2024 Conference
SCHEDULE
Protests in Museums, an Age-Old Problem!
9 – 9:30 a.m.
| Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024 at The BroadICOM’s definition of a museum includes a need to serve society, contribute to its development, be open to the public, and encourage visitors to engage with our collections and exhibitions. This presentation will explore the conundrum experienced by museums when our culture of openness and inclusion is exploited by activists. The talk will seek to shed light of the current threat facing museums, especially from climate activists. It will then compare the current risk to similar historical threats, with particular reference to the actions and destruction of art by the Suffragette movement in the United Kingdom a hundred years ago! The presenters will explore the complex balancing act required to safeguard our collections whilst continuing to give access and facilitate freedom of speech and expression for all. They will suggest that we can better prepare for the future by looking back and learning from the past!
