Museums, Crisis and Covid-19: Vitality and Vulnerabilities
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Ulster
Department Name: Faculty of Arts
Abstract
The Covid-19 crisis is having a significant impact on the museum sector, nationally and globally. It is exposing the vulnerability of museums, their staff, projects and collections. Elsewhere, innovative programming is demonstrating the vitality and versatility of an engaged, responsive and participatory museum service, proving that museums are places of relevance even in a crisis.
This research project focuses on how museums can continue to contribute to community resilience and wellbeing in a time of crisis. It addresses sector adaptability as it adjusts audience engagement and collaboration (such as new collecting practices, programming and exhibitions) in response to Covid-19. The differing responses during the Covid-19 crisis - in some museums staff were furloughed yet elsewhere they have been involved in responsive projects - uncovers deeper attitudes to the essential (or otherwise) nature of museum services. Going forward, this project will lead and inform the sector as it adapts to effective community-digital possibilities that still embraces new thinking in participation and engagement. Alongside this, the project evaluates how we adapt our practices to be mindful of audience diversity, digital poverty, and the isolation challenges for vulnerable audiences arising from Covid-19.
Rising to that challenge this project:
1. identifies how museum pedagogy and practices must adapt to new audience needs;
2. explores possibilities for co-produced community-digital innovation; and,
3. investigates the offer museums can make to support community resilience during and in the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis.
The importance of this project lies in the following areas. Firstly, new knowledge about the understanding of the impact of Covid-19 on the museum sector in NI that will both inform the Department for Communities (DfC) and have national relevance. Secondly, by generating new thinking around the community-digital dynamic and leading innovation as museums adapt. Thirdly, understanding the new needs around community resilience and wellbeing, arising from Covid-19.
The Museums Association's response to the Covid-19 enquiry described museums as vital in supporting communities, promoting community cohesion, enabling wellbeing, and reflection on significant public issues. Many of our museums work with vulnerable groups, who will remain cautious/shielding post lockdown e.g. the Dementia Friendly Programme (NI Museums Council). This project will investigate the impact of putting such programmes on hold, how they can be effectively adapted/reinstated, and make recommendations for immediate application/future planning.
This research project focuses on how museums can continue to contribute to community resilience and wellbeing in a time of crisis. It addresses sector adaptability as it adjusts audience engagement and collaboration (such as new collecting practices, programming and exhibitions) in response to Covid-19. The differing responses during the Covid-19 crisis - in some museums staff were furloughed yet elsewhere they have been involved in responsive projects - uncovers deeper attitudes to the essential (or otherwise) nature of museum services. Going forward, this project will lead and inform the sector as it adapts to effective community-digital possibilities that still embraces new thinking in participation and engagement. Alongside this, the project evaluates how we adapt our practices to be mindful of audience diversity, digital poverty, and the isolation challenges for vulnerable audiences arising from Covid-19.
Rising to that challenge this project:
1. identifies how museum pedagogy and practices must adapt to new audience needs;
2. explores possibilities for co-produced community-digital innovation; and,
3. investigates the offer museums can make to support community resilience during and in the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis.
The importance of this project lies in the following areas. Firstly, new knowledge about the understanding of the impact of Covid-19 on the museum sector in NI that will both inform the Department for Communities (DfC) and have national relevance. Secondly, by generating new thinking around the community-digital dynamic and leading innovation as museums adapt. Thirdly, understanding the new needs around community resilience and wellbeing, arising from Covid-19.
The Museums Association's response to the Covid-19 enquiry described museums as vital in supporting communities, promoting community cohesion, enabling wellbeing, and reflection on significant public issues. Many of our museums work with vulnerable groups, who will remain cautious/shielding post lockdown e.g. the Dementia Friendly Programme (NI Museums Council). This project will investigate the impact of putting such programmes on hold, how they can be effectively adapted/reinstated, and make recommendations for immediate application/future planning.
Publications
Crooke E
(2020)
Communities, Change and the COVID-19 Crisis
in Museum and Society
Crooke, E
(2022)
Museums, Crisis and Covid19: Policy Brief Finance and Furlough
Crooke, E
(2022)
Museums, Covid19 and Digital Media. A work-in-progress briefing
Crooke, E
(2022)
Museums, Crisis and Covid19: Museums, Covid-19 and Digital Media
Farrell-Banks, D.
