Activity of museums and galleries, 2021

Impact of the epidemic on museum and gallery activity still present, but to a lesser extent

In 2021, 94 Slovenian museums, galleries and institutions with museum collections covered by the survey were asked about the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on their activities. 88% of them (6 percentage points less than in 2020) reported that the museum or gallery activity was diminished, yet 73% (2020: same) also noted that the situation encouraged other forms of activity in museums and galleries. Additionally, 30% (26 p.p. less than in 2020) of these institutions stated that they hired fewer external associates, and 67% (25 p.p. more) that the COVID-19 crisis did not affect the number of their external associates helping them carry out activities; three museums/galleries increased the number of external associates in 2021.

In 2021, slightly more exhibitions in museums and galleries than in first epidemic year

For the year 2021, a gradual revival of museum and gallery activity could be observed compared to the year before. A comparison with the last pre-epidemic, "normal" year 2019 offers the following findings:

• museums, museum collections and galleries in Slovenia prepared 1,093 exhibitions, or 22% fewer than two years prior (1,406), including 955 temporary (14% less than in 2019) and 137 permanent exhibitions (same as in 2020);
• all exhibitions combined were seen by slightly more than 1.29 million visitors, which is an average of 1,185 per exhibition (in 2019: 1,992).

Museums and galleries were asked about the number of e-exhibitions, i.e. discrete units of content designed by the author or curator specifically for virtual space (in other words, recordings of exhibitions set up in physical space are not taken into account). According to collected data, 123 such e-exhibitions were set up last year (34% less than in 2020), and attendance was estimated at about 549,000 (19% less in 2020).

These institutions had around 8.9 million museum or gallery objects; 57.9% of them were inventoried. The largest share, 43.6%, consisted of visual or art objects, including photographs (photographs alone accounted for 94.7% of visual or art objects).

Earnings from ticket sale higher than the year before

Given the COVID-19 epidemic, museums and galleries earned less from ticket sale in 2021, i.e. around EUR 2.6 million (2020: 1.8 million, 2019: around EUR 3.9 million). Visitors paid on average about EUR 4,00 to view the exhibition, the fees have mostly not changed for the last three years. However, not everyone had to pay an entrance fee. According to our data, museums and galleries issued almost 329,000 free tickets (40% less than in 2019).

Are museums and galleries accessible to people with impairment?

24 museums, institutions with museum collections and galleries provided fully arranged access to exhibition and event premises for people with physical impairment, 56 had partly arranged access, and 15 did not yet set up any such access.

For the time being, access to the mentioned institutions is still available to a lesser extent for sensory impaired persons: it was fully arranged in six, partly arranged in 40, and not arranged at all in 48 of them.

Students represented largest share among external associates

Institutions covered by the survey had 1,068 employees and 1,842 external associates. Of the permanently employed persons, 11.1% were under the age of 35, and the majority (980) had full-time employment.

As in previous years, the largest share of external associates consisted of students (31.9%), followed by associates with contracts for a copyrighted work (23.5%) and the self-employed in culture (14.5%). The structure remained virtually the same as in 2020.

How were museums and galleries financed?

The total revenues of museums and galleries for the implementation of activities amounted to EUR 55.8 million (2020: EUR 50.6 million), most of which (87.3%) was revenues from public resources (2020: 90.4%, 2019: 82.5%), and 11.4% from own resources (2020: 9.0%, 2019: 16.5%).

The total expenditure for the implementation of museum and gallery activities in Slovenia amounted to EUR 55.8 million (2020: EUR 50.7 million), of which 60.6% (2020: 62.7%, 2019: 59.7%) was spent on labour costs, including payments to external associates, and 31.5% (2020: 31.5%) on museum and gallery activities.

Tables with the latest data are available in the SiStat Database