¡°In order that we can all touch our past¡±: Participatory Re-visioning of Discovery Museum
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This document summarizes a participatory research project involving stakeholders of the Discovery Museum. The research aimed to understand participants' visions for museums, their experiences at Discovery Museum, and what could encourage more visits. Over 500 people from four stakeholder groups provided input through discussion groups and diagrams. Key findings included strong regional identities shaping expectations of the museum, consensus around museums' purpose, and barriers deterring "hard to reach" groups from visiting. The museum was enthusiastic about the collaborative approach and embedding participation in the future.
¡°In order that we can all touch our past¡±: Participatory Re-visioning of Discovery Museum
- 1. ¡°In order that we can all touch our past¡±: Participatory Re-visioning of Discovery Museum Rachel Pain, Durham University rachel.pain@durham.ac.uk Museums Association Conference 5th October 2010
- 2. Participatory research Involving those conventionally ¡®researched¡¯ in some or all stages of the process, from problem definition through to action: ¨C A more collaborative, less hierarchical, less extractive approach to researching museum audiences? ¨C How far can and should we take participation in a museum context?
- 3. Research questions Research Question 1 ¡°The big vision¡± ? What are participants¡¯ ideas and wishes, needs, suggestions about the purpose of museums, how they could relate to their audience and how their audience could relate to them? Research Question 2 ¡°The Discovery visit¡± ? What do participants believe is working at Discovery and what could be improved? Research Question 3 ¡°What would help?¡± ? What reasons are there for not visiting Discovery, and what would encourage people to do so? Research Question 4: ¡°A participatory methodology¡± ? How effectively can a participatory research approach and methodology capture and integrate the views on the Museum¡¯s future from a range of visitors, non-visitors, staff and other key stakeholders?
- 4. Methodology ? Discussion groups ? Participatory diagrams ? Staff training and peer research 530 people were included from four stakeholder groups: visitors and non-visitors, external experts and specialists, city and regional funders and stakeholders, and TWAM staff and volunteers.
- 5. Some key findings ? Strong emotions about and connections with the North East (for most, a very positive identity).This shapes expectations and responses to Discovery Museum. ? And vice versa: feelings of emotional attachment to Discovery content both reflect and cement aspects of regional identity - a big part of what adults want to pass on to children during visits.
- 6. ? Consensus - no major disagreement between stakeholder groups on the purpose of museums ? But ¡®hard to reach¡¯ (socially marginalised) groups have a more negative view of life in the North East and the Museum ? They identified a number of barriers to physical, social and cultural access, which deter them from visiting ? Need to continue traditional programming, but reflect diversity of communities¡¯ histories too
- 7. Reflections on collaborating with the museum sector ? Not just a ¡®commission from a distance¡¯ or a report on the shelf - a real partnership, and real commitment ? TWAM keen to think and reflect critically ? Real enthusiasm for participatory approach, and embedding it in TWAM ? Time/finance issues ? What happens to minority voices amid a sea of others?
Editor's Notes
- #4: RQs designed based on museums priorities ¨C but to be emergent and ground up ¨C no closed tick-boxes - offer best chance of allowing new ideas in.