Museums and heritage

Julie Bécaud, now a researcher at the Scottish Maritime Museum, explains her first steps into the arts in the UK.

Marketing

A collective voice for freelancers

02 Jan 2020

Some organisations and funders do not see freelancers as an intrinsic part of the sector. The Museum Freelance network is advocating to make sure their contribution is recognised and valued, says Christina Lister.

Human resources

How can heritage respond to a changing world?

A photo of a large glass door with text on it

05 Dec 2019

Climate change, activism, funding constraints, policy priorities… How can museums and heritage organisations adjust their presentation, programming, collections and business models in response to the challenging world around them? Being adaptable is the only way forward, says Tom Freshwater.

Cultural partnerships to lead high streets regeneration

26 Nov 2019

Historic England envisages the community-led scheme will become a “catalyst for wider regeneration” in a similar way to Creative People and Places.

Placemaking

Regeneration

‘Better evidence’ needed on immersive technology

11 Nov 2019

A study warns that “debates about authenticity, re-creation and fakery are amplified by digital technologies”.

Access

Millions more visit major museums

28 Oct 2019

Several museums and galleries have recorded their highest visitor numbers in a decade – leading DCMS to claim it was a “record breaking year for museums and galleries in England”.

Children and young people

Income

Tourism

£250m funding boost for culture

17 Oct 2019

The Government’s “biggest ever single investment in cultural infrastructure” will pay for building maintenance in musuems, technology for libraries and regeneration projects.

Heritage key to creative industries’ success, report claims

24 Sep 2019

The Heritage Alliance is calling for greater recognition and funding to support the historic places and objects that underpin creative and cultural activities, challenging the stereotype of heritage as “a decorative incidental backdrop to contemporary creative work”.

Museums and tourist boards at odds over cultural tourism

12 Sep 2019

A new survey finds that one in three museums are unlikely to collaborate with tourism brands, and three quarters think a stronger focus on tourism could clash with their educational goals.

Collaboration

Tourism

Telling new stories around disability

Photo of a woman in a wheelchair in the 'Being Human' gallery

05 Sep 2019

Case study

Medical museums can be deeply offensive to disabled visitors. Richard Sandell introduces a radical project that replaced prejudiced perspectives with rights and respect.

Four in ten organisations pay front of house less than Living Wage, survey finds

03 Sep 2019

More than half of cultural organisations surveyed anticipate challenges meeting staff costs in the coming 12 months, and a similar proportion rely daily on volunteers.

Human resources

Design Museum under pressure from anti-arms campaigners

06 Aug 2019

The institution has rejected campaigners’ claims that it has “done nothing” a year after promising to reassess its fundraising approach – but won’t make the review public.

Fundraising

Governance

Mayor steps in to plug V&A East funding gap

An artist's drawing of the planned V&A East museum

12 Jul 2019

The GLA has agreed to underwrite a budget shortfall of up to £12m, which is expected despite a £9m a year boost in funding from DCMS.

Major museums to compare visitor experiences with other leisure attractions

18 Apr 2019

New research will compare data on areas such as cross-visitation and dwell-time at some of England’s largest cultural institutions, including Tate and the British Museum.

Visual arts

Data

Drawing people in

Photo of actress looking down from balcony

03 Jan 2019

Case study

Bristol Old Vic, England’s oldest theatre, is now also open as a visitor attraction and heritage destination. Emma Stenning explains why - and how - the venue embarked on this new venture.

Theatre

Arts funding

Letting youth lead the way

03 Jan 2019

Case study

National Trust venues are engaging with new audiences by empowering young people to run events with local communities, says Hattie Clayton.

Engagement

Children and young people

National museums’ fundraising income drops as major campaigns end

09 Nov 2018

Tate, the British Museum and Imperial War Museums have all recently completed drives to gain support for large-scale capital work, but economic changes also played a part in the decline.

Space to play and learn

Photo of young child playing with shoes in cobblers shop

27 Jun 2018

With arts engagement known to play a key role in social mobility, Claudine Matthews calls for UK cultural institutions to take a cue from the Finnish and become more welcoming to young children and families.

Children and young people

Europe

UK museums slip down worldwide top 20 visitor rankings

01 Jun 2018

The number of visits to UK museums fell last year, while Asian museums increased attendance by 11%.

Lessons in effective fundraising

Photo of two men in discussion in workshop

24 May 2018

When trustees and senior managers develop their fundraising skills alongside staff and volunteers, some key barriers to fundraising success can be overcome. Miranda Rowlands explains.

Fundraising