Commercial acumen for arts and cultural leaders

The skills to develop

So what does commercial thinking actually look like in practice? Here are four areas worth focusing on.

Programming as a commercial decision

Your programme drives everything else: who comes through the door, how long they stay and what they spend while they’re there. Yet in many organisations, the commercial conversation still happens after the creative one. The retail team finds out what’s been decided. The catering team plans around it. And by then, the big decisions have already been made.

The most effective cultural leaders bring those conversations into the room at the start. Who is this for? What will make someone choose to spend their Saturday here? What happens once they arrive? These are programming questions, not just marketing ones.

Understanding your income mix

Commercial activity now makes up around 40% of income for UK cultural venues on average, ahead of grants, fundraising and ticketing. Yet many senior leaders know more about their grant funding position than about their retail margin or catering yield.

Understanding all of your income streams with their risks and opportunities is part of the job now.

Read more: The rise of high-value fundraising in charities

Understanding your audience and how their behaviour is changing

Domestic tourism declined between January and September 2025, and visitor numbers have felt it, particularly in regions like London and the South West that have historically relied on it.

High-performing organisations started to look closer to home. Local and repeat audiences are becoming a more important part of the picture. Investing in programming, membership offers and community engagement that give people a reason to return throughout the year, not just during peak periods, is the way to move forward.

Why testing new ideas matters for commercial growth

Some of the best performances in the ACE report came from organisations willing to try something different: a Guinness World Record attempt, a partnership with a football club or a pop-up shop in an unexpected location.

Commercial acumen means being willing to try things, see what happens and learn from it. And making sure your team feels safe enough to do the same.