We all want to be family friendly. But there’s a huge gulf between saying and doing and policy and practice. Families come in all shapes and sizes and this diversity is not always catered for by museums. It’s a challenge for the sector to change that.
Kids in Museums is an independent charity that supports museums, galleries, historic homes, heritage sites and arts organisations to welcome families, particularly those that have never visited before.
Our manifesto outlines 20 ways to make a visit family friendly. It is entirely compiled from thousands of comments by families.
Around 700 museums and galleries have signed up in support of the manifesto, pledging to work towards putting its 20 points into practice. It is primarily used as a family audit tool for the entire organisation, supporting its whole approach to families, from front of house, ticketing and catering.
Many points on the manifesto apply to actions taken by museums. For example, museums are urged to be positive and do away with the word “no”, telling visitors what they can do at the door instead of emphasising what they can’t. It is demoralising for families to be confronted with a list of stuff they might do wrong, whether that is bringing in a pushchair or taking a call on their mobile.
Families have told us it’s the total experience – from the cafe to the ways in which the objects are displayed – that determines whether a museum is for them. It’s no good putting on an object- handling event that enthrals a five year old if there’s nothing they can drink or eat in the cafe afterwards. Interestingly, half the points on the Kids in Museums’ manifesto are about facilities rather than content. When families pay to visit a museum, they want to be entertained for an entire day, afternoon or evening. They’re not just going for a specific event or exhibition.
The Family Friendly Museum Award awards puts the manifesto into practice. It’s one of the biggest museum awards in Britain and the only one where the families pick the winner. Shortlisted museums are road-tested by undercover families against the 20 points on the manifesto.
In 2015, Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery won the accolade for being the most welcoming to family groups. Oxford University Museum of Natural History was the inaugural winner of the award in 2005 and this year won the Best of the Best award at the Museums and Heritage show.
Both museums understand that a family event needs to cater for a broad range of ages and interests. Museums don’t have to appeal to everyone, but they do have to make sure you don’t make false family friendly promises in their marketing. If it’s for kids, say so. If it’s for families, make sure it really is.
Another area of great concern to families is the ticketing structure. People tend to think museums are free. They aren’t. Many charge at the point of entry or for exhibitions and this is a rapidly increasing trend as public funding shrinks.
Kids in Museums surveyed families (on what they wanted from a family ticket) and museums (on what kind of arrangement would work for them).The aim was to identify ways in which museums and families could benefit from a more flexible family ticket structure.
Families said they don’t mind paying but they do mind unfair pricing, and that’s what they felt they faced. Many struggled to get a family ticket because their family didn’t fit the standard criteria of two adults plus two children. Some had three or four kids; an older cousin that lived with them and a grandparent as the main carer.
Others were single parent families. Our flexible family ticket guidelines suggest ways in which it’s possible to make family tickets reflect today’s families. To assuage concerns that this might lead to loss of income for museums, we commissioned a report looking at the commercial considerations of flexible family tickets, suggesting ways in which introducing this structure can increase income rather than reduce it.
Museums are now making major efforts to attract babies and teenagers, which are often forgotten family audiences. Culture Babies is a partnership between Manchester Museums and Galleries and the Whitworth Art Gallery designed to highlight innovative, cultural practice for the under-twos.
Getting babies in when they’re a few months old is the first step in building a long-term family audience. Kids in Museums helps museums engage in a number of workshops for babies and toddlers.
As they grow up children can draw in older members of their family. But in disadvantaged families the only person who will probably have experienced a museum visit is a child on a school trip.
Children often bring their families to museums during Kids in Museums Takeover Day. It’s an annual day when young people take over a museum by taking on front-of-house roles, managing the social media output or acting as museum director. Teen Twitter Takeover was a simple and effective way of introducing teenagers to the museum.
More than 145 museums took part in Takeover Day last year, introducing over 6,000 young people to museums. Young people then become museums ambassadors, encouraging other family members to come along too.
It’s important for museums to reach out to families that might not otherwise reach them. Much of the most innovative work in this area is done in partnership.
It’s evident that there is lots of very good family-friendly work being done by museums. And sharing ideas is really beneficial, particularly for the visitors.
