Weekly Policy & Advocacy Briefing | 11 - 15 May (Clone)
By Harry Gault | May 29, 2026 | Tags: Policy & Research, Policy & Advocacy Briefing
If you do one thing this week:
Read the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre's long-awaited Creative Industries Skills Audits - a key commitment in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, providing eleven audits for each creative subsector and assessing the current and future skills needs within them.
More detail is included below, but the report represents a significant attempt to bring coherence to a complex and fast‑moving skills landscape, highlighting an opportunity for the sector to lead in building a more joined-up, responsive skills system - one that supports lifelong learning across diverse careers pathways, tackling skills shortages and enabling the sector to realise its growth potential.
Creative UK’s upcoming advocacy activity
On 18 May, Nick Grimshaw (Creative UK's Regional Associate Director, South) will meet with the British Film Institute (BFI).
On 19 May, Marc Newall (Creative UK's Senior Policy & Research Associate) and Harry Gault (Creative UK's Policy & Public Affairs Manager) will meet with advisors to the Creative Industries Council (CIC). That day, Amy Tarr (Creative UK's Executive Policy & Research Associate), Carol Bell (Creative UK's Regional Associate Director, North), Nick, Marc, Harry and George Vincent (Creative UK's Senior Policy & Research Analyst) will meet with officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
On 20 May, Harry and Millie Prince-Hodges (Creative UK's Policy & Research Coordinator) will meet with Labour MPs and members of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Anneliese Midgley and Vicky Foxcroft.
On 21 May, Creative UK's Trade Body Network will meet.
On 22 May, George will attend a meeting of the Creative Industries Council's (CIC) Talent and Skills working group.
Creative UK’s last week of advocacy
On 11 May, Amy Tarr (Creative UK's Executive Policy & Research Associate), Carol Bell (Creative UK's Regional Associate Director, North) and Nick Grimshaw (Creative UK's Regional Associate Director, South) met with officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). That day, Emily Cloke (Creative UK's Chief Executive) attended the Creative Industries Council (CIC) and UK Research and Innovation's (UKRI) demonstration of the Creative Content Exchange platform.
On 12 May, Sarah Gregory (Creative UK's Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) and Chris Slesser (Creative UK's Partnerships Manager: Education, Skills and Training) attended the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre's (Creative PEC) 'The future skills agenda of the creative industries' event.
On 13 May, Harry attended the Good Work Review and Self-Employed Creators working group. That day, Tim Evans (Creative UK's Investment Director) and Harry attended a Creative Industries Council's (CIC) Access to Finance working group meeting. Separately, Carol and Charlotte Bond (Creative UK's Director of Regional Programmes) met with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), and Sarah attended a Department for Business and Trade roundtable on 'Antisemitism in the workplace'.
On 14 May, Emily spoke at the Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) Industrial Strategy Roadshow in Newcastle upon Tyne. That day, Harry, George Vincent (Creative UK's Senior Policy & Research Analyst) and Millie Prince-Hodges (Creative UK's Policy & Research Coordinator) met with the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre (Creative PEC). Separately, Harry will join a Creative Education Coalition meeting.
On 15 May, Emily and Harry met with advisors to the Creative Industries Council (CIC).
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
King's Speech 2026
Last Wednesday, the King's Speech marked the State Opening of Parliament and outlined the UK Government's legislative agenda, with the 35 bills planned for the next parliamentary session.
The 35 bills planned for the next parliamentary session are wide-ranging and substantive, including measures aimed at strengthening ties with the European Union (EU), which will allow ministers to alter British law automatically to keep it in line with legislation coming from Brussels, a bill to provide the legal framework for the government to create and issue digital IDs to all citizens, and pledges to end England's leasehold system and accelerate the remediation of unsafe cladding that has left homeowners in homeowners in properties that they cannot sell.
