Up to 60 roles may be axed at the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) in London as part of a cost-saving restructure “required to sustain its position in the future”, a spokesperson says, representing around 18% of the RA workforce. She adds: "No decisions have been taken and this is subject to consultation.”
Almost half of the roles up for redundancy are "current vacancies", which will "mitigate the workforce reduction", the spokesperson says, meaning only 30 employees are at risk of losing their jobs.
Increasing costs and changing visitor behaviours have put pressure on the RA’s financial position, she adds, declining to comment on how much the institution hopes to save through the cutbacks.
All levels of the organisation will be affected with various impacts on different departments. “The RA Council, our main governing body—on which a number of Royal Academicians serve as members—have approved the redundancy plans. The wider membership of Academicians has been informed,” she adds. Management consultants have not advised the Royal Academy on redundancies.
Unlike most major museums in London, the RA does not receive direct government funding and instead relies on ticket sales, donations, sponsorship, commercial activities and its membership scheme for its income.
The RA has struggled to return to its pre-pandemic visitor figures of 1.25 million. In line with many UK national museums, the number of visitors almost halved when it reopened its doors in 2022, totalling 696,000. It recorded an increase in 2023, attracting 710,000 visitors, likely thanks to its blockbuster Marina Abramović exhibition, but attendance declined again last year to 622,000.
The RA’s annual report for 2023-24 outlines the 257-year-old institution’s difficult financial position. Under “finance”, the review states that “the RA was facing a material reduction in income from exhibition admission and other on-site sources of income for at least the next three years, together with a smaller annual donation from the Friends of the Royal Academy, such that there was an expectation that it would take longer to return to pre-pandemic levels of income”.
“Before taking significant measures, the 2024-25 budget forecasts a [total] net loss of £7.1m,” the report states. “If the RA took no action to address this, then in the financial year ending 31 August 2026, the RA would breach its available credit facilities and would need to place a significant call on the £10.3m in unrestricted funds held by the Royal Academy trust (a separate charity).”
A representative for the IWGB union, which represents some RA employees, says: “We are deeply distressed by the [planned] redundancies at RA. This is the second wave of mass job cuts in recent years and highlights reckless mismanagement of an historic institution. We call on management to halt the process immediately and engage with staff on viable alternatives. If they refuse, workers are prepared to take swift action to defend jobs and livelihoods.”
A new chief executive is due to be appointed after Axel Rϋger stepped down last year to become director of The Frick Collection in New York.
Natasha Mitchell, the interim secretary and chief executive of the Royal Academy of Arts, says: "Together with many in the arts sector, we are facing a serious financial challenge. We have a robust plan to improve the RA’s financial position and the proposal to reduce our workforce has been put forward after careful consideration. We understand the profound impact these proposed changes will have and we are committed to supporting affected employees through this transition. This is a challenging time for all involved, however it is our belief that these steps are critical for ensuring a sustainable future for the RA.”
The news comes as UK cultural institutions are struggling following years of declining federal and local spending, a crisis compounded by Covid, Brexit and the cost-of-living and energy crises.
