In late 2023 the Arts Council England (ACE) commissioned a report on public investment in English museums. The report, published in January 2024, shows that local authority funding per capita in museums during the 14 years from 2009-10 to 2022-23 reduced by 23%. It also shows that the East of England has above average spend per capita, whilst Northern and South West England have the highest levels of local authority funding for museums.
The research was commissioned with the aim of producing a comprehensive set of data that can support museums, local authorities, and stakeholders with budget planning, and encourage a strategic and collaborative approach to considering the funding challenges facing both museums and local government. The report concludes with a set of potential actions in response to changes in local authority funding, highly relevant to industrial heritage museums and sites, focussing on:
- the current financial position and outlook;
- workforce issues;
- skills and capacity;
- making the case for museums;
- and levers for change
To download and read the report follow this link: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/research-and-data/research-understand-levels-public-investment-museums
Industrial Heritage Networks 