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| National Media Museum considers rebranding as Science Museum North | National Media Museum considers rebranding as Science Museum North |
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| Bradford’s National Media Museum (NMM) is considering changing its name to Science Museum North and has abandoned the city’s international film festival, raising further doubts about the institution’s future as the UK’s centre for film and photography. | Bradford’s National Media Museum (NMM) is considering changing its name to Science Museum North and has abandoned the city’s international film festival, raising further doubts about the institution’s future as the UK’s centre for film and photography. |
| The decision to pull out of the festival follows the loss of its world-famous photography collection to London’s Victoria and Albert museum, in a move described as “an appalling act of cultural vandalism” by one political leader in the city. | |
| Judith Cummins, the Labour MP for Bradford South, said the economic and cultural ramifications of abandoning the festival could be enormous for Bradford, while others suggested the city may lose its status as the world’s first Unesco City of Film. | Judith Cummins, the Labour MP for Bradford South, said the economic and cultural ramifications of abandoning the festival could be enormous for Bradford, while others suggested the city may lose its status as the world’s first Unesco City of Film. |
| Stars including John Hurt, Kenneth Branagh, Imelda Staunton, Alan Bennett and Ray Winstone have appeared at the film festival since it began 20 years ago. | Stars including John Hurt, Kenneth Branagh, Imelda Staunton, Alan Bennett and Ray Winstone have appeared at the film festival since it began 20 years ago. |
| The trustees of the Science Museum Group, which owns the NMM, have been quietly considering a name change for nearly a year to fit its new focus on science and technology. | The trustees of the Science Museum Group, which owns the NMM, have been quietly considering a name change for nearly a year to fit its new focus on science and technology. |
| Science Museum North is one of the leading names being mooted, it is understood. Losing “national” or “media” from the title would be heavily symbolic for an institution that opened as the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in 1983. | Science Museum North is one of the leading names being mooted, it is understood. Losing “national” or “media” from the title would be heavily symbolic for an institution that opened as the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in 1983. |
| A museum spokesman confirmed a name change was being considered. When asked if the museum may rebrand as Science Museum North, he said: “That name is in play, but we haven’t made any firm decisions at the moment.” | A museum spokesman confirmed a name change was being considered. When asked if the museum may rebrand as Science Museum North, he said: “That name is in play, but we haven’t made any firm decisions at the moment.” |
| Related: Why must a Bradford museum lose its treasures to London? | Sam Jordison | Related: Why must a Bradford museum lose its treasures to London? | Sam Jordison |
| Cummins said: “I’m flabbergasted by this week’s announcements. Only last week the museum told me that they were ‘focused on delivering a vibrant film festival programme’, now they are announcing that they are abandoning the hugely popular Bradford international film festival. It raises serious questions about the direction and focus of the National Media Museum. | Cummins said: “I’m flabbergasted by this week’s announcements. Only last week the museum told me that they were ‘focused on delivering a vibrant film festival programme’, now they are announcing that they are abandoning the hugely popular Bradford international film festival. It raises serious questions about the direction and focus of the National Media Museum. |
| “The economic and cultural ramifications of abandoning the film festival could be enormous for Bradford. How can we seriously have an international film festival and honour our status as the world’s first Unesco City of Film without the National Media Museum at its centre? It just doesn’t make any sense.” | “The economic and cultural ramifications of abandoning the film festival could be enormous for Bradford. How can we seriously have an international film festival and honour our status as the world’s first Unesco City of Film without the National Media Museum at its centre? It just doesn’t make any sense.” |
| Cummins said she would express her concerns in a meeting with Jo Quinton-Tulloch, the museum director, on Friday. | Cummins said she would express her concerns in a meeting with Jo Quinton-Tulloch, the museum director, on Friday. |
| Quinton-Tulloch has said the festival programme needed changes to make it sustainable and that it was not aligned with the museum’s new focus on science and technology. | Quinton-Tulloch has said the festival programme needed changes to make it sustainable and that it was not aligned with the museum’s new focus on science and technology. |
| The museum is also understood to have offered redundancy to six exhibition and curatorial staff in recent weeks as part of overall cuts. | The museum is also understood to have offered redundancy to six exhibition and curatorial staff in recent weeks as part of overall cuts. |
| The latest news comes two days after the NMM announced that its Royal Photographic Society (RPS) collection of 400,000 objects would be moved to the V&A, prompting outrage among local political leaders and art enthusiasts. | The latest news comes two days after the NMM announced that its Royal Photographic Society (RPS) collection of 400,000 objects would be moved to the V&A, prompting outrage among local political leaders and art enthusiasts. |
