This interdisciplinary project brings together research groups based in the United Kingdom (Loughborough University) and France (University of Paris, 8) for the purpose of examining the impact of inequality on contemporary museum culture. Researchers drawn from art history, art market studies, and sociology will gather and analyse empirical data relating to the funding and governance structures of selected public and private museums in France and the United Kingdom. They will relate this information to current political debates about inequality and will propose solutions to a decline in the democratic accountability of museums. The need for this research is pressing in light of the rise of clientelism in artworld institutions and the implications of this for the long-term shaping of cultural heritage. In keeping with the ISRF’s mission “to provide a better understanding of social entities and processes”, the project focuses on museums as potent examples of the relationship between public institutions, private wealth, and democracy. The research will debate whether or not museums are or can be solidaristic and how economic power translates into cultural power. Cultural narratives are often absent from discussions in political philosophy and the social sciences, yet they are important for issues relating to identity, democracy, and the shaping of history. By drawing together researchers from humanities and social sciences backgrounds, the project will move beyond typical modes of inquiry and will propose innovative solutions to urgent socio-political issues in public and private museum governance. By proposing a series of recommendations devised in collaboration with museum professionals for the future of museum governance and accountability in public and private contexts, the project will offer practical answers to questions that are central to the future of collective cultural heritage.