Northern Ireland Museums Council Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums

2009 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 01

1. Introduction

Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, 1 The Museums Association drew up this definition of a learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, museum in 1998. safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens which they hold in trust for society. 2 Chartered Institute of Marketing: Marketing and the 7 Ps www.cim.co.uk/ This definition1 establishes the basis of the unique relationship between dwnldr/517952 museums and their visitors. In it the duties of care and facilitating access to 3 The Accreditation Scheme the common heritage are set alongside the fundamental rationale as to why recognises museums that meet the UK standard for people value and use museums. For this relationship to operate meaningfully museums and galleries. and effectively, it is necessary for each side to have a degree of knowledge This scheme was first launched in 1988, under one about the other; from which a mutual understanding of the aspirations, the title of the Registration requirements, constrictions and capacities of the other may emerge. As Scheme. It was revised in 1995 and again in 2004. generally understood, marketing is a means of enhancing this exchange The Museums Libraries and process to the point of satisfying (if not exceeding) the needs and expectations Archives Council is responsible for maintaining the standard of both the individual visitor and the institution. across the UK, while NIMC is the assessing organisation for local museums seeking While defining marketing as a “process responsible for identifying, anticipating recognition through meeting and satisfying customer requirements profitably”, the Chartered Institute of the standard. Marketing pragmatically points to the constant shift in how the discipline is defined. It nevertheless continues to advocate the traditional marketing mix comprising the 7 Ps – Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, and Physical Evidence.2 A similar breakdown of the mix has been adopted in this report.

Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC) believes that the full potential of museums to contribute to the marketing process has yet to be unlocked. This report puts forward a series of recommendations aimed at enhancing museum marketing practice in order to further meet the needs and expectations of individuals, communities and funders, and in so doing strengthen the sector’s contribution to social, cultural and economic well-being.

2. A Profile of Museums in Northern Ireland

NIMC has identified nearly 300 organisations in Northern Ireland which in one way or another play a significant role in preserving and interpreting our heritage. It is estimated that at least a third of these bodies maintain a Front cover collection. Amongst these are 38 institutions that meet the definition Livingstone Radio Collection Craigavon Museum Service given above and which are recognised under the Accreditation Scheme for museums.3 Of these:

_ 19 are run by local authorities _ 15 operate as independent or voluntary museums _ 4 come under the National Museums of Northern Ireland (NMNI)

Copyright © Northern Ireland Museums Council 3. Objectives and Methodology 02 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 03

While NIMC’s remit is centred upon Northern Ireland’s local museums (ie the non-national museums) it does, of necessity, provide guidance and assistance to a broad range of heritage organisations. The focus of this study is therefore upon the marketing activity, capacity, potential and objectives within the 38 Accredited museums, with the recommendations geared primarily towards the local museums and NIMC itself. However, it is likely that considerable benefits could accrue through extending the findings of this study to heritage bodies more generally.

...enhancing the quality of service and range of experiences for museum visitors and improve the communication between museums and users

3. Objectives and Methodology

The objectives of this report are; _ to quantify the range and scale of marketing activity across the museum sector in Northern Ireland. _ to assess the merits and weaknesses of current activity. _ to put forward a series of recommendations to form the basis of a strategy aimed at increasing the number of museum visitors and users, enhancing the quality of service and range of experiences for museum visitors and improve the communication between museums and users.

The methodology adopted includes: _ desk research; drawing upon various sources of primary research as well as similar studies undertaken by other bodies. _ a survey of museums’ activities. _ discussions with other stakeholders.

While a team drawn from within NIMC undertook the research and the compilation of the report, its task was made so much easier through being able to draw upon the considerable expertise of an Advisory Group, comprising; Ian Hill (NIMC Board), Paddy Gilmore (National Museums Northern Ireland), Maurica Lavery (National Trust), Rosemary Lightbody (Northern Ireland Tourist Board), Sarah McHugh (Fermanagh County Museum) and Mary Trainor (Arts and Business, Northern Ireland). 4. Context 04 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 05

4. Context

The Northern Ireland Museums Council was established in 1993, 4 Copies of all NIMC research 5 Building a Better Future – since when it has supported local museums in Northern Ireland publications are available Northern Ireland Museum Council Northern Ireland Executive’s through the Council’s website; Programme for Government in maintaining and improving their standards of collections care www.nimc.co.uk supports local museums in 2008-11, p6 and their services to the public. 6 DCAL Corporate Plan 2008-11, maintaining and improving their p4-11 It is also charged with improving the standing of museums and promoting standards of collections care and a coherent framework for museum development. The Council pursues these objectives by providing advice and information, administering the Accreditation their services to the public scheme, providing training for those working in the sector, and allocating grant aid to museums. Such activities are underpinned by a sound intelligence base, which is maintained through an ongoing programme of research. NIMC is funded by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) and is one of its Arm’s Length Bodies, as is the National Museums of Northern Ireland. At the end of 2007 NIMC published Mapping Trends in Northern Ireland’s Such funding is predicated upon the Council (and by extension the museums Museums and the Survey of Museum Collections in Northern Ireland. which it grant aids) aligning its activity with Government’s priorities as expressed The latter included a detailed examination of museum collections and in the Northern Ireland Executive’s current Programme for Government and the established benchmarks in fi ve areas of collections management across Department’s Corporate Plan. the 38 museums. The former replicated an exercise fi rst carried out in 2001-02 and looked at the governance and operational aspects of Northern The Executive’s emphasis upon health, education and the economy Ireland’s museums, including marketing and audience development. 4 is expressed in the following statement:

Current projects include an examination of the education and learning provision “Building a stronger economy requires a healthy, well-educated population, high across the sector, a review of the museum capital infrastructure, and a survey quality public services, a commitment to use prosperity to tackle disadvantage of staffi ng in museums. This report will complete the suite of current research and a tolerant, inclusive and stable society if we are to attract the investment and projects, none of which stand in isolation. Indeed, many of the recommendations skills needed to promote growth. It is also imperative that economic growth and contained in this report are dependent upon activity in other areas of museum wealth creation are taken forward in a manner which is fair and sustainable if we operations. So, for instance, better collections management is a prerequisite are to meet the needs of today, as well as those of future generations.” 5 to enhanced public access, knowing the needs and demands of visitors directly affects the type of buildings and services (education and otherwise) provided, all In pursuing its ‘mission’, ‘to protect, nurture and grow Northern Ireland’s cultural of which in turn inform museums as to the vocabulary of skills they must develop capital by providing strategic leadership and resources for the promotion and amongst their staff. sustainable development of the culture, arts and leisure sectors’, DCAL identifi es its strategic priorities as – growing a dynamic, innovative economy; promoting tolerance, health and well-being; investing to build our infrastructure; deliver modern high quality and effi cient public services.6