(2022)
Exhibiting Pandemics During COVID-19: The value of co-production and co-creation in community engagement
in Museum Ireland
Friel, B
(2022)
The unfolding narrative from Covid-19. Emerging themes and skills in practice
in rish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
Harper, S
(2020)
Museums, Crisis and COVID-19: Initial Tracking of Museum Responses in Northern Ireland
in Museum Ireland, published by the Irish Museums Association
| Description | The Museums, Crisis and Covid-19 project found that the Northern Ireland museum sector is committed to its societal role, is ambitious and caring, and willing to be agile and responsive. The research found that the organisational health of a museum going into the pandemic had a significant impact on how well placed the institution was to address the challenges posed by temporary closure, loss of income and staffing changes. Good institutional health gave more chance for a museum to map out a future beyond the pandemic and to be able to address further challenges. The change of pace during the pandemic enabled some museums to focus attention on their collections, improving collections care, documentation and digitisation. At some museums this became an opportunity to identify themes and priorities for new collecting and to build awareness online of their collections. As a result of this period of change, a better understanding was forged of the inter-dependence of in-person and digital engagement, recognising one inspires the other. We recommended the sector undertakes evaluation to garner greater insight into the characteristics of that digital experience, its quality, impact and the diversity of audience engagement. We also identified that Northern Ireland's museums must gather up-to-date evidence of their impact on society, health and wellbeing to match emerging needs in society post pandemic. |
| Exploitation Route | There is potential for this research to be used by national and local government departments that fund our museum sector, UK wide and in the nations such as Department for Culture Media and Sport, Department for Communities (NI). Now that a government is sitting again in Northern Ireland, there is opportunity for Department for Communities to progress a culture, arts and heritage strategy and to update the NI Museum Policy (2011). The findings of the Museums, Crisis and Covid-19 project has potential to inform that strategy because of its focus upon how museums practice and their societal impacts. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://www.ulster.ac.uk/museumscovid19/outputs |
| Description | As the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the UK cultural sector became clear, agencies responsible for promoting culture, arts and heritage looked at how they could provide protection and security for the sector. The devolved nature of government in the United Kingdom resulted in a complex web of relief policies and implementation timescales across the four nations. By working with museum colleagues and Project Partners we have provided insights into the financial support packages made available to the museum sector to mitigate against the impacts of the Covid-19 crisis and have documented the speed and agility shown by museums in their responses to lockdowns and the pandemic. We have provided feedback to the sector on what has worked well and the scope there is for new approaches as we emerge from the pandemic. This includes legacy issues, such as addressing the skills gap caused by those who missed out on development opportunities as well as the scope for new training to meet the needs of the post-pandemic museum. The Covid-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown measures utilised by most governments globally has had profound impacts on people, their environment and their ways of life. Museums and heritage sites have the potential to provide important therapeutic spaces for both individuals and communities both during and in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and associated impacts of lockdowns, restrictions of movement and personal loss and grief. These impacts have been felt across communities. This project has generated findings around the roles museums might have in bridging these recent challenges to the 'community' and in helping communities consider the impact of Covid-19 and the rebuilding of the future. Here, the museum's role as a space of social renewal and community healing clearly comes into play. Covid-19 has brought the biggest change to working and living practices in our lifetime. Museums and heritage institutions, and people across society, have demonstrated an ability to rapidly adapt to these changes. Although the changes have been dramatic and have come with significant challenges, there are also positive outcomes. Our research has continually engaged with themes of digital practice and communication, with these topics cutting across our work packages. Changing digital practice has impacted on finance/funding and community wellbeing as well as forms of museum communication and interpretation. By drawing on the expertise and experience of the team, our project has investigated new ways digital practice that can be adapted to current and new museum learning and community projects. Working closely with our Project Partners, Northern Ireland Museums Council, the Museums Association, National Lottery Heritage Fund and a curator in Derry City and Strabane Council, has ensured a close connection with museum practitioners and the generation of industry relevant outcomes. Findings were shared at the Heritage