Fifteenth International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

Museum outreach and programming are often focused on school field trips, camps, public events, and celebrations. Due to the pandemic, most of these are on hold or severely hindered by the social limitations in place. In this paper, we examine new ways that museums are conducting outreach and developing programming based on semi-structured interviews with museum staff and participating in museums’ digital outreach events to observe trends. We then analyze how differences in funding, public interaction, and digital media use might impact museums’ abilities to maintain or develop engagement. Our findings convey a broader picture of museums’ abilities to adapt. Using this information, we suggest ways that museums can make their outreach and programming more accessible and inclusive both during and after the pandemic.