Culture and Local Development:
Maximising the Impact

A GUIDE FOR LOCALGOVERNMENTS,
COMMUNITIES AND
MUSEUMSTHE ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD)The OECD is a multi-disciplinary inter-governmental organisation of 36 member
countries which engages in its work an increasing number of non-members fromall regions of the world. The Organisation’s core mission today is to help
governments work together towards a stronger, cleaner, fairer global economy.
Through its network of 250 specialised committees and working groups, the OECD
provides a setting where governments compare policy experiences, seek answers
to common problems, identify good practice, and co-ordinate domestic andinternational policies. More information is available at www.oecd.org.
THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS (ICOM)ICOM is an international non-governmental organisation which brings together
museums and museum professionals from all over the world. As part of its public
service mission, ICOM is committed to the preservation, continuation andcommunication of the world’s natural and cultural heritage, present and future,tangible and intangible. Through its network, made up from more than 40 600
members representing 138 countries and territories, ICOM is a leading force inthe establishment of professional and ethical standards for museum activities
mainly through the ICOM Museum Definition and the Code of Ethics forMuseums. As an international association of experts, ICOM makes
recommendations on issues related to cultural heritage, promotes the social roleof museums and builds capacity for museum professionals worldwide throughlearning seminars and workshops, publications and guidelines. ICOM’s network
plays a critical role in the creation and exchange of scientific information at aninternational level in an inclusive way. With a consultative status within the
United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and as a founding memberof the Blue Shield and editor of the Red Lists against illicit traffic, ICOM serves as
a diplomatic forum and think tank to respond to the challenges museums faceworldwide. More information is available at https://icom.museum.

This work has benefitted from the financial support of the Fondazione di Venezia.

© OECD/ICOM 2019
This paper is published under the responsibility of the OECD and ICOM. The opinions expressed and the arguments
employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD or ICOM Members.
This paper was authorised for publication by Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions
and Cities, OECD.
This document, as well as any statistical data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty
over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city orarea.
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2 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

Culture and Local Development:
Maximising the Impact

A GUIDE FOR LOCALGOVERNMENTS,
COMMUNITIES AND
MUSEUMS

Preface
We are delighted to present the Culture and Local Development: Maximising
the Impact – A Guide for Local Governments, Communities and Museums
developed jointly by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment (OECD) and the International Council of Museums (ICOM). The
Guide provides a roadmap for local governments, communities and museums
on how to define together a local development agenda that promotes a moresustainable future by mobilising the transformative power of culture.
Culture is increasingly high on the agenda of OECD cities and regions, both inits own right and as part of inclusive growth efforts. The OECD has beenworking for several years on producing data and evidence on the linkages
between culture and local development, job creation, tourism and social
inclusion. This work seeks to help policymakers, both at the local and national
level, to design local development strategies that leverage culture and target
public investments effectively. Through their manifold activities, museums
play an important role in addressing contemporary social issues. By
strengthening creativity, a sense of belonging and civic engagement,
museums have the power to contribute to the economy, social capital and thewell-being of a local community.
Over the last decade, ICOM has been strengthening its partnerships with highlevel intergovernmental organisations to promote the value of museums incontemporary society. This Guide also builds on ICOM’s work with the
UNESCO 2015 Recommendation Concerning the Protection and Promotion ofMuseums and Collections, their Diversity and their Role in Society that suggests
concrete ways in which museums and local governments can collaborate toensure museums remain high on local agendas. With this in mind, ICOM andthe OECD decided to join forces to co-develop a Guide that would provide a
structured framework to help local governments, communities and museums
to better work together to increase the social and economic impact of cultural
heritage.
We are confident that this Guide will contribute to raising the profile andpotential of museums and heritage institutions for local development, and set
incentives for better policies. ICOM and the OECD will continue to extend thescope of this work in the future, engaging museums and local governmentsfrom around the world. We invite museums, communities and local
governments to consider this Guide as a capacity building, advocacy andassessment framework as well as a vehicle to strengthen the effectiveness of
their engagement and cooperation at the local scale.

Lamia KAMAL-CHAOUIDirector, OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship,
SMEs, Regions and Cities

Dr. Peter KELLER
Director General, International Council ofMuseums, ICOMCULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 20193

Foreword
Museums and cultural heritage sites are powerful assets for local
development. They can inspire creativity, boost cultural diversity, help
regenerate local economies, attract visitors and bring revenues. There is also
increasing evidence that they can contribute to social cohesion, civic
engagement, health and well-being. For several decades now, cities andregions have been drawing on these assets to put in place heritage-led actions
as part of their wider economic development strategies. National, city andregional governments, the museum community, and other stakeholders are
increasingly interested in these issues.
New ways to demonstrate the impact of culture and museums on local
development are being sought in order to effectively channel public andprivate funding. The debate is shifting from only demonstrating the tax
revenues, visitor spending and jobs associated with a museum’s economic
activity to also capturing broader social and economic impacts.
To respond to this need, the OECD’s Local Economic and Employment
Development Programme (LEED) and the International Council of Museums(ICOM) partnered in 2018 to develop a guide to inform and support policy
makers and the museum community. Developed with the support of anexperts group, the Guide was tested by more than 20 museums and cities inOECD countries and by various ICOM committees.
The Guide explores the areas with the greatest potential for museums tocontribute to local development, including economic development; urban
regeneration and community development; education and creativity; andinclusion, health and well-being; as well as provides recommendations on how
to mainstream the role of museums in local development.
The Guide is a learning, self-assessment and development tool that can beused:‒ By local and regional governments to assess and improve theirapproaches to maximising the social and economic value of
cultural heritage.
‒ By museums to assess and strengthen their existing and potential
linkages with the local economy and social fabric.
‒ To identify concrete ways for museums, local governments,
communities and other stakeholders to partner.
‒ As a learning tool for everybody interested in culture and heritageas lever for local development.

4 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019Acknowledgements
This publication was produced by the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship,
SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE), led by Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, Director, as partof the programme of work of the Local Economic and Employment
Development Committee (LEED). The publication was co-produced with theInternational Council of Museums (ICOM) led by Peter Keller, Director
General, ICOM. This work has benefitted from the financial support of the
Fondazione di Venezia.
The work is led by Ekaterina Travkina, Coordinator, Culture, Creative
Industries and Local Development, OECD CFE (Ekaterina.Travkina@oecd.org),
and coordinated through ICOM by Afşin Altaylı, Museums and Society
Coordinator (Afsin.Altayli@icom.museum).
The OECD and ICOM Secretariats would like to thank Xavier Greffe, Emeritus
Professor, University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, who inspired andsignificantly contributed to the preparation of this Guide. Thanks also go toProfessor Lucie Morisset (Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada),
Professor Chiara Dalle Nogare (University of Brescia, Italy), and Professor
Monika Murzyn-Kupisz (Jagielloński University, Poland) for their contributions
to the development of the methodology and for leading the pilot testing of
the Guide in their countries. Thanks also go to Karen Maguire (OECD CFE),
Anna Rubin (OECD CFE), Professor Mark O'Neill (College of Arts, Glasgow
University) for their extensive comments, and to Alessandra Proto (OECD CFE)
for her contribution to the development of the methodology and overall
project management.
The work also benefited from the contributions of Barbara Ischinger(University of Göttingen, Germany); Luca Dal Pozzolo (Fitzcarraldo
Foundation, Italy); Mario Volpe (University of Venice Ca’ Foscari, Italy);Catherine Cullen (City of Lille, France); Antonio Lampis (Ministry of Cultural
Heritage and Activities, Italy); Sabine Schormann (Niedersächsische
Sparkassenstiftung/VGH-Stiftung, Germany); Pier Luigi Sacco (IULM University
Milan, Italy); Annalisa Cicerchia (University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy);
Claudio Martinelli (Autonomous Province of Trento, Italy); and Ola Sigurdson(University of Gothenburg, Sweden).
The OECD and ICOM teams wish to thank the representatives of theinternational museum community who contributed to the development of
this work, including pilot testing of the Guide, in particular: Alberto Garlandini(Vice-President, ICOM); Michele Lanzinger (Member of the ICOM Working
Group on Sustainability and Director, MUSE Science Museum of Trento, Italy);
Antonia Caola (MUSE Science Museum of Trento, Italy); Joana Sousa Monteiro(Chair of CAMOC, ICOM’s International Committee for the Collections andActivities of Museums of Cities and Director, Museum of Lisbon, Portugal);
Mattia Agnetti (Executive Secretary, Municipal Museums of Venice, Italy);
Anne Krebs (Head of the Socio-Economic Studies and Research Division,
Louvre Museum, France); Helene Lafont Couturier (Director, Lyon Museum of
Confluences, France); Marie Lavandier (Director, Louvre Lens, France); Dorota

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 20195

Folga-Januszewska (Former President, ICOM Poland and Deputy Director ofMuseum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów); and Nathalie Bondil (Director andChief Curator, Montreal Fine Arts Museum, Canada).
Thanks also go to Elisa Campestrin (OECD) for communication and production
assistance, and to Shashrek Ambardar (intern at the OECD) for research andediting assistance.

6 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 11
Museums as economic engines ............................................................................................. 11
Beyond the economic impact ................................................................................................ 12
Local government as partner and enabler ............................................................................. 13
The purpose of the Guide ...................................................................................................... 14
The structure of the Guide .................................................................................................... 15
Leverage the power of museums for local economic development............................................ 19
In a snapshot ......................................................................................................................... 19
Rationale................................................................................................................................ 20
Policy options for local government ...................................................................................... 23
Integrate museums in the local tourism development strategy....................................... 23
Link museums and the business community to develop new goods and services ........... 24
Levers for museums .............................................................................................................. 25
Work with the hospitality industry and local cultural institutions to reach out todiverse audiences and attract new visitors ....................................................................... 25
Engage with firms as well as research and education institutions to promote
innovation ......................................................................................................................... 25
Annex 1. Techniques to demonstrate the economic value of cultural institutions
or events ................................................................................................................................ 28
Build on the role of museums for urban regeneration and community development ................ 31
In a snapshot ......................................................................................................................... 31
Rationale................................................................................................................................ 32
Policy options for local government ...................................................................................... 36
Integrate museums and their surroundings in urban planning and design ...................... 36
Consider museums as a space for public debates and community meetings .................. 37
Leverage museums as anchors in creative districts .......................................................... 37
Levers for museums .............................................................................................................. 38
Consider museum planning and development as part of a broader urban
design process ................................................................................................................... 38
Facilitate dialogue and awareness by serving as a safe and open place
for communities ................................................................................................................ 39

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Play a proactive role in the development of a creative district........................................ 41
Valorise community assets and heritage in rural settings................................................ 42
Catalyse culturally aware and creative societies ........................................................................ 45
In a snapshot ......................................................................................................................... 45
Rationale ............................................................................................................................... 46
Policy options for local government...................................................................................... 48
Recognise the role of museums in the education and training of young people aswell as adults .................................................................................................................... 48
Work with museums to build resources and capacities to take a broader
approach to the visitor experience................................................................................... 49
Support a balance between meeting the needs of local audiences and tourists............. 50
Levers for museums .............................................................................................................. 51
Organise visits as an experience that promotes reflection and creativity ....................... 51
Provide education, training and life-long learning opportunities .................................... 51
Promote cultural diversity ................................................................................................ 52
Promote museums as spaces for inclusion, health and well-being ............................................. 55
In a snapshot ......................................................................................................................... 55
Rationale ............................................................................................................................... 56
Policy options for local government...................................................................................... 59
Maximise the contribution of museums to social welfare through data,
partnerships and resources .............................................................................................. 59
Consider the role of museums in providing pathways to employment ........................... 60
Integrate museums into broader approaches to improving well-being .......................... 60
Levers for museums .............................................................................................................. 62
Build internal capacity to recognise and respond to the needs of
disadvantaged groups....................................................................................................... 62
Partner with relevant organisations to boost skills for employability.............................. 63
Co-create programmes with other organisations to serve the needs of specificpopulations (homeless, imprisoned, elderly and other marginalised groups)................. 64
Mainstream the role of museums in local development ............................................................ 67
In a snapshot ......................................................................................................................... 67
Rationale ............................................................................................................................... 68
Policy options for local government...................................................................................... 68
Take a long-term and holistic approach to working with museums ................................ 69

8 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

Support preservation, conservation and research as core functions of museums .......... 70
Consider strategies such as pooling of resources to scale up the capacities
of museums ....................................................................................................................... 71
Levers for museums .............................................................................................................. 72
Clearly articulate the museum’s role in local development and operationalise
it in key documents and processes ................................................................................... 72
Maintain preservation, conservation and research as core tasks .................................... 73
Partner with other relevant organisations to increase impact ......................................... 73
A checklist for local governments, communities and museums.................................................. 77
Other practical toolkits and guides ............................................................................................. 92
References ................................................................................................................................. 93

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10 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019
Graffiti, Rome ©Michele Trimarchi

Introduction
Museums as economic engines
Attention to the power of cultural heritage to attract people and theassociated economic impact of museums and cultural institutions began inearnest in the 1970s. Some of the most prominent urban regeneration
initiatives in recent decades (Sydney Opera House in Australia, opened in
1973, the Pompidou Centre in Paris, 1971, the Guggenheim Museum in
Bilbao, 1997) aimed to consolidate high-status cultural institutions and brandthe city in the global arena. At the same time, and with the emerging
recognition of cultural and creative industries, many countries started looking
for new engines of growth following the gradual decline of traditional
manufacturing industries. Cultural activities started being seen as analternative avenue for job creation, an idea that inspired the report by the
French Planning Commission in 1990 on the creation of new services and jobs
- Nouveaux services, nouveaux emplois, as well as the White Paper on Creative
Industries published in the United Kingdom in 1997. It was also hoped that
cultural tourism would attract consumers and bring in new revenues. While
museums had previously been viewed as places that hold cultural, educationaland symbolic value, they were increasingly acknowledged as a source ofrevenue and new jobs. Museums, like any other actor in the economy, spend
in order to carry out daily operations and the amount of spending can be, insome cases, as high as GBP 715 million in a year, as is in the case of the
National Museums in the UK1. Museums generate revenues from exhibitions
and also through branding and merchandising activities. In most cases,
museum activities foster links with other players in creative industries as wellas other sectors in the rest of the economy. Indeed, many economic impact
assessment studies demonstrate that museums contribute to job creation,
generate GDP, and bring substantial tax revenues for their communities. In
the United States, museums contributed USD 50 billion to GDP, supported
726 200 jobs and contributed USD 12 billion in tax revenue in 20162. In
England, the Arts Council of England estimates that more than 2 635
museums and other sites across England generate GBP 2.64 billion income
and employ more than 38 000 people3.
1

Travers, T., and Glaister, S. (2004), “Valuing museums: Impact and innovation among
national museums”, National Museum Directors' Conference, Imperial War Museum, London.
2
AAM (2017), Museums as Economic Engines: A National Report, American Alliance ofMuseums, Oxford Economics, https://www.aam-us.org/wpcontent/uploads/2018/04/American-Alliance-of-Museums-web.pdf (Accessed on 19 October
2018).
3

Tuck, F., et al. (2015), The Economic Impact of Museums in England, Arts Council England.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 201911

Beyond the economic impact
At the end of the 20th century, another argument was put forward to stressthe role of museums as drivers of development. This was based on theirpower to increase the attractiveness of an area as a place to visit, live, invest
in and work. Such factors are all important in a context of increasing global
competition for talent and investment.
At the same time, the role of museums in supporting well-being, health, lifelong learning and the creation of social capital became prominent. This wasrecognised in the seminal report Gifts of the Muse - Reframing the Debate
About the Benefits of the Arts by the Rand Corporation that influenced ageneration of culture-led local development strategies. The more recent
report Understanding the Value of Arts & Culture by the UK Arts andHumanities Research Council in 2016 continued in this spirt.
Finally, in the age of the knowledge economy, museums can encourage local
economic development by supporting creative economic activities such as
design and innovation. Such activities can benefit local and international
enterprises and entrepreneurs. For local governments, museums become not
only one of many actors in local development, but a driver of change.
The mission of museums has been significantly enriched in recent years. Care,
preservation and display of heritage will always be their core function.
However, today museums are increasingly recognising their role as agents ofsocial and economic change. They generate knowledge for and about society,are a place for social interaction and dialogue, and a source of creativity andinnovation for the local economy.
Museums also play a crucial role in addressing contemporary societal issues.
They tackle diverse and challenging areas such as globalisation, migration,
polarisation, inequality, populism, gender equality, ageing societies,
decolonisation and climate change. They are platforms where restorative
justice, intercultural and intergenerational dialogue, and cultural diplomacy
principles can be applied.
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) has therefore made thecontribution of museums to sustainable development an essential element of
its agenda. The recent initiatives in this area include the establishment of an
ICOM working group on sustainability (2018), the EU-LAC-MUSEUMS project(Museums and Community: concepts, experiences and sustainability inEurope, Latin America and the Caribbean) and the dedicated sessions of ICOM
25th General Conference (September 2019, Kyoto, Japan). These activities
build on a longstanding experience of the international museum community
including the Declaration of Santiago de Chile (outcome of the Round Table ofSantiago de Chile convened by ICOM and UNESCO in 1972); the ShanghaiCharter for the Protection of Intangible Heritage (2002) and the 24th ICOM
Milan General Conference (2016) on “Museums and Cultural Landscapes”.
According to ICOM (ICOM, 2011), “sustainability is the dynamic process ofmuseums based on the recognition and preservation of tangible and

12 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

intangible heritage with the museums responding to the needs of thecommunity. To be sustainable, museums, through their mission, must be an
active and attractive part of the community by adding value to the heritageand social memory.” Museums “can enhance sustainability and climatechange education by working with and empowering communities to bringabout change to ensure a habitable planet, social justice and equitableeconomic exchanges for the long term” (ICOM, 2018).

