Can you run a museum on a salary of 500 euros a month? The announcement of the Straw Museum of Signa

Running a museum on 500 euros a month? That’s what the City of Signa is asking for, which published on March 12 a notice for the selection of the new scientific director of the Museo Civico della Paglia, which preserves collections of woven straw objects, braids, hats and other artifacts, clothing and footwear, woven objects in natural or artificial fibers of all kinds, embroidery and textiles in natural fibers, machines and tools for straw processing, works of art and documentary material of various kinds. In short, a museum that chronicles a fundamental activity for this area.

The position involves all the activities that a director must perform (he or she must contribute to the definition of the museum’s cultural and institutional project, oversee the conservation, ordering, display and study of the collections, activities didactics, provide for the implementation of enhancement initiatives, prepare and take care of research, documentation, cataloguing, maintenance and restoration projects, manage loans, plan communication, take care of relations with other institutions, take care of deposits), all with a VAT-registered contract of only 6. 000 euros a year. That is, precisely, 500 euros per month. And what’s more, without reimbursement of expenses. And all against important requirements: a master’s degree, at least one advanced course (or a PhD or master’s degree) in Art History, or Conservation or Promotion of Cultural Heritage, or Museology, experience of at least one year in the scientific direction of other public or private cultural facilities, and also good knowledge of English.

The museum was opened in 1997 and has invested heavily in upgrading its spaces (227,000 euros), but does not seem as keen to invest in its director’s salary. Moreover, in addition to the application, applicants will also have to submit a paper where they will explain how they intend to approach the areas of the job: promotion and communication; conservation, inventorying and cataloging; and planning. In short, almost a consultancy. Besides, the notice does not specify how many hours the assignment will be. All that is known is that since it is a VAT contract, the director will be able to decide independently from where to work. He will not be reimbursed for travel to the museum, however, should he come from outside Signa.

“It is clear from the announcement that the person sought is that of a duly trained professional (”at least one postgraduate course, PhD, master’s degree“) and with previous experience in the field (preferably managerial),” Alice Chiostrini, art historian and activist of the Mi Riconosci association, explains to us, “but these demands are not matched in the least by the compensation equal to the embarrassing figure of 6,000 euros gross per year, under a VAT number. For the umpteenth time we are faced with a serious case of devaluation of the cultural profession, in the face of years of study and very high specialization.” The association now hopes that the City of Signa will either withdraw or correct the notice.

Can you run a museum on a salary of 500 euros a month? The announcement of the Straw Museum of Signa

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