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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not want to pay the donation for the Matisse exhibition at the Tate Modern?

22 replies

Southeastdweller · 16/04/2014 19:54

DM who lives out of London is coming here soon to go to the Matisse exhibition which one of her friends said costs £18 to get into (I think her friend didn't look properly online which states the £18 first. I was puzzled it was that much so I checked today and it's actually £16.30 without the donation, but £18 with. I'm going to pay the £16.30 because I don't see the point in paying the extra - aren't I helping to pay for it indirectly with my taxes through the Department for Culture, Media & Sport?

I don't ever bother to donate dropping money at the museum, either.

OP posts:

BoneyMan · 16/04/2014 20:05

Well good for you.

Some other people recognise that some extra funding for the arts would be nice and make a donation. You'll find when you get there that the donation is optional.

But a big pat on the back for you. Glad you've updated us with this vital information about what you do when you go to a museum.

ikeaismylocal · 16/04/2014 20:05

YANBU.

But it seems like a lot of thought is going into 1 pound 70.

Saurus72 · 16/04/2014 20:06

Totally personal decision. I did pay the donation, but that's because we were fortunate to have a 2 for the price of 1 deal. I donate to several charities each month, so I kind of see exhibition/ballet/opera tickets as entertainment and I don't generally pay the optional donation.

ForalltheSaints · 16/04/2014 20:06

It's your choice but I'll pay it when I go. Lucky me is going to see the Matisse chapel (again) at Spring Bank Holiday.

Original poster

Southeastdweller · 16/04/2014 20:13

I suppose a lot of thought is going into it because I remembered when I was at the Railway museum in York and I felt the same then, and at some museums in New York when I didn't cough up the donation then. And I don't want DM and her friends to pay for anything she may not want to.

So yeah. To hell with it. I'll spend my money on other things.

OP posts:

slowcomputer · 16/04/2014 20:16

Often the point of it is that if part of it is voluntary they can gift aid the whole lot whereas if there is no voluntary component they can't.

nancy75 · 16/04/2014 20:29

Let me know how many other things you can get for £1.70 in central London, I bet it will really be worth not giving the money to the museum.

Ohbyethen · 16/04/2014 20:42

So...half a coffee? Or one to share if you all club together.

I can't quite figure out why it's antagonizing you so much but whatever. It's a donation, it's voluntary, if it bothers you & you don't give you still get to appreciate the art.
But arf at your tax comment.

Theas18 · 16/04/2014 20:46

Become a tate member then it's all inc ;)

I've been to Paul Klee (bril) Richard deacon ( bit pants IMHO ) and ruin lust (loved it) with a friend so far so I reckon we've pretty much had our money's worth. Matisse soon when the rush dies down .

LtColGrinch · 16/04/2014 20:52

I wouldn't mind a donation on top of a small entry fee - but £16.30 seems more than enough to me. I'm with you OP.

Put the £1.70 with all the other saved cash & it'll soon build up!

Viviennemary · 16/04/2014 20:57

The admission charge does seemvery steep indeed. Hardly what you'd call bringing the arts to the people.

MrsSteptoe · 16/04/2014 20:57

I should imagine that donations are part of what keeps the other paintings at the Tate, and the National Gallery, and the National Portrait Gallery, and various other places, FREE. Oh, and the Science Museum. And the V&A. And the Natural History Museum. I'm sorry to be so London-centric, but I've lived here all my life, so I'm not very clued up on which museums are free to enter elsewhere.

So you could look at your £1.70 donation as being something that keeps free museums (or free collections within museums) free? Either way, hope your DM has a good time.

HanSolo · 16/04/2014 21:03

It's pretty ridiculous that it costs over £16 in the first place!
Art is not only for the well-off

MrsSteptoe, I'm pretty sure that it's government funding (i.e. taxation and borrowing) that pays for the museums to open with free entry.
I would have thought that donations to galleries and museums can be spent how the institution likes, not ringfenced to collections the government choose to support.

CreepyLittleBat · 16/04/2014 21:08

Maybe we could open up a Matisse bank for people who can't afford it? So no-one has to go without Matisse? I must admit the thought of Matisse-deprivation makes me shudder with horror.

Who's Matisse again?

Original poster

Southeastdweller · 16/04/2014 21:21

Oh What's to arf about with my tax comment? The Tate gets some of their funding via the government, doesn't it?

OP posts:

Burren · 16/04/2014 21:23

Why so sanctimonious about it, OP? Donate or don't as you see fit, but I wouldn't personally get into such a lather about £1.70.

The Tate only gets 40% of its funding from the government, according to its webpage, so I imagine a previous poster is correct in that donations such as the one the OP is quibbling over go towards keeping the permanent collection at Tate Modern, Tate Britain and Tate Liverpool free.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 16/04/2014 21:35

I don't really see the issue.

Don't donate. You'll hardly be the only one or raise any eyebrows, don't worry about it.

Trillions · 16/04/2014 21:49

EIGHTEEN FUCKING QUID? You're annoyed about the wrong thing.

I was looking forward to seeing that exhibition - won't be going now

Robfordscrack · 17/04/2014 03:58

YABU. 18 pounds to see original, world-class art in one of the best art venues I've ever seen. They assemble the exhibition from around the world, insure it etc. If you think that's expensive, please don't go to Legoland. or to the Theatre. Or out to eat. Or buy a weekly tube ticket.

Want2bSupermum · 17/04/2014 04:22

YANBU - I live half an hour south of Manhattan. Museums and art collections over here are not funded with taxes but through donations. For this reason I always donate. In the UK I donate because I'm not a resident. UK residents should not pay anything towards exhibitions if they can't afford it. As to the high cost - I pay $90 for an annual pass to the local zoo which includes education events. I think that is an awful lot to charge.

OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat · 17/04/2014 08:58

I want to see the exhibition, but I was a bit at the admission price, especially as I will also need to travel from the north and can't currently find a reasonably priced train ticket. Is looking like an expensive day out.

Where has this 'donation' thing come from anyway. A group of us recently visited London Zoo and there was a 10% 'optional donation' on top of the ticket price .

overthemill · 17/04/2014 09:08

National museums are free. Special exhibitions which are separate from the core exhibitions can be charged for. If you make a donation in top of the charge, it can be gift aided (so they get tax back on it ). We all pay for lots of things via tax, NI, council tax and VAT. If you ever buy a lottery ticket some if the money from that will go towards the arts funding too via the Heritage Lottery Fund or Big. If you can afford to pay the donation then do so, otherwise don't.but exhibitions like Mattisse are very expensive to put on: packing and transport, insurance etc all adds up. It's wonderful to be able to see a collection of his key pieces together in one place and less expensive than jetting off to New York or Paris or Madrid to see the pieces separately!

It's a bit like adding a service charge to a bill though in a restaurant. Some people hate it, others don't mind.

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