Opinion
The arts sector must learn to think ‘diversity’
In the black cube of Hyson Green, inner city Nottingham, at New Art Exchange (NAE) we breathe, sweat and bleed the black bricks that symbolise our foundation to stimulate new perspectives on the value of diversity in art and society. As a building, NAE stands strong, representing solidity and a sense of purpose and longevity. …
Consult non-visitors as well as visitors
What do visitors really think about our museum, gallery or heritage site? It is one of the key questions that we need to answer to run a successful venue. Ahead of our Museums Association conference session, Perceptions and Prejudice: Separating Fact from Fiction, Christina Lister, a cultural sector PR and communications specialist, and I undertook …
Bosnia and Herzegovina needs our help
I have just become a witness to a story of exceptional museum resilience. This happened in October, when I was a keynote speaker at the Balkan Museum Network’s Balkan Museums Without Barriers conference in Sarajevo. The story unfolded in a museum at night. Many participants joined the tour of the National Museum of Bosnia and …
Be vocal about your ethical responsibilities
Egyptian antiquities have long attracted steep premiums at auction, but prices have never been higher. At stake are professional reputations, public faith in museums and, above all, Egypt’s heritage. But what can the museum community do? For starters, we need to be more vocal about our ethical responsibilities as stewards of the past. Recently, the …