Blog
Well I have finally taken the plunge and decided to add a blog to my site to share information and probably random thoughts with my visitors. I also plan to use the space to place articles and links that I think are interesting and relevant, and hopefully persuade some interesting people to contribute a guest blog from time to time, so please do check for updates
Recent Posts
The winds of change
It is not that long ago that the commercial enterprises of cultural organisations were considered to be quite separate from the real purpose of the museum….. to preserve its collections, to educate and promote its subject and stage exhibitions to engage and involve the visiting public.
The times however they are a changing……… and a climate of austerity and the need for cultural attractions to become self sustaining has meant that organisations are having to rethink their commercial strategies and bring them to the heart not the margin of their activities.
The good news is if they are well designed and in harmony with the brand values of the organisation commercial ventures are not necessary evils in conflict with the organisations ‘real’ work but instead can underpin the organisations ethos and add to the enjoyment of a visit.
A great afternoon tea, an interesting learning workshop, a shop selling unique high quality products inspired by the collections, exhibitions and the heritage of the site, and fun things for the kids to do can tip the scales in terms of the decision to visit.
A café restaurant that is good enough to become a destination in its own right can attract a local audience too and provide a very good reason for local residents to visit regularly and be seen as a valued resource of the local community.
But these things don’t happen by accident , they are the result of much thought, research and careful design and delivery.
There was a time when the gulf between the curatorial and commercial departments was a wide one, now really successful cultural organisations around the world, know this is no longer the case ….. they are actually sides of the same coin.
Whether it is an exhibition, a shop, or an event they must all be true to the brand and delivered with equal creativity, care, flair and scrupulous attention to detail. Good exhibitions and good commercial enterprises have more in common than you think……. both need good curation.