For the UK's cultural and creative industries, the King's Speech featured a number of announcements that could impact organisations and individuals across the sector. While the European Partnership Bill is primarily about improving the UK's trade and investment relationship with the EU by "facilitating the implementation of new deals" agreed with the bloc now and in the future, stakeholders across the UK's cultural and creative industries will hope that improved relations will pave the way for measures that address barriers impacting cultural mobility, including issues around touring, visa requirements and administrative complexities.
The Overnight Visitor Levy Bill - which will allow English mayors to introduce a charge on overnight stays, enabling them to generate revenue for investment in local projects and services in their areas - has been described by the government as the "first step in a new era of fiscal devolution in England". The Autumn Budget 2025 saw the UK Government first commit to an Overnight Visitor Levy and launch consultation on its design. Creative UK's consultation response proposed that a proportion of the revenues raised from the levy should be ringfenced for investment in the cultural and heritage sectors to sustain thriving visitor economies up and down the country.
Small businesses are set to benefit from what the government describes as the "most significant legislation to tackle late payments in 25 years" - the Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill. The legislation aims to give the UK the strongest legal framework on late payments, which costs the UK economy £11bn each year, in the G7.
There were a number of measures announced relating to education, skills and training, including the Education for All Bill - which aims to transport support for children and young people with SEND by providing early access to support close to home - as well as commitments to investing in apprenticeships and tackling youth unemployment, set to be delivered through the Milburn Review and Timms Review.
While these announcements are expected to carry implications for the cultural and creative industries, there were a number of bills notably absent from the King's Speech despite having been trailed before. Labour's manifesto for the 2024 general election promised action to tackle ticket touts, followed by ministers announcing proposals for a ticket resale cap in November last year. However, the King's Speech last week confirmed that ministers are not yet ready to legislate on the secondary ticketing market, with only draft legislation included meaning that a bill is not a priority to be put before Parliament in this session. It will instead remain subject to further public consultation and review by parliamentary committees.
Tom Kiehl, Chief Executive of Creative UK member UK Music, responded to the King's Speech by calling the government's "failure to tackle long-promised action on shady ticket touts" a "betrayal of millions of music fans". He urged parliamentarians to "explore the legislative programme and identify alternative opportunities to ensure primary legislation is passed in this year's parliamentary session".
Elsewhere, the government omitted legislation that would have required employers with 250 or more staff to publish pay-gap data to help tackle race and disability inequalities, as well as a bill that would have required public bodies to procure more goods and services from small and medium-sized UK businesses.
Creative PEC publishes long-awaited Creative Industries Skills Audits
On Tuesday 12 May, the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre's (Creative PEC) and Work Advance published the Creative Industries Skills Audits - a new sector-wide study assessing the current and future skills needs across creative industries subsectors.
The Creative Industries Skills Audits, a key commitment in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, reveal that creative economy employers are ambitious for growth, with nearly 50% looking to expand their workforce - but remain hampered by an outdated skills system. Alongside the Summary Report, the Creative PEC and Work Advance have also published subsector reports for Advertising and Marketing; Architecture; Crafts; Design and Designer Fashion; IT, Software and Computer Services; Museums, Galleries and Libraries, Music; Performing and Visual Arts; Publishing; Screen; and Video Games.
The report represents a significant attempt to bring coherence to a complex and fast‑moving skills landscape. Drawing on a UK‑wide audit process - including a new survey of over 1,300 employers and extensive engagement across eleven sub‑sectors - it sets out a detailed and industry‑validated picture of current and future skills needs, and the structural barriers that continue to constrain workforce development.
It confirms that the creative industries remain a major driver of UK growth, employing around 2.4 million people and expanding far faster than the wider economy. However, this success is increasingly underpinned, and constrained, by skills. Employers consistently highlight the need for an “alchemy” of technical, digital, transversal and business skills, yet one third report recruitment difficulties and nearly half report skills shortages or gaps affecting performance.
