REDP: Museum closures justified because visitors are 'predominantly white' says Leicester City Council

Museum closures justified because visitors are 'predominantly white' says Leicester City Council

Summary: Leicester Civic Society's chairman Stuart Bailey expresses his outrage at the proposed closure of museums in Leicester and the apparent justification based on the ethinicity of visitors.

Leicester Civic Society campaigns for heritage for everyone in our diverse city to enjoy and welcomes supporters whatever their backgrounds.

Bailey's letters states that, 'It expounds a view about the use and appreciation of our museums that are based on completely false assumptions and has clearly been compiled by someone with no actual experience of the museum sites in operation.

These sites attract large numbers of the BME communities who are increasingly proud of their City’s heritage and are understandably fascinated by both its technical history and ancient history. BME schoolchildren in particular visit the museums and then return in considerable numbers with their families to visit again on special event days, often spending all day on the sites.

This is not a fiction. I have seen this with my own eyes. The assumption that BME communities are in some way not really interested in our museums is deeply patronising and I call upon you to either back this claim with statistics that I am sure you do not possess, or to withdraw these remarks and these proposals, and to think again.'

To view the full letter, which Bailey sent to Sarah Levitt, Head of Museums and Arts at Leicester City Council, please click here.

Source: Leicester Civic Society

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Home News About Us Working for REDP Projects Events Resources Equality Matters Equality Legislation Contact Us Staff Area	Museum closures justified because visitors are 'predominantly white' says Leicester City Council Summary: Leicester Civic Society's chairman Stuart Bailey expresses his outrage at the proposed closure of museums in Leicester and the apparent justification based on the ethinicity of visitors. Leicester Civic Society campaigns for heritage for everyone in our diverse city to enjoy and welcomes supporters whatever their backgrounds. Bailey's letters states that, 'It expounds a view about the use and appreciation of our museums that are based on completely false assumptions and has clearly been compiled by someone with no actual experience of the museum sites in operation. These sites attract large numbers of the BME communities who are increasingly proud of their City’s heritage and are understandably fascinated by both its technical history and ancient history. BME schoolchildren in particular visit the museums and then return in considerable numbers with their families to visit again on special event days, often spending all day on the sites. This is not a fiction. I have seen this with my own eyes. The assumption that BME communities are in some way not really interested in our museums is deeply patronising and I call upon you to either back this claim with statistics that I am sure you do not possess, or to withdraw these remarks and these proposals, and to think again.' To view the full letter, which Bailey sent to Sarah Levitt, Head of Museums and Arts at Leicester City Council, please click here. 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Museum closures justified because visitors are 'predominantly white' says Leicester City Council