Speakers: Dr Samantha Evans, Lecturer, Royal Holloway Business School, University of London, Michelle Mcgrath, Founder, Museum As Muck, Robert Lewis, Director of Transformation, Wayne Dixon, Visitor Experience Manager and Rafailia Thiraiou, Visitor Experience Event & Project Coordinator, Birmingham Museums Trust
This session presents a case study of an eight-month collaboration between Museum as Muck, Dr Samantha Evans (Royal Holloway) and Birmingham Museums Trust to understand and tackle class inequality in museum work. UK museums remain difficult places for working-class people to enter and progress, due to barriers such as costly qualifications, unpaid labour expectations, rigid hierarchies and assumptions about ability. Class inequality is also hard to see, making it challenging for institutions to address.
The project combined research-led training, internal consultation and action planning. Staff received training based on Dr Evans’s research, highlighting how museums themselves reproduce class inequality—between individuals, organisational positions and institutions. A network of “Mucker reps” then consulted colleagues using a tailored checklist to identify class barriers across BMT. Finally, leaders, managers and Muckers co-designed a practical action plan, prioritising initiatives such as “Switch it Up” job shadowing, diverse “Career Stories”, and career/life conversations.
The project improved understanding, built confidence to talk about class, and produced tangible tools—training, a checklist, templates and methodologies—that other museums can adopt. The session shares honest learning about challenges, small-steps change, and how class-inclusive practice strengthens equity, representation and workforce wellbeing.
Main image credit: Michelle McGrath
Dr Samantha Evans
Michelle McGrath
Rafailia Thiraiou
Robert Lewis
Wayne Dixon
