Laurel Miller’s Post

Today marks #InternationalMuseumsDay. Museums are at the heart of our communities, looking to the past, present and future, bringing us together. It is a day to advocate for museums and to share a vision for what museums are and could be. Many debate the role of museums, for me they are about people, a reflection of who we are and who we want to be. Museums have the potential to be transformative, to be at the heart of national conversations, to bring the world around us together, improve well-being and be an economic driver. This is why we must advocate for museums, their potential is unspent, austerity has limited their potential. There is far more they can do, they can be a space for all and not the few. Support your museum. #IMD2024

Reposting our recent research about Museums on ‘International Museum Day’ celebrated globally today. The central thread of the day is museums as a vital space to shape social and historical narratives as well as to celebrate diversity (UNESCO,2024). In our paper, we explore existing knowledge about digitalisation and digitisation used in museum narratives and curatorship, to demonstrate how these processes impact the role of museums and memory-making. #MuseumDay Yap, J. Q. H., Kamble, Z., Kuah, A. T. H., & Tolkach, D. (2024). The impact of digitalisation and digitisation in museums on memory-making. Current Issues in Tourism, 1–23. https://lnkd.in/g32MHsBg

This International Museum Day is themed "Museums for Education and Research." It underscores these cultural institutions’ pivotal role in shaping a more informed, sustainable, and inclusive society. “People trust museums as places where they can learn about the world and learn about themselves; museums do so much more than meets the eye,” says Zena Howard FAIA, our global cultural and civic practice leader. Find out how established and emerging institutions are shaking up what it means to be arbiters of culture: https://lnkd.in/ef6tUxs5 #IMD #knowledgeilluminated #PWinsights #designinsights

"Happy International Museum Day, art and history enthusiasts! Today, let's embark on a journey through the corridors of culture, imagination, and knowledge. 🌍✨ Museums are not just buildings filled with artifacts; they're portals to different worlds, eras, and perspectives. Let's keep exploring, discovering, and preserving the wonders of our shared heritage. 🏛️💫 #InternationalMuseumDay #MuseumMagic #ExploreLearnDiscover #digitalproworld #digitalproworldenterprises"

Good to see the MA showing leadership by putting time and resources into this work. Many organisations scramble about for training sessions as a quick fix, working groups without providing the necessary resources and support, one off consultant training and the expectation for change to be delivered only by people with 'lived experience' not alongside. To embed change and foster equity there needs to be a consistent approach. An essential requirement for employment in the cultural heritage sector should include the following ' CAN YOU DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF SYSTEMS OF INTERSECTIONAL OPPRESSIONS AND POWER INEQUALITY' If it was taken that seriously, the demographics, skills and expertise of the workforce would change dramatically. This is a step in the right direction 👏🏽 👏🏽

Exclusion happens everywhere in the museum. From the objects that the curator choose to collect, to the presence or absence of stories in the interpretation and the exhibitions, and the displays. How those interpretations are framed, how a museum reaches out to communities to tell particular stories or to tell stories they are already telling. Museums choose stories they are telling. And they do so in a way that suggest or we suggest it is for our core audience. And these are the people who already sees themselves in the stories that we present, in the objects on Display. And they are the people who are already coming. We serve them, and we continue to serve them. But many lives and experiences are not represented in the stories. Or at worst even considered in the planning and development of exhibitions, programmes and events. #20daylinkedinchallengewithhaoma #inclusivity #museums

As visitors to museums, we often think of ourselves as passive recipients of their knowledge and expertise: we look, but don't touch; we wonder, but don't challenge; we may leave the exhibition changed, but we don't change the museum. But what if we could? Book now for this collaborative one-day event with Modern Art Oxford to explore the changing nature and future of museums: bit.ly/3RbR5gc

#CaseStudy Have you ever wondered what's behind a museum renovation? We're excited to share our first Case Study on the project we've been working on since 2021 for the Rovereto Civic Museum Foundation (Fondazione Museo Civico di Rovereto). Our contribution has included staff training, a gradual reinstallation of all museum galleries, and the development of a new interpretive apparatus. It has involved various roles and skills from the We Exhibit team in the development of: ~ Exhibition Design: reinstallation of the museum's exhibition spaces and renovation of the interpretive apparatus to improve accessibility and engagement; ~ Workshops: training staff on accessibility, communication, interpretation, and evaluation issues to facilitate smoother comparison and exchange during the redesign phase. Do you want to learn more? Read the case study scrolling the homepage here 🔗 [LINK] https://lnkd.in/dZCcpbFX - #WeExhibit #ArtIsInTheProcess #OurServices #ThisIsWhatWEDO #FondazioneMuseoCivicodiRovereto #ExhibitionDesign #ExhibitDesign

+++ In this article we fine tune the link between #digitalknowledge and the post-pandemic museum What a joy dealing with such topics in the era of the #FourthRevolution! 💫 Deeply felt thank you to Arthur Clay and his incredible team. 📢 Read and let me know what are your thoughts and suggestions, I'm curious. #onlife #hybrid #newnormal #phygital #inforg

Sobering data re external factors impacting the value proposition of museums (courtesy of Susie Wilkening). "How can we more effectively position ourselves as high-value destinations that stay a priority even when budgets are tight?" As the calculus seems even more transactional, museums must focus even more on visitor ROI and relevance. #museums #visitorexperience https://lnkd.in/gH7XaMwz