Museums’ contribution to such priorities is centred upon the collection, protection and interpretation of heritage assets. In so doing, they (in terms of being both ‘neutral’ venues and as collections’ holders) may be used as a learning resource, as well as a source of inspiration and entertainment. They deliver notable educational benefi ts (as revealed by the NIMC study – Learning within Northern Ireland’s Museums) and are an essential reference point for, for instance, developing understanding and tolerance, revealing local identity, inspiring the creative industries and contributing to the core curriculum. Obviously the impacts that museums have across all of these areas could be enhanced if such benefi ts were more widely broadcast and if there was greater engagement with museums’ activities. In essence, this is what this study is about. Left

Survey of Museum Collections in Northern Ireland 2007, and Mapping Trends in Northern Ireland’s Museums 2007. 4. Context 06 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 07

But the sector also makes a proven contribution to the local economy 7 – as a 7 See: Pricewaterhousecoopers 2003 study The Economic direct and indirect employer, through direct spend on consumables and services, Impact of the Museum Sector 600, 000 Table I: but particularly as a catalyst for expenditure by museum visitors and users. in Northern Ireland available at www.nimc.co.uk/crossfire/ 2008 visitor levels at the Local Museums’ contribution to the Northern Ireland tourism industry, for both local files/page_8/2_file.pdf and Independent Museums of Northern Ireland and ‘out of state’ visitors is substantial. 8 As section 6.4.2 reveals, museums – 8 In an internal paper updating 500, 000 especially the local museums – have seen dramatic rises in attendance in recent the Pricewaterhousecoopers years, probably due in no small part to the general rise in tourism consequent to study NIMC found: “The 2004 NITB Survey of Visitor Northern Ireland’s more stable and peaceful state. Attractions indicates that 400, 000 museums attracted an 8% share of visitors (compared The Northern Ireland Executive has set challenging targets for tourism over the with 9% in previous years) and next two years.9 It has done so against a falling global economy which, in the that 22% of those who visited 300, 000 museums were ‘out-of-state’ medium term, will directly affect local conditions and activity. Acknowledging visitors. It may be deduced the economic outlook, Paul O’Toole, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, has that ‘out-of-state’ museum visitors spent approximately said, ‘[this] places an even greater onus on us to ensure that our marketing £37.8 million during their time 200, 000 communications are dynamic, innovative and flexible in the circumstances.’10 in N. Ireland during 2004, compared with £24.2 million In a similar vein the Northern Ireland Tourist Board has indicated that, faced in 2001.” with the circumstances consequent to the economic downturn, it will be 100, 000 118,000 180,000 241,000 226,239 215,216 250,194 248,665 342,177 350,026 392,575 381,679 399,016 392,857 428,984 439,490 9 See NITB and Tourism Ireland focusing on: the further development of its five Signature Projects; developing 2009 Marketing Plans – to products across all parts of Northern Ireland; developing the potential of the attract 2.5 million visitors and increase tourism revenue to domestic and Republic of Ireland markets; visitor information, research and 0 £520 million by 2011. 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 intelligence; and industry development. In the current economic climate the 10 ‘Dynamism and flexibility key museum sector too might benefit from developing initiatives aimed at building for a difficult 2009’ – Contact visitor and user numbers as a means of consolidating the sustainability of (Tourism Ireland newsletter) the sector. Such matters are thought to be of particular importance to the Nov. 2008. independent and voluntary run museums as they rely more heavily upon income from visitors to meet their outgoings than, for example, the majority 2008 visitor levels at the Local of the National or local authority-run museums. and Independent Museums of

The latter both face significant changes to their governance and operating Northern Ireland positions over the next three to five years as the recommendations of the Review of Public Administration (RPA) are implemented. These include the transfer of one of the four national museums, the Armagh County Museum, into the control of the new council for that area. The other three national museums – Ulster Museum in Belfast, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in North Down and the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh – will not be directly affected by the RPA changes.

Local Museums have seen dramatic rises in attendance in recent years, probably due in no small part to the general rise in tourism consequent to Northern Ireland’s more stable and peaceful state.

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Interactive exhibition at the Braid, Mid-Antrim Museum 4. Context 08 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 09

Currently 16 of the 26 local councils directly operate at least one Accredited At the moment NIMC is in discussions with eight other museums that are seeking 11 www.niassembly.gov.uk/ culture/2007mandate/reports/ museum. Under the RPA the number of councils will be reduced to 11. On the Accredited status: one is run by the local council, the others by independent report07_08_09r.htm basis of the existing boundaries and the current location of museums, the future organisations. The number of Accredited local museums is set to increase, Belfast and the Mid-Tyrone councils will not have an extant museum in their particularly within the voluntary sector. areas. The other nine councils will have between 1 and 4 of the current local authority-run museums in their areas.