Focus Subgroup and informed the thinking of the Culture, Arts and Heritage Taskforce. This was reiterated by the subgroup chair who said, in relation to our research: "This data has proven invaluable and gives a very clear picture as to the challenges that the museums sector currently faces, all of which will ensure that the Taskforce recommendations are soundly based on quality research. This data will be equally useful in informing the development of an overall Culture, Arts and Heritage sector strategy" This research has challenged our own understanding of the museum sector giving us a deeper appreciation of how the pandemic has brought focused attention to the museum and broader issues such as climate change and decolonisation. These outcomes have been shared in academic past events, publications and are informing future outputs. |
| Sector | Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | Education Developments postgraduate students |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Many individuals attracted to Masters courses in museum studies come from undergraduate programmes in art history, archaeology and history; these are arts programmes that rarely include digital training. Although those students may be regular users of smartphones and websites, they consider their digital skills as very low. This initiative is an entirely new collaboration between Interactive Media at Ulster and the Museum Studies programme and it builds awareness amongst the museum studies MA students of the importance of digital for every aspect of museum practice. The first workshop has already removed some of the mystique in producing digital media, which is often a barrier for museum staff in engaging in with digital media. With their knowledge of collection stories, and expertise of Alan Hook (CI), the MA students will co-produce a digital product focusing on collections in the Ulster Museum. |
| URL | https://www.ulster.ac.uk/museumscovid19/blog |
| Description | Heritage Subgroup linked to the Culture, Arts and Heritage Taskforce, Department for Communities |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Museums Association Journal |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| URL | https://www.ulster.ac.uk/museumscovid19/outputs |
| Description | Museums Association |
| Organisation | Museums Association |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Our research team is investigating the impact of the pandemic on the purpose and operation of the UK museum sector, with a focus upon Northern Ireland. This is informing Museums Association campaigns around supporting the museum workforce around issues that span the UK, as well as being pertinent to their Northern Ireland members. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The UK Museums Association is a partner on the Museums, Crisis and Covid-19 project. With regular attendance at project meetings, our partner ensures the research direction and outputs are relevant to areas of concern for the sector. |
| Impact | MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE NOV 22: PI Crooke chaired a panel at the UK Museums Association conference exploring how museums might contribute to good relations and stability in Northern Ireland, as the region navigates the combined matters of Brexit and Covid19. The panel included 3 Local Councillors, all of whom have served on the Board of NI Museums Council. MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION MEMBERS' MEETING MAY 2021: Introduced by PI Crooke, CI Maguire, CI McDermott and CI Hook presented papers at the Museums Association Members meeting 21 May 2021. Recordings of the papers are available on the project website https://www.ulster.ac.uk/museumscovid19. Title of papers: Dr Tom Maguire, '"Caressez-moi!" touch in the post-COVID museum'; Dr Philip McDermott and Roisin Doherty, 'Museums as places of community healing post-Covid19'; and, Alan Hook, 'Digital storytelling and transmedia approaches to museum interpretation'. MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION NI DATA PROJECT: The Museums, Crisis and Covid19 project has led to further collaboration with the Museums Association. Our research has shown gaps in data for NI museums sector, amongst that is gaps in financial data, but it goes further to include scarcity of data on staffing, collections, and engagement (in-person and online). Crooke (PI) and Farrell-Banks (CI) presented research from the Museums, Crisis and Covid19 project at a roundtable meeting convened by Sharon Heal, Director Museums Association and attended by NI Museums Council, NL Heritage Fund and Head of Museums Branch, Department for Communities. Our presentation brought critical insights to existing data, identified gaps in data, and highlighted the importance of data for museums whilst they address current and potential future crisis. We will continue this collaboration with the Museums Association with the intention to devise a longer term project investigating and plugging urgent gaps in knowledge about the museum sector. This is multidisciplinary research involving museum studies, social sciences and digital humanities. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Title | Interactive Media and Causeway Coast and Glens Museums Services |
