LATER SUMMER OPENING TO BE PILOTED AT CITY CENTRE VENUES
Both the City Art Centre and the Museum of Childhood are set to capitalise on this summer’s influx of people to the city centre if proposals to extend evening opening hours are agreed next week at the Council’s Culture & Sport Committee. The plans are set to be piloted from June to September this year in an effort to boost footfall and increase visitor numbers to the popular attractions.
A report details the proposals which would see the City Art Centre open until 7pm throughout the week and the Museum of Childhood open until 6pm. The plans also include early Sunday opening at the Royal Mile venue.
Councillor Richard Lewis, the city’s Culture and Sport Convener, said:- “During the summer months the centre of Edinburgh is always busy with thousands of festival-goers and opening later into the evening will allow our venues to capitalise on this footfall. In February the Capital Coalition allocated £20,000 in our budget to allow this pilot to go ahead. With the City Art Centre hosting this summer’s must-see exhibition of fashion photography from the Condé Nast archives, I’ve no doubt that our city centre venues will be the destination of choice for locals and tourists over the next few months.”
The pilot, which would run from 15 June to 8 September, is to coincide with the City Art Centre festival exhibitions featuring Coming into Fashion – A century of photography at Condé Nast among the extensive programme.
Councillors will be asked to agree the alternative opening hours pilot at the Culture and Sport Committee on Tuesday 28 May.
Current opening hours:
City Art Centre: Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 12pm – 5pm
Museum of Childhood: Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 12pm – 5pm
Proposed opening hours:
City Art Centre: Monday to Saturday 10am – 7pm, Sunday 12pm – 7pm
Museum of Childhood: Monday to Saturday 10am – 6pm, Sunday 10am – 6pm
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