Local government as partner andenabler
The contribution of museums to local development depends on their relations
with local government. Many museums belong to, are subsidised or areplaced under the tutelage of local government. Many studies have shown how
the attitudes of local government can catalyse or inhibit the potential
contribution of museums to local development regardless of the museum’s
status. It is therefore important, when evaluating the local development
impact of a museum, to do it in conjunction with the agenda and goals of local
government. When those agendas are aligned, it is easier to mobilise local
resources (regulatory, financial, land and human resources) to enable themuseum to realise its local development potential.

Lisbon old map ©Museum of Lisbon

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 201913

The purpose of the Guide
This Guide proposes concrete levers for local and regional governments andmuseums seeking to maximise the local development impact of heritage. Not
every museum or city can or should pursue the entire range of themes
addressed in this Guide. Rather, it is meant to inspire and inform possible
strategies and actions that will depend on the nature of museum collections,the needs of the local community and the broader socio-economic context of
the area.
The Guide provides a self-assessment framework:‒

For local and regional governments to assess and improve theirapproaches to maximising the social and economic value of cultural
heritage as part of sustainable local development.

‒

For museums to assess and strengthen their existing and potential
linkages with the local economy and social fabric.

For the purpose of this Guide:‒

Museum: The term museum corresponds to what is defined by the ICOM
museum definition. The latest 2007 definition is: “A museum is a nonprofit, 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 ofhumanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study andenjoyment” (ICOM, 2007). This definition may be subject to a change as
ICOM was going through a process of creating a new definition when thisGuide was under preparation.

‒

Local government: Depending on the territorial organisation anddevolution structure of a country, as well as on the legal status of amuseum, the term local government can correspond to a municipality,
metropolitan area or regional authority

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The structure of the Guide
The Guide is organised around the following five themes:
1. Leverage the power of museums for local economic development.
2. Build on the role of museums for urban regeneration and community
development.
3. Catalyse culturally aware and creative societies.
4. Promote museums as spaces for inclusion, health and well-being.
5. Mainstream the role of museums in local development.
For each theme, a series of actions and policy options are discussed andaddressed to both museums and local governments.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 201915

Leverage the power of museums for local economic
development

1

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

MUSEUMS Integrate museums in the local tourism
development strategy.

 Work with the hospitality industry and local
cultural institutions to reach out to diverse
audiences and attract new visitors

 Link museums and the business community todevelop new goods and services.

 Engage with firms as well as research andeducation institutions to promote innovation.

Build on the role of museums for urban regeneration andcommunity development

2

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

MUSEUMS Integrate museums and their surroundings inurban planning and design.

 Consider museum planning and development as
part of a broader urban design process.

 Consider museums as a space for public debates
and community meetings.

 Facilitate dialogue and awareness by serving as asafe and open place for communities.

 Leverage museums as anchors in creative
districts.

 Play a proactive role in the development ofcreative districts.
 Valorise community assets and heritage in rural
settings.

3

Catalyse culturally aware and creative societies
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

MUSEUMS Recognise the role of museums in education andtraining of young people as well as adults.

 Organise visits as an experience that promotes
reflection and creativity.

 Work with museums to build resources andcapacities to take a broader approach to thevisitor experience.

 Provide education, training and life-long learning
opportunities.
 Promote cultural diversity.

 Support a balance between meeting the needsof local audiences and tourists.

16 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

Promote museums as spaces for inclusion, health and wellbeing
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

4

MUSEUMS

Maximise the contribution of museums tosocial welfare through data, partnerships andresources.



Consider the role of museums in providing
pathways to employment.



Integrate museums into broader approaches toimproving well-being.



Build internal capacity to recognise andrespond to the needs of disadvantaged groups.

Partner with relevant organisations to boost
skills for employability.



Co-createprogrammes
with
other
organisations to serve the needs of specificpopulations (homeless, imprisoned, elderly andother marginalised groups).

Mainstream the role of museums in local development

5

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

MUSEUMS Take a long-term and holistic approach toworking with museums.

 Clearly articulate the museum’s role in local
development and operationalise it in key
documents and processes.

 Support preservation, conservation
research as core functions of museums.

and Consider strategies such as pooling resources toscale up the capacities of museums.

 Maintain preservation,
research as core tasks.

conservationand Partner with other relevant organisations toincrease impact.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 201917

18 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019
Hybridation and cross-fertilisation ©Michele Trimarchi

Leverage the power ofmuseums for local
economicdevelopment1

In a snapshot
In addition to preserving and creating cultural value, museums contribute to
local economic development through job creation and revenue generation
related to the visitor economy. More long-term benefits can arise frompartnerships between museums, local entrepreneurs, businesses and higher
education and research institutions that support the dissemination of newtechnologies and the creation of new products. Potential impacts include:‒

New jobs and revenues through increased local attractiveness fortourists, talent and firms.

‒

Dissemination of new technologies, the creation of new goods andservices and support for creativity.
Table 1. Leverage the power of museums for local economic development
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

MUSEUMS Integrate museums in the local tourism
development strategy.

 Work with the hospitality industry and local
cultural institutions to reach out to diverse
audiences and attract new visitors.

 Link museums and the business community todevelop new goods and services.

 Engage with firms as well as research andeducation institutions to promote innovation.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 201919

Rationale©The Finnish Science Centre

In addition to preserving and creating cultural value,
museums also generate economic value. The economic
value that museums generate has been more widely
recognised thanks to studies that quantify the direct andindirect impacts of museums. These impacts can thenbe compared with government funding to museums.
The direct economic impact of museums is typicallymeasured by the number of visitors, the amount of theirlocal expenditures, and the length of their stay, as wellas the number of people employed or revenue
generated through ticket sales. The indirect impacts aremuch broader, for example, through purchases from awider supply chain. They also include the so-called
induced effects which capture the impact of tourist
expenditures and employees spending their wages locally4. Such evaluation
was undertaken in 2017 by American Alliance of Museums which found that
American museums generate annually USD 50 billion in GDP and USD 12
billion in taxes to local, state, and federal governments and account for 726
200 jobs. The Lénovo Institute undertook an assessment of the economic
impact of Finnish Museums in 2014 and found that the regional spending bymuseum visitors is about three to six times the funding that museums
receive5.
The economic impact clearly depends on the size, scale and resources at thedisposal of museums. Worldwide, only a happy few museums are able toattract a significant number of visitors. While many smaller, local museums
are appreciated by visitors, the vast majority of museums have untapped
potential to attract many more visitors and diversify their audiences to servevarious local communities and tourists. For such museums, attracting new
visitors is essential. A range of options exists to help bolster visitor numbers,
such as new management techniques, pricing policies, new facilities, newer
forms of communication and offering of varied cultural experiences in themuseum to potential visitors. All of these efforts contribute to museum
budgets but also have wider economic development impacts.
Local governments can mobilise their various resources and powers to
support this agenda. Urban development and efforts to improve theaccessibility of museums (e.g. transport, urban signage, and parking lots) can
reinforce these economic impacts. Local governments can also increase the4 ACE (2012), Measuring the Economic Benefits of Arts and Culture, Arts Council

England, https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/downloadfile/Measuring_the_economic_benefits_of_arts_and_culture.pdf (Accessed 8 July
2019)
5

Piekkola, H. et al. (2014), Economic impact of museums, University of Vaasa, Levón
Institute.

20 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

visibility of museums locally and internationally. With respect to tourism, local
governments could foster cooperation with local tourist offices, lodging, foodand beverage and transportation services.
Local government could also coordinate all local cultural institutions so as tooffer an integrated supply that is more attractive to diverse audiences. Local
governments could help pool some of the costs, mainly those related to backoffice activity. Collaboration with other museums may also prove to be an
important step. Curating group exhibitions and installations, co-promotion
and special events are a few examples of how museums can help each otherin gaining attractiveness to visitors. At the same time, attention needs to be
paid to striking the right balance between the protection of cultural andnatural heritage and tourism development, as well as to countering the
gentrification effects on local communities (see further discussion in thechapter on urban regeneration).
Demonstrating the economic value of museums can provide valuable
arguments to “justify” government spending, but their value should not be
reduced to purely an economic role. Arts, culture and heritage make a muchbroader contribution to local development and go beyond policies such as
tourism and employment. An excessive instrumentalisation of the arts and afocus on measurable economic targets only may undermine the broader
effects of heritage on local development.

Museums as part of a local innovation ecosystem
Policy makers and museums should also recognise the long-term impacts on
the local economy stemming from museums’ contributions to thedissemination of new technologies, the creation of new products and the
support for creativity. Historically, many museums (craft, design andtechnology) have been helping local entrepreneurs through the safeguarding
and transmitting of designs, prototypes and products. Today, museums
continue to support innovation and the design of new products through thedisplay of their collections and by their activities on “making”6. The origami
inspired NASA (US National Aeronautics and Space Administration) solar
panel is a good example of a crossover of art and culture and technology.
Museums also foster innovation through the research and scientific work
related to the conservation and restoration of their collections and associatednew materials, skills and processes.
In this perspective, local government can also facilitate partnerships between
museums and economic actors (artisans, SMEs, etc.), as well as local
education and research institutions. Such partnerships can help the creative
industries and innovation cross-feed other sectors of the local economy. Such
activities may, however, present challenges, e.g. spaces for representatives
6

The “maker” movement is associated with open innovation public workshops
where people can share tools and knowledge. In museum and library settings“making” is often defined as building or adapting objects using real tools and realmaterials and engaging learners in the process of using these tools and materials,
this can include Fab Labs, 3D printing workshops etc. For more info:
https://makingandlearning.squarespace.com/

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201921

from museums and other sectors to interact and develop such strategies areneeded. Many museums have been doing this by creating co-working spaces
with universities and other actors. Attention should be paid, however, to not
to reduce the use of public spaces for income-generation activities.
There has been great interest in recent years in capturing the role of arts,
culture and heritage as part of a wider innovation system. As analysed in the
Understanding the Value of Arts & Culture7 report, there are several ways
cultural and creative sectors might contribute to innovation. Arts education
and arts practice produce a more innovative workforce. A culturally engaged
society can be more innovative. The way that the cultural sector itself
innovates in ways beyond its own creative expression is a third contribution
to the innovation system. The problems in accounting for the value of this to
economic development are similar for science or education more generally,
as capturing new knowledge and opportunities are often beyond the reach ofstandard economic impact measures.

©NASA/JPL-Caltech/BYU

Solar origami ©NASA/JPL-Caltech/BYU

7

Crossick, G., and P. Kaszynska (2016), Understanding the value of arts & culture:
The AHRC Cultural Value Project, Arts and Humanities Research Council, pp. 92-95,
https://ahrc.ukri.org/documents/publications/cultural-value-project-final-report/(Accessed on 19 October 2018).

22 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

Policy options for local
government
Integrate museums in the local tourism development strategy
The promotion of museums on the international tourism market requires
knowledge, investment and capacity that is often too expensive for museums
to manage themselves. Local governments can help by involving museums innational and international fairs and networks. Local governments can also
facilitate coordination between the activities of museums and other cultural
institutions to create an attractive offer. To improve accessibility, coordinating
public transportation with the opening times of visits, as well as adapting
museum visiting hours to the local context, can also increase the ease ofaccess and attractiveness for audiences. Creating integrated guest cards canbe a useful tool in this area (see Box 1 for examples of various guest cards).

Box 1. Integrated services for visitors: Salzburg and Trentino Guest Cards
Integrated passes for visitors combining access to several sites and services are a well-known model ofaudience development. Examples include the Salzburg Card for tourists and a trans-regional museum
pass offering entry to 320 museums in a cross-border region between France, Germany and
Switzerland. Trentino Marketing (Italy) worked with local tourist boards (APTs) and public-privateorganisations operating at a local level to launch the Trentino Guest Card (TGC) in 2013, allowing freeor discounted access to a large number of services, including entry to over 60 museums and naturalparks, and free access to public transportation. The Card also includes discounts on products andservices from private producers of local agricultural products. The Guest Card is self-sustaining as
contributions by the APTs fully cover the cost to the providers. Public transport providers, museums
and parks are paid the TGC ticket discounts by the APT contributions, which are in turn raised from a
tourist tax taken from APT affiliates. All service providers have agreed to confirm, year after year, theirpartnership with TGC as they have seen an uptick in service use.
Source: salzburg.info/en/hotels-offers/salzburg-card; museumspass.com/fr; visittrentino.info/en/experience/trentinoguest-card.

The positive impact of cultural tourism depends on thelength of the stay of visitors. It is therefore important tooffer opportunities for leisure and hospitality alongside
the core cultural attraction, without undermining theimportance of the experience economy and themuseums’ role in defining unique experiences. Local
governments should ensure quality control standards bychecking that none of the service providers is making an
excessive profit on museum tourism. For example, if
tourism offices directly sell museum entrance tickets,
they should not charge an unjustified mark-up on theprice.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201923

To increase impact, local government could:‒

Promote museums locally, nationally and internationally by funding
information and advertising support and by organising the participationof museums in international fairs.

‒

Support or organise packages that combine museum entrance, local
transportation and access to other cultural activities.

‒

Create incentives to organise passes for tourists as well as residents.

‒

Create incentives to harmonise opening hours and days for visits withlocal settings.

‒

Promote coordination between tourist offices, hotels, restaurants andmuseums to offer an integrated supply of services.

‒Work on a fair sharing of revenue when museum tickets are sold tovisitors by tourism offices.

‒

Promote sustainable tourism principles, by, for example, making tourism
accessible to all (e.g. low-income groups, people with mobility
difficulties).

Link museums and the business community to develop new goods
and services
Any museum can be considered as a hub of knowledge. For example, it could
allow the exchange of information and experiences around a specificcollection that can inspire the design of new products. The skills, techniquesand materials related to the conservation and restoration of its collections canspur innovation in other sectors. Some financial benefits can also be expected
when the intellectual property rights are well defined.
To increase impact, local government could:‒

Help museums to make their collections better known to local producers(including agricultural), artisans, craftsmen, designers, SMEs andentrepreneurs.

