Five Collecting National Cultural Institutions (NCIs) unite to explore their collective social & economic impacts

For the first time, five of Ireland’s collecting national cultural institutions have come together for an event on The Economic Impact, Value, and Potential of the National Collecting Institutions to publicly highlight and explore their collective socio-economic impact.

This exciting new initiative has been spearheaded by the Chairpersons of the Boards of the National Museum of Ireland, the National Gallery of Ireland, the National Library of Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) and Crawford Art Gallery.

Representatives from the NCIs and stakeholders from across the cultural sector gathered in Dublin this morning at the National Library of Ireland for the event, which featured a keynote address by Katja Iversen, CEO, Museum for the United Nations – UN Live.

Moderated by Dr Frances Ruane, the event explored the importance and value of culture in the context of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the value of culture ‘beyond GDP’, cross-cultural connections, the ‘soft power’ of culture, and the contribution of collecting national cultural institutions to UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The event marks a collective first step towards quantifying the economic value of the five institutions, and NCIs more widely. Within that is a commitment to further collaboration and research by the NCIs to better understand, measure and articulate their full societal value beyond traditional economic and cultural tourism metrics.

This includes how national cultural institutions support democratic engagement, strengthen reflections on identities, foster wellbeing and social cohesion, and build long-term societal resilience, aligning with EU priorities.

To support this work, the chairpersons of the five collecting national cultural institutions commissioned an initial evidence-based assessment of their value which was published today in a report on ‘The Economic and Social Impact of Ireland’s Collecting Institutions: Beginning a New Conversation’ by Fitzpatrick Associates Economic Consultants.

As a starting point, the report reviewed existing data and published research to provide an initial assessment of the direct and indirect economic contribution of the five NCIs. The report’s analysis suggests that in 2024, the five collecting NCIs together:

– Generated total economic output of approx. €209m
– Contributed approximately €135m to national Gross Value Added*
– Supported approximately 2,300 full-time equivalent jobs (both within and outside of the cultural sector).
– Attracted over 3.5 million in-person visitors

The review demonstrated that the wider societal benefits derived from engaging with the national cultural institutions and their collections are under-measured in Ireland. The report therefore provides a starting point, rather than conclusion, for further research required to measure the deeper return in social value generated by cultural engagement beyond the benefits of visiting the institutions – whether in terms of health and wellbeing, education outcomes, quality of life or fostering social cohesion.

Professor Cathal O’Donoghue, Chair of the Board of the National Museum of Ireland speaking on behalf of the five National Cultural Institutions, said: “The national collecting institutions play a pivotal role in strengthening social connection, supporting educational outcomes, building resilience and improving the health and wellbeing of communities, particularly during periods of flux and challenge.

“As Ireland prepares for the EU Presidency, it is timely to reflect on how our cultural organisations evidence and articulate fully their contribution to society beyond economic measure. Future conversations will need to better reflect the intrinsic value of our collections and the wider societal benefits they bring to people’s lives in very real terms. Today is the first step in a broader conversation about how we move forward collectively to achieve that.

“As we continue to collect, preserve and present our collections to the public, this is an opportunity to lead out on a deeper conversation and collaborative research effort that strengthens the evidence base for policymakers, informs our own programming and measures our future impacts with certainty.”  

Katja Iversen, CEO of the Museum for the United Nations – UN Live, said:“At a time of growing polarization, uncertainty and social fragmentation, culture has a vital role to play. This event demonstrates the significant economic and societal value generated by Ireland’s national collecting institutions. To me, it also points to something larger. Collections are much more than repositories of memory – they are resources for the future. Culture and collections can help people connect across generations and differences, see themselves as part of a larger shared story, and create new ones. In doing so, they can help foster trust and belonging, expand our collective imagination, and help build the more resilient and inclusive societies we need for the future.” 

Read the report: The Economic and Social Impact of Ireland’s Collecting Institutions: Beginning a New Conversation