The findings of a report into public attitudes to museums, published last month by BritainThinks following a series of discussion events around the UK, have proved controversial.
Commissioned by the Museums Association (MA) as part of its Museums 2020 campaign to create a vision for the future of museums, the report found that there was a high level of public trust in museums, and a perception that museums have a role to play in society.
But the findings also showed there was little public appetite for museums providing a forum for debate, fostering a sense of community or promoting social justice.
This has led some to question the methodology of the research. Alec Coles, former director of Tyne and Wear Museums, said: This is a lazy piece of research that does little for the sector, or the people that use it, other than to demonstrate that museums constantly fail to articulate their roles effectively.
“From the evidence available, the nature of the survey failed to provide even basic information that would have elicited an informed response from participants.”
Viki Cooke, the founding director of BritainThinks, said: “How the sector responds to this research is not for us to comment. However, the research is far from ‘lazy’.
“The purposes [of museums] that were shared with citizens at the events were drawn from the Museums 2020 consultation report and reactions to it.
“Examples used to illustrate how those purposes could be brought to life were identified in partnership with the advisory group responsible for overseeing the research project, and aimed to provide citizens with a range of different ways in which museums were seeking to meet each potential social purpose.”
MA president David Anderson welcomed the report but said it was being considered alongside other findings, not in isolation.
“The comments and criticisms will be reviewed by the MA, as part of the wider consultation process for Museums 2020,” he said.
The BritainThinks report was funded by Arts Council England, Museums Galleries Scotland and Cymal: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales.
Commissioned by the Museums Association (MA) as part of its Museums 2020 campaign to create a vision for the future of museums, the report found that there was a high level of public trust in museums, and a perception that museums have a role to play in society.
But the findings also showed there was little public appetite for museums providing a forum for debate, fostering a sense of community or promoting social justice.
This has led some to question the methodology of the research. Alec Coles, former director of Tyne and Wear Museums, said: This is a lazy piece of research that does little for the sector, or the people that use it, other than to demonstrate that museums constantly fail to articulate their roles effectively.
“From the evidence available, the nature of the survey failed to provide even basic information that would have elicited an informed response from participants.”
Viki Cooke, the founding director of BritainThinks, said: “How the sector responds to this research is not for us to comment. However, the research is far from ‘lazy’.
“The purposes [of museums] that were shared with citizens at the events were drawn from the Museums 2020 consultation report and reactions to it.
“Examples used to illustrate how those purposes could be brought to life were identified in partnership with the advisory group responsible for overseeing the research project, and aimed to provide citizens with a range of different ways in which museums were seeking to meet each potential social purpose.”
MA president David Anderson welcomed the report but said it was being considered alongside other findings, not in isolation.
“The comments and criticisms will be reviewed by the MA, as part of the wider consultation process for Museums 2020,” he said.
The BritainThinks report was funded by Arts Council England, Museums Galleries Scotland and Cymal: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales.
