The sign of the People’s Story Museum in Edinburgh. Image credits: Stefan Schaefer / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Edinburgh’s only museum dedicated to working-class history has re-opened today (Monday 2 December) after a dramatic U-turn from the city council.
The People’s Story Museum in the Tolbooth area was temporarily closed by the council and intended to be kept shut throughout the autumn and winter on a seasonal and temporary basis going forward. The decision had been put down to funding issues and staff shortages.
This sparked outrage from those against the move and from this, the Save The People’s Story Museum was born.
“Vital” working-class representation
Concerns had been raised about the impact of closing the museum on the city’s history, being the only museum in Edinburgh which highlights the lives of working-class people.
Dr Trevor Griffiths, Professor of Economic and Social History at The University of Edinburgh, describes working-class history as “a vital part of every one of our stories.”
Speaking on the temporary closure, he said: “The very fact that that there is nothing really celebrating ordinary people, ordinary as in not the elites – they’re far from ordinary in all sorts of respects – but the fact that these people’s lives are not being marked in any particular way, or not by an institution that’s dedicated to do that, is undoubtedly a loss.”
The campaign heats up
Save The People’s Story Museum was set up to challenge the decision to close the museum.
The campaign is led by Jim Slaven, who gave a deputation at the Culture and Communities Committee’s meeting on 3 October. He said, “working-class stories must be told.” Slaven said that within a week of news of it shutting down, the campaign has been supported by many, describing an “outpour” of support.
Reacting to the news of the opening in December, the campaigner said: “This is a great victory for working-class Edinburgh. It is, of course, only a first step.”
The campaign has however made it clear that their demands are yet to have been all met. He said: “We need the museum to remain in the Tolbooth and we need it improved.”
Councillors rejected officers’ closure of “special museum”
In the Committee’s meeting on November 7, it was highlighted that the decision to close the museum was made by officers from the council in order to reduce in-year budget pressures that they were unable to address. Councillors “decline[d] the temporary closure of the People’s Story” at the meeting, instead asking officers to look at alternative options.
Speaking on the reasons behind the U-turn, Culture and Communities Convener, Val Walker, said: “After initially proposing a temporary winter closure for the museum, we listened closely to the community’s passionate feedback, and I’m delighted to announce that we will reopen the museum on Monday 2 December.
“It’s a special museum where all exhibits are inspired by the voices of Edinburgh’s own people, drawn from oral histories and written accounts to share authentic stories. The collections showcase this with items such as Friendly Society regalia, banners, and materials representing Edinburgh’s diverse communities. We look forward to welcoming visitors back through the museum’s doors.”
The Council advises that a report on the new operating model for Museums and Galleries will be brought to December’s meeting of the Culture and Communities Committee.
The Museum is open, 10am to 5pm, seven days a week.
