Last month public attitude research into the purpose of museums was published (see this month's news and vox pop).
The research suggests that the public view the care, preservation and display of collections as core priorities, with the wider role of museums in society as less important.
All publicly funded museums should listen to what the public want, but it is also crucial to have a dialogue.
If the public have been told for years that the role of museums is to collect and preserve objects, it’s hardly surprising that they would regard these as priorities.
It’s hard to visualise what an outreach project is if you’ve never been involved in one, and imagining a museum as a forum for community debate and engagement won’t be the first thing that springs to mind if you haven’t seen this happen.
What is encouraging is that the public are committed to the concept of universal access and the role that museums can play in education and learning.
This is a good starting point for a discussion about the potential that museums can have beyond what is perceived as their traditional role. Clearly, museums must be better at articulating what impact they can and do have.
While they may be good at explaining their broader role in society to funders and other stakeholders, that conversation also needs to take place with the public.
The survey is just one part of the equation and it should inform the direction of the sector alongside other research and values. As part of the Museums 2020 consultation, the Museums Association last month held a roundtable discussion with third sector organisations.
All of the charities represented wanted to do more with museums and galleries, and saw them as adding value to their work.
Many museums express their core values through mission statements with public benefit at their heart. Now is not the time to abandon those ideals. What the public say they want from museums is important; how museums respond is crucial.
Sharon Heal, editor, Museums Journal
sharon@museumsassociation.org
www.twitter.com/sharonheal
www.museumsassociation.org/conference
The research suggests that the public view the care, preservation and display of collections as core priorities, with the wider role of museums in society as less important.
All publicly funded museums should listen to what the public want, but it is also crucial to have a dialogue.
If the public have been told for years that the role of museums is to collect and preserve objects, it’s hardly surprising that they would regard these as priorities.
It’s hard to visualise what an outreach project is if you’ve never been involved in one, and imagining a museum as a forum for community debate and engagement won’t be the first thing that springs to mind if you haven’t seen this happen.
What is encouraging is that the public are committed to the concept of universal access and the role that museums can play in education and learning.
This is a good starting point for a discussion about the potential that museums can have beyond what is perceived as their traditional role. Clearly, museums must be better at articulating what impact they can and do have.
While they may be good at explaining their broader role in society to funders and other stakeholders, that conversation also needs to take place with the public.
The survey is just one part of the equation and it should inform the direction of the sector alongside other research and values. As part of the Museums 2020 consultation, the Museums Association last month held a roundtable discussion with third sector organisations.
All of the charities represented wanted to do more with museums and galleries, and saw them as adding value to their work.
Many museums express their core values through mission statements with public benefit at their heart. Now is not the time to abandon those ideals. What the public say they want from museums is important; how museums respond is crucial.
Sharon Heal, editor, Museums Journal
sharon@museumsassociation.org
www.twitter.com/sharonheal
www.museumsassociation.org/conference