Nicole Smith Professor Evenden Arts & Arts Administration Internship Tutorial 18 November 2010 Assignment #2 The Foundling

Museum: Fundraising for the Small Museum In July of 2010, UK culture secretary Jeremy Hunt announced his proposal to dissolve the Museums, Libraries and Achieves Council, UK Film Council and the Advisory Council on Libraries public body divisions of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The three public bodies are among 55 others that are funded by the Department (DCMS), many of which may also be merged, abolished or streamlined in the DCMSs endeavors to cut back on spending and increase transparency, accountability and efficiency.1 Although Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) Council chair Andrew Motion has promised to maintain the work the council is currently undertaking with the UKs independent museums, libraries and archives until its closure in April 2010, it is impossible to ignore the significant impact the councils closure will have on institutions already dealing with the troubles of the recession and public funding cuts. This proposed closure is a sharp reminder of the direct impact politics can have on the monetary stability of small independent museums that may already be fighting to be noticed by the DCMS funding bodies. The Foundling Museum is one of these institutions in which fundraising and development plans are becoming an increasingly vital part of their continued existence and success. With freezes on public spending becoming an increasingly frequent reality, the closure of the MLA will inevitably undermine small museums ability to be represented in Alison Flood. Hunt Proposes Closure of the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council. The Guardian Online. 26 Jul. 2010. Web. Accessed 15 Nov 2010 <http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jul/26/jeremy-hunt-to-close-mla>
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Smith 2 the arena of policy and politics. This period will prove to be a particularly rough patch for independent museums, as previous New Labor government sought to meet the public demand for meaningful cultural experience, and the current cultural cuts leave these institutions in the cold without proper representation or defense. In the absence of a national strategic voice like the MLA or a positive economic case being made in the public sector on the behalf of the independent museum, smaller independent institutions are left to fend for themselves in what is already a troublesome economic climate. The proposed closure of the MLA and the dissemination of its responsibilities poses two set backs for independent museums like the Foundling Museum. First, the removal of the Council removes a set standard by which cultural bodies can model and organize themselves. It will be much harder to coordinate strategic responses to cuts when there is no central or direct public body or chairman providing a national overview. Secondly, with the dissolve of the MLA, the representation of small museums becomes the responsibility of a loosely defined group of sector organizations and networks. What this means for cultural institutions is that the museum professionals community will need to banned together to create a more powerful and singular voice for itself in the absence of a dedicated public body. However, the funds battle for cultural institutions is not completely negative. There seems to be positive support for museums and cultural attractions coming directly from current Prime Minister David Cameron. Tourism proves to be an instrumental means by which the countrys economy can be rebuild and rebalanced, and Cameron has stressed the importance of the nations historic monuments castles, country houses national parks historic gardens [and] our museums as vital to continued tourism in

Smith 3 the UK.2 Also, the Prime Minister seems to genuinely love museums, and not only for their economic impact. Of course, sentiment is not enough without action, especially at a time when museums are facing cuts that threaten their ongoing success and ultimately their survival. Words must, in the end, become funds. As a small independent organization, The Foundling Museum does not receive much in the way of public funding, but instead relies on private sponsorship, donations and revenue to keep the museum up and running. Just like other independent institutions, the Foundling Museum must consider its position into the poor state of public finances and argue the case for why museums are essential to this government and society. As Prime Minster Cameron seems to understand, museums play a significant role in tourism and also form a vital part in building a better society through their cultural and historical contributions. Museums are a positive contribution to society in many different sectors in addition to being cost-effective and contributing to the economy. There are many other reason why museums are significant, however tourism (economy) and society seem to be the buzz words which catch the ears of public government bodies. Museums today are in need of public bodies like the MLA who will provide custodianship and representation to help steer these institutions through difficult finicial times. Inevitably, there will be big cuts across the public sector and cultural institutions accept that their sector will not escape untouched. These museums must prove that they are indeed a superlative sector and one that the government should be proud and eager to invest in and facilitate its success. The Foundling Museum, along with other small

David Cameron. Speech on Tourism. Office of the Prime Minister. London. 12 Aug 2010. Accessed 15 Nov 2010 < http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/speeches-andtranscripts/2010/08/pms-speech-on-tourism-54479>

