An Abrupt and Brutal Audit: An Analysis of the Crisis Management Response of UK Museums and Heritage Attractions to the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In March 2020, museums and heritage sites faced indefinite closure as the United Kingdom government sought to curb the spread of a new virus. Covid-19 brought a new kind of crisis to the heritage sector, but it also brought a learning opportunity. This article outlines a research project, conducted at the height of the pandemic, which sought to assess the museum and heritage sector crisis management response to Covid-19.

In the summer of 2020, ten interviews were conducted with managers working in UK museum and heritage sites. In addition, contemporary literature relating to the impact of Covid-19 on the sector was reviewed. Three key themes were identified and explored:

1. Experience and planning;

2. Impact on staff;

3. Coordination and collaboration

The study highlighted a range of lessons learned. Firstly, it showed that in the main, the sector was not prepared to deal with a pandemic of this nature. Secondly, it showed that the emotional impact on staff was profound; but also that there were increased efforts to support wellbeing. Thirdly, the research showed that there was a lack of clear information from official channels, and that this impacted decisionmaking at a site level. However, it has also revealed evidence that in the absence of official guidance, sector collaboration was significant and viewed by participants as a key positive outcome of the crisis.

The article concludes with recommendations to improve crisis management in the future and offers practical resources as a starting point for greater sector preparedness.

Keywords:

• Covid-19
• crisis management
• lockdown
• furlough
• museum closures

Notes

1 The UK includes several devolved nations (Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland) which have their own governments in addition to the central UK government.

2 www.therecoveryroomblog.com/practical-resources.

3 www.therecoveryroomblog.com/practical-resources.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rachel Mackay

Rachel Mackay has been working in museum and heritage operations for over 15 years. She is currently the Manager of Historic Royal Palaces at Kew, based at Kew Palace in London. During the pandemic, she created The Recovery Room (therecoveryroomblog.com), a space to share resources and research around the impact of Covid-19 on the museum and heritage sector. She was subsequently named one of the top 50 Museum Influencers in the world by Blooloop and shortlisted for Covid-19 Special Recognition at the 2021 UK Museums and Heritage Awards. The dissertation she produced for her MA in International Heritage Management, completed in 2020, formed the basis for this article.