Being Agile is a way of thinking and working that helps people navigate complexity, adapt to change and work more sustainably. For those working in museums, galleries and heritage, agile can help us balance the demands of curation, collaboration, funding, change and wellbeing.

Here are five reasons why...

1. Supporting smart and creative curation

Agile is an approach where we can test ideas, gather feedback and refine our work as we go for maximising impact. It provides structure without stifling creativity. It creates space for learning and exploration, helping us stay audience focused while keeping the heart of our collections and stories alive. Whether you're developing a new exhibition, immersed in interpretation or preserving heritage, agile supports us to deliver meaningful experiences, one step at a time.

2. Navigating funding challenges

Funding in arts and heritage has become more project focused. Complex goals, short timeframes, big ambitions, collaborations to coordinate, challenges to overcome. Agile supports us to plan flexibly and do the best we can with what we've got! It helps us prioritise what matters most and make sure we are ticking those boxes. It helps us make the best use of the time and budget. Delivering solutions early and often, make progress quickly and respond to funders’ feedback, building confidence and trust along the way.

3. Fostering creative collaboration

Agile thrives on teamwork. It creates space for open communication, shared goals and collective ownership. In heritage spaces where staff, volunteers, freelancers and partners work together, agile offers a common language and rhythm. Daily check-ins, visual boards and regular reviews can help everyone stay aligned and feel part of the journey, whether they’re front of house, behind the scenes or joining remotely.

4. Responding to change with confidence

The best made plans go to waste... From audience expectations to cost of living challenges constant change is all around us and to deliver targets we often need to adapt our initial plans, quickly! Agile helps us respond to change, spot risks early, and opportunities! It gives us tools to sense what’s shifting and adapt our plans without losing direction. Instead of sticking rigidly to long-term plans, we can stay clear on our goals but flexible in how we reach them. That makes us more resilient and ready to explore new opportunities as they emerge.

5. Working at a sustainable pace

Many in the sector are facing burnout. Agile encourages us to work at a sustainable pace, not sprint endlessly from one deadline to the next. It supports wellbeing by building in time for reflection, celebration and rest. It helps us spot when we’re overstretched and take steps to rebalance. By focusing on steady, meaningful progress rather than perfection or pressure, agile helps us care for ourselves as well as our work.

Agile are approaches already naturally present in our arts and heritage sector in many ways, often informally or instinctively. By adopting a more intentional agile approach, we can bring clarity, creativity and calm to our work. Whether you’re a volunteer or a senior curator, a project manager or an educator, agile offers tools and mindsets to help you thrive in a changing world.

If you'd like to learn more you can download the Free Agile Project Planner for a taster, or join me on my live monthly workshop. If you'd like to learn at your own pace, check out the online course, or do get in touch if you would like a custom session for you or your team or network.

My courses and workshops are designed specifically for professionals in the arts, heritage, and creative sectors. This session introduces Agile project management, a flexible and collaborative approach that helps teams navigate change, manage resources effectively, and deliver impactful work.