“What are the factors that have affected the resilience, strategic capacity, and long-term sustainability of museums in England over the last fifteen years – and what interventions could best support these over the coming years?”
With new funding provided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Arts Council England and the Association of Independent Museums (AIM) are commissioning a major new research project – Museums and Money – to examine museum finances over the last fifteen years and what they reveal about sector resilience. The work is particularly timely given the sector has undergone significant shifts in recent years: real-terms decreases in local authority funding, rising costs, new governance models, organisational restructuring, income diversification, and the increased prominence of philanthropy and earned income in financial models, bringing challenges and opportunities. This research will allow the Arts Council and museums to build their evidence base and data-driven understanding of the health of the museum sector, to inform future policy development and their strategic role as the national development agency for museums.
The project will combine museum engagement and policy consultation, data review and analysis, and quantitative and qualitative research covering public funding, income and operating models, the risks facing museums, their possible futures and more. It will culminate in a report with policy recommendations that could help shape sector and funding priorities in the coming years. The final report is due in Autumn 2027.
To guide the project, ensure broad reach, and leverage existing sector knowledge, an advisory group comprising major representative and policy sector bodies will be convened by AIM.
Lisa Ollerhead said
“We’re excited to commission this game-changing piece of research. As well as providing the evidence base for understanding the financial pressures facing museums, it will identify new approaches and practical ways to support their resilience and sustainability in the years ahead.”
Emmie Kell, Director, Museums and Cultural Property, Arts Council England said:
“The last fifteen years has been a time of considerable challenge for the museum sector. The shifts in public funding and rises in expenditure are placing unprecedented pressure on traditional museum operating models. This comprehensive research will allow us to assess the shift that has occurred, understand its impact across the sector and explore how the sector can be best supported in the years to come.”
Further details about the project, including opportunities for museums and sector partners to contribute to the research, will be shared by AIM as the work progresses.
About Arts Council England
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Its vision, set out in its strategy Let’s Create, is that by 2030, England will be a country in which the creativity of each person is valued and given the chance to flourish, and where everyone has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. Between 2023 and 2026, it will have invested over £467 million of public money from Government, alongside an estimated £250 million each year from The National Lottery, to help ensure that people in every part of the country have access to culture and creativity in the places where they live.
Visit the Arts Council website to learn more about its work.
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