Thirteenth International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

The debate on the social role of the museums as change agents reached the peak this autumn when the vote on a new definition of what a museum is was postponed at the ICOM General Conference in Kyoto. Global pressure seems to be met with hesitation in Latvia. Museums experience increasing numbers of visitors despite overall decrease of population, reaching one of the highest numbers in European Union. Museums focus on state supported activities for students (83%), families with children (53%) and local citizen (52%). Despite national strategic priority to provide accessibility and social inclusion for children, youth, ethnic minorities and seniors, only 12% of 115 state accredited museums admit working for or with people with disabilities, 10% - with and for the largest ethnic minority group, 9% - with diasporas. LGBT community is identified as socially excluded or “invisible” in Latvia and has stayed as such: latest integration policy has identified Roma community, persons with the need for international protection and “newcomers” with noticeable visual or cultural appearance as the highest social exclusion risk groups. Survey indicates that social function does not reach TOP10 in overall ranking of functions. Transformation of museums into agents of change happen when social role is not seen as a separate, additional and atypical function, but part of museum’s mission serving as a litmus paper within all activities of traditional museum functions.