Museums around the world are struggling. With a lack of funding and finite resources, many need to start thinking creatively about how to get people through their doors and generate revenue. One way to do this is through hiring touring exhibitions! One reason touring exhibitions are such a popular revenue stream is that they bring fresh new content to the museum, enticing locals who may already be familiar with the permanent collection to catch the temporary content. Despite this benefit, touring shows can be a pricy expense for museums looking to keep costs low post-pandemic.

Here we have outlined some tips if you are looking to add more touring shows to your programming but are on a smaller budget than normal.

Most hiring fees are negotiable - so reach out to the producer

On the Vastari portal we list hiring fees as a range because more often than not they are negotiable with a producer. Reach out to producers for shows you think fit your institution programming best, and see if they can work something out within your budget constraints.

Hire shows locally/regionally to reduce transportation costs

With the filters on the Vastari portal, you can search for shows located in your state/country/region. By organising your search this way you can minimise transportation and airfare costs. This not only helps you save money but also decreases your environmental impact and carbon emissions.

Learn more about the cultural industries' responsibility to sustainability in our webinar "Tackling sustainability and climate change in the art world".

Hire less expensive or smaller shows

Looking for shows within a lower range of hiring fees doesn't mean you will be missing out on exhibition quality. The producer might only be looking to recover costs, or even have funding to support the hiring of the show!

Here are a few examples of shows on our portal you can hire for less.

Suggest a revenue sharing model to bring down the hiring fee

Sometimes producers will offer a ticket revenue sharing model. By negotiating this the producer can reduce the hiring fee for the show. Filter for shows offering a ticket revenue sharing model on the Vastari portal.

Host a smaller portion of the exhibition

While having large blockbuster shows can seem like the better option to draw in more visitors, it might not be possible under budget constraints. Ask the producer to scale down the exhibition because often they are open to co-production. This way you can still have a high quality show, but more tailored to what your organisation can support. Scaling down will also significantly reduce the show's transport and insurance costs! Search by shows open to co-production on the Vastari portal now.

Collaborate with artists

Lots of exciting artists on Vastari are presenting fresh content that can attract audiences. They often will provide shows at a lower hiring fee, or they might be able to collaborate with you on raising funds for the show from their galleries or collectors.

Some examples of artists or their estates providing thought-provoking exhibitions on our platform include:

Search through Vastari’s portal of hundreds of exhibitions to find the perfect show for your exhibition programme no matter your current budget constraints. Log in or create an account with us today to start connecting with new producers and shows.