| Description | Helen Jackson (CI) lead a project between Museum Services at Causeway Coast and Glens and Interactive Media students. The project focuses upon museum archives which students are re-purposing into interactive online experiences, with the intention to foster new forms of participation and engagement. The output takes the form of an interactive exhibition hosted on a website. The creative process underpinning the project is described in a blogpost: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/museumscovid19/blog/posts/adapting-museum-content-for-interactive-platforms. The products are hosted on the online museum community archive: https://niarchive.org/projectitems/ni100-ulster-university-interactive-media-students-projects/ |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | This project is a collaboration between the Museums Services at Causeway Coast and Glens, CI Helen Jackson, and Interactive Media students. It has multiple impacts. Firstly, it enables the museum service to work with young people, an under-represented museum audience. It builds awareness amongst this demographic of the rich stories available via the museum and within the local community, which is ideal material for creative projects. Secondly, the museum has tapped into the skills of the Interactive Media students, which fills a gap amongst the museum workforce. Thirdly, the outcome is new digital products co-created with underutilised archives that is freely available on the museum website. |
| Description | 'Museums Challenge' Northern Ireland Museums Council, Forum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation give at the Northern Ireland Museums Council Forum event 31 March 2022. The theme of the Forum was 'Museums Challenge' and the presentation focussed on how during the pandemic we were challenged to think differently, both within the sector challenging museum practice, and challenging others with museums. Event attended by museum staff, researchers, and representative of the Department for Communities, sponsor department for NI Museums Council and National Museums NI. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ulster.ac.uk/museumscovid19/outputs |
| Description | Blog, Crooke |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Blog post titled 'A year on from closure, prioritising the multi-platform porous museum' published 30 March 2021. This blog reflects on themes arising from a NI Museums Council Forum co-chaired by Crooke, PI Museums, Crisis and Covid 19. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.ulster.ac.uk/museumscovid19/blog |
| Description | Blog, Hook |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Three blog posts written by Alan Hook, CI Museums, Crisis and Covid19. The theme of the posts is designing in/for/with the museum. The blogs document each stage of producing browser-based museum interpretation panels. Themes include principles for designing immersive experiences for museums and how to acknowledge and respond to bias in design practice. The blogs underpin the content of 6 hours workshop content with postgraduate students in museum studies who reported a change in understanding of the process. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ulster.ac.uk/museumscovid19/blog |
| Description | Blog, Maguire |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | In a blog post titled 'Caressez-moi' Tom Maguire (CI) explored object touch, materiality and digital visitor engagement in the post-Covid museum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.ulster.ac.uk/museumscovid19/blog |
| Description | Blog, McDermott, Friel, Doherty |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A blog post written by Philip McDermott (CI) Breda Friel (CI) and Roisin Doherty (Project Partner) explores how heritage projects and museums can become central places for mark the trauma of Covid19 and bolster community wellbeing. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.ulster.ac.uk/museumscovid19/blog |
| Description | Focus Groups 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Throughout this project we have engaged closely with the museum sector, both as part of the data gathering process and to communicate the research. We held two focus groups with individuals who work in and with museums who are change makers in their professional practice. One of the practitioners provided the following feedback, which we have permission to share: "When Covid-19 caused lockdown and consequently the shut-down of physical museum services, I was acting Museum Services Manager. I felt privileged to be invited to participate in the Ulster University's Museums, Crisis and Covid-19 focus groups. The process was an opportunity to share experiences and discuss common issues for museums, highlighted by the pandemic. The focus group sessions underlined that the social role of museums was, for the moment, being given a wider recognition. The process validated our aim as a service to continue to work towards a means for better illustrating the relevance and value of museum services to society - not just in a pandemic". The findings from the focus group meetings informed the next stages of the research and other outputs documented in ResearchFish. