London’s museum staff defiantly made their way to work on Sunday 4 June to ensure the UK capital’s cultural institutions remained open following the London Bridge terror attack in which seven people were killed and dozens more injured.
Tate Modern and the Hayward Gallery were among 12 cultural organisations around Bankside, close to where the attacks happened, to jointly issue a statement pledging to keep their venues “safe, open and welcoming to all”.
“We will continue with our programmes as planned and demonstrate the cultural sector's spirit, strength and ability to unite people of all backgrounds,” the statement says. “London is a city defined by its culture. We all intend to play our part in continuing to build and share this culture, and to welcome visitors from the city and the world to our creative events and spaces.”
Museums including the Tate, the Royal Academy, the British Museum, the National Gallery and the Victoria & Albert Museum have all stepped up security measures since the attack, including bag searches at the entrance to venues and restricted entry for vehicles.
In response to the national threat level being raised to critical, the British Museum is no longer allowing suitcases, cabin luggage and large bags to be carried in. “This is for the safety and security of visitors and staff and for the protection of the museum and collection,” a spokeswoman says.
A spokeswoman for the National Gallery says it is working closely with the police and other agencies to keep up to date with the latest information and will follow their recommendations. “The safety and security of our visitors are our absolute priorities—particularly following these recent tragic incidents,” she says.
Meanwhile, John McGrath, the artistic director and chief executive of the Manchester International Festival says the organisation is working with the city council, Greater Manchester Police and other relevant organisations “to review all arrangements, including security procedures and plans” for this year’s festival, which is due to open on 29 June.
The move comes after the suicide bombing during an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on 22 May in which 22 people were killed and 116 injured, including children.
“We hope the festival will be a celebration of Manchester’s strength and spirit–for the people of the city and visitors from across the world,” McGrath says.
Additional reporting by Gareth Harris