National Gallery Security Staff Segregated From Other Employees, Curator Claims
Outsourced security staff are being separated from other employees like “second class citizens”, a senior curator claims
National Gallery, London. Photo: Mike Peel via Wikimedia Commons
A senior curator has told The Guardian that the National Gallery’s outsourced security staff – the majority of whom are from non-white backgrounds – are being segregated like “second-class citizens”.
The institution’s other employees have access to high-quality recreation rooms and a heavily subsidised canteen from which security staff are barred. They are relegated to a “stifling” basement space with broken furniture, rodent issues and no natural light or air conditioning, the curator says.
Security staff are represented by the PCS union, which wrote to the gallery’s director on 01 July to argue that the separation was “potentially discriminatory under the Equality Act 2010”. The organisation is still waiting for a reply.
The National Gallery told The Guardian: “Security staff do not have access to the hub offices. This has been the position since those offices were established due to wider space constraints, with dedicated facilities provided elsewhere in the gallery for security staff and other contractors.”
Related content
Swedish Centre-Left Bloc Secures Slim Majority
Washington DC’s Kennedy Center Risks Fiscal Collapse
Hungarian Government Scraps New National Gallery
News
-1.jpg%3F2026-09-17T16%3A44%3A23.891Z&w=3840&q=100)
Swedish Centre-Left Bloc Secures Slim Majority
Following a tight election, Sweden’s opposition bloc has secured a narrow victory over the outgoing right-wing bloc. What could it mean for the cultural sector?
Washington DC’s Kennedy Center Risks Fiscal Collapse
Internal documents obtained by The Washington Post warn that the Kennedy Center faces “fiscal collapse” within weeks, after ticket sales and fundraising plunged amid upheaval following Donald Trump’s takeover
Hungarian Government Scraps New National Gallery
The Hungarian government's decision to cancel construction of the New National Gallery has ended a major European cultural initiative, raising questions over its future.
-1.jpg%3F2026-09-10T15%3A33%3A24.143Z&w=3840&q=100)
Qatar Museums to Build Dedicated Pavilion to Gerhard Richter
Qatar Museums will begin the creation of the Doha Pavilion, a new permanent structure to display the works of German artist Gerhard Richter.
Lucien Smith, Art-Market Star of the 2010s, Dies at 37
American artist Lucien Smith, who rose rapidly to prominence in the 2010s and became a fixture of New York’s downtown art scene, has died aged 37.
Japan Art Association Announces the 2026 Praemium Imperiale Prize Recipients
Jenny Holzer and Andy Goldsworthy are two of the five recipients of the 2026 Praemium Imperiale, the Japan Art Association’s prestigious international arts award.
Fundación Banco Santander Opens its Cultural Centre
The Faro Santander Museum opened its doors this week on the northern coast of Spain.
Geles Cabrera, Pioneering Mexican Sculptor, Dies Age 100
The sculptor Geles Cabrera, best known for being Mexico’s first professional female sculptor, has passed away age 100
_Teapot%2520and%2520Scrolls%2520(During%2520Trip%2520to%2520Mokpo)-1.jpg%3F2026-09-07T16%3A17%3A01.824Z&w=3840&q=100)
Gwangju Biennale Opens Without China’s Pavilion
Amidst a diplomatic storm over Taiwan, the Gwangju Biennale returns with a sprawling 16th edition of contemporary art
Toledo Museum to Return Five Objects to Ethiopia
A new 20-year partnership with Ethiopia’s heritage authority will investigate objects with incomplete provenance and establish a route for their return
Andy Burnham Fractures Hopes of Parthenon Marbles Restitution
The British Prime Minister has publicly cooled on his stance regarding the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece
Yayoi Kusama, Iconic Painter of Polka Dots, Dies at 97
The artist developed a body of work recognisable for its obsession with repetition
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter
Intel on the art market. Straight to your inbox.
