The Tate museum network will dramatically slim its workforce as institutions and galleries worldwide seek to reduce costs amid forecasts of a far-reaching financial recession.
The Financial Times reports that around 40 roles, or 7 percent of its staff, are expected to be eliminated through voluntary departures and hiring freezes. In a statement to the Financial Times, a Tate spokesperson said the decision would “eliminate the deficit that many museums like Tate have borne since the pandemic.”
“The changes that have been put in place ensure Tate can continue to deliver groundbreaking programs, build and share our collection with the broadest possible public, and inspire future generations of creative talent,” the statement continued.
Four museums—Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St Ives—comprise the network; they are spread across London, Liverpool, and Cornwall. Several fundraising projects are in the works this year across the group, including a significant expansion of the Tate Liverpool. At St Ives, a more recent addition to the institution, Tate is restoring the Palais de Danse, a historic Grade II-listed building that was once the studio of Barbara Hepworth.
Maria Balshaw, director of Tate and chair of the National Museum Directors’ Council, said in a statement to the Financial Times that management has “carefully streamlined our workforce through voluntary means” and prioritized the nurturing of revenue streams.
Major US museums have also moved to reduce their operations. The Guggenheim Museum in New York in late February began dismissing 20 employees across the institution, or 7 percent of its workforce, citing the continued challenge of returning to fiscal stability in the post-pandemic years. Only days prior, the Brooklyn Museum made moves to eliminate 20 staffers, including 14 unionized workers, a decision that incited outrage and a legal challenge from the group’s representative, Local 2110 United Auto Workers.
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