Times have changed and so have the expectations of museum audiences. Like many sectors, museums have been fundamentally reshaped by the pandemic. Have we truly responded?
Historically, many institutions followed a 'build it and they will come' model: design an impressive architectural spectacle in a central location, add technology bells and whistles, promote in-house programmes—and then wait for the crowds to pour in.
But what happens when people don’t come—or when they can’t?
If a museum is defined by its purpose—to share culture and knowledge—then the expectation that people must always come to us begins to unravel.
Our purpose does not need to be gatekept; it can be shared. Museums are facilitators of purpose, not sole directors. It is not our role to dictate what communities need, or to sit in offices brainstorming projects we think the public should want to see.
People want more than observing from the sidelines. They have their own stories to tell—and they are already using the tools available to them to tell these stories. So how are we responding?
Purpose can be fulfilled anywhere:
In schools, businesses, libraries, rest homes, hospitals and parks
Through pop-up exhibitions in community spaces
On digital platforms and immersive online experiences
By embedding stories and collections into daily life
This doesn’t mean the museum as a place loses value. People still seek the aura of objects, the atmosphere of a gallery, the joy of visiting a cultural space together. But it does mean our responsibility shifts—from assuming audiences will arrive at our doors, to meeting people where they are and working alongside them to tell their stories in their own ways.
And this raises some challenging questions:
Should success still be measured by visitor numbers to our buildings, or by the depth of connection across multiple spaces and platforms?
How do we maintain trust and identity if the museum becomes more distributed, flexible, and decentralised?
Are we willing to step back from being 'the experts,' when that very mindset can get in the way of truly understanding the people we serve?
What does it mean for staff, resources, and ways of working if museums exist as networks rather than a single site?
The future museum is not one destination but many—defined less by walls, and more by relationships.
👉 What if the measure of a museum’s success was not numbers through the door, but how far its purpose travels?
