Survey launched to help smaller museums engage with climate emergency

The Natural History Museum (NHM) is seeking responses to a survey to help it shape a new programme of support for smaller museums looking to engage audiences with the planetary emergency.

The institution is in the early stages of developing the UK-wide programme, which will be aimed at smaller museums and those at the beginning of their journey in this area.

The programme is connected to the museum’s ongoing scheme, Our Broken Planet: How We Got Here and Ways to Fix It, and will provide free workshops, resources, training and potentially funding to support regional activity.

As part of the programme, the NHM plans to build a UK-wide partner network to explore innovative and experimental ways in which Our Broken Planet-related activity can be shared with and engage younger, more diverse audiences across the UK.

The network will be based on interest and need from across the sector, bringing institutions together to tackle the issues and facilitate dialogue and debate, as well as linking local contexts and collections to the global issues.

The network will share contemporary science research relating to local collections and environmental challenges, build confidence in youth engagement and explore solutions-focused dialogue through a community of practice.

To shape the network and the programme, the NHM would like to hear from small museums and those starting their journey in environmental and youth engagement, and organisations interested in developing and sharing experiences in these areas.

The 10-minute survey will help it tailor a community of practice that meets the unique needs and interests of individual institutions.

Freya Stannard, the NHM’s head of national collections, said: “The natural world is in crisis and we need to come together to find solutions to the problems people and planet are facing. The NHM is looking to collaborate with museums across the UK to support engagement with regional issues and collections through the sharing of experiences, knowledge and expertise. If you are interested, please fill out this survey to help shape what this could become and join our community of practice.”

Sharon Heal, director of the Museums Association, said: “We are urging small museums to respond to this short survey so we can learn more about how we can engage audiences and use collections to deal with environmental challenges.”

• Take the survey