A social museum by design

Data-inspired co-design for museum and gallery visitor experiences

“…According to the academically dominant paradigm of new museology (Vergo, 1989; Shelton, 2013), visitors aren't just passive recipients of knowledge, but also active participants, requiring museums to think more deeply about participation and engagement (Simon, 2010; Murphy, 2019) participatory spaces (Dodd et al , 2001). Giving museums the tools to capture and make sense of rich visitor data from a wealth of internal and external sources and perspectives will aid museums in the designing of such visitor experiences, whether tailored to an individual exhibition or used throughout the property, which promote personal engagement from the fullest range of the potential visitor population and better reflect connections to community, context, and heritage (Benson and Cremin, 2019).…”

The Aftermaths of Participation

“…In recent years, this notion has gained prominence as museums have shifted their roles to become sites of activism and social justice (Chynoweth et al 2021;Janes and Sandell 2019;Sternfeld 2018). Grounded in 'new museology' (see the introduction to this book), museums apply participatory practices to become democratic forums (Cameron 1971), social spaces (Benson and Cremin 2020) or 'contact zones' (Bayer et al 2017;Boast 2011;Clifford 1997). In light of this, the role of the museum in society is crucial for its potential to serve as a 'safe space'.…”

Unpacking the complexities, challenges, and nuances of museum community engagement practitioners' narratives on knowledge production in Scotland

“…At the core of the critique directed toward museum community engagement is an often‐existing uneven power dynamic in the museum community relationship, resulting in work that is tokenistic and experienced as short term by the community‐based participants (Fouseki, 2010; Lynch, 2011). In response, Benson and Cremin (2019) call for a more socially engaged approach to community engagement and introduce the concept of “abundance” to frame their vision. A multidirectional process of shared decision‐making and democratization, “abundance” encompasses opening up the collection and connecting to the skill, passion, and expertise of people outside the museum, to make them closer connected to their communities and, in turn, into truly meaningful places (Benson & Cremin, 2019).…”

“…In response, Benson and Cremin (2019) call for a more socially engaged approach to community engagement and introduce the concept of “abundance” to frame their vision. A multidirectional process of shared decision‐making and democratization, “abundance” encompasses opening up the collection and connecting to the skill, passion, and expertise of people outside the museum, to make them closer connected to their communities and, in turn, into truly meaningful places (Benson & Cremin, 2019). Reminiscent of Freire's (2005) concept of “dialogical spaces” where “students” (project participants) and “teachers” (museum practitioners) are both educators and learners, they argue that valuable knowledge is generated in the dialog between the two.…”