Participatory design and co-creativity in cultural institutions

There has been a significant adoption of new communication technologies by museums in recent years. Social media for self-publication, image sharing or online video may provide solutions for museums wishing to interact with communities and audiences in more creative and lasting ways. When social media are incorporated within communication strategies, they enable audiences and communities of interest to interact more directly with the museum, its knowledge bases and collections, and the information and issues which surround them. However, little research exists to demonstrate how such media can be sustained within the museum, whether such initiatives are a valid response to the ongoing challenge of audience connection, and what issues are raised within the institution by a more participatory approach to cultural communication. This paper present initial results from a pilot initiative conducted by the Australian Museum and Queensland University of Technology, in which the Museum’s staff is trained in team-based digital content creation.