At present, the 15 Accredited voluntary or independently-run museum are spread There is the possibility of building across 8 of the 26 council areas. Upon closer scrutiny this breaks down further a ‘museum service’ in each area, – 3 councils have one such museum in their area, four have two museums and one council (Belfast) currently has 3 voluntary or independently-run museums which could provide a critical mass in its area. After the implementation of the changes to the local councils, a from which a more enhanced ‘offer’ greater proportion of the new councils will have this type of museum within their boundaries, leaving 4 of the 11 councils without a voluntary or independently-run could be made in terms of tourism, museum within their area. Indeed the outcome of the RPA will see one council education and learning, and have one such museum, 5 of the new councils will have 2, with Belfast retaining the three which are within its current area. local identity

The location of the Accredited museums within the new Council boundaries, as described above, is mapped out on the diagram below. Post RPA all of the local council areas will contain a number of museums, in contrast to the current position. This offers the possibility of building a ‘museum service’ in each area, in which a conglomeration of museums could Location of Museums provide a critical mass from which a more enhanced ‘offer’ could be made Post rPA in terms of tourism, education and learning, and local identity. This could be strengthened through a partnership comprising all parts of the museum sector – council-run museums, the independent and voluntary organisations and the national museums. A key to ensuring that any partnership of this kind was Volunteer/ successful would be to make sure that the whole and the constituent parts Independent Museums were appropriately marketed and promoted. The outcome could be museums’ Council Museums enhanced capacity to play a more effective role in the cultural, social and economic development locally. National Museums A similar aspiration has been brought forward by the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly, through its recent inquiry into the development of a museum policy for Northern Ireland. 11 While it may be argued that all 28 recommendations contained within the Committee’s fi nal report can relate to the various aspects of the marketing mix detailed in the next section, the value of museums to the tourism agenda is stressed in the eighth recommendation, which reads;

We recommend that the museums policy addresses how the links between museums and tourism can be strengthened and taken forward at a departmental level. DCAL should establish formal links with DETI to do so. 4. Context 10 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 11

With the fi fteenth recommendation underpinning the need for a strong In 2000 the Heritage Lottery Fund commissioned PLB Consulting to examine 12 See: www.hlf.org.uk/ howtoapply/furtherresources visionary policy relevant to the wider community: how heritage organisations, particularly smaller ones, might engage with /documents/thinking_about_ new audiences. Developing New Audiences for Heritage looked at audience audience_development.pdf We recommend that the museums policy sets out a strong vision development, barriers to participation and how these might be addressed, of the role which museums can play in our society going forward. and what steps might be taken to encourage greater participation in heritage The policy must be clear about what museums do and who they activities. It highlighted the absence of a clear, strategic infrastructure in support are for, including both the needs of the local communities in of the heritage sector as asignifi cant weakness and pointed to identifi able barriers which they are situated and the needs of tourists. to visitor participation.

The Museum Policy is being developed by the Department of Culture, Arts These included: and Leisure, in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Museums Council and _ User perception, particularly on the relevance of participation the National Museums Northern Ireland, and it is anticipated that this report _ Lack of specifi c facilities will contribute to building a robust and pragmatic marketing and audience _ Lack of information and awareness development strategy for the sector in support of the Museum Policy. _ Poor physical access to the resource _ Lack of physical access at the resource Such a strategy will need to take account of current thinking on the development _ Limited intellectual access of a new tourism strategy, being headed up by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. _ The cost of participation In its associated working paper an ambitious target of doubling the income _ Management ethos earned through tourism over the next ten years has been set. The strategy proposes two themes – ‘telling our stories’ and ‘transforming the experience’. Other barriers concerning voluntary work and involvement with governance Museums, quite obviously, will play an important role in the former, but will require were also examined. In pursuit of developing audiences a series of ‘golden investment to meet the aspiration of the latter, as this report will demonstrate. rules’ were put forward which advocated the importance of training, having a sound knowledge about participants, maximising physical and intellectual access, actively engaging with potential, new audiences, ensuring that cost was not a barrier, and providing targeted information in various formats. These aspects were again addressed by HLF in February 2009 in its paper Thinking about... Audience Development. 12 As will be seen, all of these concerns are mirrored in this study on marketing in Northern Ireland’s museums.

Developing New Audiences for Heritage looked at audience development, barriers to participation and how these might be addressed, and what steps might be taken to encourage greater participation in heritage activities

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Derry-Londonderry and remembering the Plantation of Ulster, Remembering 400 years 5. Marketing and Northern Ireland’s Museums – The information base 12 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 13 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position

5. Marketing and Northern Ireland’s Museums 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Information Base – the Current Position

Over the last ten years various studies, reviews and surveys Drawing upon the sources cited above, a profile of marketing activity within the have been carried out on marketing within Northern Ireland’s sector can be established. This is presented under six headings – Policy, Place, museum sector, from which a general overview of such activity Product, Price, People and Promotion – as a nod of acknowledgement of the in the sector may be discerned. principle divisions in traditional marketing theory.

Particularly useful in this regard is the primary research undertaken within two academic studies – Eva McAteer: A Strategic Investigation of Marketing Practices of the Registered Museums in Northern Ireland, and Mary Blake: Study of the Marketing Practices of Registered Museums in Northern Ireland, both of which were presented as MA dissertations to the University of Ulster in 2004.

Baseline material, together with trends and changes within the sector can be Place ascertained from NIMC’s Mapping Trends in Northern Ireland’s Museums, 2002 and Mapping Trends in Northern Ireland’s Museums, 2007, and with valuable material within the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency’s: Museums: NI Omnibus Survey (2002) and Research and Evaluation Services’ Museums Survey, 2004. Policy Promotion In 2008, NIMC undertook a detailed analysis of the learning resources, capacity and activity across the sector. This included an examination of how these services were promoted. The results have informed this study. Similarly, the National Museums Northern Ireland completed a comprehensive ‘user and attitudes’ survey in 2008, the results of which have proved equally informative. Marketing Activity While many local museums undertake analogous research at their sites, current within Northern Ireland’s capacity and resources do not allow such work to be done evenly across the Museum Sector sector, and what work is undertaken is discrete and thus varied in its form, frequency, depth and focus. Herein lies a critical issue, the need to ensure greater consistency in visitor intelligence in order to construct a solid base for building and refining future museum marketing activity. Product People

The critical issue is the need to ensure greater consistency in visitor intelligence in order to construct a Price solid base for building and refining future museum marketing activity 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 14 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 15

‘North Down Museum Service will champion the natural and built heritage 13 http://www.craigavonmuseum. 6.1 Policy com/services/mission/index.shtml of the Borough; it will record, reflect and promote the ‘story’ of North 14 http://www.northdown.gov.uk/ All museums now declare a clear sense of purpose expressed Down for the benefit of the present and future generations, as well as 14 heritage/ through mission statements, strategic plans, statute or the Borough’s cultural tourists.’ 15 http://www.magni.org.uk/ company/trust memorandum. However, some museums document_library/National_ are without a specific marketing strategy. ‘To connect the collections, knowledge and public spaces of National Museums_Northern_Ireland_ Museums Northern Ireland with the widest possible audience to inform Corporate_Strategy_2006-09.pdf

