The final Manifesto principle we will look at in this section is activism. We describe activism as follows:
Museums are not neutral. Museum activism should be based on listening, acting and delivering with our communities.
Museum activism is about taking positive action to make the world a better place. Museums are part of the fabric of society and are impacted by and can have an impact on events outside their walls.
Museum activism can mean supporting campaigns that our communities care about in an open and collaborative way. This could be working on issues where museums, through their collections, interpretation and programming, can add understanding, knowledge and perspectives on issues such as anti-racism and the climate crisis.
Activism can be an area of controversy, with the sector facing continued expectations that museums should remain ‘neutral’. Yet, the sector’s activist role has gathered momentum in recent years, as explored in the 2019 publication of Museum Activism, edited by Robert Janes and Richard Sandell.
The next exercises ask you to reflect on how activism 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.