Does the diversification of museum audiences demand a rethink of the training we provide for staff in the facilitation of disparate responses to collections and displays?
My research would indicate that there is a demand for training that provides customer-facing staff and volunteers with the skills to confidently respond to the public’s reactions to museum exhibits.
Those workers who deal directly with the public are often the primary point of contact for visitors to museums. As a result, they handle the public’s initial responses to collections and displays.
Consequently, specialist training could be necessary. These are just two points I considered when I started researching the potential for conflict-resolution training in museums.
Conflict, if effectively managed, is not necessarily a negative force; if an appropriate environment is established, conflict can stimulate dialogue and encourage intercultural appreciation.
Museum collections possess the potential to inspire debate and, if supported by trained staff, the ability to accommodate disparate opinions and appreciate diverse experiences. Museum staff given the relevant training could effectively support institutions in their ethical endeavours of diversity and inclusion.
We also need to think about the expectations placed on museum staff operating within increasingly controversial environments. Some museums are tackling issues of contemporary and historical social injustices, and directly challenging audiences to engage with the ideas and objects on display.
Museums should be prepared for visitors to respond emotionally to these displays, and should be responsible for making sure that frontline staff are trained to respond positively to audience reactions and resolve any conflict.
Some museums have already identified the need for staff training that supports museum personnel working in these contentious environments. The Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow has certainly faced its fair share of controversy and conflict through its social justice exhibitions and associated programming.
Aware of the potential repercussions for customer-facing staff, specific training has been provided to support staff operating in these challenging environments. Staff at St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art in Glasgow have sourced conflict-resolution training through external organisations.
Museum staff in contact with the public regularly experience emotional responses from audiences. We need to give further thought to how we support them.
Katie Downey has recently completed her MA dissertation, Training for Conflict Resolution: The Ethical Principles of Training Museum Staff To Facilitate Diverse Audience Responses to Collections and Displays, at the University of St Andrews
My research would indicate that there is a demand for training that provides customer-facing staff and volunteers with the skills to confidently respond to the public’s reactions to museum exhibits.
Those workers who deal directly with the public are often the primary point of contact for visitors to museums. As a result, they handle the public’s initial responses to collections and displays.
Consequently, specialist training could be necessary. These are just two points I considered when I started researching the potential for conflict-resolution training in museums.
Conflict, if effectively managed, is not necessarily a negative force; if an appropriate environment is established, conflict can stimulate dialogue and encourage intercultural appreciation.
Museum collections possess the potential to inspire debate and, if supported by trained staff, the ability to accommodate disparate opinions and appreciate diverse experiences. Museum staff given the relevant training could effectively support institutions in their ethical endeavours of diversity and inclusion.
We also need to think about the expectations placed on museum staff operating within increasingly controversial environments. Some museums are tackling issues of contemporary and historical social injustices, and directly challenging audiences to engage with the ideas and objects on display.
Museums should be prepared for visitors to respond emotionally to these displays, and should be responsible for making sure that frontline staff are trained to respond positively to audience reactions and resolve any conflict.
Some museums have already identified the need for staff training that supports museum personnel working in these contentious environments. The Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow has certainly faced its fair share of controversy and conflict through its social justice exhibitions and associated programming.
Aware of the potential repercussions for customer-facing staff, specific training has been provided to support staff operating in these challenging environments. Staff at St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art in Glasgow have sourced conflict-resolution training through external organisations.
Museum staff in contact with the public regularly experience emotional responses from audiences. We need to give further thought to how we support them.
Katie Downey has recently completed her MA dissertation, Training for Conflict Resolution: The Ethical Principles of Training Museum Staff To Facilitate Diverse Audience Responses to Collections and Displays, at the University of St Andrews
