How important is Public Investment in Museums across the UK

Wavehill worked with Arts Council England and DC Research to examine levels of public investment in museums and the implications for the sector’s long-term sustainability.

We analysed investment from a range of public sources, including local authorities, Arts Council England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and DCMS, alongside a detailed review of spending trends since 2009/10. The study included 35 stakeholder interviews covering 30 museum services and organisations and engagement with sector bodies to understand how funding changes were affecting museum operations, workforce capacity and future resilience.

Impact

The research identified 413 local authority-reliant museums, representing 31% of all accredited museums in England, providing one of the most comprehensive assessments of this part of the sector.
Analysis showed that local authority expenditure on museums and galleries fell by 36.7% in real terms between 2009/10 and 2022/23, highlighting the growing financial pressures facing museum services.
The work demonstrated significant geographical variation in museum investment and highlighted concerns relating to workforce capacity, deteriorating infrastructure, financial sustainability and the protection of heritage assets.

The research provided Arts Council England and sector partners with a stronger evidence base for understanding investment trends, supporting future policy development and informing discussions about the long-term resilience of England’s museums.

The report is available to read here.