| Simon Cooke, the leader of the Conservatives on Bradford council, said he was “utterly dismayed” by the latest move. “Bradford council handed over £1.5m to the National Media Museum to help cement its place in the local community,” he said. | Simon Cooke, the leader of the Conservatives on Bradford council, said he was “utterly dismayed” by the latest move. “Bradford council handed over £1.5m to the National Media Museum to help cement its place in the local community,” he said. |
| “I’m utterly dismayed at the decision by the National Media Museum to withdraw from the Bradford international film festival – another unwarranted cut to Bradford’s cultural life determined by people in London without even bothering to consult councillors or the Bradford public. | “I’m utterly dismayed at the decision by the National Media Museum to withdraw from the Bradford international film festival – another unwarranted cut to Bradford’s cultural life determined by people in London without even bothering to consult councillors or the Bradford public. |
| “On top of the decision to decant the RPS collection to London this demonstrates that the museum has no intention of contributing anything to the cultural life of the city.” | “On top of the decision to decant the RPS collection to London this demonstrates that the museum has no intention of contributing anything to the cultural life of the city.” |
| David Wilson, the director of Bradford Unesco City of Film, described the announcements as a “chipping away” of the museum’s media focus but said the festival may continue at other venues around the city. “The agenda is very much set by the Science Museum Group and the Science Museum is run from London,” he said. | David Wilson, the director of Bradford Unesco City of Film, described the announcements as a “chipping away” of the museum’s media focus but said the festival may continue at other venues around the city. “The agenda is very much set by the Science Museum Group and the Science Museum is run from London,” he said. |
| “I understand the whole side of the STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] argument that we need more scientists but I would say the creative industries is the fastest growing sector in the UK. | “I understand the whole side of the STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] argument that we need more scientists but I would say the creative industries is the fastest growing sector in the UK. |
| Related: Stem subject snobbery: a student’s view on why arts subjects matter | Related: Stem subject snobbery: a student’s view on why arts subjects matter |
| “In a city like Bradford, it’s one of the youngest cities in Europe – 23% of the population is under the age of 16, the national average is 18%, we’ve got 85 different languages spoken in Bradford schools – we need to harness this fast-growing sector. I’m all for bringing on the next generation of scientists but not at the loss of culture and creativity.” | “In a city like Bradford, it’s one of the youngest cities in Europe – 23% of the population is under the age of 16, the national average is 18%, we’ve got 85 different languages spoken in Bradford schools – we need to harness this fast-growing sector. I’m all for bringing on the next generation of scientists but not at the loss of culture and creativity.” |
| Wilson dismissed concerns that the city could lose its Unesco status, insisting the film festival was “important but just one part of what we do”. | Wilson dismissed concerns that the city could lose its Unesco status, insisting the film festival was “important but just one part of what we do”. |
| Quinton-Tulloch said the museum hoped to develop a new festival with a computer games theme as part of an increased focus on technology. | Quinton-Tulloch said the museum hoped to develop a new festival with a computer games theme as part of an increased focus on technology. |
| She added: “While the international film festival is not part of these plans, this year we intend to again welcome cinemagoers from around the world to an extended widescreen weekend, and we are working towards a festival looking at games and gaming. | She added: “While the international film festival is not part of these plans, this year we intend to again welcome cinemagoers from around the world to an extended widescreen weekend, and we are working towards a festival looking at games and gaming. |
| “This is in addition to the recent £800,000 upgrade to our Imax cinema, which has attracted nearly 29,000 visitors since reopening, as well as working with other organisations to make Bradford the place to see film.” | “This is in addition to the recent £800,000 upgrade to our Imax cinema, which has attracted nearly 29,000 visitors since reopening, as well as working with other organisations to make Bradford the place to see film.” |
| A spokesman for the NMM said it had decided not to apply for funding from the British Film Institute (BFI) to stage the festival because of the museum’s change in focus. The grant previously subsidised but did not fully cover the costs of running the festival. Funding for the arts across England was cut by 30% between 2010-15. The number of visitors to the Bradford museum fell from 493,000 in 2012-13 to 479,000 in 2013-14. | A spokesman for the NMM said it had decided not to apply for funding from the British Film Institute (BFI) to stage the festival because of the museum’s change in focus. The grant previously subsidised but did not fully cover the costs of running the festival. Funding for the arts across England was cut by 30% between 2010-15. The number of visitors to the Bradford museum fell from 493,000 in 2012-13 to 479,000 in 2013-14. |