Crucially, these challenges are less about qualifications than capabilities: 72% of hard‑to‑fill vacancies are attributed to a lack of skills rather than formal credentials. At the same time, the pace of technological change - particularly AI - is shortening the “half‑life” of skills, driving continuous upskilling needs across the workforce. The audits also challenge assumptions about entry routes, finding that skills shortages and gaps are most acute at mid‑career level, reflecting rapid progression without sufficient training and the restructuring effects of new technologies.
Skills challenges are increasing workloads, delaying delivery and, in around one in five cases, directly constraining innovation and growth. These pressures are compounded by structural features of the sector - micro‑businesses, freelance working and project‑based employment - which make sustained investment in training both costly and difficult to coordinate.
Against this backdrop, the report’s recommendations call for a reset in how skills are understood, developed and supported across the creative economy. First, it argues for a more forward‑looking and joined‑up evidence base, combining national, sectoral and place‑based labour market intelligence, alongside a rolling programme of skills audits to keep pace with change. Second, it makes a strong case for embedding the full mix of skills - including digital, AI, sustainability and critical business capabilities - across the education pipeline, from schools through to further and higher education, supported by new frameworks for entrepreneurship and industry engagement.
Third, it emphasises the need to strengthen and diversify talent pathways, safeguarding higher education provision, expanding technical and modular routes, widening participation and maintaining immigration pathways that enable access to global talent. Fourth, the report highlights the importance of “precision upskilling”: better signposting of high‑quality training, stronger management capability within firms and new tools such as competency frameworks and skills passports to support continuous professional development across increasingly fluid careers.
Finally, it calls for a step‑change in partnership working, including a new Creative Industries Pact for Skills, strengthened governance, targeted support for freelancers and place‑based Technical Excellence Networks to address advanced technical capability.
Central to the report is the suggestion that addressing skills challenges will require not incremental reform, but a more coordinated and collaborative approach - aligning government, industry and education to ensure the creative industries can sustain growth in an increasingly competitive and technologically driven global landscape.
Apprenticeships to be put on equal footing with university degrees
Last Monday, the UK Government announced plans to overhaul the apprenticeship system by putting apprenticeships on an equal footing with university degrees and supporting small businesses to take on young apprentices with training fully funded from August.
The announcement has been positioned as "reversing years of underinvestment" in apprenticeships and technical education that have "locked young people out of opportunity". As a result, apprenticeships are now being placed at the heart of the government's approach to skills, with the aim of broadening routes into secure careers and supporting employers with workforce needs.
However, much of the package builds on previously announced reforms, with several measures representing extensions or reconfigurations rather than new initiatives. For example, the removal of co-investment for under-25s at non-levy-paying employers has been welcomed, but questions remain about wider system coherence - notably the planned requirement for some levy-paying employers (including SMEs that exceed their levy) to contribute up to 25% of training costs from August 2026, which appears to cut across the broader objective of incentivising youth recruitment.
Young people are set to gain easier access to opportunities through JobHelp, a rebranded online platform which provides information and guidance on jobs, skills, apprenticeships and training. This is intended to simplify navigation of the skills system, though it largely consolidates existing digital careers support. Alongside this, new regional brokerage pilots - backed by £140 million announced at the Autumn Budget - will give mayors greater responsibility for connecting young people, including those not in education, employment or training (NEET) with local opportunities. The effectiveness of these pilots is likely to depend on how well they integrate with existing local provider networks and apprenticeship infrastructure.
The Prime Minister’s wider ambition is for more young people to participate in higher-level learning -whether academic, technical or apprenticeship-based - so that success is “no longer defined by a single path, and talent and hard work are recognised in all their forms.”
This latest announcement builds on a package of reforms to the apprenticeship and skills system announced in March, including a £1bn investment to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships and high-quality training over the next three years through the Youth Guarantee. Alongside additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy, total funding across these measures is expected to reach £2.5bn over the next three years.
