Our thinking

Optimizing the impact of exhibition planning

For museums everywhere, the need to think strategically about upcoming exhibitions has never been more acute. If your organisation is looking to conduct a formative audience evaluation for an upcoming exhibition, read here for an introduction to MHM’s strategic exhibition mapping.

Becoming a 21st century visitor attraction

As part of our work on the Arts Marketing Association's 21st Century Visitor Attractions programme, we created a one-page Audience Engagement Plan, designed to help cultural and heritage organisations become more audience-focused, resilient and successful.

Future-proofing culture

Do you need help with refining your statement of vision for your organisations future? Read here to see the questions you should be asking to ensure you know what your 'survival plans' are and how they can be improved.

Consulting audiences on complex conversations

Over the last few years we’ve seen the cultural sector increasingly embrace difficult conversations. If you are struggling to breach a sensitive or contested subject with your audiences, read some helpful advice from our team here.

Cultural organisations as agents of environmental change

Many of MHM's culture and heritage clients have been looking to move along the spectrum of engagement from voices of authority towards a model of co-creation with respective communities. Here are 5 tips for your organisation that we have gathered from our recent research around engaging with community sustainability.

Measuring the depth of digital engagement with your website

Is your website contributing to a deeper and longer lasting relationship with your audience? Find out how to measure the depth of digital engagement with your website.

Arts and culture, the prescription for wellbeing

Our research during the pandemic has made it more evident than ever that arts and culture is key outlet for personal enrichment for a large percentage of the UK population. See how some of our clients have been embracing social prescribing and wellness in their programmes here.

Getting closer: how staff-led curation can help visitors get behind the scenes

How can we let visitors 'get behind the scenes' of their favourite museum of gallery? Here are some of our favourite examples of our clients allowing their visitors to get a closer the curatorial processes that accompany their collections.

Audience Atlas Aotearoa (New Zealand)

A major study of New Zealanders’ cultural habits and preferences has revealed both significant challenges and huge opportunity for audience and organisational development in New Zealand. Watch the three deep dive webinars and download the full, free report and smaller summary sections.

Local authorities and the film industry: a report for Creative England

In 2020 MHM worked with Creative England to produce the best practice guidance for local authorities on how to work effectively with film and high-end TV production companies. Read about how we did this and our key findings here.

Membership: the crucial first year

There are fewer hotter topics for cultural and non-profit organisations right now than membership. We’ve seen increasing focus on membership over the past 5-10 years as institutions look to be less reliant on state funding, individual donors and sponsors. But there is one fundamental truth: Year 1 is critical.

Five tips to ensure new members cross the threshold to year two