‒

Support the efforts of museums in creating spaces, including co-working
spaces, and the study of their collections.

‒Support partnerships with universities, science parks and researchers.

‒

Adapt business start-up, development and innovation support services
to the needs of creative SMEs and entrepreneurs.

‒

Support fair management of intellectual property rights.

24 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

Levers for museums
Work with the hospitality industry and local cultural institutions toreach out to diverse audiences and attract new visitors
A potentially positive sum game exists between museums and the hospitality
industry. To manage this potential, the links between museums and thehospitality industry need to be transparent. Time and effort should be
dedicated on both sides to exchange information and design joint strategies.
In addition, by cooperating with many other cultural institutions (e.g.
theatres, libraries, archives, festivals and other cultural events) museums canbenefit from their activity and learn from the results of other institutions.
Many studies show that the synergies rather than competition between
cultural institutions can make all of them stronger.
However, not all potential partners from either the cultural or hospitality
industry have a clear understanding of the opportunities and possible impacts
of collaboration. Many elements can contribute to supporting thesepartnerships including exchange of information, regular working sessions, andstaff exchanges. Although large museums may have greater capacity to
devote time and resources to expanding their partnerships with local
stakeholders, smaller museums may also be engaged through the membersof their boards or councils.
To increase impact, museums could:‒

Seek information on local development trends, population changes andtourism trends, and disseminate these internally among its different
units and departments.

‒

Engage regularly with the hospitality industry.

‒Think about its own agenda and time schedules, considering collected
data on the behaviour of visitors and tourists.

‒

Consider the opportunities for cooperation and synergies with otherlocal cultural institutions and events.

Engage with firms as well as research and education institutions topromote innovation
As stated above, museums are always hubs of knowledge. They can support
research, creativity and the design of new products and services, cultural aswell as non-cultural. This means that enterprises and innovators are natural
partners for museums, whatever their size or field of activity. Partners may be
independent artisans, craftsmen or designers as well as SMEs or large
corporations. The cooperation between museums and incubators and otherbusiness start-up facilities should also be considered.
An active link between museums and other knowledge-intensive economic
actors, such as universities and science parks, would also be beneficial.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201925

Innovative firms locate in science parks in order to gain access to research andtechnology networks. They also seek to utilise technical and administrative
services and to benefit from the proximity to highly-skilled and specialised
labour and research. While the connection with museums is not that evident,
except for some museums of science and technology, the link with design
firms can be very strong and result in new goods inspired by museum
collections. Some museums may also be strong in terms of research andknowledge related to restoration materials and techniques that could apply
to other sectors of the economy. A cross-fertilisation of knowledge isimportant and can be achieved through the provision of open spaces forcollaboration and networking opportunities inside the corresponding
museums.
Museums can also boost their knowledge exchange function by joining
international networks. For example, the “Museums as Hubs” initiative of the
New Museum in New York City offers both a physical site and a network. It
therefore facilitates artistic and intellectual exchange through forms of
exhibition, residency and public programming as well as editorial and digitalprojects.
Such outreach requires clear incentives for staff to engage in knowledge
exchange, starting with the review, revision or removal of administrative
barriers to doing so. Incentives for staff exchange are often unclear, limited to
an individual’s motivation and not included in their regular responsibilities.
Establishing clear objectives and providing incentives will be crucial topromoting knowledge exchange as a core component of career development.
Additionally, the existence of specific places and times for these exchanges
requires funding, and the economic return of such investments may only
appear in the long term.
Finally, museums should pay particular attention to the protection of theirintellectual property rights. The potential benefits for museums of intellectual
property are often underestimated. Museums have been created to advanceknowledge, and are not usually run for a profit. However, when theircollections inspire the creation and design of products (or product chains) indiverse mediums that will be marketed (from cultural activities to gifts, frombooks to digital material), it is perfectly acceptable for museums to benefit ina manner proportional to their own contribution. In an age when museums
are always looking for new sources of revenue, intellectual property isimportant.
Usually attention is focused on selling products in museum shops, and it istrue that souvenirs can play a useful branding role. Such attention should be
extended to services and products that are not normally considered or sold inmuseum boutiques (e.g. video games inspired by artwork). Major museums
already take advantage of such opportunities, but smaller museums could
also benefit from this.
To increase impact, a museum could:‒

Position itself as a resource centre for economic actors (entrepreneurs,
designers, artisans, SMEs, agricultural producers).

26 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019‒

Organise specific displays of its collections and archives in such a waythat economic actors and other stakeholders can benefit from theknowledge accumulated by the museum. This implies efficientmanagement of the museum archives relevant to the scientific,
technological, economic and social background of the area.

‒

Organise a specific staff function for welcoming and holding discussions
with economic actors (entrepreneurs, designers, artisans, SMEs).

‒

Use the opportunity of working with economic actors to mobilise newsponsorships.

‒

Co-ordinate outreach activities to give examples of the use of collection
resources and show how the museum works.

‒

Provide open spaces for collaboration, networking opportunities andadapt the infrastructure for knowledge exchange purposes.

‒

Organise a staff function specialising in the advancement of themuseum’s intellectual property rights. For smaller museums, consider
pooling resources or connecting with larger museums.

‒

Identify new products or digital tools that are eligible for intellectual
property rights.

‒

Think about how to strategically brand some local products, safeguard
traditional production systems and contribute to the development ofadequate frameworks for the protection of intellectual property rights
related to cultural expressions of communities.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201927

Community engagement ©ICOM

Annex 1. Techniques todemonstrate the economic valueof cultural institutions or events
The techniques to demonstrate the economic value of cultural institutions or
events (e.g. festivals) can be grouped in two categories. The first is the
spending-measure techniques (e.g. economic impact assessment, economic
footprint analysis) that measures actual spending by organisations, audiences
and performers, and its effects on the economy. The second category
considers the valuation techniques (e.g. contingent valuation, social return on
investment) that try to put a price on the wider benefits people gain from
culture, even in cases such as museums with free entry. Arts Council Englandprovides the following interesting overview of these techniques and examplesof their application8.
Spending-measure techniques
Economic impact assessment
What it does

It accounts for direct, indirect and induced impacts of an organisation or specific
event/activity in the local economy.

What you need

Visitor research (profile and expenditure patterns), organisation’s expenditure, a robust
and conservative multiplier.

What it tells you

It allows you to measure the economic impact of an organization for a local and regional
economy. This is typically expressed through additional visitor spending that the specificorganisation is attracting to a city or region. Other economic measures include the use of
local suppliers and the employment levels secured by the organisation.

Economic footprint analysis
What it does

Economic footprint analysis focuses on measuring the size of an organisation’s activities,
and comparing it with the national economy as a whole. This method is more often used
to measure the size of the creative industries, rather than cultural institutions. Economic
footprint analysis includes two measures, typically: employment (number of people whowork for that organisation) and Gross Value Added (value of an organisation’s total sales
or revenue less its expenditure on goods or services purchased from other organisations).
Sometimes it also includes indirect impact on the GVA of firms directly supplying theorganisation; and induced impacts on the GVA of firms outside the supply chain, as aresult of the expenditure by the organisation’s employees and those in its supplier firms.

What you need

Expenditure and gross output (output value) of the organisation.

What it tells you

GVA indicates the contribution of an organisation or activity to the economy as a whole.

8

ACE (2012), Measuring the Economic Benefits of Arts and Culture, Arts Council England,
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/downloadfile/Measuring_the_economic_benefits_of_arts_and_culture.pdf (Accessed 8 July 2019)28 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

Valuation techniques
Contingent valuation
What it does

Contingent valuation measures the value that parts of the population put on an arts,
cultural or heritage organisation. It aims to estimate the extent to which consumers
benefit from a product or service, over and above the price they pay for it. This methodthus allows for a value to be put on things or activities that do not have a conventional
market price, such as visiting a free museum.

What you need

Extensive primary research with those attending/visiting and not attending/visiting.

What it tells you

It reveals a monetary value that people place on a particular organisation or service.

Social return on investment (SROI)
What it does

SROI is a way of understanding the value of an organisation’s activities based on theireffects on the organisation’s stakeholders and audiences. It begins by establishing who
all the stakeholders for an organisation are, and how the organisation might have an
impact on them, both positively and negatively. The next stages involve assessing which
are the most important impacts, and whether they can be measured either quantitatively
or qualitatively. Importantly, the focus on getting stakeholders to participate in defining
value and impact means that SROI is a non-comparable methodology.

What you needPrimary as well as secondary data, extensive research expertise and stakeholder
involvement.

What it tells you

The method allows you to monetise how much a public investment returns in terms ofsocial outcomes.

Source: adapted from Measuring the Economic Benefits of Arts and Culture, Arts Council England, 2012

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201929

30 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019
Outings Project, Ixelles ©Ferdinand Feys

2

Build on the role ofmuseums for urban
regeneration andcommunity
development
In a snapshot
Museums are places that contribute to both the physical and social design ofmany cities. Their renovation or construction can stimulate urban
regeneration and bring new life into areas losing their social dynamism andtraditional economic base. Museums appear to be places where social capitalcan be built between people of different communities when many traditional
meeting places are disappearing. Potential outcomes could be:‒

International branding and increased territorial attractiveness.

‒

Economic diversification, new jobs and revenues through thedevelopment of cultural and creative quarters.

‒

Better quality of life.

‒

Higher level of social capital.
Table 2. Build on the role of museums for urban regeneration and community development
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

MUSEUMS Integrate museums and their surroundings inurban planning and design.

 Consider museum planning and development as
part of a broader urban design process.

 Consider museums as a space for public debates
and community meetings.

 Facilitate dialogue and awareness by serving as asafe and open place for communities.

 Leverage museums as anchors in creative
districts.

 Play a proactive role in the development ofcreative districts.
 Valorise community assets and heritage in rural
settings.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201931

Rationale

Louvre Lens Museum ©B@rberousse

A prominent element of the contribution of museums tolocal development is their impact on urban
regeneration, the emergence of vibrant cultural andcreative quarters and the creation of new bridges
between and within communities. The cultural force ofthe city and its built environment plays a significant rolein shaping people’s sense of identity. In this context,
museums are not just places where collections are
exhibited. They symbolise shared heritage and identity
as well as a sense of the past, present and future aroundwhich a community is organised. The relative
permanence of buildings and land, means they are not
only sources of memory and reflection but also ofcontest over the control and meaning of space itself. Museums can therefore
be considered a kind of public art serving many goals: animating publicdebates, creating connections and giving meaning to new places.
Historically, the most prominent urban regeneration initiatives (Sydney Opera
House in Australia, Pompidou Centre in Paris, and Guggenheim Museum in
Bilbao) aimed to consolidate high-status cultural institutions, cater toeducated cultural consumers and brand the city on the global arena. Today,with the recognition of the growth of cultural and creative industries, anincreasing number of local governments centre urban regeneration strategies
around the development of cultural and creative districts as spaces forcreative production, often in live-work locations. This in turn takes urban landout of the economic cycle of under-use and devalorisation, and increases its
economic value. To achieve these goals, local governments use a range of
instruments, including affordable housing requirements, subsidising rents onworkshop space in cultural districts for artists, artisans, and designers, andaligning innovation, start-up and business development services to the needsof creative sector professionals. These efforts aim not only to support aninnovative work force, but also to change the identity of the place as creativeand modern rather than decaying9. In addition, the recognition of the benefitsof cultural participation has led many local governments to seek to widen
access to and participation in the arts, support local cultural production, andutilise heritage and the arts to strengthen community identity. To achieve this,local governments turn vacant properties into community cultural centres,
fund arts education, and stimulate interest in local heritage and culture10.

9

Zukin, S. and Braslow, L. (2011), “The life cycle of New York’s creative districts: Reflections on
the unanticipated consequences of unplanned cultural zones”, City, Culture and Society,
Volume 2, Issue 3, pp. 131-140, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccs.2011.06.003
10

Grodach, C. and Loukaitou‐Sideris, A. (2007), “Cultural development strategies and urban
revitalization”, International Journal of Cultural Policy, Volume 13, Issue 4, pp. 349-370,
https://doi.org/10.1080/10286630701683235

32 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

In urban regeneration, the challenge is to make the museum a centre of city
life and foster the development of networks and communities and to
stimulate the creation of a more liveable environment. This can be achieved
through different means. Getting the public space right is one of importantelements in this context. The new public spaces need to work well in terms ofintegrating into the broader urban fabric, and encouraging people to linger
and interact. It is also important that public space connects with local streetswith high pedestrian movement, to ensure that people “cross the space” asthey go about their daily lives, as opposed to it being a dead end. In addition,
to attract local residents it is important to ensure that the museum builds on
people's local sense of belonging as opposed to seeming “parachuted in”. It is
important to tease out local distinctiveness and avoid the homogenisation ofurban space.
Box 2. Getting the public space right in urban regeneration projects
The Promenade des Arts in Nice, France, is an example of a public space that works well. It sets the Nice National
Theatre and Modern Art Museum into an accessible long green park full of local people and children. Similarly, theBaltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Newcastle, UK, has been designed to give new life to the Newcastle Gateshead
Quayside, while the Contemporary Art Centre in
Marseilles by Kengo Kuma is also hoped to help
attract new people to the water front. It is also
important to build a sense of ownership for the
new art museum amongst local residents. The
new Contemporary Turner Gallery in the seaside
town of Margate, UK, uses a programme called“Art Inspiring Change” to link into a programmeof local urban regeneration. In Newcastle there
has also been a campaign to promote public art
connected with the Baltic Centre forContemporary Art, with exhibits in prominent
public spaces across the urban area. Public art(i.e. sculptures in public spaces) can be used as aTurner Contemporary ©Oast House Archive
participatory tool for urban renewal. It can also
brand the whole area as an art space.

There are risks associated with regeneration projects that need to beaddressed. Projects that lead to a massive increase in tourism or that target
only privileged groups in society may have negative effects. These and otherfactors can contribute to population displacement and gentrification and thecrowding out of artists and creative sector professionals through increased
property and rent prices. The prioritisation of mainly economically lucrative
activities in the short term can also neglect a local population. As a result, acultural district that begins as a space for creative producers risks becoming aspace for creative consumers. These risks need to be tackled by both local
governments and museums to ensure that the urban regeneration process
keeps the local community, artists and creative sector workers at the heart ofregional or city life.
The role of museums in creating social and economic impact is not restricted
to urban settings. Many museums in rural areas help to identify distinct ruralcommunities as tourism destinations. Some museums have been able to

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201933

collect tangible expressions of cultural beliefs and traditions specific to acertain area or community. As an example, the launch of the Museo delle
Maschere Mediterranee di Mamoiada in Sardinia, Italy has not only been able
to increase the tourism attractiveness of the Mamoiada village, but alsobrought about a change in the way the locals perceive their territory. It has
led to less emigration of locals and can be seen as a successful case ofsustainable community development where the museum had a central roleto play11.
Many elements make the assessment of urban regeneration impacts difficult.
For example, such studies may focus only on short-term, not long-term effects
in part due to limited resources. Such studies also tend to over-emphasise
economic benefits and underestimate social costs and benefits. Museums
need to rethink the relationship with the community and develop outreachstrategies that involve the local community in ways that build social capital in
addition to economic benefits. This also needs the involvement of the local
governments in assisting this so-called “community museology” (a close
integration of a local community in the actions of the museum; in rural areas
this often includes discovery trails leading from the museum to discover the
local country side, etc.) in addition to developing the location as a tourism
destination12.

©MUHBA

11

Iorio, M., and Wall, G. (2011), “Local museums as catalysts for development: Mamoiada,
Sardinia, Italy”, Journal of Heritage Tourism, Volume 6, Issue 1 pp. 1-15.
12

Crooke, E. (2008), Museums and community: ideas, issues and challenges, Routledge.

