Connecting Exercise – What is a Museum?

With a group of people that you know, perhaps including museum professionals, peers and people that work for community groups, discuss what you might change about the current definition of a museum to make it more community partnership focused.

The Museums Association agreed a definition:

‘Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society.’

This definition includes art galleries with collections of works of art, as well as museums with historical collections of objects.

  • How would you include partnership and community in an adapted definition?

This exercise should take about 30 minutes.

Please record your learning in your reflection notes.