What do Canadians see as the value of museums for them, their communities, and for Canada? Reconsidering Museums, a three-year national project, sets out to answer this question. Through data collected as part of the project’s research and community engagement campaign, Reconsidering Museums offers a rearticulation of the value of museums and a rebrand of the sector to better align with public perceptions and expectations of the sector.

The Canadian public sees museums as trusted institutions for learning about and preserving our shared history. They see them as places that are safe, accessible, and valuable to Canadian society, but the public also recognizes that museums have not always been representative of their diverse communities. Museums, as colonial institutions, have at times perpetuated systemic issues like racism and cultural hegemony, socio-economic inequality, and environmental degradation. Along with calls for better representation, younger generations want museums to use their voice to advocate for social change more actively. Museums have a role to play in addressing societal issue like truth and reconciliation, the climate crisis, and racial injustice.

In response, Reconsidering Museums is creating tools for museums and heritage sites to shift the way that they work; to support them in advocacy, not only for the sector but also for causes that are aligned with their vision and mission; and to better communicate their role and value in a changing Canada. 

With a focus on practical implementation of the toolkit, this session will explore the experience of six Alberta pilot sites as they helped to develop messaging and test the forthcoming resources.

This Learning Lab is beneficial to all museum workers, but particularly beneficial to those who work in communications and advocacy and will be followed by the opportunity to explore the exhibits at the Royal Alberta Museum.