German Museums Association Annual meeting 9 May, 2017. A presentation by Kimmo Levä, Secretary General, Finnish Museums Association.

1. Reframing the definition of
museums
German Museums Association
Annual meeting 9 May, 2017
Kimmo Levä
Secretary General
Finnish Museums Association

2. First ICOM museum
definition 1946
A museum includes all
collections open to the
public, of artistic,
technical, scientific,
historical or
archaeological material,
including zoos and
botanical gardens, but
excluding libraries,
except in so far as they
maintain permanent
exhibition rooms.

3. A museum was an exhibition
and a showroom

4. A museum as ICOM defines
it now
A museum is a non-profit,
permanent institution in
the service of society and its
development, open to the
public, which acquires,
conserves, researches,
communicates and exhibits
the tangible and intangible
heritage of humanity and its
environment for the
purposes of education,
study and enjoyment.

5. Museums are non-profit
institutions that…
• are responsible for tangible
and intangible natural and
cultural heritage.
• have the duty to acquire,
preserve and promote their
collections as a contribution to
safeguarding the natural,
cultural and scientific heritage.
• have particular
responsibilities to all for the
care, accessibility and
interpretation of primary
evidence collected and held in
their collections.
• have an important duty to
develop their educational role
and attract wider audiences
from the community, locality,
or group they serve.

6. Museums have done
good work and the
results have been
astonishing

7. In recent years, a lot of research has
been conducted into how profitable
and useful museums are for society.

8. Museums
are good
for your
health

9. Norway
Museums
make you less
anxious.

10. USA
Museums reduce
stress.

11. England
Museums make you
less lonely.

12. England
Museums have a
greater impact
on well-being
than playing a
sport.

13. Museums are
important for
teaching and
learning

14. USA
Museums are
the classrooms
of the future.

15. Finland
New curriculum for
primary schools in
2016 states that
learning is moving
more and more out
of the classroom ...
and into museums,
for example.

16. Museums are good for the
economy

17. OECD
The Impact of
Culture on Tourism
(2009) examines
the growing
relationship
between tourism
and culture, and
the way in which
they have together
become major
drivers of
destination
attractiveness and
competitiveness.

18. USA
Visitors to historical
sites and cultural
attractions, including
museums, stay 53%
longer and spend 36%
more money than
other kinds of tourists.

19. USA
Museums contribute $21
billion to the economy
each year, much of it
going to small
businesses in the areas
around the museum.

20. Finland
Museums make more
money for society
than the tax money
that is allocated to
them.

21. What are the consequences
for museums?

22. We have gained new tasks and
customers.

23. Museums have
moved from the
cultural silo to
other silos in the
social, education
and business
sectors
Cultural policy: preserve, research
and present cultural heritage
Social policy: “Museums change
lives”, refugee crisis, activate the
marginalized and the elderly
Business policy: creative economy,
tourism industry
Educational policy: lifelong learning,
museum as a learning environment
Museums
tasks

24. But ...

25. Budgets are shrinking.
More work and use hasn’t
generated more resources.

26. Almost a quarter
(24%) of museums
in the UK
experienced a
decrease in public
funding in
2015-16.
Funding cuts are
having serious
consequences for
the museum
sector. At least
64 museums
have closed
across the UK
since 2010.
The latest news from
England

27. How have we come to this?
1) We have
forgotten that
these new
tasks come
at a price.
2) We have followed
our current museum
definition:
A non-profit
permanent
insitution that has
duties and
responsibilities.

28. How have we come to this?
3) But we haven’t
asked:
 To whom are museums
responsible?
 For whom do museums
have duties?
 How is it possible for
non-profit museums to
take on permanent
responsibilities?

29. The museum sector
needs to realize that:
 We are in business
 We are in different
business sectors,
not only cultural
but also social,
economic and
educational.
What should we do?

30. We need to change our
museum mindset –
and create a new museum
definition

31. Step 1 for a new
definition
A museum is not a
room or building, is not
an exhibition, is not a
collection and is not
an institution – it is a
Service

32. Step 2 for a new definition
Services are for customers and
we have customers in different
business sectors: cultural, social,
economic and educational
Our key customers
(the ones who pay) are ...
 representatives of the state,
cities or municipalities
 foundations and other institutions whose
mission is to finance museums
 individuals and companies who are willing to
pay

33. Step 3 for a new definition
A customer pays
for products and
services
• Preserving-property services
• Content services
• Teaching and consultancy
• Social services
• Marketing and communication
services
• Retail/speciality shops
• Tourist services

34. Step 4 for a new definition
We are museum
professionals in business.
Professionals
do nothing for free.

35. New definition of a museum
“A museum is a service
organisation that helps its
customers to fulfil their
needs and responsibilities in
preserving, studying,
teaching, and exhibiting
heritage and culture, as well
as generating economic
social wealth.”
Kimmo Levä
Secretary General
The Finnish Museums Association
+358 40 166 2816
kimmo.leva@museoliitto.fi