Model for Change

In considering the cultural aspects of addressing class inequality we recommend you:

Build a case to tackle class inequality

Why would your organization (or the museum sector) address class inequality? What would be the benefit? What might it not be a priority?

Increase understanding of the problem

Are employees and volunteers aware of the issues surrounding class inequality? How can you increase awareness and understanding?

Build a community of support

Who would (want to) be involved in addressing class inequality and who would benefit?

Build commitment across the organisation

How can you encourage commitment to these issues more widely across your organization?

Build a case to tackle class inequality

Tackling all forms of inequality is central to BMT’s identity. Director of Transformation, Rob Lewis, said that their aim is to be the first large museum service to truly represent the communities they serve, both in terms of workforce, and also people who visit.  

Increase understanding of the problem

Staff at BMT felt they would benefit from increasing awareness of class inequality. To address this Museum as Muck and Dr Evans’s delivered online training sessions which combined the lived experience of working-class people, with academic evidence/research, to provide insights into class inequality, why it persists and how it can be tackled.

Build a community of support

A few staff had a genuine desire to lead change across the museum. Museum as Muck and Dr Evans worked with this small group as a pioneering ‘Network of Mucker Reps’ to champion solutions to class inequality and hold the Trust to account.

Build commitment across the organisation

BMT increased commitment across the museum with the Mucker Reps. The Muckers consulted with colleagues, identifying issues specific to the Trust (using our checklist) and tailored an action plan based on shared ideas and insights.

Build a case to tackle class inequality

1. The social justice case: If museums aim to be inclusive and represent their communities, then it is important that their workforce is inclusive too. Recent research shows that only 5.2% of museum workers come from a working-class background, compared to c.30% of the UK population (McAndrew et al, 2024). Museum workers are paid 10% less than comparable professions (MA, 2022), have higher rates of under-employment (Carey et al, 2023) and frequently start their career by working for no pay (ACE, 2025). 
2. The legal case: While class is not a protected characteristic within the UK Equality Act 2010, many local authority and university museums, as public bodies, are bound by the Public Sector Equality Duty. This means they are responsible for helping to eliminate discrimination and advance and foster equality and inclusion. 
3. The business case: A more class-diverse workforce should help museums address their stubbornly middle-class visitor profile (Taking Part, 2019). It can also help museums manage their reputations with their communities. Recent research from DEMOS and the Co-op shows that consumers are more likely to buy from a socially mobile organisation, and that improving social mobility can boost the UK economy by £19 billion. 

Increase understanding of the problem

1. Make use of free resources to help you increase awareness. Use the infographics devised by Dr Sam Evans from Royal Holloway Business School. One message is that class inequality doesn’t just arise because of an individual’s background, but because of organisational cultures and practices. 
2. Deepen understanding with research and reports showing the extent of the problem and ideas for addressing class inequality. 
3. Arrange training and other creative ways to raise awareness (such as a Working Class Tea Party) by working with Museum as Muck. 
4. Adopt some of the ideas in this Social Mobility Commission toolkit to start hosting conversations about talent, the skills required in your museum, what does a career need to be? Consider consulting colleagues on the development of an action plan.  
5. You can also measure the problem of class within your museum, as that will both increase awareness and show who might benefit. Use the tool by the Social Mobility Commission (page 27) to measure class background. Or look at the resources on the Bridge Group. Or you could even try and measure the class pay gap though this may be more applicable to larger organisations  https://www.socialmobility.org.uk/campaign/the-class-pay-gap.

Build a community of support

1. Start with a small ‘coalition of the willing’ to initiate conversations and ideas. 
2. Try and secure support from at least one senior leader or Trustee who is willing to be accountable. This will help with resources and visibility.
3. If you have an HR Department, or Trade Union, it is worthwhile consulting them.
4. Consider setting up a formal network of Mucker Reps. If your museum is small you could work across museums or with your local development network.  
5. Contact Museum as Muck for support on creating a network of Mucker Reps including terms of reference, role descriptions for Muckers and advice on managing.

Build commitment across the organisation

1. Embed the work within your organisations’ strategic, corporate and EDI plans. 
2. Consider some of the ideas within this Social Mobility Employers toolkit (from page 9) to create a more class-aware culture.  
3. Foster a mindset that this work is an opportunity for everyone – which it is. Our model of class inequality means reflecting on how different roles and skills are valued as well as scrutinising employee relations. 
4. Showcase any successes internally and externally; share what you have learnt and discuss the challenges.

In taking an entrepreneurial approach to addressing class inequality we recommend reflect on:

Develop your own solutions

How can you facilitate creative discussion and ideas within your organization? How can you make new things happen within your organization? 

Learn and share with others

What can you learn from other organisations both within and beyond the museum sector?

Develop your own solutions

New ways of thinking, ideas and energy were generated through a combination of external training, the bringing together of the Mucker network, their work in consulting across the organization, and an afternoon dedicated to developing solutions.

One idea for example was Career Stories - BMT promoting their people, as well as their objects. This challenges dominant notions of a linear museum career and promotes the diverse skills of the workforce.

Learn and share with others

With BMT we have started to share our learning. Our event at the Museum and Heritage Show (link) helped facilitate discussions and generate learning from other organisations. 

Develop your own solutions

1. Change needs to be tailored to the specific context of your organisation. You will understand the barriers and opportunities best. 
2. Getting input from others in your organisation will help facilitate new ideas and support. You can set up an anonymous feedback system, or facilitate open discussions as suggested in the Social Mobility Commission toolkit.
3. You could work with Museum as Muck to help design and facilitate creative events – such as the Working Class Tea Party - which will generate new ideas and solutions.

Learn and share with others

1. The Bridge Group has developed research on other sectors that have addressed class inequality. The legal sector for example, which showed the importance of gaining senior accountability, developing a well-resourced network and reviewing existing practices.
2. You can look at Birmingham Museums action plan, which has some great examples of new ideas including Switch it Up, Career Stories and Career Conversations. 
3. There are also examples of good practice within the museum sector. Museum as Muck has been working with Dr Serena Iervolino to identify areas and also develop some guidance for the museum sector specifically. Contact Museum as Muck to learn more.
4. We are also crowdsourcing good ideas from you! So please do share examples of initiatives with us via the “Developing the tool” link below.