Community resilience and recovery

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures implemented by governments globally are crises that have affected us at individual, community and societal levels. The impact of the disease on citizens and their families and the context of the 'new normal' is likely to have a long-lasting legacy. While museums may not necessarily be the first place that people, or indeed policymakers, might think about in the context of community recovery, the unprecedented nature of COVID-19 has provided a unique opportunity for innovative, unique interdisciplinary approaches to community resilience to emerge in museum practice. If properly funded and supported, museums can utilise new and innovative approaches which emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic to consolidate their role as sites of community wellbeing and renewal in the years ahead.The Museums, Crisis and COVID-19 (MCC) project at Ulster University (2020-22) connected academics, heritage professionals, curators and grassroots representatives to explore how museums in Northern Ireland can contribute to community resilience and wellbeing in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 1 Discussions during the project indicated that these institutions in Northern Ireland may become important locations for telling the story of COVID-19 in the future. Moreover, museums will become places for commemorating what has been a traumatic event for society and the communities within it, thus meeting important therapeutic needs. The multiple roles played by museums in curating the past and engaging with disparate groups make them a location in which people can reflect on the impact of COVID-19. These roles, we argue, should receive greater attention from policymakers because of their potential importance in the wider context of supporting community 5 Community resilience and recovery: the 'Restorative Museum' and responses to COVID-19