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\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\tTuesday 31 March 2026 10:13 am\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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Ending free museum access would see some of Britain\u2019s most coveted institutions fade to irrelevance, writes Benji Wiedemann<\/p>\n
Free museum access is key to Britain\u2019s cultural cache<\/p>\n
A few weeks ago, the UK\u2019s universal free entry to national museums came under pressure, as the National Gallery\u2019s financial difficulties brought the prospect of charging visitors back into focus. Now it\u2019s being reported that ministers are also considering charging international tourists to see permanent collections as part of new plans to raise arts funding.<\/p>\n
This points to a grim realisation: that the government continues to underestimate museums\u2019 wider value. They are powerful instruments of soft power \u2013 but only if they remain relevant.<\/p>\n
Free exhibitions are critical in keeping the public engaged with museum culture. With funding shortfalls, it\u2019s getting harder for museums to justify investment in new and innovative projects that are crucial for the success of the sector. Backtracking on free entry isn\u2019t the answer.<\/p>\n
If we do, our museums will be forced to rely on their legacy to drive interest. But we can\u2019t assume that people will always be interested in attending the UK\u2019s legacy museums. Those of us who work at and with museums every day know that existing doesn\u2019t guarantee survival in today\u2019s cultural landscape.<\/p>\n
Success for any organisation hinges on its cultural relevance. Recent examples such as the Natural History Museum\u2019s Pok\u00e9mon collaboration<\/a> show that legacy museums can exist as dynamic entities and appeal to new audiences.<\/p>\n For those museums, being able to source the money to spend on new exhibitions is crucial in keeping them relevant for new demographics. If we start charging, we will stop reaching people who aren\u2019t able to pay, stop cultivating cultural curiosity and stop inspiring the next generation of museum goers.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/p>\n \t\t\tLexon \u00d7 Jeff Koons Unveil the Chromatic Collection: a Colorful New Chapter for the Acclaimed Balloon Dog Lamp and Balloon Dog Speaker<\/a><\/p>\n Understanding the modern audience and their needs remains paramount \u2013 and is the key to unlocking the continued relevance that is now the table stakes of survival. But if they can\u2019t freely access these public services, then the cultural sector will have dark days ahead.<\/p>\n V&A East Storehouse\u00a0is world-class<\/p>\n A visit to the V&A East Storehouse<\/a> was a reminder of how confidently London sits at the forefront of global culture. It\u2019s world\u2011class: a working storehouse made radically accessible, where innovative wayfinding and beautifully engineered displays put visitors at the centre of the narrative. And its free entry astonished the New York friend I took \u2013 he\u2019s used to $25-plus entry fees. It\u2019s so great to experience how a once\u2011overlooked and derelict area now draws global attention, creativity and community energy. I can\u2019t wait for the V&A East Museum opening in May.<\/p>\n King\u2019s Cross: Regeneration done right<\/p>\n Speaking of regeneration, the King\u2019s Cross project hitting the 20 years this year feels huge. It used to be so run-down (although I appreciated the club scene at the time); now it\u2019s buzzing, layered, confident. Regeneration can feel like spin, but here you see a place come into its own: culture, education, sport, tech, all feeding off each other. Google choosing London over Berlin or Amsterdam set a spark, but what\u2019s exciting now is the maturity of it all. You know such an ambitious project has worked when it organically draws so many people in.<\/p>\n Quote of the week:<\/p>\n \u201cWhere the mind goes, the body will follow\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n A perfect mantra for pursuing and cultivating knowledge and values to inspire the next generation.<\/p>\n Dispatch from Life After Death Fest<\/p>\n Last month\u2019s Life After Death Fest at Walthamstow Trades Hall was one of the most exciting events I\u2019ve been to in ages. It\u2019s a DIY black-metal festival in an old working men\u2019s club where nothing makes sense and everything feels brilliant \u2013 weird and wonderful and beautifully curated. You\u2019ve got folksy experimental acts alongside Peruvian ritual-inspired black-metal brands. No egos, just pure enthusiasm and warmth. What a wonderful snapshot of a global cultural movement and community on a uniquely London stage.<\/p>\n A recommendation: Veggie heaven in Angel<\/p>\n On a rare date night, my partner and I tend to avoid fancy restaurants, looking for more offbeat places instead. The other week, we went to Indian Veg on Chapel Market in Angel<\/a>, a decades\u2011old, help\u2011yourself vegetarian buffet, with an interior plastered floor\u2011to\u2011ceiling with health tips, life advice and tongue-in-cheek mantras, all designed by owner Mohammed Safa as a shrine to vegetarianism.<\/p>\n The food is good; the experience is unforgettable. You\u2019ll sit beside everyone from barefoot mystics to city\u2011weary professionals, all helping themselves to the buffet under a warm, quietly anarchic glow. It\u2019s such a great leveller, a reminder that we\u2019re all equal \u2013 and a perfect example of why I love London, its communities and cultural riches.<\/p>\n Benji Wiedemann is executive creative director and co-founder at Wiedemann Lampe<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/p>\n