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Museums management in times of financial crisis Constructing sustainable visions for the future
4th and 5th of October 2013, National Museum of Slovenia, Ljubljana Museums have changed dramatically over the last 2 decades: not just where their core activities are concerned but also their role in an ever more changing global society. Some museums in Europe haven’t yet embarked on this change process, and as the financial crisis deepens these museums are even more at risk from further cuts in public funding1. The conference has presented successful and innovative European approaches to creative contemporary museum management and is hoping to become a start of a European-wide platform for debate and exchange of ideas, where we believe EMEE project can contribute significantly. The emphasis on the conference were given on the experiences and problems, which are facing the museums in United Kingdom (UK), since they are believed to be the most advanced museums in Europe (Christian Waltl, 4. 10. 2013). Problems they have can help us learn for the future. Sara Selwood, researcher, professor at UCL, London, UK with her contribution: Museums, Sustainability and Public Attitudes", has reminded us to think on the very important and commonly overlooked aspect – real public expectations and attitudes towards the museums. Despite the increase of public in the last 10 years, the UK visitor numbers have fallen for 3%. This has become a reason for the Museum Association (MA) to launch the Museums 2020 program for improving the conditions and for the sector to debate how museums could matter more. In this regard a research was made among the public – what do they think about the future of museums. Surprisingly the results of the research have shown that people see the priority purpose for the museums in preserving the heritage and providing knowledge. They can provide a sense of identity, but should not provide a forum for debate, nor should they promote human rights. Dutch presentation from Mac Pil, senior lecturer at Reinwardt Academy, NL, has introduced us to some alternative approaches in searching the funds for quality museum work and faced us with the fact that also Dutch museums are no exception when it comes to budget cuts and crisis. Pil also emphasised on the importance of following the trends in society and new business models, which can help museums (such as crowdfunding). Barbara Ravnik, Director of National Museum of Slovenia has faced us with some facts– more than 50% of museums in Slovenia were created in the last 50 years. And also effects of recession are more severe where museums depend only on one source of funding. Crisis, which is at the moment unknown in Asian museum enlargement, is a reality in the Western world. It is best if we perceive it as challenge and a base for a new creativity to appear, according to Damodar Frlan, president of ICOM Europe Committee, director of Ethnographic Museum, Zagreb, Croatia. We learned about the incredible investment in Scottish museums by the government and their extensive plan for the near future, by Matthew Linning, Head of Strategy, Research & Development at Museums Galleries Scotland2 – where they perceive museum's community role and role in community's life as the heart of museums. Among some innovative examples he
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(http://www.nms.si/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=85&Itemid=323&lang=en, 7. 10. 2013) 2 http://www.museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk/, 7. 10. 2013
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proposes RBS Museum Lates3 as an example of good practice for engagement with the generation Y. Marilyn Scott, director of The Lightbox, Woking, UK introduced us to the importance of sustainability, maximum all of the assets and occupancy of the building and aligning organisation’s purpose to the community to prove organisation’s economic worth – the base for reaching new funders. She has also given us a valuable example of good practice – The Lightbox4. The organisation and as well the museum can be sustainable only, if they are seen to meet the need and to have the evidence of their worth. The topic resilience has appeared again in the lecture of Stephen Feber, Stephen Feber Limited, UK, who is dealing with the organisations, which try to run in a long cycle but exits in a shortcycle world. The emphasis was on reaching more people and to have more visitors in the museums – but firstly we need to know, who they are. Feber insists strongly also on the clear presentation of who we – as a museum – are: the purpose, vision, mission and values; and supports the Pil’s idea on following the trends – social, cultural, political, and economical and the media trends. And the most important – visitor needs to be in focus at all times. As an example of really good museum and especially the website he proposes the Rijksmuseum5. We should keep in mind the three important tasks, which are vital also for museums – they need to inspire, entertain and educate people. Clodagh Memery, Associate director at Trinity Foundation, Ireland, has introduced us with professional fundraising and the story of success – The Science Gallery6. Among the fundraising strategies she has also stressed the importance of visitor’s interests. In total what Slovene museums and museums across Europe could draw from this conference is inevitable change7 that the museums need to face – sooner or later; the importance of visitors and their interests; firm organisational structure and internal relationships; and provable economic as well as community’s worth.
http://www.nms.ac.uk/our_museums/national_museum/whats_on/adults/rbs_museum_lates.aspx, 7. 10. 2013 http://thelightbox.org.uk/, 7. 10. 2013 5 https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en., 7. 10. 2013 6 https://sciencegallery.com/, 7. 10. 2013 7 Along with the changing society and financial conditions. 3 4
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