Additional employer incentives form a key part of the strategy. Businesses will be offered £3,000 for every young person aged 18–24 they hire who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for six months, with the aim of supporting 60,000 young people into work over three years. The Jobs Guarantee is also being expanded from 18–21 to 18–24, creating more than 35,000 additional subsidised roles and bringing total opportunities supported to over 90,000.
Alongside these measures, a new non-levy employer hiring grant for 16–24-year-olds is due to launch in October 2026. While broadly welcomed, there are concerns it may have unintended short-term impacts, with some employers reportedly considering delaying recruitment until the funding becomes available - potentially causing a temporary increase in NEET numbers.
The government has also signalled the introduction of new foundation apprenticeships in sectors such as retail and hospitality, reflecting a stronger focus on “everyday economy” roles that often serve as entry points for young people. Early feedback on these programmes is mixed, with some uncertainty over how they will align with existing level 2 apprenticeships and whether they adequately address the pre-employment gap previously supported through traineeships.
National Theatre report looks at the role of film theatre in audiences' lives and the UK's theatre ecosystem
On Monday 11 May, the National Theatre published a new report, 'Filmed Theatre and UK Audiences', exploring the role that filmed theatre plays in audiences' lives and in the ecosystem of theatre in the UK.
The National Theatre commissioned the independent research and strategy agency, Indigo, to carry out comprehensive, five-month research project drawing on insights from industry leaders, existing audience data, new audience interviews and over 5,500 UK survey respondents. The research also draws on the National Theatre's experience as an industry pioneer in filmed theatre, becoming one of the first UK arts venues to broadcast theatre, directly from its stages to local cinemas, 15 years ago. This was then followed by the launch of its own streaming service - National Theatre at Home - during the global pandemic in 2020.
Rather than cannibalising live audiences, the research finds that filmed theatre helps to increase the overall engagement of theatre across the UK, supporting an ecosystem of theatre that helps widen the reach of theatre productions. Filmed theatre across both cinema and streaming is shown to help democratise access to theatre, offering complementary benefits and increasing opportunities for both current and new audiences to experience theatre, as well as demonstrating new ways in which the sector might help audiences of the future to experience theatre.
The report also highlights how filmed theatre significantly lowers barriers to entry, enabling audiences to experiment more freely with new productions and to engage more often than they might otherwise be able to in person. Audiences repeatedly cited lower cost, reduced travel requirements and the ability to watch at their own convenience as key drivers of this behaviour. For many, particularly those outside London and the South East, filmed theatre provides a practical alternative to costly theatre trips, while still maintaining a strong preference for live performance as a “first choice” experience.
Its findings underline the role of filmed theatre in broadening and diversifying audiences. Streaming in particular attracts younger viewers, with over half of under-35s engaging with filmed theatre in this way over the past year, while cinema audiences also include a significant proportion of younger attendees. Filmed theatre is also shown to be more inclusive, with a higher proportion of disabled audiences engaging via streaming compared to in-person or cinema formats, reflecting the accessibility benefits of being able to watch in a more flexible and controlled environment.
As such, these findings point to filmed theatre as a powerful tool for expanding the reach and relevance of theatre in the UK. Rather than competing with live performance, cinema and streaming offer distinct but complementary experiences - combining convenience, affordability and flexibility with the social and cultural value of theatre-going.
The research concludes with a clear set of implications for the sector. It suggests that theatre organisations should continue to invest in filmed theatre as a means of growing audiences, particularly among younger and more diverse groups. It also highlights the importance of using filmed theatre to complement, rather than replicate, the live experience - recognising the different motivations and expectations audiences bring to each format. Finally, it encourages the sector to embrace the opportunities presented by digital distribution, using it not only to widen access but also to experiment with new models of engagement that reflect how audiences increasingly want to experience culture.