34 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

Box 3. Partnering for urban regeneration
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) in Canada is located on the edge of a downtown area called
the Quartier Concordia, which surrounds a university of the same name. This area is part of a CAD 400
million urban revitalisation plan, the Zone Éducation-Culture project, unveiled in May 2016. The projectis a collaboration by the MMFA, Concordia University, and the City of Montreal and has its roots in acommon vision to improve Montreal’s role as a city of knowledge and culture. The project will redevelop
the area into an open space designed for public screenings and artistic performances and strengthen thelocal cultural identity by displaying public art and the innovative transformation of urban infrastructure.
The area will display the MMFA’s collections as well as glass murals created by renowned Quebec artist
Jean McEwen.
Another example is from the city of Lyon, France, where Bouygues Group, a leading property constructiongroup, renovated the former Berliet automobile workshops and factories. It has become a mixed-use
development for about 3 000 inhabitants on a space of nearly 3 hectares. To retain the spirit of theindustrial heritage of the site, Bouygues cooperated with Lyon Museum of Confluences to set up a
historical exhibition and to decorate public spaces.
Helsinki City Museum plays a central
role for the conservation of buildings
and the built environment withheritage value. Given a responsibility
coming from the Land Use and Building
Act 132/1999, the museum assumes
the role of the building conservation
authority in Helsinki and in Central
Uusimaa. The museum is part of city
planning and renovations of the urban
environment. Its activities include
conserving the built heritage owned by
the city and private citizens andsupervising the conservation andHelsinki City Museum ©Juho Nurmi
renovation of state-owned buildingssuch as universities and churches. It also supervises repairs of sites which have been granted “building
heritage repair subsidies” by the Uusimaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport and theEnvironment and “restoration subsidies” granted by the Finnish National Board of Antiquities.
Sources: www.helsinginkaupunginmuseo.fi; www.bouygues-immobilier-corporate.com

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201935

Policy options for local
government
Museums play a central role in urban design and are considered an importantfactor of territorial attractiveness and quality of life. Many of them are locatedin city centres, in prestigious buildings, and surrounded by parks and gardens.
They can physically give a specific flavour to the historic urban landscape andstimulate the development of new creative activities in the area. At the sametime, they are strategic meeting places, offering spaces that valorise variety
and diversity. In their urban regeneration efforts, local governments need
therefore to take into consideration both the physical and social dimensions
that contribute to the quality of urban life.

Integrate museums and their surroundings in urban planning anddesignMuseums are at the core of much contemporary urban design. Both museum
construction and renovation create opportunities and may even be a factor
of integration in core city areas, or in the formerly industrial suburbs, thathave abandoned many traditional activities.
To increase impact, local government could, in accordance with the museum’svalues and mission:‒

Use the museum as a platform for debates and public hearings on urban
design and the revival of city life, as well as to promote its relationshipwith local development stakeholders.

‒Work with the museum to make its immediate environment (parks,
gardens) an element in any visit and to safeguard the surrounding
cultural and natural landscapes.

‒

Get the new public space around the museum right:o

Set up multidisciplinary teams (urban planners, architects,
museums, community groups) to obtain a holistic view of theurban space.

o

Set up new public spaces to integrate into the broader urban
fabric, connect with local streets with high pedestrian
movement, and encourage people to interact.

oConsider much less expensive but effective ways to engage inthe space e.g. good seating, free game and play areas.

‒

Ensure that there are spin-off effects in terms of cafes, shops and otherlocal activities in places where there is good pedestrian movement.

‒

Consider the museum as not only a place for collections but also apermanent source of diverse activities, which contribute to the local
collective welfare.

36 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

Consider museums as a space for public debates and community
meetings
In addition to attracting people to visit their collections and for educational
activities, museums can also serve as an inclusive and inspiring space forpublic debates, hearings and community meetings, including in rural areas.
To support museums in this role, local government can:‒Encourage community participation by publicising and sharing
information about events, and providing transportation services.

‒

Support the organisation of educational activities in museums, such as
training courses or workshops for amateurs.

‒

Co-organise with museums planning meetings and public hearings
related to urban planning, rural development and cultural policy.

‒

Support museum outreach programmes, visiting programmes and otherefforts to involve and serve communities and citizens outside their walls.

Leverage museums as anchors in creative districts
Successful cultural and creative districts become places where artists, local
producers, artisans, designers and citizens create new urban environments.
They can generate cultural and economic benefits, and may also address
urban inequalities and population exclusion. City strategies to support the
emergence of cultural and creative districts need to take into account that thedevelopment of creative places is:‒

Rooted in the ways in which knowledge is formed and shared in thecreative industries.

‒

Characterised as having high levels of human input, with clusters of small
companies operating on a project basis; dense flows of information,
goods and services; and complex divisions of labour.

‒

Favours smaller-scale initiatives in contrast to the dominant focus onlarge infrastructure projects in modern cities.

‒

Attracts tourists and visitors to a district because of its cultural vibrancy,
making it part of the experience economy.

To support the development of cultural and creative districts, local
government could:‒

Promote the museum as an artistic and creative centre by organisingresidency programmes for artists, urban planners, designers, museum
professionals and urban activists.

‒

Align training, innovation and business start-up and development
services to support creative entrepreneurship.

‒

Support linkages with cultural and creative industries and knowledgeintensive institutions to produce new meanings, goods and services.

‒

Consider subsidising rents on workshop space in cultural hubs for artists,
artisans and designers.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201937

Levers for museums
Consider museum planning and development as part of a broader
urban design process
Museums are often seen as places that lend both branding and meaning to
the life of cities. This concerns not only new museums but also existingmuseums undergoing renovation or expansion. To provide new public spaces,
construction, renovation or expansion plans can include gardens, parks or
external event spaces. In addition, the overall design and functioning ofmuseum buildings can also be more generally rethought to consider theirrelationship with the surrounding urban vernacular while also taking into
account potential environmental impacts. Such a perspective not only applies
to large projects and museums. Smaller community and participatory
museums can also have an important impact on the local urban fabric,enhancing the distinctive character of a place and its appeal to visitors.
To increase impact, a museum could:‒

Assess construction and renovation projects on the basis of their impact
on urban design as well as the specific needs of the museum:oParticipate in or initiate multi-disciplinary teams to define theurban design and the use of public space around the museum.

oConsider and manage, to the degree possible, the surrounding
cultural and natural landscapes (squares, gardens, parks, etc.) as
an extension of the museum into the local urban fabric.

oConsider the impact of the construction and renovation projects
on the natural environment, energy consumption,
environmental sustainability and climate change.

‒

Design physical spaces that facilitate access for local residents andtourists, including outside of normal opening hours.

‒

Allow for more flexible internal spaces that can accommodate different
types of experiences such as workshops, exhibitions or informal
gatherings.

38 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019
Evening opening ©Museum of Lisbon

Facilitate dialogue and awareness by serving as a safe and open
place for communities
How can museums generate a better quality of life for a community?
Considered frequently as an open and safe meeting place, a museum canpromote face-to-face exchanges, build community trust and contribute toraising the level of local social capital.
Box 4. Museums at the centre of community life
Museums, as public spaces, can play a central role in starting a debate about the past, present and futureof a place. They can be platforms where citizens, community groups, urban planners, architects andothers can meet and exchange on how they see the future and how they can be involved in its realisation.
Local governments can position museums, especially the ones with a geographic focus (city, region or
district museums) at the centre of their urban policy planning processes.
For example, the municipality of Paris together with Pavillon de l’Arsenal, through its Reinventing Parisproject invites experts, architects, the thinkers, artists and many others to develop and share new andinnovative proposals to revive the city’s various sites and stimulate a creative process in order to explore
new ways of remaking the city of Paris. STAM Ghent City Museum and the local municipality have set up
a consultation and public hearing process to understand citizens’ expectations for the future of local
churches, as many of them were no longer actively used. Another example is the Stockholm City Museum,
whose expertise is used in the city’s planning activities for cultural heritage classification and decisions
on planning permission. The aim is to ensure that identified heritage sites and buildings of special
historical interest are preserved and developed in a way that takes into account their assets. In France,
the Louvre-Lens has developed a new centre for urban life in a deprived area in Lens, with the museum
and its parks at the core of the old mining district, combining exhibitions on the Louvre collections andregional cultural heritage.
Source: pavillon-arsenal.com/en/; www.reinventer.paris/en/; stamgent.be/en/; stadsmuseet.stockholm.se/in-english/;www.louvrelens.fr.

Museums use various strategies to reach this objective. They can promoteexchanges between different communities around a common theme in orderto overcome differences among cultural traditions, including those that may
be reflected in some parts of collections. They can also organise thematic
activities to build connections between and within communities by addressing
themes such as aging, well-being, welfare, migration, gender, LGBTQ+, socialand economic polarisation, forced eviction, decolonisation, equity,
xenophobia, climate change, and populism.
Many museums use participatory curating practices(both in terms of exhibition and activities) and cocreation to give space to communities to “make” and“do” things in the museum. This can include exhibitions,
new narratives and creative public events such ascommunity festivals, yoga classes, knitting circles and soon. It is important to consider smaller-scale activities likethese as soon as discussions on the (re)construction of
the museum start.

©madamaknit

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201939

It is also important to reach out to communities that are not traditional usersof museums, either for cultural or economic reasons. The objective is not tojust bring new types of visitors into the museum, but also to work in different
and smaller places located in different kinds of buildings connected to thecentral site and, where possible, bringing art, culture and heritage todisadvantaged neighbourhoods. This outreach is particularly important inrural areas.
To increase impact, a museum could:‒

Consider and organise itself as a centre for associations and local actors
for the conservation and celebration of the cultural heritage of the area,
which may extend beyond the specificity of its collections.

‒Use participatory curating practices and co-creation to give space tocommunities to “make” and “do” things in the museum.

‒

Organise thematic cultural exhibitions or other activities that forge
connections between and within communities.

‒

Consider outreach as a process to engage disadvantage neighbourhoods
and communities.

‒

Particularly for museums in cities, consider organising outreach activities
into surrounding rural areas either on their own or by establishingcooperation or networks with museums or other cultural and noncultural institutions located there.

Box 5. Promoting inclusiveness and diversity: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts supporting thePride Festival
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
(MMFA) has supported the Pride
Festival since 2015. It also organises
exclusive visits to the collections andexhibitions for festivalgoers and takes
part in the closing parade with its own
float and volunteer involvement.
These actions are all part of themuseum’s
policytopromoteinclusiveness and diversity in all its
forms, whether that be cultural,sexual, ethnic or otherwise.
Source: mbam.qc.ca/en/;fiertemontrealpride.com/en/

40 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 20192018 Parade ©Sébastien Roy

Play a proactive role in the development of a creative district
Cultural investment and activities are increasingly seen not only as a way tounderstand the city but to change it. This encompasses not only constructing
or renovating museum buildings but also supporting the emergence of vibrantcultural districts. Cultural districts can be drivers of regeneration as they
connect creativity, entrepreneurship, cultural production and cultural
consumption. Museums can help anchor such districts by hosting scientificactivities, inspiring designers, and acting as places for knowledge exchange.
Very often, only specific departments in a museum are directly involved insuch activities, but a broader approach can help reinforce these connections
and ensure the provision of adapted premises and resources.
Box 6. Museums at the centre of creative districts
Creative districts encourage cooperation and facilitate innovation through crossovers between culture
and creativity, education, research and entrepreneurship.
For example, the London Knowledge Quarter, conceived in 2014, is a network of 86 partner organisations,employing over 60 000 staff, located inside a one-mile radius in London’s downtown. Members, which
work together for better results, range from universities to primary schools, corporations to community
groups, and large museums to small arts start-ups.
Also founded in 2014, the Textile Fashion Centre, located in the Sweden’s historic textile capital of Borås,is an artfully redeveloped industrial site. It is now one of Europe’s leading science parks in textile andfashion. It houses research firms, museums, university campuses, and offices for many textile companies,
as well as places for food and drink.
A comparable partnership has beendeveloped in Roubaix, France, by themuseum La Piscine, located in an old
swimming pool institution, which hasdeveloped an archive centre on textile
industry, the Textoteque.
Similarly, the Swedish science andinnovation initiative, Innovatum,
creatively reutilises its industrial
heritage and has been repurposed for
housing,business,research,
restaurants, the Saab Car Museum anda Science Centre as well as spaces forevents and cultural activities.

La Piscine, Roubaix ©Camster2

Source: knowledgequarter.london; textilefashioncenter.se; innovatum.se; roubaix-lapiscine.com

To increase impact, a museum could:‒

Be present in the local governmental structures which manage urban
design.

‒Identify the sectors of the local economy that can use artistic, scientificand other resources in connection with its collections and activities.

‒

Ease the use of its collections by artists, local producers, artisans,designers, SMEs and other firms.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201941

‒Participate in local initiatives that provide innovation, start-up andbusiness development support to SMEs, entrepreneurs and creative
professionals.

‒

Consider late opening hours to capitalise on the museum's potential tocontribute to the night time economy of the area.

Valorise community assets and heritage in rural settings
The role of museums in rural communities has received much less attention
than urban or metropolitan areas. The term “rural” may encompass very
different realities from small towns to settlements in very remote or isolatedareas. Some formerly rural areas have also seen recent population growth as
the result of out-migration from cities, and may now be considered more
suburban. In such places, museums can contribute to the diversification ofactivities (in the same way as in cities) as the profile of rural residents who
participate in arts and culture is similar to that of city dwellers.
At the same time, resources are often difficult to mobilise, human resources
are not easily available and opening hours are usually seasonal and limited.
Additionally, rural residents often rely on neighbouring cities for culturalactivities and museums.
Rural museums, especially in areas without a major tourist site, may need torely even more upon pooling of back-office activities, organisation of common
exhibitions and the support of volunteers. They can also benefit from newtechnologies and creating networks with larger museums in neighbouring
cities or internationally.
Box 7. Museums and rural development: Baksı Museum, Turkey
The Baksı Museum in Turkey aims tobreathe new life into and stimulate theeconomy of the Bayburt region, one ofTurkey's regions most heavily impacted
by population loss from out-migration.
The museum brings together acontemporary art collection made up ofworks by leading artists with a collectionof folk paintings and original examples of
local handicrafts. The purpose is tocreate an original centre of culturalinteraction for the benefit of artists andresearchers, to revive a culturalenvironment hindered by out-migration,and to contribute to the sustainability ofcultural memory.
Source: en.baksi.org

42 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

Baksi museum ©GettyImages

To increase impact, a museum could:‒

Serve as a centre for associations and local actors involved in theconservation and valorisation of local cultural heritage, which may
extend beyond the specificity of its collections.

‒

Mobilise and support as far as possible volunteers.

‒

Work with networks of other museums or cultural and social institutions,
including in large cities and other countries, for example for:‒o

The use of conservation and restoration labs and utilities.

o

To develop new exhibitions and programmes.

Pool some inputs and resources where possible with other cultural or
local government institutions, starting mainly with back office functions.

Stravinsky fountain, Paris ©Gettyimages

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201943

44 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019
Science exhibition ©Gettyimages

3

Catalyse culturally
aware and creative
societies
In a snapshot
Museums have mainly been created to increase cultural awareness andeducation. With time, this objective has become more complex to also
encompass training and life-long learning, and not only for native-born
populations but also immigrants and other marginalised communities. A
museum’s mission is also to promote reflection and self-awareness byproviding opportunities to audiences to learn more about their environment
and themselves through museum collections. They can change the way
people think about many past and contemporary issues and can challenge
misperceptions and rigid modes of thinking. By displaying an inventory of pastcreativity, museums help promote an understanding of why and how things
have been created. In that very sense, they may promote a broader culture ofcreativity.
Potential outcomes include:‒

Knowledge development and upskilling.

‒

Increased levels of self-confidence.

‒

More culturally aware and open communities.

‒

Diffusion of creativity.
Table 3. Catalyse culturally aware and creative societies
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

MUSEUMS Recognise the role of museums in educationand training of young people as well as adults.

 Organise visits as an experience that promotes
reflection and creativity.

 Work with museums to build resources andcapacities to take a broader approach to thevisitor experience.

 Provide education, training and life-longlearning opportunities.
 Promote cultural diversity.

