Why outsourcing in museums is a mistake we shouldn’t repeat
- Rachel Mackay
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Outsourcing in museums — particularly the outsourcing of front-facing and visitor services teams — became popular in the 2010s as a way to save money. But in this guest article, Rachel Mackay, visitor experience expert and Head of Hampton Court Palace, warns that today's financial crisis hitting museums and heritage sites should not resurrect the outsourcing trend.
In one of the more annoying trends currently sweeping social media, we’re being asked to compare 2026 with 2016. This doesn’t make sense to me.
For one thing, 2016 was an objectively awful year, gifting us (amongst other horrors), the biggest slew of celebrity deaths since the Big Bopper’s plane crash.
But whether people are pining for 2016 fashion (wasn’t it just the same?) or 1990s music (fair), there’s one trend I really hope we don’t resurrect. Outsourcing.
The outsourcing in museums of front-facing teams was a major feature of the 2010s. Following the recession, government and local spending started to fall off a cliff, and teams within UK museums fell too. In straitened circumstances for cash-strapped organisations, the temptation of not carrying the large headcount of front-facing teams was just too strong.
If, like me, you were a manager starting out in the museum sector at that time, much of your world was contract managers, TUPE (protection of employment regulations), and the AWR (Agency Workers Regulations). I’m certainly not nostalgic for that.
Why is museum outsourcing is tempting in 2026?
So, why is this relevant now?
Whilst the UK economy grew in November, museums across the country are struggling.
On this website, Derby Museums Director Tony Butler recently wrote about the underfunding crisis facing regional museums. And in the UK’s national museum portfolio, the future also looks dim. In June, DCMS announced cuts of 1.4% in expenditure. The Museums Association have said they expect museums to receive “more cuts and face financial uncertainty.”
In my experience, that’s the sort of environment that makes outsourcing in museums seem tempting. But I strongly urge museum bosses to resist.
Outsourcing originally saved money in three ways; it reduced permanent headcount, reduced salary spend, and reduced risk of litigation. However, since the AWR came in, this is no longer the case. After 12 weeks, agency workers are entitled to the same rights and pay as established workers and can often be treated as employees when it comes to the courts. And as for permanent headcount, there are other ways of managing seasonal staffing needs, such as fixed term or annualised contracts.
But those practicalities are not the point. Museums exist to make connections with our visitors. That doesn’t just happen through objects, or content, or great AV; it happens through people. People that belong in your organisation. Outsourcing the teams who make those connections and bring our museums to life is like snipping the receiver off in a phone box and still expecting people to use it (speaking of nostalgia).
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This isn’t to say agencies don’t have a role — but outsourcing visitor experience shouldn't be one.
Museums and heritage sites are busy places with a lot going on. Often, we will need to bring in specialised skills that we don’t have in house for particular projects or events. But if that specialised skill is engaging with the public, that’s the one thing we must be able to do in-house.
So, whilst our current economic situation might be familiar from 2016, let’s make the contrast with investment in our in-house teams and face the challenges of 2026 together. 🟦
— Rachel Mackay is the Head of Hampton Court Palace for Historic Royal Palaces, where she oversees operational and experience delivery for visitors. Previously she’s worked in similar roles at Madame Tussauds, the Natural History Museum, and Kew Palace. Rachel’s new Substack newsletter — VEXblog — is for people obsessed with delivering amazing visitor experiences in museums, heritage and cultural attractions.
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