The first principle of the Manifesto is cultural rights and cultural democracy. We define this principle as follows:
Access to and participation in culture is a basic human right. Everyone has a right to representation and agency in museums, and communities should have the power to decide how they engage.
The UN Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community”. This is based on the principle that citizens are not just consumers of cultural capital created by others; we have agency and the right to contribute through culture to the wider good of society.
The most significant function of museums is as centres for cultural democracy, where children and adults learn through practical experience that we all have cultural rights. Having the opportunity to create, and to give to others, may be one of our greatest sources of fulfilment. Culture is everywhere and is created by everyone.
The exercises that follow ask you to reflect on how this principle relates to your professional practice. You will have the opportunity to watch others in the sector talk about what this principle means to them and their work.