 Support a balance between meeting the needsof local audiences and tourists.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201945

Rationale
Providing access to collections and supporting
education have always been important aspects ofmuseum activity. When they were first created,museums were associated with libraries and archives as
the main tools for artistic and cultural development. In
a creative economy, these seminal dimensions ofmuseums remain important as they disseminate
knowledge on human creativity.

Participation ©Museum of Lisbon

As opposed to other institutions such as schools anduniversities, the knowledge transmitted throughmuseums often originates from emotions experienced
in front of an artefact or specimen, developed throughan inductive process. This experience-based knowledge can contribute toboosting such skills as understanding, valuing and self-confidence. This is oneof the reasons why cultural engagement is often seen as an effective tool, forexample, to re-engage young people when educational systems fail toconnect with them.
Cultural engagement may help to promote cultural awareness, sensitivity, andacceptance. Art forms such as drama, literature or film might be more obvious
candidates than museum visits for catalysing empathy. However, museums,
also, are spaces for cultural dialogue providing opportunities to better
understand the situation of the “other”.
The result will depend on the degree to which the visit is organised as anexperience that both frees the emotions and provides the informationnecessary to understand the significance of an object or artefact. In addition,
if museums are to be seen as sources of personal, cultural, and social learning
experiences, then they need to not just communicate with the visitors but also
listen to them and understand their social context13. This requires a goodunderstanding of visitors’ profiles, ideally going beyond the usual informationon the place of origin and age to also include other socio-demographic
variables and, if possible, analysis based on behavioural information. Followup engagement is also important in order to foster transformative
experiences14.
The emergence of new digital technologies is transforming the ways in which
cultural goods and services are produced and consumed. This in turn changes
the traditional forms of audience engagement and cultural participation. The
emergence of new media distributors (e.g. Spotify, Netflix) as well as open
platforms (e.g. collaborative platforms (Wikipedia), content communities
13

Chang, EJ. (2006), “Interactive experiences and contextual learning in museums”, Studies in
Art Education, Volume 47, Issue 2, pp. 170-186.
14

Anderson, D. et al. (2007), “Understanding the long-term impacts of museum experiences”,
in In Principle, in Practice: Museums as Learning Institutions, pp. 197-215.

46 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

(YouTube, Instagram), social networks) have enabled massive production ofcontent and instant diffusion and circulation. The Culture 3.0 concept
developed by Pier Luigi Sacco highlights that because of these changes theseparation between producers and audience is gradually being removed
which results in a blurred continuum of active/passive participation. From a
local development perspective, this means that the production of value
moves to the social domain and connects to many dimensions of civic
functioning: innovation, welfare, social cohesion, life-long learning, social
entrepreneurship and soft power. In this context, museums evolve fromcatering to a passive audience towards becoming participative platforms
allowing for various forms of direct engagement and co-creation. Museums
can create value as innovation hubs, welfare hotspots, sustainability
facilitators, and social cohesion gateways. They can also play a key role instimulating active citizenship (Sacco, P.L. et al. 2018, Sacco, P.L. 2013).
Developing museums as places of learning and social experimentation
involves costs, a committed and skilled staff and efficient mechanisms thatallow knowledge sharing among museums. Partnering with education andtraining providers, community groups and third sector organisations is aneffective way to develop and deliver activities in this area.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 2019
©Michele TrimarchiLess labels more meanings ©Michele Trimarchi

47Policy options for local
government
The relationship between local government and museums for education is
generally very well recognised, and is now being extended to include adulttraining and life-long learning. It is very important for local government toacknowledge that the collections and archives of museums constitute useful
resources for these purposes.
Box 8. Partnership for education: EducArt digital platform, Quebec, Canada
EducArt is a digital platform designed in collaboration with high school teachers and the Montreal
Museum of Fine Arts. Through a selection of 350 museum works, it enables the exploration of transversal
themes in a number of different disciplines and prompts the discussion of contemporary social issues.
The museum’s diverse, encyclopaedic collection enables multifaceted use, is relevant to many subject
matters, and allows for the development of strategies to create inductive learning and promotereflection. The platform is also a database of innovative educational projects available free of charge
online. Additionally, as the province of Quebec covers a large, sparsely populated land mass, it allows
students in remote areas to access more diverse educational and cultural learning opportunities. Project
financing, within the context of implementing Quebec’s Digital Cultural Plan, is provided under theMontreal Cultural Development Agreement as part of a partnership between the City of Montreal and
the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications. It also receives support from the Fondation de laChenelière.
Source: educart.ca/en/.

Recognise the role of museums in the education and training ofyoung people as well as adults
The role of museums in cultural and educational development is traditionallywell recognised, and increasingly being extended to include adult training andlife-long learning. It should be noted, however, that educational activities aremost impactful if they are organised on a continued basis with regularparticipation by beneficiary groups as opposed to one-off visits. This, in turn,
may imply the need to find additional resources and premises.
To increase impact, local government could:‒

Clarify the mandate of museums by recognising their role in educationand training.

‒

Recognise the role of museums in education, adult training and life-longlearning in strategic local government documents and programmes.

‒

Support the elimination of physical and cognitive barriers to accessmuseums.

‒

Ensure museums are eligible for financial support through education,
training and employment initiatives.

48 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019‒

Facilitate cooperation between relevant local institutions such as
schools, technical and vocational and education training providers,
universities, and employment services.

Work with museums to build resources and capacities to take abroader approach to the visitor experience
Organising experiences requires resources such as time and space that go
beyond those needed for a traditional visit. This may require resources
including staff that many museums do not have. Local government can
support the specific organisation and availability of the internal and external
spaces of museums, and make museums eligible for funding for social
projects.
To increase impact, local government could:‒

Discuss the need for these experiences with museums in the context ofa broader local development strategy.

‒

Ensure museums are legally eligible for funding for social projects.

‒

Make spaces available outside museums if required.

School visit©Gettyimages

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201949

Support a balance between meeting the needs of local audiences
and tourists
Local governments may see museums as key to attracting tourists to theirarea, and mainly support this function. However, museums can be a platform
where local communities and tourists meet, learn and engage with eachother. In fact, museums that attract local visitors are more attractive totourists, as this makes for a richer experience.
To increase impact, local government could:‒

Cooperate with museums, educational institutions, transportation
authorities, tourism offices and tour operators in managing museum
timetables to make the museums accessible to tourists and local
audiences.

‒

Create incentives to enhance outreach to local families and adults (e.g.
through school visits, adult learning programmes, festivals and events).

Centre Pompidou, Paris ©Gettyimages

50 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

Levers for museums
Organise visits as an experience that promotes reflection andcreativity
A well-organised visit that can become a source of reflective experience
requires space, documentation and written or audio-visual support, andcultural mediators (the intermediaries between the artists, their works andthe general public) to enrich traditional displays. It will also cater for different
visitor profiles with diverse learning styles. The use of digital technologies canstimulate cultural participation and co-production.
To increase impact, a museum could:‒

Organise the visit as an experience that stimulates creativity.

‒

Adapt information to different visitor profiles and learning styles.

‒

Promote participatory curating and community engagement in museum
programming and activities, including through digital technologies.

Provide education, training and life-long learning opportunities
Engagement in creative activities, art practices, and educational activities
outside of traditional educational settings, can help build self-esteem andconfidence as well as soft-skills, and help to re-engage young people who have
dropped out of school. With the combined expertise of museum professionals
and the staff of local employment, training and education institutions andother community groups, such programmes can effectively target and meetthe needs of these groups, while addressing specific local development
bottlenecks (see further discussion in the next chapter).
Box 9. Partnering for education and community development: Museum of Chicago SPACE
partnership
The School Partnership for Art and Civic Engagement (SPACE) is the Museum of Contemporary Art
Chicago’s multiyear partnership with Chicago public high schools. Its goal is to empower Chicago teensto create positive change in their communities using contemporary art strategies and expanded civic
understandings.
SPACE embeds artists and their studio practices inside Chicago public high schools, physicallytransforming space(s) in the school into creative hubs for artistic and civic exchange. It invites artists who
address social issues and who embrace collaboration and public interaction to catalyse the learning in
SPACE. Artists relocate their studio practice to the school for a long term, expanded residency, and workin partnership with the art and social studies teachers to co-design and co-teach an interdisciplinarysocially engaged curriculum. Students investigate local community issues, identifying those that they are
passionate about and that impact their lives directly. They work in groups, researching issues andengaging community members in dialogue. SPACE results in student-created artistic projects and civicaction plans that address the pressing needs of their community.
Source: https://mcachicago.org/Learn/Schools/SPACE.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201951

To increase impact, a museum could:‒

Seek information on the educational and professional training needs ofspecific priority populations identified by local governments and civilsociety organisations.

‒

Assess own potential for education and professional training according
to the nature of its collections, work and operation.

‒

Build staff competences and skills to deliver such activities.

‒

Outreach to local education and training institutions to co-design
learning activities and explore opportunities for joint funding.

‒

Design a corresponding budget and proactively apply to funding outsideof traditional museum sources to implement such educational andtraining programmes.

‒

Consider both internal and external spaces to deliver such programmes,
while bearing in mind relevant protection and conservation measures.

Promote cultural diversity
By providing a safe and inspiring place for cultural dialogues, museums mayhelp in building a better understanding of cultural diversity and sensitivity,
bridging gaps between and within communities. Along with other art forms
such as drama, literature or films, museums can also provide opportunities tobetter appreciate the situation of the “other”.
Box 10. Community building: Representing Mokum/Damsko project of the Museum of
Amsterdam
Representing Mokum/Damsko is a new project at theMuseum of Amsterdam aiming to create bridges
within and between communities. The project namecomes from Mokum, the Yiddish word for
Amsterdam, and Damsko, a street language rooted in
Surinamese. The museum will exhibit and host
performances of the two musical genres and explore
their history as well as their clothing, instruments andother associated material culture. One of the genres,developed in the Jordaan area, a working classneighbourhood settled by many migrants, wasdeveloped in the 19th century influenced by Italian
opera and French musette while incorporating Yiddish
lyrics. The other is modern Dutch-language hip-hop,also originating from disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
To produce this project, the museum is collaboratingwith local artists, a leading Dutch independent hipMokum/Damsko ©Amsterdam Museum
hop label, and academics, with an objective to valorise
and preserve the Dutch musical culture and foster social inclusion through the arts.
Source: ichandmuseums.eu/en/inspiration-2/detail-2/representing-mokum-damsko.

52 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

To increase impact, a museum could:‒

Create opportunities to connect and co-create with communities
through exhibitions and presentations, while being inclusive of all typesof visitors, including people with disabilities.

‒

Reach out to communities who do not traditionally go to museums, notonly as future visitors but also as potential contributors and volunteers.

‒

Mobilise social service budgets to support these activities.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 2019

Leopold Museum, Vienna ©GettImages53

54 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts ©Mikaël Theimer

Promote museums as
spaces for inclusion,
health and well-being

4

In a snapshot
Traditionally, local governments do not consider museums as direct actors insocial development beyond their educational role. However, museums
increasingly contribute to individual and collective well-being. Their potential
contributions, for example, to health are particularly important in the context
of ageing populations. Other initiatives relating to school drop-outs or the
rehabilitation of ex-offenders and the improvement of self-confidence arealso significant, but are sometimes neglected since their effects are difficult
to evaluate and are only evident in the long term. Local governments could
consider museums as resources for both building social capital and promotingsocial welfare and support the links with social institutions that intervene at
the local level. In turn, museums need to build their internal capacities to be
more pro-active in this field.
Potential outcomes relate to:‒ Changing people’s perception about their needs and problems andmaking them more proactive in improving their own lives.
‒ Raising people’s well-being with special consideration for marginalised
groups.
‒ Giving people more self-confidence, upgrading their capacities andimproving employability skills.
‒ Improving social cohesion.
Table 4. Promote museums as spaces for inclusion, health and well-being
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

Maximise the contribution of museums tosocial welfare through data, partnerships andresources.



Consider the role of museums in providing
pathways to employment.



Integrate museums into broader approaches toimproving well-being.

MUSEUMSBuild internal capacity to recognise andrespond to the needs of disadvantaged groups.

Partner with relevant organisations to boost
skills for employability.



Co-createprogrammes
with
other
organisations to serve the needs of specificpopulations (homeless, imprisoned, elderly andother marginalised groups).

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201955

Rationale
Museums have not always been considered as drivers ofinclusion, health and well-being. However, therelationship between culture, well-being and health is
now at the centre of an important amount ofexperimentation and research15. Early longitudinalstudies in the 1990s showed that in Northern European
countries regular cultural participation had positiveeffects on life expectancy. The scientific literature has
gradually moved on to research not only life expectancy,
but also to document culture’s effects in terms ofperceived quality of life and well-being16.
©Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Centre

There is a growing awareness that public health issues
need to be addressed holistically, taking into accountissues of belonging, place and meaning, as well as physical ailments. This will
require collaboration across a wide range of organisations, beyond justtraditional health services. Museums can be a partner in these collaborations.
Arts and health interventions in communities outside of formal medical
settings have been significant since the late 1980s. A tradition already existedof such interventions in countries where health museums were created as
early as the 19th century. Today, multi-agency partnerships are formed byarts, culture and heritage organisations, local authorities, and public andcharitable agencies. For example, doctors who are a part of the association
Médecins francophones du Canada, have started to prescribe visits to
Quebec’s Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Such practices are derived from thesocial model of health that uses community-based artistic and creative
activities to engage people in thinking about their own health and to help
individuals in disadvantaged areas to build their capacity to address them.
Moreover, many studies have shown an association between long-term arts
engagement and positive health outcomes, after taking into account relevantsocial, economic and demographic variables. This also extends to mental
health and well-being.

15

See, for example, Weziak-Białowolska, D. (2016), “Attendance of cultural events andinvolvement with the artsdimpact evaluation on health and well-being from a Swisshousehold panel survey”, Public Health, Volume 139, pp. 161-169,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2016.06.028.; Thomson, L. and H. Chatterjee (2016), “WellBeing With Objects: Evaluating a Museum Object-Handling Intervention for Older Adults in
Health Care Settings”, Journal of Applied Gerontology, Volume 35, Issue 3, pp. 349–362,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0733464814558267.; Węziak-Białowolska, D. et al. (2018),“Involvement With the Arts and Participation in Cultural Events-Does Personality Moderate
Impact on Well-Being? Evidence From the U.K. Household Panel Survey”, Psychology of
Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/aca0000180.
16

Grossi, E. et al. (2012), “The interaction between culture, health and psychological wellbeing: Data mining from the Italian Culture and Well-Being project”, Journal of HappinessStudies, Volume 13, Issue 1, pp. 129-148.

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The social dimension of the work of museums is becoming much wider.
Cultural services delivered by museums contribute to promoting theconfidence and capabilities of people excluded from the mainstream forvarious reasons including poverty, health, unemployment, age, illiteracy,
disability and detention. Targeted work with groups like these can change
their self-perceptions, making them more proactive in improving their own
lives and upgrading their skills.
With respect to museum work with ex-offenders, it is relevant to note thatthe analysis of how offenders move away from criminal activity now focuseson the concept of “desistance from crime”, which emphasises the process of
personal change. Indicators of the process of desistance include improved
confidence, motivation and self-esteem, ability to accept ambiguity, to form
more open and positive relationships, and to develop an identity as someone
who sees options and is willing to go through the learning process to achieve
an alternative future. Few would claim that museum projects could lead todesistance by themselves, but they can make a contribution by working inprisons and with ex-offenders after they have been released.
Box 11. Museums and criminal rehabilitation: the experience of Louvre, France and Montreal
Museum of Fine Arts, Canada
Since 2007, the Louvre Museum has partnered with penitentiary authorities to lead workshops forcriminal rehabilitation and, in 2009, took further steps with an ambitious project at Poissy prison, which
aimed to work with inmates to stage an exhibition of quality reproductions of Louvre masterpieces. The
inmates then developed an artistic project, with graphics and text, and created the exhibition catalogue.
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) also has a programme in criminal rehabilitation where theycollaborate with the Centre for Services in Restorative Justice, to facilitate a monthly art therapy
workshop for restorative justice. The museum hosts the workshop led by the MMFA’s full-time art
therapist. Workshops are free of charge and use art, by offering a space for sharing, as a catalyst forhealing, finding peace and mending broken social ties. They are aimed to facilitate the process of
inclusiveness and reintegration of offenders.
Source: louvre.fr/en/masterpieces-poissy-prison; mbam.qc.ca/en; csjr.org/en.

