Opinion
Letters
The value of investment at the Geffrye Sara Selwood’s critique of the Geffrye Museum’s new 17th-and 18th-century displays (Museums Journal February 2007, p46-47) missed the point. These are representations of rooms as they might have been experienced by people at the time, when the panelling and textiles were new and the colours were bright, and …
Letters
MLA closure will hit the whole of the UK The proposed closure of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) has been discussed in the light of its impact on museums in England but it also has serious consequences for those in the other home countries. Museums and galleries in Wales continue to participate in …
Get your governance right and life gets a whole lot easier
Governance is a dull subject. Nobody questions its importance, but it hardly sets pulses racing. You only really start to appreciate its importance in times of difficulty. If your museum is doing well, then governance weaknesses are not noticed or fretted over. But if things are not going so well, poor governance can become a …
If you jump on a bandwagon, hold onto the reins
The United Nations has used International Years to raise awareness of global issues for half a century. Other organisations also use year-long themed campaigns to promote understanding of important concepts by responding to topical issues or by celebrating anniversaries of notable achievements, people or events. For museums, such campaigns can be a good focus for …
Kinship and culture: they go together
Arts and culture are a necessity for children and families. We know that taking part in cultural activities together helps to make families strong and stable, providing them with shared memories, history and happiness as well as resilience when times are hard. Such positive family experiences can be gained from a range of activities: a …