Opinion
Wales gets cultural education
What on earth is going on in schools in England? The government seems to have taken leave of its senses. Goya’s painting of Atlas devouring one of his children comes to mind. In September, Michael Rosen, Carol Ann Duffy and 200 other writers and academics became the latest arts and education professionals to condemn Michael …
We need to listen to critical reviews
Review sites, internet forums and social networks generate thousands of reviews, and millions of comments, about Britain’s museums annually. But are these rich opportunities to further how we understand our audiences or the domain of outspoken unrepresentative critics? A quick browse on TripAdvisor suggests a major museum’s current refurbishment is a surprise to visitors disappointed …
The 2020 column: It’s time to confer
The three themes at this year’s Museums Association conference (11-12 November) relate to Museums Change Lives and Museums 2020. Tomorrow’s World looks at the future of museums from a range of perspectives, including the implications of technology for democratising museums, culminating in a session imagining what a museum would be like if it was designed …
Vox pop: Can museums prove that they are good for your health?
Carol Rogers, executive director, education, communities and visitors, National Museums Liverpool “We know that we can affect the lives of visitors by focusing our venue assets, collection expertise and resources on making a difference to people’s health and wellbeing. A growing number of museums actively reach out to connect with people living in poverty and …
Educational alliances and museums
Wikipedia explains that the origin of the word museum derives from the Greek muses, denoting a building set apart for study and the arts. My organisation, the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA), has a passion for “study and the arts” and is one of the UK’s largest providers of adult education. The WEA’s vision is: “A different …
In search of the happiness factor
The other day I met three ex-miners who had worked at Woodhorn colliery in Northumberland in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. They are organising a reunion (the colliery closed in 1982 before reopening in 1989 as a museum) and as I left them in the cafe, it struck me that most of our time together …