MLA

The Entrepreneurial Museum

Increasingly, Arts & Culture Organisations in the UK are actively exploring innovative business models and income generation strategies to assure their long-term sustainability. The museums sector is looking to take a lead in this discussion, facilitated by the Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) Council, the government agency providing strategic leadership for the sector.

Many museums possess an enormous amount of relatively untapped potential to develop new revenue streams through improved and smarter use of their cultural assets. However, in an increasingly competitive leisure and education market, museum leaders and policy makers must become more entrepreneurial in their approach so that they can recognise and exploit new business opportunities.

In order to enable the ongoing development of the sector, MLA West Midlands (MLAWM) has commissioned Culture Label to undertake a major research project on how ‘entrepreneurial museums’ should look, function and act. This work is funded by Renaissance and will form the foundation from which the region can begin to develop its museums as viable cultural assets that understand their potential and are enabled to realise it.

We invite you to join the discussion, or receive weekly bite-size ideas and resources direct to your inbox, by registering at Entrepreneurial Museum.

Latest News

Responsibilities transfer

From 1st October 2011, this site will not be updated, so please treat it as the static archive it is. This is because <a target="_Blank" href="http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/">Arts Council England</a> has now taken over museums and libraries responsibilities. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/">The National Archives</a> has assumed responsibility for strategic leadership of the Archives sector. Arts Council responsibilities will also now include the Renaissance programme, Museum Accreditation, and Library Development, together with cultural property services such as Export Licensing and the Acceptance in Lieu scheme. The National Archives has assumed responsibility for providing strategic leadership to the archives sector and advising government on its development. The MLA is now winding down, with a skeleton staff remaining until May 2012 to complete the management of existing Renaissance contracts, complete outstanding financial and contractual arrangements and prepare for the appointment of a liquidator. This website will remain live until 31st March so that the public still has full access to the material on it – good practice case studies, toolkits, guidance and a range of other publications.  Continue reading

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  • west midlands

    There are 214 museums in the West Midlands region, 307 static and 51 mobile libraries and 24 archives.

  • contact us west mids

    Details to find out more about the region and to contact the MLA field team for the West Midlands

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