Coworking Spaces, Accelerators and Incubators: Emerging Forms of Museum Practice in an Increasingly Digital World

Abstract

Digital technologies have begun to radically disrupt museum business models. The quantity of information available online today has never been so abundant, and easy access to information calls into question the role, purpose and ‘usefulness’ of museums. A century after John Cotton Dana called for a ‘useful’ museum, in‐house start‐up hubs where creative entrepreneurs can work, collaborate and create within the museum are being implemented. In doing so, these museums are reimaging Cotton Dana's vision for the ‘useful’ museum into one that is fit for purpose in this digital age. The present article focuses on how three museums are responding to the disruptions provoked by the proliferation of digital technologies and a broader interpretation of the museum's remit, by redefining their role, purpose and practices. By developing a space for creative entrepreneurs within their museums, Te Papa (New Zealand), New Museum (USA) and ACMI (Australia) are redefining what a museum of the 21st century could be. Through a series of semi‐structured interviews with senior managers at these museums, this article examines the strategic, practical and theoretical implications that these spaces, commonly referred to as ‘start‐up hubs’, have for museum practice. The analysis of an emerging mode of museum practice as a means to support museum professionals and academics who seek to engage critically with digital culture and emerging business models in museums will follow.

Emergency or emerging financing strategies of art museums in the context of a pandemic?

“…Examples of indirect and multi-party funding can be identified in various museum projects. Some European museums have embraced the practice of establishing incubators for entrepreneurs (Murphy 2018).…”

Participatory Innovation and Prototyping in the Cultural Sector: A case study

“…Startups and accelerators have become an integral part of regional and district innovation economies. They also have enormous potential for cultural institutions to move into the centre of participatory innovation (Ciecko & Turoczy 2017, Murphy 2018). An early prototype is the EMC Arts Innovation Labs in the U.S. (http://emcarts.org/programs/innovationlabs), which has been described as "a deep dive program for museums, performing arts organizations, and arts development agencies experimenting with new practices.…”

“…Beyond the co-working model, museums investing in startups is currently a paradigm shift that is slowly gaining growth (Ciecko & Turoczy 2017, Murphy 2018). Of the museums that are developing a presence, The New Museums' NEW INC incubator in New York (http://www.newinc.org/) is an experimental initiative of the New Museum launched in 2014.…”

Customer Work Practices and the Productive Third Place

“…Prior research documents the development of new practices of working in third places like coffee shops, pubs, and hotel lobby bars and cafés (Griffiths and Gilly 2012; Murphy 2018). Griffiths and Gilly (2012) point to the value that third places have for customer-workers as a possible space for work.…”