Under lockdown, we have all witnessed how the Coronavirus has exacerbated inequalities in society. It has also generated an outpouring of compassion from communities. It is worth reflecting on these two points as museums prepare scenarios to reopen.
We have witnessed the adverse impact of Covid-19 on the elderly, people with disabilities and complex needs, low income families, vulnerable children and adults, the socially isolated, BAME and communities from low socio-economic areas. These are very same groups that museums have struggled to attract through their doors.
As museums plan for the future, they have an opportunity to rethink what they do and who they are for; to develop a new offer for the communities they serve. Museums can respond to what lockdown measures have shone a spotlight on, including, the importance of digital connectivity, good mental and physical wellbeing, access to learning resources (and tech) for home-schooling, caring for neighbours, friends and family.
Following the 2008-13 financial crisis, many museums cut learning, outreach and inclusion programmes as part of efficiency saving. Essentially, community engagement was ‘value engineered’ out of the mix. Today, in a new reality of climate emergency, growing inequalities, child poverty and the Black Lives Matter Movement, museums must change or die. They are uniquely placed as safe spaces where communities can have unsafe conversations, where uncomfortable truths can be explored and where respite and support can be found. In order to retain any relevance in a post-C-19 world, museums must respond to local need and work with their communities in a meaningful and sustainable way.
In a post-Coronavirus world, a museum that does not prioritise diversity, access and inclusion above all else, won’t be seen as anything other than irrelevant and redundant. And a museum that does not take immediate, meaningful action to welcome people from all backgrounds and abilities should be ineligible for public funding.
The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted the sector’s weaknesses including fragile business models, poor digital infrastructure and low engagement with socio-economic and geographic groups. Crucially, it also provides museums with an opportunity to refocus their core purpose, values and operating models to create visitor experiences that truly meet the needs of audiences and exclude no one.
(image: museum taxonomy at home: children build a zoo)