Birmingham’s Museum and Art Gallery is to merge with Thinktank in a bid to save taxpayers money and break into the world’s top 40 museums.
The plan, which will see the two organisations run by a single charitable trust, could also pave the way for the Thinktank name to be changed, perhaps to Birmingham Science Museum.
It also means that with more than 1.1 million visitors a year between them, the combined attractions would rank alongside the Guggenheim museum in New York and Oxford’s Ashmolean on the global list of most popular museums.
And with a new Staffordshire Hoard gallery and the Birmingham History Galleries due to open at BMAG and a major Science Garden at Thinktank there is a prospect of even more visitors.
Admission to BMAG is currently free but it costs £12.25 for an adult to wander around Thinktank.
Coun Martin Mullaney, cabinet member for leisure and culture at Birmingham City Council, said that under the merger deal the council would retain ownership of the buildings and exhibits and have a final say over admission costs.
He said: “There are no plans to charge for admission to BMAG, and the decision about whether or not to charge rests with the council. It will be a political decision.
“There may even be an opportunity to introduce free admission days for Thinktank, if the finances work. That would be fantastic.
“There is also an opportunity to change the name, I would go for something like Birmingham Science Museum.”
He said that a new board would be appointed to run the new Birmingham Museums Trust and they hope to attract some high-profile, well connected candidates. Crucially there will be opportunities to cross-promote and cooperate on grant applications, such as Lottery bids. Thinktank chairman Len Clark said: “It is better than having two competing trusts in the city.”
The merger will be formally approved by the council cabinet on Monday, July 11.