Among local museums Blake (2004) and NIMC (2002) concur on the proportion and inspire their understanding of the past, the present and the future 16 Newry and Mourne Museum of local authority museums (12 out of 19) and independent museums (8 out of people, culture, places, and of the natural environment here and Forward Plan 2007-2012. p3. 15 of 16) that are without such a strategy. The later NIMC survey (2007) registers across the world’ a notable change in this regard with only two local authority museums and 2 independent museums declaring that their position remained unchanged. ‘As a Newry and Mourne District Council service, Newry and Mourne Museum is committed to providing a high-quality, dynamic and inclusive This would suggest that ‘marketing’ is being integrated into museums’ planning educational and recreational resource. As the area’s collective memory processes more and more. While the later sections of this report reveal how bank, the museum will collect, preserve and interpret the diverse material this has been translated into action on the ground, this enhanced awareness and cultural heritage of Newry and Mourne in order to cultivate and at a corporate level can be seen in the strategic plans and headline mission promote pride, understanding and enjoyment of local cultures and 16 statements of many museums. traditions to the present day.’

A sampling of these documents suggests a shift in the manner in which This conscious shift in intent is the essential prerequisite to developing museums express their raison d’etre. While the ‘product-centred’ form tended an active marketing strategy, the success of which is bolstered by to be universal a few years ago, increasingly museums are shifting to more addressing the physical, intellectual and economic barriers perceived by ‘user-orientated’ mission statements. This change may be illustrated by the users; improving visitor services and developing the exhibition and events following four statements: programme in light of visitor needs and aspirations, and having a clarity in communication. Each is considered in the sections that follow. ‘The objectives of the Craigavon Museum are to collect, conserve, interpret and exhibit those artefacts which illustrate the history and local heritage of the Craigavon area and the Lough Neagh Basin. Craigavon Museum will be a museum which reflects the history of the Area. Particular attention will be paid to social, economic and artistic history and to the themes of the Plantation of Ulster and the position of the area as the centre of road, rail, water and telecommunications.’ 13

Left Newry & Mourne Museum, Glass Floor Gallery

Left North Down Museum 2007 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 16 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 17

6.2 Place

This section is concerned with museum buildings and infrastructure and the steps taken to improve physical access for visitors. It touches on museums’ role in sustaining that sense of local identity as defined by geography, interest and/or experience.

6.2.1 Capital Infrastructure

The first decade of the twenty-first century will be noted as a time of unprecedented investment in the museum infrastructure of Northern Ireland, with just over half of the 38 Accredited museums being redeveloped to a greater or lesser extent. An indication of the scale and range of the investment being made may be gained from the following table which details the major capital programmes recently completed, underway or planned at the end of 2008.

Project Estimated cost/allocation Table I: Capital Development in Northern Ireland’s museums Armagh Public Library – Vicar’s Hill £382,000 Source: NIMC 2008 Ballymena Museum £12,940,000 Ballymoney Museum £688,500 Carrickfergus Museum £900,000 Coleraine Museum £2,500,000 Craigavon Museum £125,000 Down County Museum £1,440,000 Fermanagh County Museum and £600,000 Inniskillings Museum Larne Museum £670,000 Newry and Mourne Museum – Bagenal’s Castle £2,300,000 Sentry Hill House £600,000 Tower Museum £2,790,000 National Museums Northern Ireland – Ulster Museum £14,886,000

Total £40,821,500

...sustaining that sense of local Above The new refurbished identity as defined by geography, Ulster Museum Ulster Museum interest and/or experience Left Interior of Carrickfergus Musuem 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 18 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 19

In addition, the development of the Police Museum is being considered, building and refurbishment work is planned at three of the National Trust properties in the near future, and discussions are underway concerning the relocation of some of the Regimental museums. The table also excludes the Access Initiative run by NIMC (albeit relatively small), through which grant aid has been made available to the Somme Heritage Centre and the Downpatrick Railway Museum to improve the physical access of their buildings. Neither does it include the upgrading of exhibitions and displays, which range from the installation of new architectural outdoor exhibits at two of the National Museums Northern Ireland sites, to the refreshment of permanent displays at some of the smaller museums.

A number of factors have triggered investment at this time. Foremost is money from the Heritage Lottery Fund (set up in 1994), and more recently, the emergence of a capital line within the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure which has been fundmental in allowing the refurbishment of the Ulster Museum. The emergence of Northern Ireland from the ‘Troubles’ has allowed infrastructural deficits to be addressed with a greater sense of confidence, notably by the local councils. These principle funders – HLF, DCAL and the local councils – have each provided about a third of the total capital expenditure identified in Table 1.

However, it should be noted that the museums sector in Northern Ireland is relative immature, especially when compared with other parts of the UK: over 70% of museums being less than 35 years old. A case could be made for the recent injection of resources being but part of the generic cycle of development previously seen in other parts of the UK and Ireland, and further afield.

Until recently it was rare for museums to move into a purpose-built building when they were first set up, either because of cost restrictions, or perhaps that the occupied building was seen as an integral part of the preservation aims of the governing body, or indeed that placing the museum in an extant (usually old) building allowed a ‘testing’ of the concept before full commitment. Mapping Trends (NIMC 2002) revealed that over half (55%) of all museums in Northern Ireland were housed in listed buildings; highlighting an important, but under- recognised role of museums as custodians of the built heritage. By 2007 this figure had risen to 68% as Newry Museum moved to occupy a listed building; the ’listing’ designation changed at one museum and with the inclusion of two museum buildings which had been omitted from the 2002 survey.

