Instrumental Values: Professional ethics in collaborative cultural work

The ethical and moral values of cultural organisations have been in the spotlight recently, including for example public debates over the ethics of museums accepting commercial sponsorship from international oil companies whose own business practices have been morally scrutinised, and on the ethical responsibility of arts and cultural organisations to respond and contribute to political issues including Brexit. Museum and library sectors in England both have codes of ethics prescribed by their respective professional bodies the Museums Association and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. Both codes describe a set of principles that are particular to each sector, including responsibilities to information and its users; stewardship of collections; and individual and institutional integrity. The Museums Association's revised code of ethics published in 2015 was described as its "social contract" with the public.

At the same time, there has been growing momentum across the cultural sector behind a more integrated, active role in fulfilling public policy and cross-government agendas by working in collaboration with different organisations and public services. This has been embraced by museum and library sectors, with many examples of collaborative projects making a real difference in terms of outcomes relating to health, wellbeing and other social indicators.

What happens to the ethical values and codes of practice of one sector when they collaborate with other professional groups? How does this impact upon their shared collaborative objectives and achievements? These are the type of questions that will be addressed by the 'Instrumental Values' project. Focusing on museums working in health care settings and prison library services, the research will create two case studies on cross-sector communities of practice and their shared values, knowledge, practices and skills. A series of in-depth interviews will be undertaken with museum, library and collaborating professionals to explore the impact of public policy agendas on collaborative professional learning and the outcomes and implications for relevant sectors. Research findings will be shared throughout with participating professional and research communities via various knowledge exchange activities and events, culminating in a published book on professional ethics in collaborative cultural work.

The Instrumental Values project has been designed to directly benefit and impact upon museum and library sectors. This includes generating learning outcomes on working in collaboration in different professional environments, and the process of generating shared knowledge, practices, ethics and values. The research looks specifically at ethical standards and codes of practice when working collaboratively in health and social justice settings. As such, a number of other policy and practice communities could potentially benefit from the research, particularly those likely to collaborate in delivering public services and meeting public policy objectives.

This includes other arts and cultural organisations working in health and wellbeing and/or criminal justice settings, and organisations supporting this work (for example the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance and the Koestler Trust). Other services and agencies working in these fields including health and social care providers will also benefit from the research, especially those who may commission arts and cultural organisations to deliver health and wellbeing outcomes, including NHS trusts, regional health and wellbeing boards and clinical commissioning groups. Training and development providers in public services may also be interested in learning outcomes from the research, including for example Health Education England, the workforce development body for the NHS.

In relation to professional ethics and codes of practice, those sectors expected to uphold such principles will be interested in how cross-sector collaborations could potentially impact upon their own standards. This includes public office holders expected to observe the 7 principles of public life, such as civil servants, local government officers, police, courts and probation services, non-departmental public bodies, health, education, social and care services.

Central and local Government departments responsible for these public policy areas will also learn from the research in terms of the professional implications of policy recommendations. These include the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; the Department of Health; and Ministry of Justice. Arms length national bodies and funding agencies such as Arts Council England will also benefit from the research with regards to managing expectations of projects funded under public policy remits. At a regional level, devolution agendas are focused upon integrated health and social care systems and public infrastructures, with some designated city regions explicitly referencing arts and culture in devolution agreements as having a pivotal role to play in social and economic development. The research will inform such developments in creating learning outcomes for enhanced cross-sector collaboration.