While museums increasingly adopt the language of social justice and go so far as to claim they are adopting a rights-based approach for social change, the fact is that change is something with which not all museums are comfortable. Lynch argues that such claims in support of social change must be interrogated for the extent to which museums enable those whose lives are affected the most by inequality, prejudice and social injustice, to articulate their priorities – and to make change happen.
Based on her extensive research into the impact of public engagement in theory and practice in museums, Lynch argues that it is important now to differentiate between the museum’s activist image (for example, an exhibition on refugees or climate change) and its efforts to support others in developing their own activism. When the museum promotes activism for change, Lynch notes that there is a need to differentiate between what is performative and what is operational activism in the museum.
Lynch looks at activist museum practice internationally, aimed at increasing the agency of local people. This includes communities that have faced long-term discrimination and consequently harbour a great deal of mistrust towards institutions, including museums, finding museums to be poor partners in social change. As one community activist stated, ‘I want to do stuff that is more radical than museums can handle.’
Examining the elements of successful, activist practice in some museums, Lynch provocatively asks, ‘If these museums can do it, why not others? Does there continue to be an underestimation of the role museums could play in society?’
An academic and museum professional with twenty-five years’ experience in senior management in the UK and Canadian museums. Formerly Deputy Director at the Manchester Museum at the University of Manchester, she has developed an international reputation for leading ethical, innovative participatory practice. In her research and consultancy work she specialises in public engagement and participation with diverse communities and in leading museum transformation and change, publishing widely on all aspects of participatory democracy in museums. Her recent work has been very influential in raising debate on the impact of public engagement in museums. She has extensive experience in leading participatory action research with museums across the UK. She is frequently asked to lecture, advise, teach museum studies and mentor museum professionals internationally. She is Honorary Research Associate at University College London (UCL) where her ongoing research relates to decolonisation, power, democracy, dialogue, debate, engaging with conflict, contested collections and difficult subject matter and organisational change in the museum.