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New technological approaches to hybrid and remote guided tours

MuseumNext chats to Jussi Ängeslevä about the shortcomings of existing hybrid and remote tours and how a recent research project conducted in partnership with the...

Exploring the power of open APIs with the Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo

Tord Nilsen explains the benefits of open APIs for museums and explains how the Nasjonalmuseet’s recent project – My Collection – has used the API...

How the National Museum of Wildlife Art developed its award-winning video series, Bisoncast

Jane Lavino and Carrie Schwartz share how the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s desire to make collections more accessible and relevant brought about the launch...

How museums use tone of voice to reveal their hidden personalities

What does your museum sound like? I’m not referring to the chatter of schoolchildren or the ambient hum of dehumidifiers. What do the words you...

How can museums develop a deeper connection with their visitors?

The value of “connectivity” has come into sharp focus in recent times. As we’ve become more dependent on digital technologies for both work and play,...

Why do stories matter to museums and how can museums become better storytellers?

Stories are universal. We all read, watch and listen to them. We all tell them. Stories are part of what makes us human. In fact,...

How user-curated collections can help visitors be creative

Do you collect anything? Do you have a shelf of treasured children’s books or an album of stamps? Or even a collection of mugs that...

Poverty Proofing Museums

Museums, galleries, and heritage sites, along with the many wild, weird and wonderful organisations that make up the UK’s vibrant cultural sector, have a unique...

Museums working with refugees and migrants

How do museums fit into the narrative around the refugee and migrant crisis? Migration is a big political issue, both in North America and Europe....

Can museums be neutral or should they take a stance?

Issues like sustainability, representation and diversity dominate modern society, but should we expect museums to take a stance? We’re living in an increasingly political and...

In conversation with: Esme Ward, Director of Manchester Museum

MuseumNext caught up with Manchester Museum Director, Esme Ward, to find out more about what museumgoers can expect from the hello future transformation project in...

How selfies are changing the way we interact with art

It’s hard to ignore the number of people who take selfies in museums. But should we see this fad as a new way of appreciating...

6 Things to consider when planning Pride events at your museum

Happy Pride from Belfast! The rainbow flag is flying all over City Centre and a week of queer-themed events has begun in the lead-up to...

Music and the museum – how can exhibits inspire musical creativity?

SHHH! Museums are often thought of as being quiet spaces, for contemplation and learning. But some museums are embracing the power of music to create...

What is a Dementia Friendly Museum?

As the term implies, dementia-friendly museums are there to provide a supportive and engaging environment for people with dementia. Typically, they will try to trigger...

How museums are helping socially isolated older adults

They say that distance makes the heart grow fonder. Well, that’s certainly been brought into sharp (and painful) focus over recent years. The Covid-19 pandemic...

In conversation with: Frederique Van Reij on the Rijksmuseum podcast that aims to ‘make life better through art’

Having worked at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam since 2012, Frederique Van Reij has developed a broad range of educational products, programmes and initiatives for the museum....

How to make museums accessible to people with dementia

According to the latest review of data, there are some 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK. Globally, this devastating disease affects more than...

How are museums reducing waste and working towards Net Zero?

Bruno Maquart, Chairman and CEO of Universcience in France, explains to MuseumNext how a keen focus on reuse and recycling is helping to reduce carbon...

In conversation with: Jake Barton, founder of Local Projects

A respected and recognised figure in the museum world, Jake Barton has built a reputation for creating ground-breaking museums and public spaces at his experience...

Engaging visitors with “Nature. And us?” at Stapferhaus

As a member of the curation team at Stapferhaus in Lenzburg, Lisa Gnirss has been heavily involved in her museum’s efforts to engage visitors in...

Culture, activism and the Big Frikin’ Wall: in conversation with Michael Peter Edson

As a former Director of Web and New Media Strategy for the Smithsonian Institution and co-founder of the Museum of the United Nations – UN...

Quirky Museum Marketing Ideas to Get Noticed!

Museums around the world need to constantly come up with inventive new Museum marketing ideas. From putting a moustache on an aeroplane to setting dinosaurs...

How Can Museums Attract More Visitors?

Through the past decade we have seen massive social change in the UK and around the world which, during the initial stages seemed dramatic, with...

Finding your Museum’s TikTok Niche

TikTok is one of the fastest growing social media platforms and in 2021 had more online traffic than Google.  As its growth and engagement numbers...

How can Museums use their collection to connect to audiences?

Storytelling is a great way to get people, both young and old, to connect with museum collections. That is certainly what the content team at...

Small Museums Guide to Successful Fundraising Campaigns

Ah, fundraising. For small museums, it can be one of the most vexing issues. This is usually because simply keeping the museum afloat on a...

How can a Museum build strategic partnerships with donors?

Funders and donors are the lifeblood of most museums. But what if we looked at donations and funding as a two-way relationship rather than a...

How Your Museum Gift Shop Can Draw in New Audiences

“Exit through the gift shop” is a phrase that needs to be re-evaluated. Museum gift shops can and should be more than just racks of...

Unravelling the potential of digital fundraising for museums

As funding for museums seems to be shrinking and becoming increasingly competitive year over year, fundraising has become vital for our institutions. The power is...

Museums as “hyperinstitutions”

The technological advances of our time and the rapidly accelerating development of artificial intelligence should have the undivided attention of the museum world. The potential...

Why we need museums now more than ever

In today’s uncertain times, museums can act as an anchor in the storm. To those who aren’t as passionate about the power of museums as...

Job Hop or Career Climb: Let’s stop demonizing non-linear career paths

As another college semester finishes, I reflect over the summer on the next generation of students graduates to emerge into the workforce as fluid job...

How can the Arts #StandwithUkraine on social media? 

During a time when the freedom and peace in a country are abruptly disturbed. What do you do as a museum, artist, gallery or institution?...

Bringing Science and Space to Life with a YouTube Comedy Show

The Wow! Signal is an online comedy variety show starring a world-renowned astronomer, a viral youtube comedian, and an actor who led a nationally-covered search...

Ensuring Black Museums Matter

Jim Richardson: Welcome back to MuseumNext Disrupt. Today, we’ve got a fantastic presentation for you from De Nichols. She’s going to be talking about the...

Rapid Prototyping for Museums

Jérémie McGowan: Hello everyone, and welcome to this session of MuseumNext Disrupt, on rapid prototyping for museums. My name is Jérémie McGowan, and I’m a...

In Conversation with Nick Merriman

Jim Richardson: So welcome back to MuseumNext Disrupt. Today, I’m at the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London, and I’m here with the Executive Director,...

Museums mark Earth Day with digital artwork inspired by animals in museum collections

On Saturday 22nd April 2023, “The Wild Escape” will be unveiled to celebrate Earth Day – an initiative that has been developed through the partnership...

10 Museum Openings to Look Forward to in 2023

Although there are undoubtedly some museums and visitor attractions that are continuing to suffer from lower-than-usual visitor numbers since the pandemic struck, there is still...

Horniman Museum and Gardens Announced as Art Fund Museum of the Year 2022

Art Fund has announced the Horniman Museum and Gardens as winner of the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2022 at the prestigious award ceremony...