Trump’s war on culture is a warning for us all

Donald Trump’s move to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services in the US is not just an attack on arts funding – it is an assault on public access to culture, learning and collective memory.

This executive order is the latest in a long line of attempts to strip away the resources that make the arts accessible to all not just the privileged few.

Museums, libraries, and galleries are the backbone of civic life. They facilitate connection, understanding and the democratic exchange of ideas. Cutting their funding does not “streamline” government – it severs communities from their own cultural lifeblood.

Those who will suffer most are not wealthy patrons who can afford private exhibitions, but children, students and working-class families who rely on these institutions for education, inspiration and even refuge.

This is a warning shot for the global public arts sector. In the UK, years of underfunding and creeping privatisation have already taken a toll. The slow chipping away of support for public cultural institutions is not just an American problem. It is happening here too from local library closures to the gutting of arts education.

Defunding the arts is an ideological project that seeks to hollow out the public sphere and turn culture into a commodity rather than a right. We must resist this erosion of our collective heritage. If we care about access to the arts, about diverse voices being heard and about future generations having the same opportunities to engage with culture, then we cannot be silent.

At a time when public investment in culture is under threat, we must come together as a sector to protect and strengthen audience connection. Collaboration and shared knowledge are more important than ever.

By working collectively – across organisations, disciplines, and borders – we can ensure that the arts remain accessible, relevant, and impactful. Understanding our audiences is not just about survival; it is about building a cultural future that is inclusive, sustainable, and rooted in the needs of the communities we serve.

Debbie Spence is the director of MHM