’s Museum.
“The support for the museum from people across Cornwall and beyond has been incredible and reflects how people feel about their museum.
“The Royal Cornwall Museum is a community hub – it holds the story of Cornwall, and it is a resource for the whole of Cornwall.
“We are the keepers of a million objects, manuscripts, and artefacts that document 4,000 years of our story. We hold the treasures of Cornwall in this building. We are also a centre for education - 6,000 young people from almost every primary school in Cornwall visit us every year.
“The museum is a key part of the tapestry that makes Cornwall unique and draws people, tourism and funding to Cornwall and to Truro.”
Artistic director Bryony Robins said: “We are bewildered that after supporting our transformation and being so positive about the huge developments the museum has made, the council has now done this.
“Month by month we are seeing an increase in visitors, and an increase on what we saw before Covid, despite this being a really difficult time for museums.
“To cut funding during a financial year is unprecedented and leaves us unable to approach alternative funders and facing a very real threat of closure".
Response from the council
Cllr Carol Mould, Cornwall Council's portfolio holder for Neighbourhoods, said: "In the past week Cornwall Council has contacted applicants to let them know the outcome of their funding bid to the Council’s Culture and Creative Investment Programme 2022-26 (CCIP), which replaces the former Culture Revenue Grants scheme".
"The programme was very popular and heavily over-subscribed. We have been mindful in selecting a portfolio of high-quality projects that between them achieve geographical spread, expertise across many artforms, and work with communities across Cornwall".
Carol continued: "Inevitably there will be some organisations that the Council has financially supported in the past whose applications have not been successful, or who are being offered less than they bid for in this round of funding.
"I hope residents will understand the complex set of choices and the thorough process that has been undertaken in coming to these decisions".