Abstract
This paper examines how political context shapes the capacity of national museums to address issues of racism, wellbeing, and decolonisation. Focusing on Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, it explores how devolved governance has enabled a more proactive approach to inclusion and social justice, in contrast to the more constrained environment faced by national museums in England under successive Conservative governments. Adopting a critical realist perspective, and drawing on qualitative analysis of policy documents, strategic plans, and semi-structured interviews with museum professionals and policymakers, the study traces how Welsh Government initiatives have empowered museums to align with national wellbeing legislation and anti-racist action plans. In England, by contrast, cultural policy has increasingly positioned museums within debates over “heritage” and “culture wars,” creating a defensive and depoliticised space for institutions engaging with colonial legacies. The paper argues that political ideology and constitutional context directly influence the moral and institutional authority of museums to pursue decolonising agendas. In Wales, museums have been framed as civic actors contributing to equality and public value; in England, they have been subject to greater centralised control and rhetorical resistance to progressive reform. By highlighting how governance structures enable or constrain decolonial practice, the paper demonstrates that political empowerment and policy frameworks are key determinants of a museum’s ability to act as a socially engaged and transformative institution.
Presenters
Kirsty WarnerAssistant Professor, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—The Future of Museum Narratives
KEYWORDS
MUSEUMS, DECOLONISATION, GOVERNANCE, CULTURAL POLICY, DEVOLUTION, POLITICS, WALES, ENGLAND, INCLUSION
