Exploring the financial worth of immersive exhibits in museums, art galleries, and historical landmarks

In the realm of art and technology, immersive experiences are quickly becoming an important driver of creative innovation and the creative economy. A recent Discussion Paper, titled "Immersive Experiences in Museums, Galleries and Heritage Sites: A review of research findings and issues", offers an overview of these practices in the context of cultural institutions.

The creative industries are increasingly being seen as a potential force in immersive technologies and content. This shift is reflected in the Industrial Strategy and the Creative Industries Sector Deal, which highlight the perceived benefits of immersive practices. The Creative Industries Sector Plan has made several key sector-wide announcements, including those related to AI, Intellectual Property and Regulation, Business Models and Access to Finance, and the Geography of the Creative Industries.

One of the key challenges lies in articulating a value proposition that adequately accounts for people's actual encounters with immersive experiences. This is a problematic issue for institutions and researchers alike. Understanding what immersive approaches mean for participants in practice is a complex endeavour, especially if interested in affective responses, changes in behaviour, learning outcomes, or even failure to engage.

Notable institutions involved in immersive experience research include Ars Electronica, Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, and various collaborative artist-researcher initiatives such as those seen in Galerie Pleiku. Key researchers in this field include Imogen Gibbon and Dorit Schäfer, who focus on visitor participation and self-representation.

The working definition of immersive experiences refers to practice that is story-led, audience and participation-centered, multimodal, multisensory, and attuned to its environment. The potential benefits of immersive practices include increased visibility, appeal to new audiences, meaningful participation, and additional revenue for institutions.

The importance of higher education to the arts, culture, and heritage sectors is being emphasized by Professor Dave O'Brien, Professor of Cultural and Creative Industries at the University of Manchester. Meanwhile, Dr Josh Siepe is discussing the co-location of the Creative Industries with Other Industrial Strategy Priority Sectors in relation to the Geography of the Creative Industries.

In the realm of journalism, occupations are included on the DCMS's list of Creative Occupations, and the importance of accredited qualifications in journalism is being emphasized. Dr Eva Nieto McAvoy and Dr Jenny Kidd, Research Associates at the School for Journalism, Media and Culture at Cardiff University, are among those contributing to this field.

A Global Creative Economy Council has been established to facilitate conversations between the Global North and South with the aim of unsettling and reordering the creative economy. The 2025 Spending Review has implications for the creative industries, with a read out provided by Creative PEC Bernard Hay and Emily Hopkins.

Professor Nick Wilson discusses the Equity Gap in Britain's Creative Industries in a piece titled "Bridging the Imagination Deficit". The discussion paper "Immersive Experiences in Museums, Galleries and Heritage Sites: A review of research findings and issues" is not explicitly detailed in the search results, so its current status or content cannot be confirmed from these sources. However, its significance in the ongoing discourse surrounding immersive experiences in cultural institutions is undeniable.

Exploring the financial worth of immersive exhibits in museums, art galleries, and historical landmarks