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©Gettyimages

57

Another important way in which museums are fostering inclusion is byfocusing on activities to welcome and engage refugees. An example is that of
the Victoria and Albert Museum in the United Kingdom where refugees fromvarious countries such as Rwanda, Uganda, and Iraq, were employed as
museum guides who conducted tours in the museum galleries by connecting
museum objects with their personal stories. More traditional approaches
focus on sensitising viewers about the situation of immigrants, refugees andminority ethnic groups mainly through heritage displayed in the temporary or
special exhibitions.
This does not mean that museums are hospitals, social centres or
employment agencies but rather that they can be useful partners for suchinstitutions. Several factors need to be taken into account when developing
such partnerships and joint programmes.
The distribution of roles of different partners needs to be clear and common
goals need to be defined and prioritised in terms of impact so that no one isdisappointed (e.g. for the projects with ex-offenders, museums goals could be
more about cultural democratisation whereas ministries of justice would be
looking for offenders’ reintegration).
In addition, the practicalities of the implementation should be thought
through: the timing of the activity always means something. For example, thelunch break is a free time when the working hours represent an imposed time,
the symbolic dimension is not neutral. In the same way, the spatial dimension
has importance, attending cultural activities in the supervisor’s office does notmean the same as planning it in a dedicated area: it is about the value thatpeople give to the activity (central or secondary).
It is also important to acknowledge that any measurable impact on well-being
will take time, much more time than other more immediately measurable
indicators such as variation in the numbers of visitors or sales in museum
shops. Indicator and measurement frameworks will need to take this into
account and be co-designed by partners. Meta-analysis and an integrated
evaluation approach can be useful in assessing such programmes (e.g.
combination of observations from sociological methods used by museums
with scales and methods used by medical professionals). The evaluation
methods would include the need to identify and acknowledge benefits even
if they were not part of expectations. Often only large museums would havethe resources to conduct thorough evaluations of such programmes.
However, smaller museums could learn from those experiences throughvarious museum networks or also partner with local universities to combine
resources.

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Policy options for local
government
Local government can consider museums as resources for building both social
capital and social welfare, and facilitate partnerships with relevantorganisations in the field of social welfare, health, employment, prisoner
rehabilitation, etc.

Maximise the contribution of museums to social welfare throughdata, partnerships and resources
Local government can support museums in contributing to social well-being
and welfare through a number of means, starting with simply recognising therole they can play in this domain. They can also provide museums with
relevant data on the social needs of the local community, and encourage andsupport partnerships between museums and relevant social institutions.
To increase impact, local government could:‒

Consider the value of museum’s contributions to the well-being andwelfare of the local communities, and include their potential
contributions in the development of local strategies.

‒

Make comprehensive local socio-economic information available tomuseums.

‒

Facilitate partnerships between museums and other relevant social
institutions.

‒

Identify costs that could be shared and funded by other organisations.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201959
©Gettyimages

Consider the role of museums in providing pathways toemployment
Local government can consider the role of museums in making people more
self-confident and skilled. These skills are more generic than specific, but inregards to employment, are particularly important.
To increase impact, local government could:‒

Share information on local labour market trends with museums.

‒

Establish a dialogue with labour market and educational organisations at
the local level and share strategies transparently and regularly.

‒

Make museums eligible for funding of professional education andtraining programmes.

Integrate museums into broader approaches to improving wellbeing
Broader strategies to improve local well-being can incorporate museums as a
key actor. The domains to consider are diverse, ranging from health andageing to ex-offender reinsertion and rehabilitation. Considering the latter,
while local governments have generally very few direct responsibilities overdetention institutions, they are however often responsible for housing andemployment, two key issues for the reinsertion of ex-offenders into society.
Box 12. Promoting inclusiveness, health and well-being: a Manifesto for a Humanistic Fine Arts
MuseumAs part of the Manifesto for a Humanistic Fine Arts Museum, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has put
forth a strong vision of the social role of culture and cultural institutions and has taken numerous actions
aimed at promoting inclusiveness, health, and well-being. The MMFA’s art therapy programme takes aparticularly innovative approach, which has earned global recognition. The programmes are aimed
broadly at persons experiencing mental health disorders, autism, eating disorders, and learning andbehavioural difficulties, and also extend to socially-excluded and marginalised individuals. Activities arequite diverse ranging from using art to improve self-image, hosting arts workshops to assist those withspeech and sensory disorders and helping immigrants to settle by illustrating their own life stories
through art. The MMFA works with many specialised partners to create these programmes and works
with scientific organisations and universities to perform research in these areas. To facilitate these
activities, in 2016, the museum inaugurated a purpose-built premises, and in 2017 established an Art and
Health Advisory Committee of 16 experts to form policy in this area. In 2018, museums visit prescriptions
started to be administered by doctors as part of a new project between the museum and the Canadianassociation of francophone doctors.
Source: mbam.qc.ca/en/education-and-art-therapy/art-therapy/.

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To increase impact, local government could:‒

Create incentives and provide resources for museums to attract regular
visitors from at-risk populations – the elderly, those living in poverty,
refugees and asylum seekers, and people with physical and learning
disabilities.

‒

Incentivise museums to incorporate local socio-economic information
into their strategies and demonstrate how they are using this data tocreate targets.

‒

Establish a dialogue between museums and local health and socialorganisations.

‒

Fund exhibitions and research programmes for making local people
better-informed on health and environmental issues.

‒

Support the introduction of cultural activities, exhibitions andworkshops in health institutions.

‒

Ease communication and the implementation of joint programmes withprisons or similar social institutions.

‒Support the lending of or independent exhibition of some elements ofcollections outside museums, for example by providing access tophysical spaces or other resources.

‒

Revise as far as possible the necessary regulations to allow the museum
to expand its activities and to be eligible for funding from social budgets.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201961

Marine performs art therapy with guidance ©US_DoD

Levers for museums
Build internal capacity to recognise and respond to the needs of
disadvantaged groups
In many countries, museums have taken innovative approaches to serving
disadvantaged communities and becoming visible agents of social change.
This, however, requires museums to seek out corresponding funding. It also
requires mobilising appropriate staffing resources, whether training existing
staff, employing new staff with specialised skills, or subcontracting some
activities. In some cases, museums may need to exhibit pieces from theircollections in external settings or externalise some of their activities, which
may imply revisiting regulations for the temporary and conditional movementof collections. Finally, museums will need to adapt their evaluation
approaches to the contexts where outcomes have to be subjectively validated
by participants and where intended outcomes may not directly translate intomeasurable indicators. The right balance of quantitative and qualitative
evidence will depend on the nature of the intervention.
Box 13. Partnering for migrant integration: Migration:Cities
Migration:Cities is an ICOM project led by the Collections andActivities of Museums of Cities Committee (CAMOC) in
partnership with the Commonwealth Association ofMuseums (CAM) and the International Committee for
Regional Museums (ICR). It explores the role of museums insupporting the social inclusion of migrant and refugeecommunities and their engagement with contemporary
urban life. Migration:Cities is a think tank and a platform toprovide information and resources for museum
professionals, policy makers and community organisations,and support partnership building between museums, public authorities, local and regional governments,
community organisations and other sectors. Museum projects for migrant integration are very diverse.
For example, the Travelling with Art Programme at the Louisiana Museum in Denmark invites refugee
children to the museum to exchange views on art and work creatively. The Rotterdam Museum in the
Netherlands engages diverse community groups, including marginalised people, in the production of themuseum’s expositions. Another striking example is the Immigration Museum of the State of São Paulo in
Brazil. The Museum and a non-profit association called Arsenal of Hope share a building complex thatwas originally built at the end on the 19th century to host immigrants arriving from various countries,
mainly Italy and Japan. Through their partnership over 15 years, the two institutions helped more than
36 000 people in need, offering not only a shelter to marginalised groups and individuals under risks suchas homeless people, addicts and refugees, but also organising rehabilitation workshops and developing
cultural programmes.
Source: http://migrationcities.net/; louisiana.dk/en/learning/collaborations; museumrotterdam.nl/en/;
http://museudaimigracao.org.br/.

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To increase impact, a museum could:‒

Incorporate information about the socio-economic situation of theirlocal area into their strategies and demonstrate how they are using thisdata to create targets for exhibitions, education and outreachprogrammes and for general visitors.

‒

Train staff in understanding this strategic approach and in working withpartners from different sectors.

‒

Establish ongoing dialogue or develop long-term partnerships with socialorganisations at the local level and share strategies regularly.

‒

Create and support interdisciplinary structures inside the museum andpromote shared facilities across its departments in order to support
them.

‒

Mobilise new sources of funding supported by social welfare budgets,
and where relevant charities, foundations and private sector sponsors.

‒

Identify costs that can be shared and jointly funded with other museums
or partners.

Partner with relevant organisations to boost skills for employability
The role of museums in education is frequently focused on welcoming
children and young people during school time, or on professional training for
cultural workers and managers. More recently, this role has extended to adulttraining, i.e. life-long learning. Taking on this role requires a new kind ofpartnership with adult training organisations (although, there can be strong
competition for the allocation of funding for these activities).
The most substantial contribution museums can make in this area is to boost
the self-confidence of unemployed or other disadvantaged people. They canalso make them more proactive and to give them the opportunity to increase
their general skills, and sometimes to acquire some specific professional
competencies. A single visit or participation in a single workshop is unlikely tomake a significant difference. Programmes which engage people in creativeand cognitive activities over a period of weeks or months are more likely tohave long-term beneficial effects on people’s self-confidence and ability to
improve their lives. These kinds of activities should, optimally, be organised asseries of workshops that allows for discussion and exchange. To develop suchactivities, a museum will need to reach out to other specialised institutions
and mobilise various skills, to combine with its own expertise and knowledge.
Moreover, creating these types of programmes can provide newopportunities, for example, to upgrade generic or more specific skills amongstaff. Such programmes could also include sheltered or subsidised
employment in museums.

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Box 14. Partnerships for employability: Małopolska region, Poland
The Małopolska region is one of the Polish regions most attractive for cultural tourism. However, themaintenance and functioning of heritage sites poses a significant organisational and financial challenge.
Additionally, long-term unemployment is a significant issue in the region. To address these challenges,
the regional government of Małopolska has decided to implement a temporary employment scheme forthe long-term unemployed in danger of exclusion from the labour market. The programme provides themwith career counselling, job search assistance and employment opportunities in heritage and related
institutions involved in the preservation and promotion of local culture. The ultimate aim is to help thistarget group to successfully enter or return to the labour market and find permanent employment.

To increase impact, a museum could:‒

Identify its own potential for inclusive and professional training
according to the nature of its collections, work and operation.

‒

Discuss the corresponding requirements with relevant specialised
institutions to develop long-term partnerships and joint programmes.

‒

Consider that the spaces required for these programmes can be bothinternal and external to the museum.

‒Work with partners to design the budget and delivery plan necessary to
implement such programmes.

Co-create programmes with other organisations to serve the needsof specific populations (homeless, imprisoned, elderly and othermarginalised groups)
Museums can also contribute to the health and well-being of theircommunities by providing activities targeted at vulnerable groups. This can
include the unemployed, those who are or who have been in prison, those
suffering from social isolation and loneliness, as well as refugees and asylum
seekers, people living in poverty and people with learning and physicaldisabilities.
Museums can provide services to these groups directly, or, more commonly,
work in partnership with social organisations who have the expertise and thecontacts with these communities. Museums bring their expertise ininterpreting objects and their relationship to people, their educational andfacilitation skills, while NGOs, health and prison services will havecorresponding expertise in serving their clients. Arts initiatives explicitly
devised to bring together professional caregivers and users, or initiatives
where carers’ engagement make it a collaborative activity, are most relevant
here. Benefits for caregivers, prison staff or employment agency staff emerge
as a useful “by-product” of programmes for their clients.
Evaluating such programmes is not an easy task given the complexity ofvariables and contexts. Diversity of evidence and methods of evaluation are
not surprising. For example, it is difficult to establish a direct link between arts
initiatives and re-offending rates. Yet many in the criminal justice system aresupportive of arts initiatives because they know that these activities benefit
participants and lead to personal changes, and are also beneficial to their own

64 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

staff. The key is that the objectives and terms of the evaluation are agreed at
the beginning by the museum, its social partners and its funders.
Box 15. Partnering for health and well-being
The French Museum of Confluences partnered with the Lyon Léon Bérard Hospital and Awabot (anenterprise specialising in robot development), to provide children awaiting transplants an opportunity todigitally visit the museum. Children can remotely drive robots throughout the museum, ask questions toa guide and even interact with other museum visitors. The Museum also partners with the hospitalFemme Mère Enfants to provide an opportunity for children to board an imaginary submarine to learn
about aquatic creatures. These experiences act to both educate the child and stimulate their creativity
as well as limit their isolation. Other examples include ICOM’s award winning Louvre Museum’s
programme in Paris, France to present their collections to hospital staff and the hospitalised. Glasgow
Museum has initiatives to display objects in dementia care facilities to promote socialisation andreminiscence.
Source: museedesconfluences.fr/fr/visit-museum; awabot.com/en/; ihope.fr; louvre.fr/en/louvre-hospitals;
museumsassociation.org/museums-change-lives/15012015-building-memory-walls.

To increase impact, a museum could:‒

Establish ongoing dialogue or develop a long-term partnership withhealth, inclusion and reinsertion organisations at the local level, andcorresponding local NGOs, and each share strategies regularly.

‒

Design programmes not only for the target group but also for the staffof these other organisations.

‒

Consider the provisional lending of some elements of collections outside
museums, and use times when museums are closed for visits by specificgroups.

‒Identify costs that could be shared and funded with other organisations.

‒

Design assessment systems adapted to experimental programmes.

‒

Share corresponding information and results with other partner
institutions.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 2019

Science workshop ©Gettyimages

65

66 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019
Vatican Museums ©Gettyimages

Mainstream the role ofmuseums in local
development

5

In a snapshot
Beyond the specific areas where local governments and museums can partner
to maximise the impact of museums on local development, the overall
governance of the museum-local government partnership can impede or
facilitate this impact. The structure of the partnership will change according
to both the size of the local government and the legal framework connecting
museums and local governments. Regardless of these specifics, however, thefollowing principles generally underlie such a partnership:‒

Museums can contribute to local development as both drivers andenablers. As knowledge hubs, they can design and deliver new services
that create more inclusive and sustainable development.

‒

Local governments can mainstream the role of culture as a lever of local
development and mobilise resources — regulatory, financial, land andhuman — that enable museums to realise their local development
potential.

Mainstreaming museums in local development requires the recognition of thepotential for creative development and social transformation of museums by
all the stakeholders in local development. New museum management
frameworks, which account for local development issues and perspectives,
are also needed.
Table 5. Mainstream the role of museums in local development
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

MUSEUMS Take a long-term and holistic approach toworking with museums.

 Clearly articulate the museum’s role in local
development and operationalise it in key
documents and processes.

 Support preservation, conservation
research as core functions of museums.

and Consider strategies such as pooling resources toscale up the capacities of museums.