BPI report says UK is on 'cusp of AI licensing boom'
On Thursday 14 May, WPI Economics and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) published a new report, 'Driving UK growth: The role of licensing music in the age of AI', providing insights into the potential of an emerging market in the licensing of music for AI products and services.
The report positions the UK music industry as both economically significant and structurally resilient, underpinned by a long-standing ability to adapt to successive waves of technological change. Central to this adaptability is copyright, which has consistently enabled the industry to transition into new formats - from physical sales to streaming and platform-based distribution - by turning creative works into licensable assets that can support new markets and revenue streams. In this context, AI is framed not as an exception but as the latest evolution in this trajectory, with copyright once again acting as the mechanism through which innovation and value creation can be aligned.
It cites growing evidence that a licensing-based model for AI is already emerging. By 2026, hundreds of licensing agreements had been struck between rightsholders and technology companies, signalling both proof of concept and early momentum. The majority of music companies view licensing as essential to future growth, while consumers overwhelmingly support the principle that creators should be paid and permission sought when their work is used in AI systems. Together, these findings suggest that the conditions for a functioning licensing market are already in place, with both supply and demand coalescing around a shared framework.
The report identifies a significant opportunity to scale this emerging market, positioning licensing as a bridge between the UK’s world-leading creative and technology sectors. A mature licensing ecosystem could unlock new forms of collaboration, support innovation in AI products and ensure that the UK captures a meaningful share of a rapidly growing global market. Importantly, this opportunity extends beyond major players, with potential benefits for SMEs and individual creators across the value chain, reinforcing the broader economic case for a coordinated, market-led approach.
However, progress is currently constrained by a combination of policy uncertainty and market friction. Debate around potential changes to copyright - particularly the prospect of new exceptions - is identified as a key factor negatively impacting investment and slowing deal-making, while the opacity of AI training data presents a practical barrier to negotiations. These challenges are limiting the pace at which licensing agreements can be developed at scale, despite clear appetite on both sides of the market.
The report concludes that the most effective route to growth lies in reinforcing, rather than weakening, the existing copyright framework and enabling a transparent, functioning licensing market to develop. In doing so, it argues that policymakers should prioritise stability, support mechanisms that encourage commercial agreements and foster greater transparency between rightsholders and AI developers.
UK Government responds to Lords committee report on AI, copyright and the creative industries
On Tuesday 12 May, the Secretaries of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and Culture, Media and Sport - Liz Kendall MP and Lisa Nandy MP - jointly wrote to Labour peer and Chair of the Lords Communications and Digital Committee, Baroness Keeley, and published their formal response to the Committee's 'AI, copyright and the creative industries' report published in March.
The Committee's report examined how rapid advances in generative AI are reshaping the UK's cultural and creative industries and proposed potential policy interventions to protect creators' livelihoods while enabling innovation. It called on the government to rule out a new commercial text and data mining (TDM) exception - or 'opt‑out' model that creators have roundly rejected - and to provide clarity by publishing a final AI and copyright policy within the next year.
In their letter, the Secretaries of State acknowledge the clear concern among parliamentarians about potential changes to copyright law and the need to provide greater clarity and stability to creators, rightsholders and cultural organisations. The letter also underscores the importance of ensuring that creative businesses of all sizes - from individual creators to major institutions - are able to benefit from new opportunities, rather than being exposed to disproportionate risk.
Kendall and Nandy ultimately argue that the UK’s global leadership in the creative industries depends on getting the balance right: supporting innovation and new technologies, while ensuring that the regulatory and economic environment continues to reward creativity, protect rights and enable the sector to grow sustainably.
The UK Government's formal response provides further clarity on how it intends to navigate the question of copyright reform, emphasising that it has moved away from its previously proposed “opt-out” text and data mining model following strong opposition from stakeholders. Instead, it reiterates that no final policy position has yet been reached, and that further evidence-gathering, consultation and engagement will be required before any legislative changes are considered.
