The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) in London, one of the most esteemed institutions in British cultural life, is facing yet another round of redundancies, with 60 roles under threat—half of which are already vacant. The move, framed as a necessary response to financial instability, has reignited debates about the sustainability of privately funded art institutions in the UK.

Austerity measures or a deeper structural crisis?

The RA’s financial struggles are not an isolated case; rather, they reflect a broader trend of post-pandemic economic strain, exacerbated by shifts in visitor behaviour, Brexit-related complications, and soaring operational costs. Unlike other major London museums, the RA does not benefit from direct government subsidies, relying instead on ticket sales, donations, sponsorships, and membership fees.

However, the institution’s failure to recover pre-pandemic visitor figures raises concerns beyond mere fiscal prudence. While blockbuster exhibitions such as Marina Abramović’s show in 2023 momentarily boosted attendance, the overall trajectory has been downward, with numbers dropping from 710,000 in 2023 to 622,000 last year—almost half of its pre-pandemic footfall. The reliance on temporary crowd-pullers rather than sustained audience engagement suggests a deeper strategic misalignment.

Cutting jobs, cutting influence?

The decision to reduce staff—especially at an institution dedicated to supporting artists, scholars, and the broader art ecosystem—sends a troubling message. Who, exactly, will bear the brunt of these cuts? While senior executives are unlikely to be affected, the redundancies may disproportionately impact curatorial, educational, and operational staff—those who directly contribute to the RA’s intellectual and cultural output.

More importantly, these cuts raise questions about the RA’s governance. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has called the move "reckless mismanagement," pointing out that this is not the first wave of layoffs in recent years. If the RA’s leadership has failed to stabilize the institution after the first round of job losses, what guarantees that this latest strategy will be any more effective?

The Precarious Future of UK Cultural Institutions

The RA’s crisis is symptomatic of a wider problem facing UK cultural institutions. Years of declining public investment in the arts have left even prestigious organisations vulnerable to economic fluctuations. The compounded effects of Brexit, Covid, and inflation have placed institutions like the RA in a precarious position, where short-term survival strategies—such as job cuts—are prioritized over long-term sustainability.

If the Academy is to remain a leading force in British art, it must rethink its approach. Doubling down on workforce reductions without a clear strategy for audience engagement and financial resilience risks diminishing not just its institutional strength, but also its very relevance in an evolving cultural landscape.

In the end, the question remains: is this an unavoidable response to economic pressures, or a failure of leadership to adapt to a changing world?

Text by Anna Arutyunova, journalist, lecturer, and art critic.