Co‐Creating, Co‐producing and Connecting: Museum Practice Today

Abstract

We argue in this paper that museums have become hybrid spaces, where consumers look and challenge what they see; they form part of what they see; with some aspects of exhibitions now co‐created and co‐produced by the consumer (Kershaw et al. ,b; Solis ). This paper draws on an example from a group that we worked with using performance as a tool to engage a ‘hard to reach’ or ‘socially excluded’ groups. We conclude that by allowing audiences to co‐create and co‐produce exhibitions and performance; this can turn the museum rhetoric of community engagement into practice and create a space that is truly inclusive for the communities it serves. We demonstrate how the possibility of seeing museums as hybrid spaces, which can adapt, can be used for education and entertainment, and how that has in turn led to the transformation of people's lives in a previously socially excluded community.

Developing experiences: creative process behind the design and production of immersive exhibitions

“…The technology-backed narrative experience (Dal Falco and Vassos 2017) started taking advantage of visual and audio materials such as images, objects, sound, music and high-tech hardware like holograms or touch screens (Wang and Lei 2016), making museums and art galleries hybrid places where the virtual and digital aspects of exhibitions are combined with the physical artefacts (Irace and Ciagà 2013). These changes offer the potential to redefine the role of visitors, which in turn might lead them to assume a more active role and co-create and co-produce exhibitions by interacting with their environment and taking a central role in the experience (Barnes and McPherson 2019;Muller, Edmonds, and Connell 2006). This way, technology has emerged as a tool to make art relevant again, while simultaneously renewing the museum experience (Olesen, Holdgaard, and Laursen 2020) and contributing to a 'new museology' paradigm that contrasts with the classic collections-centred approach (Desvallées and Mairesse 2010).…”

“…Simultaneously, exhibition design connects understandings of our past, the need to generate new knowledge, and inspiring ways to imagine our future, all integral elements in our information-saturated world (Lake-Hammond and Waite 2010). In other words, museological practice is trying to keep up with the demands of the digital technology era in which we are living, where the experience is valued more than anything, though not without criticism (Barnes and McPherson 2019). Nonetheless, when curators take advantage of the new means available in exhibition design, which enhance interactivity, convey meaning, and tell stories, they can create exhibitions with greater impact in society (Giannini and Bowen 2019).…”

“…Existing research attempts to bridge the gap between academia and contemporary practices in the field, notably by exploring the shift towards a digital culture and identity which blurs the lines of the physical with the digital reality (Barnes and McPherson 2019;Giannini and Bowen 2019;Irace and Ciagà 2013). The present study aims to contribute to the discussion by providing insights into the creative process by breaking down the process of the design and production of storytelling in immersive exhibitions, and incorporating the point of view of those involved in the exhibitions' development.…”

Increasing Museum Capacities for Serving Non‐White Audiences

“…To accomplish this, institutions should experiment with collaborating and embracing the ideas, expertise, and perspectives of local communities. In their Curator article, Pamela Barnes and Gayle McPherson described the impact community collaboration can have on the demographics of museum visitorship, writing, “Allowing different members of the community to engage with the development of the museum and gallery planning will allow the site to move away from being represented by a small section of the community who are often older, wealthier and who hold higher formal education levels” (Barnes & McPherson, 2019, p. 264). This approach requires museums to relinquish some power and control and engage in true collaboration in shaping narratives.…”

La Musealización del Arte y la Historia: estrategias discursivas y de comunicación, inclusión, transformación digital y participación en museos

“…se refiere a un concepto de "comisariado dialógico" ("dialogical curating"), según se refiere a comisariar de manera colectiva y plural junto con el resto de agentes sociales y culturales en torno al tema u artefactos de exposición(Edmundson, 2017). En este mismo sentido, se han podido identificar varias estrategias concretas: utilizar acciones performáticas en el museo con comunidades sociales(Barnes y McPherson, 2019), investigar con técnicas etnográficas en las sociedades tradicionales y aborígenes los usos y significados de las cosas(Chipangura, 2020), utilizar una plataforma de diseño online para una co-creación de exposición con comunidades(Rogers y Rock, 2017), entre otras. Por otro lado, reconociendo los beneficios de este nuevo comisariado, Viau-Courville (2016) advierte de que también está desplazando la profesionalización del comisariado de las exposiciones.…”