In particular, it stresses that reforms will only be pursued where they can demonstrably balance the needs of both the creative and technology sectors, ensuring that rightsholders are fairly rewarded while enabling AI developers to access high-quality data. The response also places the UK debate in an international context, noting parallel policy developments in the EU and US, along with growing litigation and emerging transparency standards, all of which will inform the UK’s eventual approach.
Alongside this, the response also sets out a series of near-term actions intended to build the evidence base and support a functioning market. Central to this is a clear endorsement of a licensing-led approach, with ministers stating that AI developers should seek permission and licences when using copyrighted works, while maintaining that it is too early for direct intervention in the market. Supporting this, a new working group will explore how smaller and independent creators can better participate in licensing opportunities, while the proposed Creative Content Exchange will aim to provide a trusted digital marketplace to enable lawful access to creative assets and unlock new revenue streams.
Former Culture Secretary defends copyright as "key" to growing the UK's creative industries
On Thursday 14 May, the Conservative peer and former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lord Vaizey of Didcot, wrote an article for City AM in which he stressed the importance of copyright as a "market mechanism that turns British creativity into investment and the route to responsible AI".
Despite the creative industries' proven economic heft, Vaizey questions why the ongoing debate about AI and copyright has slipped into a "false choice" between letting technology "hoover up creative work for free" or missing out on innovation.
Instead, Vaizey argues that copyright underpins creativity and turns it into a "precious asset", which can then be bought, sold, licensed, financed and used to build a business around. He suggests that if the UK is serious about being both an AI superpower and a creative powerhouse, then the right approach is to "recognise the market making power of copyright" and "support commercial licensing at speed and scale".
He references a new report published by WPI Economics and Creative UK member, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which identifies the opportunity for commerce and economic growth that "comes not from sweeping away copyright, but from supporting it and licensing it".
Vaizey concludes by urging ministers to "stop rehashing tired old arguments about copyright having had its day" and concentrate on what makes licensing deals possible: legal certainty through the application of UK law and meaningful transparency about what is used in AI training. He finishes by saying, that by getting the foundations right, the UK can lead the global transformation AI poses and create a market that works for all.
CIISA granted official whistleblowing status
On Thursday 14 May, it was confirmed that the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) had been granted official whistleblowing status, as the organisation set out its three-year vision for protecting and improving the sector.
CIISA has welcomed its designation as an independent whistleblowing organisation, saying it will help offer important legal safeguards for people making relevant disclosures. It has also opened up registration to organisations in film, TV, theatre and music which wish to send a "powerful signal that harmful behaviour will not be tolerated".
Its three-year strategy - Empowering Creativity by Protecting People - has been welcomed by the Women and Equalities Select Committee. Likewise, the Conservative MP and Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage, said the Committee had "followed CIISA's progress with interest" on account of continued concern “about the scale and persistence of bullying, harassment and discrimination within the creative and cultural sectors”. Dame Caroline added: " We think CIISA has an important role to play in tackling these issues and we welcome publication of this three-year strategy and the formal recognition of CIISA as a whistleblowing body."
CIISA's three-year strategy focuses on four key goals: to roll out services across the sector that support accountability and transparency, provide practical tools and guidance that will help make the workforce’s experiences look consistent across the creative industries and its organisations, to engage with people on the ground, and to secure sustainable funding.
Jen Smith, chief executive of CIISA, said: "I’m proud to set out our strategic vision for the next three years, which feels particularly significant in a moment of real momentum as CIISA is recognised as an independent whistleblowing body for film, TV, music and theatre, and as we open our registration model. Registering with CIISA enables organisations to make a visible commitment to collectively preventing the harmful behaviours that have no place in our sector; together we will drive real change that will benefit all those who make the UK’s creative sector so extraordinary."