There are particular challenges associated with running a museum in an older building – notably enhanced difficulties regarding physical access for users, possibly higher maintenance costs, as well as architectural and aesthetic considerations regarding the installation of services, displays and storage facilities. Not addressing such issues, particularly as they impact on physical Above access for visitors, is no longer an option now that the Disability Discrimination 55% of all museums in Ballymoney Town Hall Act 1995 (particularly Part III regarding access to public services) is in force. Northern Ireland are While the need to comply with legislative requirements (on which count the housed in listed buildings intent and requirements of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1995 should be placed alongside the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) is a driving force to developing the museum infrastructure, the advent of the Heritage Lottery Fund as a source of capital funding smoothed the way to compliance. 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 20 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 21

Mapping Trends (NIMC 2007) also uncovered that while a third of museums 6.2.3 Signage had undertaken an audit to the physical barriers to access in 2001, all museums had done so by the end of 2006. This shift was due to NIMC commissioning Signage plays a notable role in raising awareness and in facilitating visits. Adapt NI to undertake an audit of all museums in 2003, with the resulting reports The most recent survey of museums (NIMC 2007) revealed that six museums allowing museums to identify and move to address deficiencies. (9 in 2002) did not have external signage on the building. Given that all six museums occupied listed buildings, it seems likely that aesthetic concerns Over the same period the number of fully accessible museums moved from 18 preclude such signage. to 19. Of the 19 that are not fully accessible, all but one occupy a listed building, and four of these are planning or undertaking capital works that will lead to All but six museums have stated that there is local directional signage in place. full access. Four museums currently do not have necessary ramped access However, the effectiveness of such signage, nor indeed the reasons why some (compared with 8 museums in 2001) and work to rectify this position at two museums are without it, can not be discerned from the available evidence. museums is underway. No information exists on the efficacy and efficiency of signage to museums While the availability of external resources and legislative compliance has (for instance, the form, placement, sequencing of signage at different distances stimulated many local authorities to invest in their museums, local pride and from the museum) and a separate piece of work is required to examine this area the tourism agenda have been equally influential, elements which are also in more detail. reflected in the ‘mission statements’ of such museums cited at 6.1 above.

6.2.2 Transport

Whereas the evidence implies that the sector is making steady progress in addressing the barriers to physical access at museums, it would appear that some visitors continue to experience difficulties in getting to and from museums. Of the 38 museums surveyed only five (all rurally situated) indicated that they were not immediately accessible by visitors relying on public transport. Anecdotal evidence from museum staff suggests that for visitors and non-users the issue was not the availability of such transport, so much as their adverse views on the frequency and desirability of what was available. In other words it is an issue of perception. This opinion would seem to have some basis given the RES (2004) survey finding that 9% of those surveyed, who had not visited a museum recently, cited ‘too far/poor transport’ as their reason for non-participation.

Within NIMC’s Learning Report, museums were asked how learning in museums Left Symbol for Museums could best be supported. The issue which received the second highest level of support was the funding of transport to facilitate further participation in museums learning programmes. Transport was identified as the All but one museum said that visitors could access car parking on-site or close by. The NIMC survey (2007) also found that coach parking was not available only second highest issue which needs at four museums. financal support to facilitate further participation in museums learning programmes 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 22 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 23

6.2.4 opening Hours The time of the year people are lost likely

There is little consistency amongst Northern Ireland’s museums as to what days to visit Northern Ireland is during the of the week or hours of the day they are open. The complexity of the situation months July-September is revealed by the following extract from Museum mapping (NIMC 2007);

Whether museums operate seasonally or all-year-round, all bar one (which 100 Table II: is only open on a Sunday) are open on weekdays. Of these seven are not Time of year most likely to 90 open to the public during the morning, although some of these are open consider a trip to N Ireland. by appointment or for education work in the morning. Five museums close 80 Museum Visitors at lunchtime. A high proportion (21%) of museums are not open on the 70 weekends. Of the 29 museums that open at weekends, 10 do not open on Museums Non-Visitors a Sunday. Those surveyed indicated that the opening hours of their museums 60 were particularly influenced by the human and financial resources available 50 44 and conditions of service for employees. 38 40 37

Since 2001 there has been little change in the proportion of museums which 30 19 operate seasonally as against those that are open all year round. Of the nine 20 17 16 seasonal venues; 10 10 9 10 6

_ Three are small Council-run museums open during the summer months 0 _ In the independent museum sector, the four National Trust houses are fully Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Dont’ know open for seven months over the summer period, and Flame – Gasworks Museum of Ireland is open for five months _ And one is a temporary exhibition space which is open only when a display People are most likely to visit is presented. a Museum at the weekend.

Cost, the conservation requirements of the collection, the perception of the museum being a ‘tourist attraction’, and the weather are cited as the basis Table III: for seasonal opening. Days of the week on which people are likely to visit a museum. Most museums open their doors between 9.30am and 11.00am in the morning, and close them between 4.00pm and 5.00pm in the afternoon. 100 Northern Ireland visitors None of the museums surveyed regularly open in the evenings, although 90 some indicated that they facilitated ‘out of hours’ use by groups and for Northern Ireland 80 special events. non-visitors 70 UK visitors The recent ‘User and Attitudes survey, undertaken by Millward Brown on behalf 60 54 of the National Museums Northern Ireland in 2008 throws further light on both 50 seasonal and daily opening, as can be seen in the following three tables. 46 40 38

30 23 21 21 20 20 11 11 10 7 7 7 5 6 7 2 4 3 3 3 4 0 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Right RIC Pocket watch Police Museum 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 24 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 25

...weekend opening for some museums In as much as museums can and do build ‘identity’ across various levels, from the individual to the local, from the collective to the ‘national’, such immediately springs to mind. diversity points to a ‘layering’ of potential marketing activity which will bring both challenges and rewards.

