Webinar | Coronavirus (COVID-19) and museums: impact, innovations and planning for post-crisis

9 April 2020

This webinar, co-organized by the OECD and ICOM, gathered representatives of the museum community, local and national governments to review:

- The short and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on museums
- The innovative solutions put in place by museums across countries
- The policy supports put in place by national and local governments to alleviate the short and long-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis on museums and their broader ecosystems.

Agenda

Date: April 10. Time: 14:00 – 15:30 (Paris time, GMT +1)

Along with the tourism industry, cultural and creative sectors are among the most affected by the current coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis.

The current crisis is particularly critical for cultural and creative sectors due to the sudden and massive loss of revenue opportunities, especially for the more fragile players. Some actors benefit from public support (e.g. public museums, libraries, theatres) but may experience significant budget shortfalls. The sector includes major multinational companies with sustainable revenues (e.g. Netflix), but many small companies and freelance professionals essential for the sector could face bankruptcy. This crisis creates a structural threat to the survival of many firms and workers in cultural and creative production.

Today, more than ever, the importance of culture and creativity for society is clear. The availability of cultural content contributes to mental health and well-being, and many cultural institutions have provided online and free content in recent weeks for that purpose. Sustainable business models during and after the initial crisis are imperative for the sector’s survival. Leaving behind the more fragile part of the sector could cause irreparable economic and social damage. The current challenge is to design public supports that alleviate the negative impacts in the short term and help identify new opportunities in the medium term for different public, private and non-profit actors engaged in cultural and creative production.

This webinar, co-organized by the OECD gathered representatives of the museum community, local and national governments to review:

  • The short and long-term impacts of the current crisis on museums
  • The innovative solutions put in place by museums across countries
  • The policy supports put in place by national and local governments to alleviate the short and long-term effects of the crisis on museums and their broader ecosystems. What is still needed?

SPEAKERS

  • Mattia AGNETTI Executive Secretary, Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia (MUVE), Italy
  • Natalie BONDIL Director General & Chief Curator, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Canada
  • Inkyung CHANG  Founding Director, Iron Museum, Republic of Korea
  • John DAVIES Economic Research Fellow, Creative Economy & Data Analytics, nesta
  • Peter KELLER Director General, ICOM
  • Antonio LAMPIS Director General of Museums, Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Tourism (MIBACT)
  • Joan ROCA Director of MUHBA (Barcelona History Museum), Spain
  • Ekaterina TRAVKINA Co-ordinator – Culture, Creative Industries and Local Development, OECD