UCL research shows arts and cultural engagement 'linked to slower place of biological ageing'
On Monday 11 May, UCL published a new report, authored by Professor Daisy Fancourt, which shows that arts and cultural engagement is "linked to slower pace of biological ageing", meaning that visiting art galleries or museums, singing and painting can help improve health outcomes.
According to an article in The Guardian, the findings are the first to show that both participating in arts activities and attending events, such as viewing an exhibition, lead to people staying biologically younger. Commenting on the findings, Fancourt said: "These results demonstrate the health impact of the arts at a biological level. They provide evidence for arts and cultural engagement to be recognised as a health-promoting behaviour in a similar way to exercise."
The study draws on data from more than 3,500 UK adults, combining survey responses with blood samples to assess “biological age” using epigenetic clocks - a method that measures age-related changes to DNA. The results suggest that those who engage in arts and cultural activities more frequently, and across a wider range of activities, tend to show a slower rate of ageing and a younger biological profile.
Of note, the benefits appear to be cumulative: people who take part in arts activities weekly were found to age around 4% more slowly than those who rarely engage, with even monthly participation linked to measurable effects. The scale of this impact is striking, with researchers suggesting it is comparable to the benefits associated with regular physical activity, and in some cases even greater.
The findings also indicate that both participation and attendance matter equally, reinforcing the idea that the act of creating as well as consuming culture can deliver tangible health benefits. This effect is particularly pronounced among middle-aged and older adults, while remaining consistent even after accounting for other factors such as income, education and lifestyle.
However, the authors are careful to note the limits of the research. While slower biological ageing is associated with improved health and reduced risk of disease, it does not necessarily translate directly into increased lifespan, and further work will be needed to establish causal links.
Art Fund publishes 2026 Museum Directors Research
On Wednesday 13 May, Art Fund published its bi-annual Museum Directors Research report, offering a snapshot of the day-to-day realities of running a public museum, gallery, archive or historic house.
The 2026 Museum Directors Research presents a picture of a sector that is simultaneously recovering and under significant strain. Drawing on responses from more than 300 museum leaders across the UK, the report finds a renewed sense of cautious optimism, driven by rising visitor demand, strengthened community engagement and modest increases in both earned and public income. However, this optimism is tempered by a more fragile underlying reality, with museums facing a widening gap between income and expenditure as rising operational costs continue to outpace funding growth.
While many institutions report increased footfall and strong demand for learning and public programmes, this growth has not translated into greater capacity. Instead, organisations are increasingly having to scale back activity, with fewer exhibitions, reduced opening hours and a long-term decline in core collections work such as cataloguing and digitisation. This reflects what the report identifies as a fundamental constraint: the sector is not limited by audience interest, but by the resources needed to meet that demand.
Workforce capacity emerges as the most acute pressure point. A significant majority of directors identify staffing shortages as their primary challenge for the year ahead, with years of reduced posts placing strain on remaining teams and impacting museums’ ability to care for and interpret collections effectively. Alongside this, the funding landscape remains uneven, particularly for local authority museums, where cuts or stagnation in support continue to pose an ongoing risk to sustainability.
Despite these challenges, the report highlights areas of progress and opportunity. Partnership working is increasing, with more museums collaborating on exhibitions and programming, while community engagement has become central to institutional practice. These trends point to a sector that is actively adapting and finding new ways to deliver public value even within constrained conditions.
While museums are demonstrating resilience and innovation, their ability to maintain collections, serve growing audiences and realise their broader social and cultural role is being undermined by structural underinvestment. The report therefore calls on policymakers and funders to address workforce pressures, stabilise funding (particularly at a local level) and support core collections activity for the sector to move from recovery to long-term sustainability.
New Welsh culture ministers promises arts will be a 'priority'
Following Plaid Cymru's success in the Senedd elections, the new First Minister Rhun ap Iorweth announced the party's first cabinet last Wednesday (13 May) and confirmed that Heledd Fychan had been appointed as Plaid Cymru's first Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport - a new cabinet role, promoted from a junior ministerial one under Labour.
