Work

Workforce development: transforming museums or transforming people? Exploring the impact of the UK Museums Association’s Transformers programme, 2014–2018

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This paper critically evaluates ‘Transformers: Radical Change in Museums’, a workforce development programme led by the UK Museums Association (2014–2018). Aimed at mid-career professionals, the initiative sought to empower individuals as agents of change in their organisations within a socially engaged agenda. Drawing on interviews with 35 participants in 2018 and 24 follow-on interviews in 2022, the study examines the impact of Transformers on individuals and organisations. While the programme was successful in transforming individuals, forging a ‘values-led’ professional identity, participants faced structural barriers to making change in their institutions. The discussion explores how hope structured the programme and how ‘hope labour’ shaped workers’ experiences in the context of stagnating careers. The paper argues that individualised approaches to organisational change in museums are limited, and that broader systems approaches are required. The findings contribute to wider discussions about museum workforce, mid-career experiences and the dynamics of sector change.

Source: Museum Management and Curatorship

DOI: 10.1080/09647775.2026.2644153

Authors: Nuala Morse, Mercy McCann, Dave O’Brien

Institution: University of Leicester

Language: English

Topic: Museums and Cultural Heritage

Subfield: Museology

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: University of Leicester, Arts and Humanities Research Council, Research and Development