Talking Museums: Preparing for a Post-COVID World

[et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="section" _builder_version="3.22"][et_pb_row admin_label="row" _builder_version="3.25" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="3.25" custom_padding="|||" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" _builder_version="3.27.4" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat"]We spent the last month designing and conducting focus group discussions with 27 museums across India as part of our Talking Museums: Preparing for a Post-COVID World series. This is an ongoing initiative by ReReeti Foundation that aims to create a space for sharing and collaboration for museums in India, while also documenting the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on them. These focus groups were held in batches of 4-5 museums from diverse categories. The sessions discussed first responses to the nationwide lockdown, operational and logistical steps undertaken by them, the transition to remote working and digital engagement and the anticipated way-forward. While the discussions were structured through specific questions, we also ventured into informal conversations about anxieties of isolation and relevance, uncertainties about the future and fears of the present.

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Here are some of the key finding and major points of discussion from the sessions:First Response and Transitions

• Museums have gone completely remote in their everyday working, with most staff working from home, and a small number stationed on-campus or relocated close by for maintenance and care of the collection.
• All museums are taking measures to follow global health and safety guidelines for their staff and visitors.
• For a lot of museums, the lockdown has led to a restructuring of roles and responsibilities within the teams to cater to the new scenario. The focus had to be shifted from on-site to online, through content creation, archiving and digitising collections, and designing virtual experiences.
• For grassroots and community museums the challenges were slightly different. For them, support for their artisans and local communities was the top priority. So, their focus shifted towards relief work, research and up-skilling initiatives to enable artisans and craftspeople to cope with this crisis.
• The lockdown also put a spotlight on digital for most museums, an opportunity for some and a concern for others. Online platforms evolved from passive components to active resources for audience engagement/interactions.
• Some of the most common activities were virtual exhibitions on Google Arts and Culture, social media campaigns like quizzes, photo essays, art prompts, Instagram Live conversations, webinars and panel discussions.
• Some less public (or lesser-known) initiatives like summer camps, workshops for artisans, oral history and documentation initiatives were run via WhatsApp.

Concerns and Way-forward

• The COVID-19 crisis has been economically devastating for most museums across the country, especially the medium and smaller (size) ones that depend mostly on ticket sales and venue rentals for survival.
• Some museums are preparing/expecting to open by the end of the year with measures to ensure social distancing, and proper health and safety guidelines like sanitiser stations, masks, contact-less visit and fumigation
• Other measures involve crowd control mechanisms like phased opening by limiting visiting hours, guided tours, use of open areas for small events and interactions, and other ways of space management.
• Building confidence within the visitors through clear and effective messaging will be key in the reopening process. The visitors must be assured that their safety is a priority.
• We’re all closely observing museums that have reopened abroad to incorporate best practices and understand visitor behaviour patterns.

While we spoke about the workings of the museums in this crisis, there were a lot of concerns that also came to light, that most museums haven’t been able to resolve.

• A major concern, of course, is the economic set back that the sector is facing and its recovery.
• Will the COVID precautions hinder the experience of the visitor?
• There are also concerns and fear of staying relevant in the face of a global health crisis.
• While the digital has become a core component of the museum, there are some apprehensions regarding the safety and security of the medium.

Also Read:The Way Forward: Museum Education in India – Part IThe COVID-19 crisis has brought with it unprecedented challenges for everyone and especially for the museum sector. Museums across the world have found themselves in an almost existential spot, but at large we adapted and have successfully demonstrated the potential to become agents of essential change, spaces of dialogue and knowledge production in such times. This crisis has also come as an opportunity to reevaluate our practices and two move to more sustainable models of operating as institutions. We must redefine the intellectual as well as functional idea of the museum and what it stands for, make ourselves relevant to our times, accessible and inclusive for our communities as well as our audiences.The Talking Museumsinitiative was conceptualised for the simple reason that there isn’t a space for museums to come together as a community. And if there’s one thing we’ve all realised from this pandemic it is the importance of community, be it through balcony concerts or neighbourhood games of housie or the many zoom call screenshots that were all over social media in the initial weeks.ReReeti would like to invite museums across India to join us in our initiative. We are here to listen, to collaborate and support in any way that we can. You can write to us at info@rereeti.org.

~ENDS~