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | IMA/NIMC Education and Outreach Forum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Elizabeth Crooke (PI) gave a presentation to the Irish Museums Association and NI Museums Council Education and Outreach Forum (21 May 2021). The presentation both captured innovation in the museum sector during the pandemic and considered the way forward for the blended museum, which does more to combine both digital and in person/onsite museum services. The discussion that followed gave insights into what form of museum service and public engagement is important to retain and the appetite for further innovation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Interview for Irish Times |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The Irish Times published 'Museums project looks at potential changed role in post-pandemic world' (1st April 2021, sponsored). The article documented the purpose of the project, funding source, and collaboration. The article increased the profile of the project amongst the museum sector in Ireland. https://www.irishtimes.com/sponsored/museums-project-looks-at-potential-changed-role-in-post-pandemic-world-1.4523068 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Interview for Museums Journal |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | January 2022 the Museums Journal published an article titled 'Positive Thinking' with the tag line 'Despite a difficult period for culture, ambitious initiatives are fueling hopes of recovery'. A substantial part of this article cited an interview between Crooke (PI) and the author. In the article Crooke commented on the impact of emergency funding and the furlough scheme; museums staying relevant for their audiences; and ambitions amidst economic and environmental challenges. https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/analysis/2022/01/positive-thinking/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.museumsassociation.org |
| Description | Museums Association Annual Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Elizabeth Crooke (PI) convened a panel at the Museums Association Annual Conference, 2021. Drawing on the conference theme Brave New World, the panel asked the question 'when cars are burning on your street, what use of museums'. It's starting point was the rioting in Northern Ireland Spring 2021, which was blamed on the "perfect storm" of Brexit, Covid19 and boredom. The question was explored by three Local Authority Councillors, each from different political parties in the region, with clear perspectives on museum purpose. Rather than presentations from each Councillor, Crooke posed questions and the panel took the form of a discussion. Museums were explored as places with both a responsibility and duty to tackle the ongoing challenges of our histories. The debate that followed allowed us to consider different perspectives on difficult histories in museum spaces and museum purposes at times of challenge and crisis. Questions from the audiences showed an interest into getting a better insight into the Northern Ireland context, and the combined concerns of Troubles legacy, Brexit and the impact of the pandemic. https://www.museumsassociation.org/conference-2021-content/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.museumsassociation.org |
| Description | Museums Association NI Members Meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The UK-wide Museums Association holds annual members meetings attended by members from that that region as well as Board members, who can be based anywhere i the UK, all of whom are museum practitioners. Three presentations were given by CIs of the Museums, Crisis and Covid19 project, who were introduced by the PI. Dr Tom Maguire spoke on on audience experiences in museums; Alan Hook on sharing new digital interventions with museums and Dr Philip McDermott and Roisin Doherty exploring the idea of the healing museum. The presentations were recorded and are available on the Museums, Crisis and Covid19 project website https://www.ulster.ac.uk/museumscovid19/outputs. The intended purpose was to disseminate research findings from the project, stimulate debate, and build networks. Feedback from attendees informed the direction of the research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.ulster.ac.uk/museumscovid19/outputs |
| Description | NHS Voices of Covid19 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This panel discussion brought together researchers from a number of projects to explore how the pandemic is being collected by museums and archives. It was devised and hosted by NHS at 70: Voices of Covid19. The recording the session is hosted on https://vimeo.com/639108352 Listed here https://www.ulster.ac.uk/museumscovid19/outputs |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.nhs70.org.uk/story/nhs-voices-covid-19 |
| Description | Podcast, Pandemic and Beyond Episode 25 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Dr Pascale Aebischer speaks to Professor Elizabeth Crooke, Professor Heritage and Museum Studies at Ulster University, about her project Museums Crisis and Covid-19. The project explores the difficulties faced by the sector during the pandemic and how museums can contribute to community resilience and wellbeing during times of crisis. They are joined by Roisin Doherty, curator-manager of the Tower Museum Derry who shares her experience of finding new strategies to engage audiences in a pandemic and post-pandemic environment. You can learn more about the project here. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://open.spotify.com/episode/1LSDBl3JyGNP3gcQnGo7ND?go=1&sp_cid=a98295fc098014793d56ca650eb32662... |
| Description | Presentation NI Museums Council Learning Forum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | In September 2022 Elizabeth Crooke was invited to present project findings to the NI Museums Council AGM and Learning Forum. Elizabeth presented key findings from the project, including feedback from our Museum Futures Northern Ireland event (September Ulster University). The event was attended by NI Museums Council members and Department for Communities representative. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ulster.ac.uk/museumscovid19/outputs |