Tate Modern Director Sir Nicholas Serota announced in an interview today that Museums in the UK could not weather cuts of 25% – 30% and that they would have to close for at least two days per week and drastically cut opening hours. In a rare out pouring, he also pointed out that it would be particularly difficult to sustain the current level of service if the Coalition insists on bringing in the cuts all at once, rather than gradually phasing in the measures. Serota pointed out that successive Governments both Labour and Conservative have supported the arts an a way that has made “Britain a civilized place to live where everyone has the chance to enjoy the arts”. He also added that ,”The idea that you can cut £180 billion deficit by slicing money out of the department for culture, media and sport is frankly absurd”. Serota reminded both the chancellor, George Osborne and Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt that pre- election pledges of “Laying the foundations for a new golden age”, was not going to happen without a mix of public and private funds.