As darkness falls, a chance to keep visitor numbers rising

So keeping the footfall high and constant is essential if our museums and galleries are to thrive or just stay afloat.

Part of the response has been the Museums at Night initiative which this year runs for three days, starting tomorrow.

Throughout the decade following the year 2000, when 
all national museums and galleries were made entry-free, visitor numbers in England soared from 7.2 million to nearly 18 million. And last year the visitor numbers rose by a further five 
per cent.

But heritage chiefs, who are simultaneously seeing budget 
cuts at half of all museums, have been keen not to rest on their laurels.

This innovative drive to get more of us passing through the doors of our foremost buildings, not to mention some hidden heritage gems, was launched five years ago just as the recession started to bite.

Five years later, Museums at Night is a huge hit in Yorkshire – with 35 local attractions taking part this weekend – and the launch has become something of a national red letter day.

“What started off with only a few dozen attractions participating has grown to take in over 500 across Britain,” says Nick Stockman, director of Museums at Night.

“It’s really a showcase of what museums and galleries already do so well, but now they do it slightly differently and offer a different view of our museums and galleries.

“It’s all about getting more people through the doors and attracting a broader range of people too.

“Part of the attraction of Museums at Night is that it brings in visitors at a time of day which is more convenient to them. Often people may want to visit but they’re usually working during normal opening hours.”

It certainly seems to be working. Last year more than 121,000 visitors made the most of the unusual opening hours and they’re expecting a similar response in 2013.

The list of Yorkshire attractions taking part represents a stellar line-up – Harewood House, Thackray Medical Museum in Leeds and Brodsworth Hall in Doncaster are all staging events. But it’s also the unusual locations which make it worth a look, including a Cold War bunker in York and an extended Bollywood night at the National Media Museum in Bradford.

And aside from the impressive geographic spread (the museums and galleries are located as far afield as Scarborough, Northallerton and Sheffield) it is the union between venues and special events which make this year’s Museum at Night showcase truly outstanding.

Not content with merely opening their doors the likes of Bankfield Museum in Halifax will be staging a murder mystery evening while Kiplin Hall near Richmond will be staging a “Kiplin by candelight” event with readings from books published between 1615 and 1913, all collected by the family who used to live in this stunning North Yorkshire landmark.

“There are all sorts of collaborations between artists, organisations and groups going into the museums and galleries 
to create these special events,” says Stockman. “And that provides yet another view of 
the spaces that you wouldn’t normally get.

“I was personally taken aback my the large number of venues and activities being staged in Yorkshire and I think that’s very reflective of the region as a whole.”

Although it’s become a local hit, the inspiration for the event was actually international. La Nuit de Musées on the continent sees major cities across Europe open their museums and galleries at night for free.

The forerunner to the UK version was a Museums’ Month in which heritage chiefs tried to drum up interest in attractions in a longer, but less intriguing way. This means staging Museums at Night doesn’t require any additional funding other than the existing Arts Council cash designated to its predecessor.

Stockman says: “This is the latest stage in the evolution of the event and, as museums and galleries face increasing funding pressures, it’s how we potentially extend the concept in the future and make the future of the attractions in question more secure in the process.”

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To find out more about the Museums at Night event visit: www.museumsatnight.org.uk