Caroline Marcus is the project director at Kids in Museums
Kids in Museums is an independent charity that supports museums, galleries, historic homes, heritage sites and arts organisations to welcome families, particularly those that have never visited before.
Our manifesto outlines 20 ways to make a visit family friendly. It is entirely compiled from thousands of comments by families.
Around 700 museums and galleries have signed up in support of the manifesto, pledging to work towards putting its 20 points into practice. It is primarily used as a family audit tool for the entire organisation, supporting its whole approach to families, from front of house, ticketing and catering.
Many points on the manifesto apply to actions taken by museums. For example, museums are urged to be positive and do away with the word “no”, telling visitors what they can do at the door instead of emphasising what they can’t. It is demoralising for families to be confronted with a list of stuff they might do wrong, whether that is bringing in a pushchair or taking a call on their mobile.
Families have told us it’s the total experience – from the cafe to the ways in which the objects are displayed – that determines whether a museum is for them. It’s no good putting on an object- handling event that enthrals a five year old if there’s nothing they can drink or eat in the cafe afterwards. Interestingly, half the points on the Kids in Museums’ manifesto are about facilities rather than content. When families pay to visit a museum, they want to be entertained for an entire day, afternoon or evening. They’re not just going for a specific event or exhibition.
The Family Friendly Museum Award awards puts the manifesto into practice. It’s one of the biggest museum awards in Britain and the only one where the families pick the winner. Shortlisted museums are road-tested by undercover families against the 20 points on the manifesto.
In 2015, Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery won the accolade for being the most welcoming to family groups. Oxford University Museum of Natural History was the inaugural winner of the award in 2005 and this year won the Best of the Best award at the Museums and Heritage show.
Both museums understand that a family event needs to cater for a broad range of ages and interests. Museums don’t have to appeal to everyone, but they do have to make sure you don’t make false family friendly promises in their marketing. If it’s for kids, say so. If it’s for families, make sure it really is.
Another area of great concern to families is the ticketing structure. People tend to think museums are free. They aren’t. Many charge at the point of entry or for exhibitions and this is a rapidly increasing trend as public funding shrinks.
Kids in Museums surveyed families (on what they wanted from a family ticket) and museums (on what kind of arrangement would work for them).The aim was to identify ways in which museums and families could benefit from a more flexible family ticket structure.
Families said they don’t mind paying but they do mind unfair pricing, and that’s what they felt they faced. Many struggled to get a family ticket because their family didn’t fit the standard criteria of two adults plus two children. Some had three or four kids; an older cousin that lived with them and a grandparent as the main carer.
Others were single parent families. Our flexible family ticket guidelines suggest ways in which it’s possible to make family tickets reflect today’s families. To assuage concerns that this might lead to loss of income for museums, we commissioned a report looking at the commercial considerations of flexible family tickets, suggesting ways in which introducing this structure can increase income rather than reduce it.
Museums are now making major efforts to attract babies and teenagers, which are often forgotten family audiences. Culture Babies is a partnership between Manchester Museums and Galleries and the Whitworth Art Gallery designed to highlight innovative, cultural practice for the under-twos.
Getting babies in when they’re a few months old is the first step in building a long-term family audience. Kids in Museums helps museums engage in a number of workshops for babies and toddlers.
As they grow up children can draw in older members of their family. But in disadvantaged families the only person who will probably have experienced a museum visit is a child on a school trip.
Children often bring their families to museums during Kids in Museums Takeover Day. It’s an annual day when young people take over a museum by taking on front-of-house roles, managing the social media output or acting as museum director. Teen Twitter Takeover was a simple and effective way of introducing teenagers to the museum.
More than 145 museums took part in Takeover Day last year, introducing over 6,000 young people to museums. Young people then become museums ambassadors, encouraging other family members to come along too.
It’s important for museums to reach out to families that might not otherwise reach them. Much of the most innovative work in this area is done in partnership.
It’s evident that there is lots of very good family-friendly work being done by museums. And sharing ideas is really beneficial, particularly for the visitors.
Caroline Marcus is the project director at Kids in Museums
