Adapting to austerity through commercialisation: A contextual analysis of cultural policies and change of art museums in the United Kingdom

While previous researchers have attempted to explain the phenomenon of art museums’ commercialisation in different countries with reference to cultural policies, this study examines the causes and effects of commercialisation of art museums in the UK. Building on arts literature, we show that the cultural policies of the UK Government since the 1980s are leading to reduced public funding, which, in turn, is shifting the focus of art museums from social to market model. Although commercialisation is producing benefits, especially financial and economic outcomes, however, it draws art museums away from the social mission and diminishes aesthetic values. The study recommends that cultural policies should view the cultural sector as creating indirect economic benefits differently than traditional corporations, thus maintaining public funding with social outcomes as a priority. Art museums could create a hybrid organisational form by combining social and market model to serve conflicting demands. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.