Vox pop

“Who’s in your family? Your parents? Your kids? Cousins? The dog, perhaps? When someone says not every museum should be family friendly, I always wonder which kind of family they don’t want to welcome. It’s only if we define family very narrowly – two parents and two kids – that such a statement makes any sense.

Too many museum activities and tickets make presumptions about who’s in a family. A single grandparent, aged 45, with two grandchildren may not count as family. An 18-year-old who’s primary carer of their 13-year-old cousin won’t get a family ticket.

Grandparents’ activities are aimed at older people, and parenting activities are rarely for teenagers. If we get real about modern families, then it makes sense to welcome all of them. Except, perhaps, the dog.”


“No. After much market research in preparation for setting up Wellcome Collection, we decided to aim primarily for audiences of 14 and above.

We are, of course, delighted when grown-ups bring younger people with them, and somewhat less keen on the opposite dynamic. Our exhibitions and events are very much made with adults in mind, and then sometimes we seek to add layers and mechanisms for drawing in younger audiences.

Aiming specifically at children is, I think, very unlikely to engage anyone else but the target audience; whereas many children and teenagers are keenly attracted to adult culture. And if educational purposes are paramount, then I suspect media other than museums and galleries might well be more effective.”


“Is ‘family-friendly’ a euphemism for noisy children? I don’t think so – I think ‘family-friendly’ means a museum is welcoming to everyone, that it has interpretation that is clear and understandable for all and engages with all age groups in ways which are familiar to them.

A museum needs to learn and develop through its interaction with its audiences. The Women’s Library at London Metropolitan University often covers challenging subjects, from the women’s liberation movement to women and work. But the participation and feedback we get from our school and family visitors is essential to gaining perspective on these subjects.

After all, museums are all about people and you therefore need to engage with the widest range of people to give those collections meaning.”


“As a children’s museum Eureka! is by its nature family friendly and is deliberately designed to work on different levels so that different generations and age groups can get the most out of the experience. But where the content is more specialist and sophisticated, being family friendly may not be a priority.

It is partly the role of children’s museums to nurture the next generation of adult museum-goers but by not being family friendly, others send out a message that museums are only for a specific demographic.

As educational and cultural attractions, it’s important that all museums are as inclusive as possible to all. Being family friendly shouldn’t be a token, it should be part of the fabric of the venue.”