The story of the Science Gallery is “not over”, Provost Linda Doyle has said, but the current model has run its course and must be re-imagined to tackle its substantial debt.
The gallery is to close its doors this weekend with the conclusion of its current exhibition.
The closure was first reported in the Business Post last year. The University Times subsequently revealed that the gallery may survive with a revamped model, but would definitely close for a time at the end of the current exhibition.
In an email to staff and students today, the Provost said: “This weekend the doors will close on the final exhibition at Science Gallery Dublin as we currently know it. However, that will not be the end of the gallery story.”
“Looking back, the gallery has been wonderful, but it has had problems in recent years. Unfortunately, in its present form, with its substantial and growing debt, it cannot overcome those problems”, she continued. “The current operational model has run its course.”
“The gallery needs to be totally reimagined and work very differently from the way it does now. Closing the gallery affords us the time to address the problems and build a new, exciting and sustainable way forward.”
The Business Post and the Irish Times reported this week that both the Department of Higher Education and the Department of Tourism were in talks to find a solution to the gallery’s financial problems.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Irish Times that Trinity “needs to do work” to develop a new vision for the gallery, including a sustainable financial model.
Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) and the Graduate Students’ Union are due to stage a protest on Pearse St this afternoon, ahead of the gallery’s closure.
TCDSU wrote on Twitter: “The Science Gallery is a vital space for our campus and our city. We need @tcddublin to find a longterm funding model to protect its future.”
Doyle added: “None of what I have said above takes from the fact that the gallery has been a source of delight and inspiration since it opened in 2008. We are proud to have inspired other cities around the world to adopt our vision to showcase research and ideas from science and technology in exciting new ways.”
“Over the coming months, working with the Trinity Board and others, we will keep you updated on progress as we move into a new phase of planning.”