Table IV: As part of the Accreditation Standard scheme museums are required to Most likely time of arrival state their Acquisition and Disposal Policy, which includes a statement for a museum visit. 100 setting out the criteria governing future collecting, as defined by subject, theme, time period or geographical area. Without exception, the Council- 90 Northern Ireland visitors run museums define their collecting area by geography. So, for instance,

80 Northern Ireland non-visitors Ballymoney Museum’s policy states that it will “collect and preserve material evidence which illustrates the environment, history, heritage and way of life 70 UK visitors in the Borough of Ballymoney.” Such museums highlight identity as defined 60 by place, before interest or experience. 50 By contrast, the main concern of many independent museums may be 40 35 31 defined by an area of interest (Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, or, 30 24 24 25 Flame: The Gasworks Museum of Ireland), while others’ primary focus is 18 18 18 upon communities identified by their collective experience (the Police and 20 16 15 17 12 Regimental museums for example). 8 8 10 3 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 As might be expected, the remit of the National Museums Northern Ireland is broader. Its governing statute sets out the general responsibility of 10am 11am 12 noon 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm promoting an appreciation and awareness of the public of the heritage of Northern Ireland, specifically in relation to art, history, science, culture and ways of life, migration and settlement. By comparing data from the NMNI survey and that of NIMC (2007), it becomes 17 A salient piece of research on local identity was commissioned as evident that there is a certain degree of mismatch between the access hours part of the evidence base of the The National Trust museums too could be said to have an holistic role; being provided by museums and those most desired by visitors. There would Review of Public Administration. one where the collections, the houses in which they reside and the be merit in looking at the associated issues in detail; weekend opening for See: http://www.rpani.gov.uk/ surrounding landscape and gardens form an integrated whole, and local_identity_research_report.pdf some museums immediately springs to mind. where the interpretation and context of one of these elements is dependent upon the others.

6.2.5 Identity and Place Museums, it would appear, have a strong sense of their own identity and focus, their mission is relatively clear. But a question does arise – The social and political importance of the local identity agenda has gathered is there such clarity of understanding about museums, both individually momentum of late, particularly since the restitution of the Northern Ireland and collectively, amongst their visitors? And if not, how could this Assembly and the prospect of structural changes to the local government and be addressed? public service infrastructures through the Review of Public Administration.17 Add to this the recognition of the economic benefit of attracting tourists to particular locations on the promise of a ‘unique offer’ (such as the NITB Museums, it would appear, have a ‘signature projects’) and the significance of local identity rises to another level. strong sense of their own identity Museums contribute to local identity on various counts: by their very existence and focus, their mission is as landmark buildings and orientation points for visitors; as custodians of a collective memory; by the programmes of events and activities they present; relatively clear and as trustees of the heritage of various communities, be they identified by place, interest or experience. But beyond this contribution to collective identity, museums uniquely allow individuals to confront and consolidate their own relationship with such local identities. 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 26 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 27

6.3 Product

As revealed in the accepted definition, museums’ functions are centred on the collections they hold and the experiences they can generate.

It is this that distinguishes them from the other leisure, educational and recreational activities on offer; many of which compete with museums for the attention, time and cash of visitors.

Their capacity to use collections to enable a life-enriching experience is their unique product. That said, it may be argued that museums’ marketing focus should be upon those life-changing experiences first and foremost – many adults glowingly recall the residual feeling and experience of visits to museum in childhood, often without remembering the event or activity surrounding the visit. However, the life-changing experience does not come with every museum visit; but it may be catalysed through high quality events and activities, delivered to a high service standard.

6.3.1 The Museum Product Above Interacting with Silver Sounds at the While it may be a fine point, it can be argued that it is the Naughton Gallery, Queen’s University manner and means through which collections are interpreted and presented to visitors that is the ‘museum product’, rather than the objects per se.

After all, the primary interface with visitors is through the exhibitions, events and programmes presented in pursuit of the museum’s objectives. These, for the purposes of this report, may be termed the primary product, and includes the permanent collection displays (sometimes remaining unchanged over a long time) and temporary exhibitions (sometimes including artefacts on loan from other collections), as well as the means of interpretation – the tours, lectures, education workshops, publications, demonstrations, research facilities et al. that run alongside the objects on display. The primary product must also include other work which, while also rooted in the collections, takes place outside the museum – for instance, loan boxes, artefact on loan

Above to other institutions, outreach and educational work, virtual exhibitions, as well as the ever growing range of digitised resources (web sites, blogs, pod Members of Glenravel and Cullybackey Environmental Improvement Agencies learning about linen history at casts, artefact databases, bespoke pre-visit downloads, etc). the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 28 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 29

The secondary product range offered by museums is more generic, 6.3.2 Primary Product encompassing events and activities that are not dependent upon the collections and which could be organised by others or held elsewhere. Not surprisingly, all of Northern Ireland’s museums Within this category one might include readings, meetings, workshops present a programme of exhibitions. and demonstrations, where in hosting such events the museum is being exploited as a culturally compatible venue. As such this activity forms part Some museums by their nature and in line with their raison d’etre rarely of a museum’s overall public relations effort, through which it might enhance change what they exhibit, some present a rolling programme of exhibitions its income, increase visitor numbers and expose attendees to the benefits and events, while others offer a combination of permanent and temporary of museums without that being the primary motivation for their attendance. exhibitions. The capacity of museums to both generate and receive exhibitions or objects from other institutions depends upon their standards Undoubtedly, museum buildings and facilities in themselves also form of collections management, the scale of available exhibition spaces, part of the product offer, as exemplified by the National Trust properties curatorial capacity and, inevitably, money. mentioned above, or the exhibits at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, the Ulster-American Folk Park or Flame: The Gasworks Museum of Ireland. But increasingly museums are being used for receptions, weddings, dinners, conferences, corporate hospitality and the like. Such usage, while having obvious audience development or public relations benefits, is in all likelihood being driven by income generation. However, it is evident that using museums for such events is giving rise to tensions between the conservation and preservation needs of the collection (and indeed the building itself) and the pressing need to bring in the money necessary to maintain the collections and allow access to them. A balancing act is obviously required which can only be determined on a site by site basis.

Obviously clarity of understanding of what product is actually (or could be) on offer at which particular times at individual museums is a prerequisite to good asset management and can inform promotional and audience development activities. It may be beneficial, particularly for the smaller museums, to develop a process through which such insights become clear.

