I was quite intrigued by the lead article in the current edition of the Museums Journal [1]. In essence, the article asks whether we should move away from permanent exhibitions, using the number of visitors, and of repeat visits in particular, as the yardstick by which to measure value for money when it comes to … Continue reading News programmes, not feature films, Or: Should we ditch permanent exhibitions?
Category: Museums
The challenge of objects
I don’t know about you, but I usually prefer heritage sites to museums for a visit. Partially this may be a result of poor interpretation encountered once too often at museums. Labels listing cataloguing information do very little for me and, I expect, many other visitors. Such ‘interpretation’ fails to make that elusive connection, and … Continue reading The challenge of objects
Can volunteers sustain a successful museum?
Recently, Britain’s Prime Minister once again tried to enthuse people for his ‘Big Society’ idea. In the words of the Big Society Network: ‘The Big Society is a society in which individual citizens feel big: big in terms of being supported and enabled; having real and regular influence; being capable of creating change in their … Continue reading Can volunteers sustain a successful museum?
Budget cuts: What Sense of Heritage Will We Have Left?
The latest issue of the UK Museums Journal gives plenty of evidence of the impact budget cuts have on the museums and heritage sector. English Heritage is about to shut down its entire (!) outreach department, the Victoria and Albert Museum has downgraded its post of Director of Learning and Interpretation to Head of Education … Continue reading Budget cuts: What Sense of Heritage Will We Have Left?
A case of too many interactives?
A couple of weeks ago I visited the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, Wales. The museum’s focus is on the industrial history of wales, and object cases alternate with high-tech interactives. I’m not personally a huge fan of interactives. The reason is that I have not seen many interactives that I feel were necessary and … Continue reading A case of too many interactives?
Museums and Migrants
Buried in a commentary in this month's Museums Journal was a reference to the programmes offered for migrants and refugees at the Victoria and Albert Museum in England [1]. Migrants are more and more becoming part of the social fabric of almost every country around the globe, and certainly in Western Europe and North America … Continue reading Museums and Migrants
Another Highland Clearance?
This month's Museums Journal (UK) reports on the Highland Council's public consultation on, among others, the potential for closing museums to achieve budget savings. There is an air of simplism about how the questions are put to the public that raises concerns over what value - if any - the council assigns to museums. 'The … Continue reading Another Highland Clearance?
Nicole Deufel's Blog 