New National Research Calls for Strategic Shift in Temporary and Touring Exhibitions Across the UK

This article was first published by The Exhibitions Group.

The Exhibitions Group  launches a major new research report revealing the critical role temporary and touring exhibitions play in the UK’s cultural sector – and the urgent need for stronger strategic planning, impact measurement and sector-wide collaboration to unlock their full potential.

Commissioned by The Exhibitions Group and supported by Arts Council England, the research was undertaken by Cultural Associates Oxford and represents one of the most comprehensive studies of temporary and touring exhibitions practice in the UK to date.

The report, ‘Temporary and Touring Exhibitions Practice: Economic, Production and Partnership Models’, provides robust evidence drawn from a UK-wide survey, interviews with cultural leaders and expert roundtables. It identifies key structural challenges facing museums, galleries and cultural organisations while setting out ten practical recommendations to strengthen exhibition practice nationwide.

Temporary and touring exhibitions are central to how cultural organisations reach audiences, build partnerships and generate income. However, the research finds that many organisations are not fully realising their strategic value.