Abstract
The idea that museums and art galleries can have a social impact is now central to contemporary discussion about the museum sector. Many museum professionals are looking at how they might advance ‘socially-engaged practice’ within their institutions and how they might enable more participatory approaches to address issues of diversity, access and representation. As this area of practice grows, the keys questions that animate the cultural sector are: What are the processes of organisational transformation? How does this work lead to sustained impact in museums? And who leads change? This last question is the starting point for this report. It considers the experience of ‘change-makers’ in museums and art galleries and the current barriers and challenges they face. It focuses on mid-career museum professionals who took part in the UK Museums Association’s (MA) workforce initiative, Transformers: Radical change in the Museum. As a first study into personal experiences of change-makers, this report raises some important challenges for the UK museum sector.
Highlights
Many museum professionals are looking at how they might advance ‘socially-engaged practice1’ within their institutions and how they might enable more participatory approaches to address issues of diversity, access and representation.[2]. As this area of practice grows, the keys questions that animate the cultural sector are: What are the processes of organisational transformation? How does this work lead to sustained impact in museums? And who leads change
There were a number of noteworthy successes that emerged throughout our study. These included positive experiences of personal and professional growth for participants; the activation of new forms of socially-engaged practice across the sector; and the emergence of strong networks of museum professionals committed to this work, both within Transformer cohorts and within organisations where a Transformer was located
The programme provided an opportunity for museum professionals to reflect on and articulate their professional values through the workshops and mentoring networks, and to activate values-led practice through their individual projects
Summary
The idea that museums and art galleries can have a social impact is central to contemporary discussion about the museum sector. Many museum professionals are looking at how they might advance ‘socially-engaged practice1’ within their institutions and how they might enable more participatory approaches to address issues of diversity, access and representation.[2] As this area of practice grows, the keys questions that animate the cultural sector are: What are the processes of organisational transformation? Our report shows that participants faced a number of institutional barriers, including risk-aversion, organisational silos, and a persistent view of projects as peripheral to core organisational concerns These two aspects of the programme mean that participants’ experience of becoming a change-maker is a deeply emotional process, which often takes on a personal toll. The programme focuses on developing critical self-reflection and values-led work in museums by enabling participants to identify their personal values and professional goals It provides training on pitching new ideas and projects, impacting others and influencing tactics to gain buy-in within institutions.
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