Smith 4 museums, must show cultural leaders like secretary Hunt and Prime Minster Cameron that the prosperity of cultural institutions plays a direct role in the future economic prosperity of the country and are essential to the enrichment of society. Outside of public funding, the Foundling must rely on private sponsorship. Private donors and corporate sponsors are primarily interested in how their donations will directly be used towards the protection of the collection and supporting the role the museum plays in the enrichment of society and their community. The Foundling works closely with the Coram Family, an independent modern day charity rooted in the foundations of the original Foundling Hospital. This relationship ensures that vulnerable and socially excluded children and their families remain involved in the museums activities. In this way, the Coram community becomes part of the ongoing history of the Foundling Hospital and charitable childcare in London. My work with both the Events Department as well as the Front of House has given me a change to see the significant way in which these sectors overlap and work with museum Development. I have had the opportunity to work closely with trustees of the museum as they discuss the importance of sponsorship outside of the public sector. Primarily, my work with the Events Department has been focused on the preparations taking place for a monumental museum sponsored event held to honor the appointment of the new President and Vice Presidents of the museum. Organizing this event as well as others and witnessing how significant a role these events play in relations with donors and corporate sponsors has helped me understand how a private museum like the Foundling survives through fundraising and self-promotion. Past, present and hopefully future museum donors will be in attendance and the evening will be a great way to

Smith 5 showcase the museums strengths as well as its needs. The purpose behind the event and its significance to the museum goes beyond the evening itself. This event is not only a way to keep regular donors updated and involved in the museum but to also ask that they might continue to support the museum finically. In preparation for the event I have been putting together packets containing information of the many ways private and corporate sponsors can support the museum. Individuals or corporations can make monetary donations, become a Friend of the museum, sponsor a public program or exhibition, hire the venue, remember the Foundling in their will, or secure a painting or object for the museums collection. This last means of support is of particular importance to the Foundling. Due to a legal technicality, Coram Family, the modern-day childcare charity which inherited the hospitals art collection, cannot actually own the collection as it functions as a charity. Therefore, the museum and the charity have created an ongoing double-benefit development scheme that allows for the purchasing of artworks from the ownership of the charity to be secured for the museum. In this way, one donation supports two causes: the securing of an art collection of national importance housed at the Foundling Museum and the funding for the continuing work of Thomas Corams original charity. The museums mission statement highlights the institutions responsibility of securing the long-term preservation of the historic Foundling Hospital collection for the education and enjoyment of future generations. By donating to the museum, sponsors are investing in this mission statement. Therefore, funding is dependent upon the museums dedication and adherence to the mission statement set forth, and the successfulness of these goals. The museum must also maintain its identity as a current

Smith 6 and active public entity that in some way gives back to or enhances its society. The Foundling Museums public programming and events highlight the importance of its role beyond the walls of the museum. The history of the hospital is pulled into present day charity works and the lives of children and their families today. The museum hosts a wide-range of family-friendly events and activities, runs education day programs for school groups and adults, integrates contemporary works and stories into its temporary exhibits and is heavily involved in supporting the works of the Coram Family childrens charity. By highlighting its ties to the community through the Coram Family and other charitable institutions, the museum promotes itself as both a preservation of history and heritage as well as an active community organization. In this way, the Foundling shows itself, for both public and private sectors, that it is indeed a viable and significant part of the economic and cultural prosperity of society. In loosing the voice of the MLA, museums like the Foundling are pushed to showcase these roles with increased vigor. During the event and in the following months, Development will continue to promote awareness for the exhibitions and programs taking place at the museum and encouraging supporters to make donations. Understanding that all museums are struggling financially in this time of fiscal austerity, the museum must communicate to potential sponsors their current and future aims. Donations, large or small, help the museum continue its work to preserve and display the Foundling Hospital Collection of art and art objects for the widest possible audience and raise awareness of the story of foundling children and the extraordinary philanthropy of the 18th Century. Donations also go towards the exhibition and preservation of the Gerald Coke Handel Collection to be used for scholarly research as well as support towards the production of exhibitions

Smith 7 and events focused on the musical, artistic, and social history of the hospital. Support today helps the museum continue its education programs with local and regional school groups to inform them of the social issues of the past and make connections with the echoes of these issues today. Although museums, libraries and archives will have less representation in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport by next year, there is still opportunity for sponsorship. Museums today must show themselves to be advantageous to the country both finically and culturally. My time at the Foundling thus far has shown me just how hard a small museum must work in order to be recognized as the social gem it is. The closure of the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council may mean that public funding will become even more evasive, yet if the museum professionals community and the public that enjoys them (including Prime Minster Cameron) stand together to keep their voices heard, the significance of the cultural intuition will not be forgotten. In both economy and society, museums like the Foundling Museum are an important investment to be made and maintained in both the public and private sectors of sponsorship.