Increasingly museums are being used for receptions, weddings, dinners, conferences, corporate hospitality and the like. Such usage, while having obvious audience development or public relations benefits, is in all likelihood being driven by income generation

Above Interior of the War Memorial Building, Belfast 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 30 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 31

6.3.2.1 Collections Care and Management

In 2007 the Northern Ireland Museums Council published 18 The Institute of Conservation (ICON) defines collections its Survey of Museum Collections in Northern Ireland which management as being ‘about established the range and scale of the collections held. minimising long-term risk by understanding and controlling the way objects are stored, It also determined the significance of these collections and benchmarked transported and displayed to ensure collections have the 18 the standards of collections management. During the course of the best chance of survival into the survey various issues emerged, foremost amongst which were: difficulties future’. To this end museums concentrate upon five main in accessing appropriate conservation services; the storage of collections; areas – the environment in which documentation backlogs, the low level of research on collections and objects are kept and displayed, the conditions in which they are the degree to which collections have been digitised. The processes and stored, the general day to day perceptions around inter-museum loans was also highlighted an issue to care of collections, the security of artefacts and collection and be addressed. management of information about the objects held by the museum. Development Strategy that will become operational during 2009. In 2008 the Council piloted a grant scheme which allowed museums to ‘buy’ time or expertise for researching particular aspects of their collections. Given the success of the initiative in enhancing curatorial capacity, it is likely that this scheme will be mainstreamed as a core aspect of the Collections Development Strategy.

Above

Conservator Julie Ann Tolerton, Above explaining how objects are conserved 17th Century Lisburn

Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 32 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 33

6.3.2 Primary Product 6.3.2.2 Temporary and Touring Exhibitions

19 The ‘Our People Our Times’ Not surprisingly, all of Northern Ireland’s museums present a programme of Temporary exhibitions are a constant means by which museums exhibition was designed exhibitions. Some museums by their nature and in line with their raison d’etre refresh their programme and are a tested way of attracting the to be shown without the accompanying objects, thus rarely change what they exhibit, some present a rolling programme of exhibitions repeat visitor. allowing the interpretation and events, while others offer a combination of permanent and temporary panels to be shown as a stand alone exhibition in exhibitions. The capacity of museums to both generate and receive exhibitions They allow significant themes, anniversaries or genres to be examined in ‘non-museum’ venues. or objects from other institutions depends upon their standards of collections detail and may be compiled and presented in various ways and means, management, the scale of available exhibition spaces, curatorial capacity and, as the following recent examples demonstrate. inevitably, money. ‘The Ages of Elegance’, prepared by the National Trust, drew upon the costume collection at Springhill House and toured as a discrete ‘whole’ 6.3.2.1 collections Care and Management (including catalogue and promotional material). The exhibition on the social history of the railways was curated collectively by the NI Regional Curators In 2007 the Northern Ireland Museums Council published its Survey of Museum Group and toured to the museums of that group’s members. It comprised Collections in Northern Ireland which established the range and scale of the core artefacts and interpretation material, which host museums could add collections held. It also determined the significance of these collections and to reflect the impact of the railways in their area. Similarly, the ‘Our People benchmarked the standards of collections management. During the course of Our Times’ exhibition, which focused on migration and organised by NIMC, the survey various issues emerged, foremost amongst which were: difficulties was centred on interpretation panels and included small display of objects in accessing appropriate conservation services; the storage of collections; drawn from both museum and non-museum collections. Each receiving venue documentation backlogs, the low level of research on collections and the degree was encouraged to add to the display, and consequently the exhibition was to which collections have been digitised. The processes and perceptions around never the same at any venue.19 The ‘Their Past Your Future’ exhibition brought inter-museum loans was also highlighted an issue to be addressed. together by the Imperial War Museum to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, it was one of 11 modular exhibitions that simultaneously NIMC aims to address noted deficiencies through a Collections Development toured regions within the UK. Other touring exhibition of note would include Strategy that will become operational during 2009. In 2008 the Council piloted the Mid-Antrim Museum Service and Causeway Museum Service exhibitions a grant scheme which allowed museums to ‘buy’ time or expertise for which are curated ‘internally’ and toured to museums across the area covered researching particular aspects of their collections. Given the success of the by the service. initiative in enhancing curatorial capacity, it is likely that this scheme will be mainstreamed as a core aspect of the Collections Development Strategy The NIMC surveys found that just over half of museums maintain a dedicated space for temporary exhibitions, with 23 out of 38 declaring that they regularly take touring exhibitions from other institutions or have the facility to do so. To date the approach to temporary exhibitions has been somewhat ad hoc and opportunistic, and there is a demand for more amongst museums. It would seem that through assuming a more strategic approach to developing temporary exhibitions could accrue such benefits as; economies of scale though collective effort; provide longer planning horizons thus allowing a more consolidated approach to the promotion of such shows; acting as a means for providing enhanced access to rarely seen objects; and offer a greater range of conceptual challenges in interpretation (by curators, academics or members of the public), with the possibility of designing shows for particular audiences (be they local or out-of-state visitors).

The seeds of a strategic approach to both temporary and touring exhibitions are evident through the collaboration between museums on the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the Plantation Left of Ulster in 2012-13. Such an approach will require further investment Stories from town and country in the future. a selection of exhibition panels from I mind when... The Falkans War, 25th Commemoration of the Conflict 1982/2007 Causeway Museum Service 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 34 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 35

6.2.2.3 Interpretation

In essence interpretation is the means by which museums provide intellectual access to their collections by their visitors.

There are obviously myriad ways of communicating with museum goers, be it the form of catalogues, guides, labels, tour guides, lectures, demonstrations, etc. These tend to be available ‘on site’, and a distinction needs to be made between them and promotional material (distributed ‘off site’) whose primary function is to generate the museum visit in the first place. However, in practice the differentiation between the two is often not clear cut. For instance the museum guidebook or exhibition catalogue is, in the main, an interpretative document, but often assumes a promotional function as soon as it leaves the museum, depending upon the context in which a person comes across such a publication. The capacity for such items to fulfil both roles is obviously enhanced if this requirement in consciously built into the design and content initially.

This functional refinement, particularly evident in the catalogues which accompany touring exhibitions, has let to be seen to the same degree when it comes to web sites and digital communication methods.

The Mapping Trends surveys reveal that, over the five years from 2001 to 2006, museums’ use of digital IT increased dramatically.

_ The number of museums using IT-based interactives as part of their display more than doubled _ The use of computers as an integral part of their displays increased more than three-fold _ There was a notable rise in the use of audio-visual presentations (from 15 to 25 museums) and low-tech interactives (from 12 to 17 museums) in museums.