Shortly after her appointment, Fychan told Radio Wales Breakfast that the arts, culture and heritage sector did not get adequate support from the previous Labour government, confirming that it was "clearly a priority" for the new Plaid government. In a separate interview with BBC Wales, Fychan said she couldn't "promise huge investment overnight" but committed to putting together a plan aimed "increased investment year-on-year".
Last year, a Senedd report found that Wales had the lowest spending per person on cultural services in Europe, and third lowest on recreation and sports.
Before moving into politics full time, Fychan was the Head of Policy and Public Affairs at National Museum Wales and was elected to the board of the Museums Association in 2009, serving on its Ethics and Nations Committees.
After relegating Labour to third place in Wales, following the party's 27-year stint in control of the Welsh government, Plaid will form a minority government. Its election manifesto promised to strengthen the country's position as a "cultural powerhouse", including developing a new arts strategy for a "healthier, wealthier and more resilient Wales".
It also pledged to replace "the current vague and non-committal" strategy with a "real and targeted" one that is "properly funded", while also hinting at a review of the "fitness" of bodies such as Arts Council Wales and Creative Wales. The party has also said it will examine options for making cultural provision a statutory requirement for public bodies such as local authorities.
Next week in UK Parliament (correct at the time of issuing)
Monday 18 May
House of Commons: Debate - Continuation of the debate on King's Speech on backing business to create economic growth
House of Lords: Oral questions - New local government pension fund guidance (led by Crossbench peer Baroness Altmann)
Tuesday 19 May
House of Lords: Debate - Debate on the Address (King's Speech) - education, culture, technology and energy security
Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee: Oral evidence - BBC Royal Charter Review
Witnesses include the playwright and screen writer, James Graham; journalist and podcaster Marina Hyde; Co-Chair of the Creative Industries Council (CIC), Sir Peter Bazalgette; media executive and former CEO at Channel 4, Dr Alex Mahon; and Chair at the British Broadcasting Challenge, Patrick Younge
Commons Education Select Committee: Oral evidence - Reading for Pleasure
Witnesses include representatives from the Publishers Association, The Booksellers Association, Merky Books, Libraries Connected, Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), Community Libraries Network, Chief Cultural and Leisure Officers Association (CLOA) and the screenwriter, novelist, children's author and Waterstones Children's Laurate 2024 - 2026, Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Wednesday 20 May
House of Commons: Oral questions - Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Questions include steps being taken to protect children online; an update on discussions with the science and technology sector on closer regulatory environment with the EU; steps being taken to help ensure that parents and children are able to engage with the 'Growing up in the online world' consultation; and steps being taken to help ensure artificial intelligence is developed responsibly
House of Lords: Oral questions - Attainment gap in music for disadvantaged pupils in state schools (led by Labour peer Baroness Keeley)
Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee: Oral evidence - Youth employment, education and training
Witnesses include Alan Milburn, Chair at Young People and Work Report; Professor Dr Hubert Ertl, Director of Research and Vice President at Germany's Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB); Dr Emily Erikson, Research Fellow and Policy Lead at the Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick; and Dr Veerle Miranda, Head of Youth Employment and Social Policies Unit at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee: Oral evidence - Pre-appointment hearing for the Chair of Ofcom
Sir Ian Cheshire, the UK Government's preferred candidate for the role of Chair at Ofcom, will give evidence
Thursday 21 May
House of Commons: Oral questions - Department for Business and Trade
Questions include discussions with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the role of the Competition and Markets Authority in the resale of tickets for sporting and cultural events; steps being taken to develop an Industrial Strategy; an update on the implementation of the Employment Rights Act 2025; steps being taken to help small and medium-sized businesses trade with European nations; steps being taken to support the hospitality industry; steps being taken to support the creation of jobs for young people; steps being taken to help tackle late payments for small businesses; and steps being taken to support high street businesses