Shifting from 'inside-out' to 'outside in' : envisioning ways of structurally integrating participatory principles in museums

Tools

Boersma, Susanne and Kist, Cassandra and Mucha, Franziska and Zwart, Inge and Economou, Maria; Koch, Gertraud and Smith, Rachel Charlotte, eds. (2024) Shifting from 'inside-out' to 'outside in' : envisioning ways of structurally integrating participatory principles in museums. In: Future Memory Practices. Taylor and Francis Ltd., London, pp. 23-39. ISBN 9781040150733 (https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003459163-3)

[thumbnail of Boersma-etal-TF-2024-Shifting-from-inside-out-to-outside-in]
Preview
 Text. Filename: Boersma-etal-TF-2024-Shifting-from-inside-out-to-outside-in.pdf
Final Published Version
License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 logo
Download (406kB)| Preview

Abstract

Participatory museum work often starts from a contributory logic, following objectives and predominantly securing outcomes that are a priority for the institution. However, the lessons learned from participatory practices rarely feed back into the internal workings of the organisation. While existing studies have examined participation in museums, assessing how it might democratise the institution or increase the institution’s relevance, the fundamental principles for participatory practices are not yet sufficiently integrated ‘on the ground’. This co-authored chapter draws on four different research projects on participatory museum work to envision an institution where participatory principles are structurally integrated. It builds on rich materials from empirical ethnographic and case-study research across Europe and North America, to assess four principles that underpin participation: non-hierarchical collaboration, personal connections, transparency, and reflective practice. Based on studying these principles in practice, the chapter suggests ways in which they can be applied to the behind-the-scenes of museum work, such as the day-to-day practices, roles of practitioners, and the underlying museum infrastructures. Rather than relying on participants to ‘work on’ the institution, this chapter sets out to re-imagine the museum transformed from ‘inside-out’ by structurally integrating these participatory principles.

ORCID iDs

Boersma, Susanne, Kist, Cassandra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9960-2236, Mucha, Franziska, Zwart, Inge and Economou, Maria; Koch, Gertraud and Smith, Rachel Charlotte
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)