The National Gallery in London has launched a £250,000 citizens' assembly aimed at involving members of the public in shaping the institution’s future. The initiative, known as NG Citizens, began late last year and is believed to be the first of its kind among major UK museums. It brings together 50 individuals aged 16 and over, selected through a civic lottery process managed by the Sortition Foundation. The group includes people from diverse backgrounds across the UK, some of whom have never previously engaged with the gallery.
The assembly’s role is to offer ideas and suggestions on how the gallery can address future challenges and build on existing plans. However, members are not involved in decisions concerning the acquisition or sale of artworks or structural changes to gallery buildings. During its first year, the assembly met five times to deliberate on various topics.
The initiative has drawn mixed reactions. Sir Gabriele Finaldi, director of the National Gallery, defended the project, emphasizing the importance of fostering greater engagement with audiences nationwide. He stated that while curatorial and programming expertise remains central, expanding conversations to include a broader public perspective is a priority.
Critics, however, have questioned the value and appropriateness of involving non-experts in such decisions. Michael Daley, director of ArtWatch UK and a longstanding observer of the gallery, described the citizens’ assembly as “barking mad” and likened it to “a greengrocer commissioning a very, very expensive investigation to tell him what vegetables to sell.” Daley suggested the exercise might serve as a pretext to justify predetermined plans that stray from traditional expertise.
Conservative Member of Parliament Charlie Dewhirst also voiced concerns regarding the gallery’s direction. He argued that decisions affecting the National Gallery should be entrusted to leading art experts, and expressed apprehension that the assembly’s approach might undermine traditional curatorial values. Dewhirst questioned whether this was part of a broader trend away from conventional artistic standards and cautioned about the project’s financial implications following a government official’s indication that the total budget would reach £250,000 over five years.
The Sortition Foundation behind the civic lottery is also known for campaigning to replace the UK’s House of Lords with a House of Citizens, reflecting a broader interest in citizen involvement in governance.
NG Citizens follows precedents elsewhere, such as the Birmingham Museums Trust’s establishment in 2024 of a museum citizens’ jury. That earlier initiative convened 26 randomly selected residents to discuss the future of the city’s cultural venues, reflecting a growing interest in public participation in cultural institutions. The National Gallery’s program, however, remains a rare example of this approach implemented at a national, high-profile institution.