Museums, communities and participatory projects

Museums have been working with communities of place, practice and interest for many years to preserve tangible and intangible cultural heritage, develop research collections and create exhibitions or events. However, in an environment of increased social and economic accountability, many cultural institutions are now re-examining the relevance of their activities and are reflecting on the ways in which they include communities in their programs. This thesis considers the correlation between participatory theory and principles and the methods Australian museums use to work with and engage communities. In particular, it seeks to explore why museum outreach activities, as the dominant medium for extended community engagement initiatives within museums, have not engaged more fully with interdisciplinary participatory models, particularly those utilised by natural resource management (NRM) practitioners. The thesis explores the difference between the concept of engagement and the concept of participation and uses a case study approach to reflect on how these are practiced and understood in the museum milieu. Using outreach projects with a socio-environmental and NRM focus, I suggest that the integration of participatory principles and practices has the potential to increase the capacity of museums and communities to actively contribute to a range of contemporary social issues and debates. Implicit in this research is an understanding that consultation gives rise to, but is not equivalent to, participation; that participatory approaches and relationship building are at once time consuming and yet can be expedient; and that while not applicable to every museum project, participatory approaches can inspire interaction, empowerment and creativity in worlds including and beyond museums. By exploring these dimensions in relation to interdisciplinary approaches, and using the examples and case studies explored throughout the thesis, this dissertation provides museum practitioners with a spectrum/methodology to help advocate for and/or integrate community engagement strategies into project development