"What kind of challenges do institutions face in the context of reduced visitor numbers and a reduction in business opportunities?"

"What kind of challenges do institutions face in the context of reduced visitor numbers and a reduction in business opportunities? While our discussions clearly recognise that this moment is an opportunity for museums, it remains a massive financial challenge. The potential of increased state Funding resulting from the emergency will allow us to have a slightly different model of success and production, slower and less driven by the numbers coming through the door and activities that generate partnership funding and philanthropic support."

Sarah Glennie, CIMAM Board Member, Director, National College of Art and Design, Dublin, and moderator at CIMAM's Rapid Response Webinar #6: How Should Museums be Defining 'Success’ in a Time of COVID?

How Should Museums be Defining 'Success’ in a Time of COVID?

As we are now more than half a year into living with the global pandemic CIMAM would like to invite its members into an open peer to peer reflection on what we have collectively learnt in the Museum sector, what the future looks like, and the nature of contemporary art museums that will emerge out of this.

Recent surveys by museum associations in Europe and United States show that the future viability of many museums is under threat as a result of the pandemic and economic crisis. Museums have reported fundamental changes in their audiences, programmes and income sources which will require radical new solutions. Should museums “adopt” to a new reality by simply downsizing to a smaller scale and less ambitious programming or should they develop new models and metrics for ‘success’ which are appropriate to our current context? Which of the institutional practices that have been already tested during last months might stay with us beyond the current pandemic and what potentials can be found for new forms of engagement with audience and artists?

Rapid Response Webinars

The CIMAM board has designed a program of Rapid Response Webinars that will allow CIMAM members to continue discussing the most urgent concerns and questions affecting the modern and contemporary art museum community at this time. This initiative responds to CIMAM’s spirit and commitment to be a platform for global discussion, a space for sharing and connecting, for learning and encouraging cooperation.

Rapid Response Webinars are held every last Thursday of the month moderated by board members at different time zones and guests. They aim to provide short capsules on urgent concerns for the profession throughout the year. Rapid Response Webinars are free of cost and accessible only for CIMAM members. Sessions are recorded and posted at the Members Only section of the CIMAM website for those who missed the time.

Calendar of Webinars

• 26 November 2020 with Mami Kataoka and Eugene Tan.

Watch Rapid Response Webinars

Did you miss it? Watch the webinar at CIMAM's only member section.