 Maintain preservation,
research as core tasks.

conservationand Partner with other relevant organisations toincrease impact.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201967

Rationale

Old war bomb shelter turned into a slum ©MUHBA

The potential contributions described in this Guide
create new opportunities for museums and local
governments to increase their impact on local
development, but also new management, governanceand operation challenges. Museums are unlikely to
directly manage the development of new services, butthey may co-design and support their delivery with or
through other partners. This new extrinsic (outward
looking) vision for museums is not in opposition to amore intrinsic (related to the core mission) perspective,
but can be considered as an extension of their activities
in a complex and creative society. Many of these effects
will appear only in the long term, which implies a need for sustained effort
and regular evaluation.
Museums will have new needs in terms of information, partners, skills andintellectual property rights protection. However, such an approach will alsoenable museums to benefit from new types of resources — financial, humanand other.
For local governments this means adopting a new cross-cutting vision thatmainstreams culture across its various departments and policies. This will
enable local governments to foster partnerships and joined up strategies witha wide array of stakeholders.

Policy options for local
government
The policy options for local governments will vary significantly based on thelegal relationship between local government and individual museums. In
some cases, local government directly manages the museum. In other cases,
there is no direct or delegated legal relationship between the museum andlocal government management. In the first case, the challenge for local
government is to let the museum define and undertake its actions, while
retaining oversight of the museum. In the second case, local government acts
more as a general stakeholder since its decisions can indirectly influence thepolicy and actions of the museum. The exact relationship is often difficult todefine because some museum resources may depend indirectly or directly on
local government (housekeeping, maintenance, staff, etc.). In either case,museums and local governments have a joint purpose to serve the local
community, providing a foundation for strong joint collaboration.

68 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

While many, if not most of the museums, are already working to some degreein the area of social and economic development, for others it may be an
innovation. Local governments can provide incentives that foster this spirit ofinnovation, as museums will incur upfront costs to reshape and reorganise.
This includes corresponding funding, as well as evaluation approaches that
correspond to these objectives.
Box 16. Museum management models: the case of the Museum of Lisbon, Portugal
City museums are focused on the city
as the point of convergence for anumber of subjects (Gob, A., andPostula, JL., 2015). They are
multidisciplinary by nature as they
focus on history, urbanism, art history,
urban and contemporaryart,
geography, anthropology and urban
technology.
Created in the early 20th century as ahistory municipal museum, theMuseum of Lisbon has been going
through a modernisation process. The
School visit ©Museum of Lisbon
Museum’s administration changed,
from the traditional municipal model to a public company for culture in Lisbon, EGEAC, of which the one
shareholder is the Council of Lisbon. EGEAC manages municipal museums, galleries, theatres andfestivities. The change meant more administrative flexibility and autonomy, while still retaining a stronglink to the Council’s values.
While the main museum site buildings are being remodelled and modernised, the activities of theMuseum of Lisbon have concentrated on themes like the urban heritage landscape; the citycharacteristics that differentiate Lisbon from other places (either intangible like its natural light, or
tangible like the ceramic tiles); the evolution of the city multicultural identity over time, including theincreasing migration movements; the urban gardens and the movements towards sustainability, among
other types of projects capable of strengthening the emotional links between the city and its inhabitants.
Source: http://www.museudelisboa.pt/en.html.

Take a long-term and holistic approach to working with museums
A traditional difficulty faced by museums is that their relationship with local
governments is typically designed on an annual basis, due to fiscal principles.
However, a longer time frame is needed to produce meaningful impacts on
local development. Accordingly, mutual commitments should be defined overthe long term, allowing stability to build a solid foundation for growth. They
should also be clearly defined so that expected contributions from local
government to the operation of the museum and of the museum to local
development are clear and are expressed in terms which make sense to allparties. Finally, they should not be isolated to the culture portfolio of local
governments, but rather be integrated across its operations (e.g.
employment, social welfare, sustainability).

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201969

Local government could:‒

Incorporate the museum into its local development strategies, andensure full participation of the museum in forums and meetings on the
future of the local area.

‒

Encourage museums to take initiatives in the cultural field as well as inother socio-economic areas.

‒

Develop collaborative strategies with a medium or long-term horizon,
and as far as possible make mid- or long-term contractual commitments.

‒

Create a clear framework for the identification and distribution of thespillover revenues created by museums (if local government controls
this income).

‒

Commit itself to reinvesting the net revenues of museums in their future
development (if local government controls this income).

‒

Agree with museums on a selected number of evaluation processes,
based on shared objectives in order to clarify accountability.

Support preservation, conservation and research as core functionsof museums
The preservation, conservation and research of collections are core activities
of museums, and the physical and intellectual accessibility of a collection will
influence the potential contribution of any museum to local development.
Important considerations include the ability to cover the costs related to thecollection preservation, conservation, restoration, new acquisitions andresearch, the organisation of the required physical space for storing, andpreventive conservation and study of the collection. Here, the role of local
government can be highly relevant.
Box 17. New approaches to museum governance: MAS, Antwerp (Belgium)
Museum aan de Stroom, known as MAS, is an award
winning city museum from Antwerp. Following thecreative and participatory approaches introduced
during Antwerp’s nomination as the European Capitalof Culture in 1993, the Antwerp City Council decided tobring together the collections from three different
museums in a brand-new building in the old port area.
This was both a solution to the difficulties faced bythese museums in attracting national funding and ameans of urban renewal. MAS provides support for
more than 200 collectors and collections bycollaborating with them to highlight the rich culturalMAS ©Paul Hermans
heritage of the city. The physical proximity of collections
and a common institutional framework, in terms of governance and management, allows for a more
effective use of resources and provides flexibility to address diverse issues and themes through numerous
temporary exhibitions. A similar approach was the creation of the centre for conservation of the Louvre
in Lens and Liévin where the works of the Louvre will be stored and conserved. This centre is the resultof a partnership between the museums of the Louvre and the Région Hauts de France.
Source: ICOM/ CAMOC; www.louvre.fr/centre-de-conservation-du-louvre.

70 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

To increase impact, local government could:‒

Support the scientific needs of museums and mobilise specialised
human and technical resources.

‒

Support the preservation, conservation and research activities ofmuseums by providing and organising specific spaces for storing andstudying objects or carrying out specific technical tasks.

‒

Support or pool the conservation services of different local museums.

Consider strategies such as pooling of resources to scale up thecapacities of museums
A number of strategies can be used to scale up the capacities of museums
within tight fiscal constraints. For example, resources can be pooled among
several museums working in the same area, or even between cultural andnon-cultural institutions. In order to be efficient, these processes of pooling
have to be clearly designed with the relevant local government in order toavoid any budgetary conflicts. Frequently, a relevant distinction appears here
between “front office” and “back office” activities.
Where regulations allow for the involvement ofvolunteers, their contributions can be very important,
not just in terms of financial savings, but also because
volunteers bring new skills and can help strengthencommunity linkages. For the volunteers themselves,
working in museums can provide opportunities toincrease social capital and, for some, improve
employability. Of course, attention should always begiven to providing the appropriate wages andopportunities to paid staff and developing a fair system
of volunteering without exploiting their contributions.
Local governments have a vested interest in themobilisation of volunteers, as it increases local civic
engagement and empowers local stakeholders.

©Gettyimages

To increase impact, local government could:‒

Incentivise the pooling of resources between local museums, as well as
between local cultural and non-cultural institutions and museums.

‒

Incentivise the pooling of common services between local museums.

‒

In rural areas, support the pooling of resources and network
development with other museums or cultural and social institutions,
including in large cities, to enhance capacities, and to develop new
exhibitions and programmes.

‒

Make the local government training system available for museum staff.

‒

Encourage, if allowed, the mobilisation of volunteers by sharing
information about volunteering more widely at the local level; absorbingsome of the relevant organisational costs; and working with museums
to design quality standards for volunteers.

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Levers for museums
Clearly articulate the museum’s role in local development andoperationalise it in key documents and processes
Building a common understanding of the meaning and relevance of amuseum’s relationship with local development is needed to ensure broadbased buy-in for such an approach, from the senior level management to allother stakeholders both within and outside the museum. Strong leadership isneeded to bring the various viewpoints and perspectives into a shared visionof the future that can be understood by all relevant actors and partners. Thisvision of the future is not static since it has to be continuously reenergised by
new information, opportunities and lessons, supported by an action plan or
implementation plan which clearly identifies stages and steps as well as
targets and evaluation measures. Additionally, adequate staff time will need
to be dedicated to following this new agenda.
Another key factor in success is the degree to which all museum departments
understand and value this mission. Different mechanisms can be used tocoordinate and integrate activities across the museum: the organisation of a
dedicated unit with close links to senior management (in large museums); a
specific person in charge of such activities; or a small centre to facilitate accessto and increased visibility of creative promotional activities. Whatever theselected model, this strategic unit should be able to have a dialogue with all
departments, and avoid duplication of work both inside the museum andwithin the surrounding ecosystem.
To increase impact, a museum could:‒

Have a mission statement and written strategy, setting out a vision for
the future of the institution and recognising its role in local
development.

‒

Articulate a clear implementation plan to achieve its strategy and vision
with clear objectives and performance indicators. A museum should
provide a strategic roadmap presented in a simple format that is widely
communicated throughout the museum and ensure that it is understoodas a priority by staff, visitors and stakeholders.

‒

Ensure that there is a dedicated person in senior management
responsible for the implementation of the vision and strategy.

‒

Be actively involved in the development and implementation of local,
regional and/or national economic and social strategies.

‒

Take responsibility for key actions in these strategies, contributing tosome, leading on others.

‒

Have a strong presence in its community, for example, by supporting
local cultural and artistic activities.

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Maintain preservation, conservation and research as core tasks
Regardless of its role in local development, a core task of museums willcontinue to be to plan strategically and act ethically with respect to collections
and stewardship matters. Since there are different ways to manage, house,secure, document and conserve collections, one must consider many facetsof an institution’s operations that, taken together, demonstrate theeffectiveness of its stewardship policies, procedures and practices, and assessthem in the light of varying factors.
Box 18. Responsible conservation and museum operation practices
The ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums and the ICOM Committee for Conservation outline
responsible conservation and museum operation practices. Good standards of conservation andknowledge production require that:‒ A current, approved, and comprehensive collections management policy is in effect.
‒ Human resources are adequate, and staff have the appropriate education, training andexperience to fulfil the museum’s stewardship responsibilities.
‒ A system of documentation, records management and inventory is in effect to describe eachobject and its acquisition (permanent or temporary), its current condition, location, andmovement in, out and within the museum.
‒ An annual audit by an external body of the inventory to ensure locations are up to date.
‒ The intellectual property rights resulting from the use of museum resources are designatedand protected.
Source: ICOM (2004); http://www.icom-cc.org.

To increase impact, a museum could:‒

Have a written mission statement and collections documents (e.g.,collections management policy, collections plan, etc.) clear enough to
guide collections and stewardship decisions. The corresponding
programme should also include strategic planning of preventive
conservation.

‒

Organise ongoing training of its administrative and technical staff
concerning conservation and a system of updating information in its
archives.

‒

Be in close contact with various departmental units of the local
government to make sure that its visitors, collections and otherresources (such as the associated data) are protected against naturaland human-made disasters by making sure that its disaster risk
management plan is in effect, tested, updated and actively used.

‒

Be vigilant about its intellectual property rights.

Partner with other relevant organisations to increase impact
Partnerships with other relevant organisations can take many forms. As astarting point, organising regular exchange and consultation meetings
between museum staff and various economic and social stakeholders at the
local level can help break down formal boundaries, promote awareness of

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what a creative organisation entails and the museum’s potential contributions
to local development, and enhance more general exchange of information.
More specifically, museums can partner with other museums located in thearea, and corresponding networks as relevant. Traditionally many kinds of
networks exist in this area but most relevant for this work is the focusing on
actions that maximise the impact of museums on local development, either
by allowing the production of new kinds of services or by alleviating the costs
supported by the museums. Moreover, specific technical demands makes theexchange of know-how or even the common delivery of some services evenmore valuable. Many museums have an interest in cooperating in the sharedorganisation of “back-office” services. The clustering of museums is importantalso as a means of transforming competition between museums into a winwin situation.
Such networks can also be extended to institutions other than museums,
cultural and non-cultural. Networks with other cultural institutions such as
cultural centres, theatres, publishing houses and audio visual companies
increase and diversify audiences and the supply of products and services.
Networks with non-cultural enterprises offer different advantages that can
not only increase the resources of the museums but make the museums
better known and recognised.
An integrated approach and networking of cultural institutions can at thesame time build community assets and create the premises for more intense
forms of cultural participation by citizens. Such a coordinated strategy has forexample been experimented by the Denver metropolitan area in the past
decade, leading to an upscaling of the levels of cultural participation and to
an improvement of the financial sustainability of the local cultural
institutions17. Such programmes go beyond the objective of audiencedevelopment but are rather designed as system-wide social sustainability
strategies, with the consequent strategic complementarities with other local
programmes.
Outreach can also extend to volunteers (where national regulation allows forvolunteer work). Volunteers have historically played a role in museums invarious ways. One of the most traditional ways is associations of friends that
contributed to funding, gave objects and spent time organising and delivering
museum services. This type of association is less common today, especially inrural areas. However, volunteers are still a strategic resource for museums.
Not only do volunteers expand the pool of qualified human resources they
can also help to bridge gaps between museums and local development issues.

17

P.L. Sacco et al. (2013), “Culture as an engine of local development processes: System-wide
cultural districts. II: Prototype cases”, Growth and Change, A Journal of Urban and Regional
Policy, Volume 44, Issue 4, pp. 571-588.

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To increase impact, a museum could:‒

Establish or be a partner in dialogue with other organisations at the local
level and share its own strategy regularly.

‒

Establish structures such as research groups to facilitate dialogue anddecision-making involving staff, visitors and users.

‒

Encourage partnerships with the third sector.

‒

Encourage long-term and sustainable partnerships.

‒

Belong to and support local, regional and national networks andinternational museum organisations (e.g. ICOM).

‒

Belong to and support local networks of cultural and non-cultural
institutions.

‒

Identify products and costs that can be shared either with othermuseums, cultural or non-cultural institutions.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201975
Conference ©ICOM

76 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

A checklist for local
governments,
communities andmuseums
This Guide proposes concrete levers for local and regional governments andmuseums seeking to maximise the local development impact of heritage. Not
every museum or city can or should pursue the entire range of themes
addressed in this Guide. Rather, it is meant to inspire and inform possible
strategies and actions that will depend on the nature of museum collection,
the needs of the local community and the broader socio-economic context of
the area.
The Guide is a learning, self-assessment and development tool that can beused:‒

By local and regional governments to assess and improve theirapproaches to maximising the social and economic value of cultural
heritage.

‒

By museums to assess and strengthen their existing and potential
linkages with the local economy and social fabric.

‒

To identify concrete ways for museums, local governments, communities
and other stakeholders to partner.

A wide array of local stakeholders can be engaged in the self-assessment,
including:Museums‒

Management (curator and or general director).

‒

Head of evaluation department.

‒

Staff responsible for educational, social inclusion and community
programmes as well as visitor engagement, in accordance with the main
self-assessment themes.

‒

Head of a museum’s volunteer organisation, and/or chair of a friends ofmuseum association.

Local governments‒

Political level: mayor or deputy mayor.

‒

Head of culture department.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201977

‒

Staff responsible for local economic development strategy, education,
innovation, tourism, employment, social inclusion, health and businessdevelopment.

Other stakeholders‒

Private sector: chamber of commerce or other business representative
body.

‒

Employment and training: public employment services, vocational
education and training bodies.

‒

Education and research: universities, research parks and schools.

‒

Health: hospitals and other health agencies.

‒

Justice and rehabilitation: local prison authorities, rehabilitation services.

‒

Community: third sector organisations, NGOs and other key community
organisations.

78 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

Leverage the power of museums for
economic development

1

Policy options for local government
 Integrate museums in the local tourism development strategy
Promote museums locally, nationally and internationally by funding information andadvertising support and by organising the participation of museums in international fairs.
Support or organise packages that combine museum entrance, local transportation andaccess to other cultural activities.
Create incentives to organise passes for tourists as well as residents.
Create incentives to harmonise opening hours and days for visits with local settings.
Promote coordination between tourist offices, hotels, restaurants and museums to offer an
integrated supply of services.
Work on a fair sharing of revenue when museum tickets are sold to visitors by tourism
offices.
Promote sustainable tourism principles, by, for example, making tourism accessible to all(e.g. low income groups, people with mobility difficulties).

