Museums changing lives in Northern Ireland

26 September 2023

Our mission is inspiring museums to change lives.

For the past decade, we have encouraged museums to place social impact at the core of their work through our flagship campaign, Museums Change Lives.

We define social impact – also known as social value or socially engaged practice – as work that purposely benefits people and communities. Across the UK, museums are influencing positive changes and fostering rich and meaningful relationships between staff, volunteers and participants, enhancing the lives of everyone involved.

We believe that, just as museums report on their economic and environmental impact, social impact can and should be articulated to provide a wider picture of the work that museums do and their value to society.

Global Voices Local Choices, National Museums NI

We know that many museums in Northern Ireland are pioneering innovative and impactful socially engaged practice, but mimimal data exists showing the scale and breadth of this work. In 2023, we secured funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to undertake targeted research to capture data about museums and social impact in Northern Ireland.

The research looked at four areas of social impact practice: health and wellbeing; placemaking; acting as a space for engagement, reflection and debate; and addressing the legacy of colonial collections.

Key findings

70%

A majority of museums in Northern Ireland are undertaking at least one type of social impact work.

Our survey found that 70% or more of respondents are engaged in work related to health and wellbeing, placemaking and acting as a space for engagement, reflection and debate.

80%

Placemaking is the most common area of social impact work for museums in Northern Ireland.

80% of respondents are undertaking work in this area.

75%

Health and wellbeing is the second most common area of social impact work for museums, with 75% of respondents involved in this area.

Within this area of practice, dementia-related museum activity is particularly prevalent, with 20% of all respondents undertaking work in this area.

70%

70% of respondents are undertaking work to act as a space for engagement, reflection and debate.

However there is hesitancy in this area due to the perceived potentially divisive nature of the work.

30%

Addressing the legacy of colonial collections is a less common but growing area of focus, with 30% of respondents involved in this activity.

Although programmes in this area are being led at national level, museum work on this subject at local level remains in its infancy.

88%

Out of the four areas of social impact work, placemaking was most likely to be a time-limited project.

88% of respondents undertaking placemaking work reported that their work in this area was time limited.

Read the full report via the download below.

Downloads

Museums changing lives in Northern Ireland (pdf)