Arts & Culture

There is both survey-based and anecdotal evidence to suggest that visitors to arts and cultural venues such as theatres, museums, galleries and heritage sites behave in a different way than they did, say, 20 years ago. The  pandemic may have played a part and some people point to the rise of smartphones and social media. What's really happening and what are the explanations and implications? In th...

Melanie Lewis is the new Chair of Trustees for the Association for Cultural Enterprises. She has a brilliant track record within the sector, being named as one of The Stage 100’s Most Influential People of 2024. With Melanie as CEO, Shakespeare North Playhouse has flourished as a hub for creativity, innovation, and community engagement. Her strategic vision has not only elevated the artistic excel...

When Florence Schechter looked for a Vagina Museum to help her answer a research question... and found there wasn't one (even though there was a Penis Museum) she decided to make one herself. She had a great idea, an engaged audience and powerful purpose, but she found apathy and a lack of meaningful support from the established existing museum sector. Undeterred, Florence found a way. By harnessi...

The country-wide economic squeeze has hit the arts and culture sector hard. Local governments -  under pressure to save money - are making cuts to their support for local arts organisations, sometimes removing funding completely. Why are we in this situation and what can be done to make positive progress? Host Tom Dawson is joined by three expert guests to understand the context and try to come up...

Sir John Soane was one of the world's most famous neo-classical architects. He built and lived in a house in London which, when he died, he left to the nation. The result is a house museum that has National Museum status and - according to the terms in Sir John's will - has been kept as it was at the time of his death in 1837. Rebecca Hossain is  Director of Commercial and Operations. The museum d...

Young V&A is a museum for children and young people. It's located on the site of the former Museum of Childhood but re-launched  under a new brand and with a complete re-imagining in July 2023. Amy Akino-Wittering (Head of Operations and Commercial at Young V&A) runs the day-to-day operation of the museum and played a key leadership role in its planning, design and launch. In this episode she shar...

The Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre is a tiny site... with a big name above the door.  Roald Dahl is one of the world's most famous authors and his stories and characters have inspired generations of children and adults alike. Museum Director Steve Gardam shows Tom Dawson (Association For Cultural Enterprises) around, then explains how physical size does not have to be a limitation on the vision...

Rachel Mackay is Head of Hampton Court Palace - an incredible job title with a fantastic bonus included... she gets to live in a Royal Palace. It's not quite as fairytale glamorous as it sounds, but the role, and the Palace itself, provide Rachel with one of the most intriguing and rewarding roles within the cultural sector. What better place and person to start this new podcast from the Associati...

Tom Dykes from The Association for Cultural Enterprises welcomes you to a new podcast - Arts & Culture. Coming soon... The podcast for the Cultural Sector. The Arts & Culture podcast delivers best-in-class thought leadership, with industry heavy hitters and crucial sector-defining topics, going behind the scenes at the UK's museums, galleries and heritage sites.  Host Tom Dawson is COO for the Ass...