 Link museums and the business community to develop new goods and services
Help museums to make their collections better known to artisans, craftsmen, designers,
SMEs and entrepreneurs.
Support the efforts of museums in creating spaces, including co-working spaces, and thestudy of their collections.
Adapt business start-up, development and innovation support services to the needs ofcreative SMEs and entrepreneurs.
Support fair management of intellectual property rights.

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Levers for museums
 Work with the hospitality industry and local cultural institutions to reach out to diverse
audiences and attract new visitors
Seek information on local development trends, population changes and tourism trends,
and disseminate these internally among its different units and departments.
Engage regularly with the hospitality industry.
Think about its own agenda and time schedules, considering collected data on the
behaviour of visitors and tourists.
Consider the opportunities for cooperation and synergies with other local cultural
institutions and events.

 Engage with firms as well as research and education institutions to promote innovation
Position itself as a resource centre for economic actors (entrepreneurs, designers, artisans,SMEs).
Organise specific displays of its collections and archives in such a way that economic actors
and other stakeholders can benefit from the knowledge accumulated by the museum. Thisimplies efficient management of the museum archives relevant to the scientific,
technological, economic and social background of the area.
Organise a specific staff function for welcoming and holding discussions with economic
actors (entrepreneurs, designers, artisans, SMEs).
Use the opportunity of working with economic actors to mobilise new sponsorships.
Co-ordinate outreach activities to give examples of the use of collection resources andshow how the museum works.
Provide open spaces for collaboration, networking opportunities and adapt the
infrastructure for knowledge exchange purposes.
Organise a staff function specialising in the advancement of the museum’s intellectual
property rights. For smaller museums, consider pooling resources or connecting withlarger museums.
Identify new products or digital tools that are eligible for intellectual property rights.
Think about how to strategically brand some local products, safeguard traditional
production systems and contribute to the development of adequate frameworks for theprotection of intellectual property rights related to cultural expressions of communities.

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Build on the role of museums forurban regeneration andcommunity development

2

Policy options for local government
 Integrate museums and their surroundings in urban planning and design
Use the museum as a platform for debates and public hearings on urban design and therevival of city life, as well as to promote its relationship with local development stakeholders.
Work with the museum to make its immediate environment (parks, gardens) an element inany visit and to safeguard the surrounding cultural and natural landscapes.
Get the new public space around the museum right:o

Set up multidisciplinary teams (urban planners, architects, museums, community
groups) to obtain a holistic view of the urban space.

o

Set up new public spaces to integrate into the broader urban fabric, connect withlocal streets with high pedestrian movement, and encourage people to interact.

oConsider much less expensive but effective ways to engage in the space e.g. goodseating, free game and play areas.

Ensure that there are spin-off effects in terms of cafes, shops and other local activities inplaces where there is good pedestrian movement.
Consider the museum as not only a place for collections but also a permanent source ofdiverse activities, which contribute to the local collective welfare.

 Consider museums as a space for public debates and community meetings
Encourage community participation by publicising and sharing information about events,
and providing transportation services.
Support the organisation of educational activities in museums, such as training courses orworkshops for amateurs.
Co-organise with museums planning meetings and public hearings related to urban
planning, rural development and cultural policy.
Support museum outreach programmes, visiting programmes and other efforts to involveand serve communities and citizens outside their walls.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201981 Leverage museums as anchors in creative districts
Promote the museum as an artistic and creative centre by organising residency
programmes for artists, urban planners, designers, museum professionals and urban
activists.
Align training, innovation and business start-up and development services to support
creative entrepreneurship.
Support linkages with cultural and creative industries and knowledge-intensive institutions
to produce new goods and services.
Consider subsidising rents on workshop space in cultural hubs for artists, artisans, anddesigners.

Levers for museums
 Consider museum planning and development as part of a broader urban design process
Assess construction and renovation projects on the basis of their impact on urban design
as well as the specific needs of the museum:oParticipate in or initiate multi-disciplinary teams to define the urban design and theuse of public space around the museum.

oConsider and manage, to the degree possible, the surrounding cultural and naturallandscapes (squares, gardens, parks, etc.) as an extension of the museum into the
local urban fabric.

oConsider the impact of the construction and renovation projects on the naturalenvironment, energy consumption, environmental sustainability and climatechange.

Design physical spaces that facilitate access for local residents and tourists, including
outside of normal opening hours.
Allow for more flexible internal spaces that can accommodate different types ofexperiences, workshops and exhibitions.

 Facilitate dialogue and awareness by serving as a safe and open place for communities
Consider and organise itself as a centre for associations and local actors for theconservation and celebration of the cultural heritage of the area, which may extend
beyond the specificity of its collections.
Organise thematic cultural exhibitions or other activities that forge connections between
and within communities.
Consider outreach as a process to engage disadvantage neighbourhoods and communities.
City museums could consider organising outreach activities into surrounding rural areas
either on their own or by establishing cooperation or networks with museums or othercultural and non-cultural institutions located there.

82 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019 Play a proactive role in the development of a creative district
Be present in the local governmental structures which manage urban design.
Identify the sectors of the local economy that can use artistic, scientific and otherresources in connection with its collections and activities.
Ease the use of its collections by artists, artisans, designers, SMEs and other firms.
Participate in local initiatives that provide innovation, start-up and businessdevelopment support to SMEs, entrepreneurs and creative professionals.
Consider late opening hours to capitalise on the museum's potential to contribute to
the night time economy of the area.

 Valorise community assets and heritage in rural settings
Serve as a centre for associations and local actors involved in the conservation andvalorisation of local cultural heritage, which may extend beyond the specificity of its
collections.
Mobilise and support as far as possible volunteers.
Work with networks of other museums or cultural and social institutions, including inlarge cities and other countries, for example for:o

The use of conservation and restoration labs and utilities.

o

To develop new exhibitions and programmes.

Pool some inputs and resources where possible with other cultural or local government
institutions, starting mainly with back office functions.

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3

Catalyse culturally aware andcreative societies

Policy options for local government
 Recognise the role of museums in the education and training of young
people as well as adults
Clarify the mandate of museums by recognising their role in education and training.
Recognise the role of museums in education, adult training and life-long learning instrategic local government documents and programmes.
Support the elimination of physical and cognitive barriers to access museums.
Ensure museums are eligible for financial support through education, training andemployment initiatives.
Facilitate cooperation between relevant local institutions such as schools, technical andvocational and education training providers, universities, and employment services.

 Work with museums to build resources and capacities to take a broader approach to thevisitor experience
Discuss the need for these experiences with museums in the context of a broader local
development strategy.
Ensure museums are legally eligible for funding for social projects.
Make spaces available outside museums if required.

 Support a balance between meeting the needs of local audiences and tourists
Cooperate with museums, educational institutions, transportation authorities, tourism
offices and tour operators in managing museum timetables to make the museums
accessible to tourists and local audiences.
Create incentives to enhance outreach to local families and adults (e.g. through school
visits, adult learning programmes, festivals and events).

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Levers for museums
 Organise visits as an experience that promotes reflection and creativity
Organise the visit as an experience that stimulates creativity.
Adapt information to different visitor profiles and learning styles.
Promote participatory curating and community engagement in museum programming.

 Provide education, training and life-long learning opportunities
Seek information on the educational and professional training needs of specific priority
populations identified by local governments.
Assess own potential for education and professional training according to the nature ofits collections, work and operation.
Build staff competences and skills to deliver such activities.
Outreach to local education and training institutions to co-design educational activities
and explore opportunities for joint funding.
Design a corresponding budget necessary and proactively apply to funding outside of
traditional museum sources to implement such educational and training programmes.
Consider both internal and external spaces to deliver such programmes, while bearing
in mind relevant protection and conservation measures.

 Promote cultural diversity
Create opportunities to connect and co-create with communities through exhibitions
and presentations, while being inclusive of all types of visitors, including people withdisabilities.
Reach out to communities who do not traditionally go to museums, not only as future
visitors but also as potential contributors and volunteers.
Mobilise social service budgets to support these activities.

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4

Promote museums as spaces forinclusion, health and well-being

Policy options for local government
 Maximise the contribution of museums to social welfare through data,
partnerships and resources
Consider the value of museums’ contributions to the well-being and welfare of the local
communities, and include their potential contributions in the development of local
strategies.
Make comprehensive local socio-economic information available to museums.
Facilitate partnerships between museums and other relevant social institutions.
Identify costs that could be shared and funded by other organisations.

 Consider the role of museums in providing pathways to employment
Share information on local labour market trends with museums.
Establish a dialogue with labour market and educational organisations at the local leveland share strategies transparently and regularly.
Make museums eligible for funding of professional education and training programmes.

 Integrate museums into broader approaches to improving well-being
Create incentives and provide resources for museums to attract regular visitors from atrisk populations – the elderly, those living in poverty, refugees and asylum seekers, andpeople with physical and learning disabilities.
Incentivise museums to incorporate local socio-economic information into their strategies
and demonstrate how they are using this data to create targets.
Establish a dialogue between museums and local health and social organisations.
Fund exhibitions and research programmes for making local people better-informed onhealth and environmental issues.
Support the introduction of cultural activities, exhibitions and workshops in healthinstitutions.
Ease communication and the implementation of joint programmes with prisons or similarsocial institutions.

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Support the lending of or independent exhibition of some elements of collections
outside museums, for example by providing access to physical spaces or otherresources.
Revise as far as possible the necessary regulations to allow the museum to expand its
activities and to be eligible for funding from social budgets.

Levers for museums
 Build internal capacity to recognise and respond to the needs of disadvantaged groups
Incorporate information about the socio-economic situation of their local area into theirstrategies and demonstrate how they are using this data to create targets for
exhibitions, education and outreach programmes and for general visitors.
Train staff in understanding this strategic approach and in working with partners fromdifferent sectors.
Establish ongoing dialogue or develop long-term partnerships with social organisations
at the local level and share strategies regularly.
Create and support interdisciplinary structures inside the museum and promote sharedfacilities across its departments in order to support them.
Mobilise new sources of funding supported by social welfare budgets, and where
relevant charities, foundations, and private sector sponsors.
Identify costs that can be shared and jointly funded with other museums or partners.

 Partner with relevant organisations to boost skills for employability
Identify its own potential for inclusive and professional training according to the natureof its collections, work and operation.
Discuss the corresponding requirements with relevant specialised institutions todevelop long-term partnerships and joint programmes.
Consider that the spaces required for these programmes can be both internal andexternal to the museum.
Work with partners to design the budget and delivery plan necessary to implement suchprogrammes.

 Co-create programmes with other organisations to serve the needs of specific populations(homeless, imprisoned, elderly and other marginalised groups)
Establish ongoing dialogue or develop a long-term partnership with health, inclusion andreinsertion organisations at the local level, and corresponding local NGOs, and eachshare strategies regularly.
Design programmes not only for the target group but also for the staff of these otherorganisations.

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Consider the provisional lending of some elements of collections outside museums, anduse times when museums are closed for visits by specific groups.
Identify costs that could be shared and funded with other organisations.
Design assessment systems adapted to experimental programmes.
Share corresponding information and results with other partner institutions.

88 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

Mainstream the role of museums
in local development

5

Policy options for local government Take a long-term and holistic approach to working with museums
Incorporate the museum into its local development strategies, and ensure fullparticipation of the museum in forums and meetings on the future of the local area.
Encourage museums to take initiatives in the cultural field as well as in other socioeconomic areas.
Develop collaborative strategies with a medium or long-term horizon, and as far as
possible make mid- or long-term contractual commitments.
Create a clear framework for the identification and distribution of the spillover revenues
created by museums (if local government controls this income).
Commit itself to reinvesting the net revenues of museums in their future development (iflocal government controls this income).
Agree with museums on a selected number of evaluation processes, based on sharedobjectives in order to clarify accountability.

 Support preservation, conservation and research as core functions of museums
Support the scientific needs of museums and mobilise specialised human and technicalresources.
Support the preservation, conservation and research activities of museums by providing
and organising specific spaces for storing and studying objects or carrying out specifictechnical tasks.
Support or pool the conservation services of different local museums.

 Consider strategies such as pooling of resources to scale up the capacities of museums
Incentivise the pooling of resources between local museums, as well as between local
cultural and non-cultural institutions and museums.
Incentivise the pooling of common services between local museums.
In rural areas, support the pooling of resources and network development with othermuseums or cultural and social institutions, including in large cities, to enhance capacities,
and to develop new exhibitions and programmes.
Make the local government training system available for museum staff.

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Encourage, if allowed, the mobilization of volunteers by sharing information about
volunteering more widely at the local level; absorbing some of the relevant organisationalcosts; and working with museums to design quality standards for volunteers.

Levers for museums
 Clearly articulate the museum’s role in local development and operationalise it in key
documents and processes
Have a mission statement and written strategy, setting out a vision for the future of
the institution and recognising its role in local development.
Articulate a clear implementation plan to achieve its strategy and vision with clear
objectives and performance indicators. A museum should provide a strategic roadmap
presented in a simple format that is widely communicated throughout the museum
and ensure that it is understood as a priority by staff, visitors and stakeholders.
Ensure that there is a dedicated person in senior management responsible for the
implementation of the vision and strategy.
Be actively involved in the development and implementation of local, regional and/or
national economic and social strategies.
Take responsibility for key actions in these strategies, contributing to some, leading onothers.
Have a mission statement and written strategy, setting out a vision for the future of
the institution and recognising its role in local development.

 Maintain preservation, conservation and research as core tasks
Have a written mission statement and collections documents (e.g., collections
management policy, collections plan, etc.) clear enough to guide collections andstewardship decisions. The corresponding programme should also include strategicplanning of preventive conservation.
Organise ongoing training of its administrative and technical staff concerning
conservation and a system of updating information in its archives.
Be in close contact with various departmental units of the local government to makesure that its public, visitors, collections and other sources (such as the associated data)
are protected against natural and human-made disasters by making sure that its
disaster risk management plan is in effect, tested, updated and actively used.
Be vigilant about its intellectual property rights.

 Partner with other relevant organisations to increase impact
Establish or be a partner in dialogue with other organisations at the local level andshare its own strategy regularly.
Establish structures such as research groups to facilitate dialogue and decision-making
involving staff, visitors and users.
Encourage partnerships with the third sector.

90 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

Encourage long-term and sustainable partnerships.
Belong to and support local, regional and national networks and international museum
organisations (e.g. ICOM).
Belong to and support local networks of cultural and non-cultural institutions.
Identify products and costs that can be shared either with other museums, cultural or
non-cultural institutions.

CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD\ICOM 201991

Other practical toolkits
and guides‒

Arts for Health and Well-being, An Evaluation Framework
www.ae-sop.org/resources‒ Education Toolkit, Arja van Veldhuizen, October 2017 made possible by
the LCM, the Erfgoedhuis Zuid-Holland and ICOM-CECA
http://network.icom.museum‒

Learning and Learning Spaces in Museums
http://online.ibc.regione.emilia-romagna.it‒

Measuring the Economic Benefits of Arts and Culture, Practical
Guidance on Research Methodologies for Arts and Cultural
Organisations, Arts Council England, 2012‒

Museum and Creative Industries Toolkit
www.nimc.co.uk‒

Measuring Museum Impacts
http://online.ibc.regione.emilia-romagna.it‒

Measuring Socially Engaged Practices: A toolkit for museums
Museums Association (MA), United Kingdom,
www.museumsassociation.org‒

Museos e Industrias Creativas
https://evemuseografia.com‒

Open Up Museums
www.openupmuseums.com‒ Sustainability and museums, Your chance to make a difference,
Museums Association (MA), United Kingdom
www.museumsassociation.org‒

UCL Museum Well-being Measures Toolkit
www.ucl.ac.uk

92 CULTURE AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMISING THE IMPACT © OECD/ICOM 2019

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