Museums and tourist boards at odds over cultural tourism

Photo of Margate, Kent
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.

Telling new stories around disability

Photo of a woman in a wheelchair in the 'Being Human' gallery
05 Sep 2019

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

Photo of a museum shop
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.

Design Museum under pressure from anti-arms campaigners

Photo of the Design Museum
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.

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

Photo of a visitor at the Tate
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.

Drawing people in

Photo of actress looking down from balcony
03 Jan 2019

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.

Letting youth lead the way

Photo of a group of children colouring
03 Jan 2019

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

National museums’ fundraising income drops as major campaigns end

Blavatnik Building Photograph
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.

UK museums slip down worldwide top 20 visitor rankings

Photo of Victoria and Albert
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.

Breaking into the museum sector

Photo of young people celebrating success
10 May 2018

To work in a museum you need the right academic qualifications and the resources to volunteer, but new initiatives in Scotland are starting to open up the sector to young people from more diverse backgrounds, says Catherine Cartmell.

From institution to inclusion

Photo of people in sunshine outside museum
12 Apr 2018

Why would a cultural venue install a swimming pool? Alexia Jacques Casanova charts the evolution of inclusive and participatory practice in museums and shares advice from Bozar in Brussels.

Museum and galleries funding must be “urgently” increased

Photo of art sale
21 Feb 2018

A new report is heavily critical of the Mendoza Reivew, after identifying a gap between museum resources and the cost of acquiring art through auction.

How Bristol Culture turned its retail operation around

Photo of interior of shop
14 Feb 2018

Three years ago Bristol’s museum and gallery shops were running without a plan and losing money, but now they are on track to increase revenue by 60%. Zak Mensah tells the story.

Being an international in the creative sector

Photo of Concorde
12 Feb 2018

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

Late openings key to improving gallery audience diversity

Photo of late night
09 Feb 2018

Museums and galleries are urged to regularly extend opening hours and put on after-hours events, which are estimated to be worth an annual £9.6m in ticket sales.

Brexit could affect staff at one in three UK museums

Wollaton Hall
09 Feb 2018

The Museums Association’s annual survey finds 4% of the workforce are non-UK EU citizens.

More than the remnants of an Empire

Photo of boy in gallery
01 Feb 2018

As we begin the process of leaving the EU, our regional museums have the power to change perceptions about Britain’s place in the world. We should celebrate them more, says Jonty Claypole.

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