I have secured a meeting between Museums Sheffield and Culture Ministers to address the funding crisis facing museums and galleries up and down the country, following an exchange at Culture, Media and Sport Questions in the House of Commons.

I criticised the Government for creating a funding crisis for the arts and culture as a result of their cuts to council budgets that have hit northern cities hardest. I also highlighted the success of Museums Sheffield in finding innovative solutions to the funding crisis created by Government cuts, saying:

The Minister will know of the success of Going Public, a Sheffield Museums initiative to encourage private giving. Will he meet with me and Museums Sheffield to discuss what more can be done on this front?

It’s really short sighted of the Government to cut local authority funding to the point that arts and culture suffer because Councils have to fulfil their legal obligations to deliver services like social care and waste collection. Museums and galleries are a vital part of the life of cities like Sheffield, and crucial to attracting the investment that creates jobs. I am pleased Museums Sheffield are leading the way in finding solutions to the funding crisis. I hope Ministers will take on board their suggestions, and think again about the need for public investment.

You can find out more about my work on arts and culture here.