While the increased usage of such interactives within museum displays is notable. A separate piece of research, undertaken specifically for this report, looked at 41 sites (5 museum service sites and 37 museum sites). Of these 13 (1 museum service site and 12 individual museum sites) provided relatively limited interpretative insight to the collections through online access to various means (catalogues, databases, videos, photographs, learning resources). Clearly there is room to expand the use of web sites as a further means of enhancing the public’s knowledge of museum collections.

The use of web sites as a promotional tool is picked up in section 6.6.4. Above Cracking the Code, The Ulster Way exhibition panels Somme Heritage Centre

Right Cracking the Code, interactive element Somme Heritage Centre 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 36 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 37

6.2.2.4 Learning, education and outreach Learning within Northern Ireland’s Museums found that there was considerable variation in the type of data which museums gathered A primary function of museums has always been to provide ways 20 Northern Ireland Museums about their ‘educational’ users, and in the way in which it was stored Council: Learning within and interrogated, concluding; and means through which people can learn. NIMC has recently Northern Ireland’s completed a detailed study on learning in our museums, the Museums 2009. fi ndings of which have been published recently. 20 www.nimc.co.uk Although the Survey asked museums who they regard as the most NIMC defi nes Learning in important target audience for their Learning programmes or activities, There has always been a drive within museums to work closely with the accordance with the defi nition the variability in the extent and quality of the responses received did not of Inspiring Learning for All, formal education sector, with a particular focus on schools. This involvement which was developed by permit a reliable analysis to be undertaken. has developed in recent years, evidenced, for example, by the growth in the the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council: number of museums employing education staff directly or having direct access The key barriers preventing people from using museums’ learning to such expertise – from 16 museums (42%) in 2001 to 28 (74%) in 2006, and ‘Learning is a process of programmes were perceived by museums to be lack of awareness active engagement with by the increasing alignment of the museums’ educational offer to the experience. It is what people about the programmes, and transport costs. curriculum. However, between 2001 and 2006 the number of school children do when they want to make sense of the world. It may going to our museums rose from 164,000 to 170,858, representing a 4% growth involve the development An object loan service and outreach work are but two ways museums over the period, which might be considered disappointing given that attendances or deepening of skills, are addressing accessibility issues such a transport diffi culties – if people knowledge, understanding, generally over the same period rose by 21%. awareness, values, ideas and can not get to the museum, then perhaps an aspect of the museum feelings, or an increase in the can get to them. In the main, such programmes tend to be allied directly capacity to refl ect. Effective The research associated with the Learning within Northern Ireland’s Museums learning leads to change, with education services to schools, with 14 out of 38 museums currently study looked into schools use of museums in more details, revealing that, development and the desire operating such loan schemes, and by 2006, 20 museums (just over half) to learn more.’ had an outreach offi cer or another member of staff whose responsibilities included associated work. Number of visitors increased Number of visitors decreased Such activity, because it takes place outside the museum building inevitably Number of visitors remained the same has PR potential and the capacity to contribute to audience development amongst museum non-users.

14 out of 35 responding museums indicated the number of visitors and users of their learning services has gone up since 2005/2006. The reasons given includes opening new premises; improving services; better marketing; special events; and additional efforts to improve word of mouth. 4 museums responded that the number of users had remained the same.

17 of the 35 responding museums reported that the numbers had gone down. Reasons given for the decreases included that class sizes have dropped (leading to fewer pupils visiting despite the same number of classes coming); having no staff to deliver the education programme; museum closure for refurbishment; curriculum changes leading to changes in school visiting patterns; and fi nancial costs for schools, including transport costs.

Left NIMC; Learning and Access in Museums Report 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 38 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 39

6.3.3 Secondary Product In terms of legislative requirement and governmental guidance 21 and 21 See: The European Charter for Regional or Minority in light of the rising number of out of state visitors coming to Northern Languages and DCAL website Twenty-three museums (60%) indicated that they offered Ireland anticipated in the coming years, the provision of information (both – ‘The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement committed the corporate hospitality or had the facilities to do so. However, there promotional and interpretive) to museum users in a range of languages Government to ‘recognise is little detail on frequency of use, demand or the capacity for other than English is becoming more pressing. The NIMC (2006) survey the importance of respect, understanding and tolerance museums to exploit this partnership with the corporate sector. established that 12 (out of 38) museums provided literature in a language in relation to linguistic diversity, other than English, with 8 providing such signage. Just under a third of including in Northern Ireland, The same too can be said of the ‘secondary products’, previously identified as the Irish language, Ulster- museums (11) stated that they had staff with a competency in a language Scots and the languages of including events, receptions, weddings, dinners, conferences, etc., where the other than English. A further refinement to this intelligence emerges from the various ethnic minority capacity to undertake such activity depends so much upon the form and layout communities, all of which are the survey undertaken by NIMC in respect of its Learning Strategy, where part of the cultural wealth of of the buildings museums occupy. with a sample of 37 museums, the range of languages used became the island of Ireland.’ evident, as revealed by the following table. 6.3.4 Visitor Services

The services provided by museums play a critical role in 12 Table V: enhancing the visitor and user experience. It would appear 12 Language use in museums that expectations in this area are constantly rising. 10 9 The 2007 Mapping Trends survey found that 4 museums were unable to provide 8 7 6 6 toilet facilities for disabled patrons, compared with 8 in the previous survey. 6 5 All but one museum now provides toilet facilities for visitors and an increasing 4 number of museums provide facilities for changing and feeding infants (rising 2 from 17 to 21 museums, out of 38). No museum in Northern Ireland currently 2 1 operates a crèche.

French German Spanish Braille Italian Irish Polish Ulster Scots The number of museums providing an induction loop system, or equivalent, doubled over the five-year review period, so that 33% of museums now provide this facility. Similarly, the number of museums making audio guide material available doubled (to 17), as did the number providing literature In addition, seven respondents indicated that they provided information in large print (to 17). in a range of other languages, including Russian, Lithuanian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Chinese and Japanese. Again, the sector might There was no change in the number or profile of museums providing refreshment benefit from a more standardised approach to presenting promotional facilities and/or a shop. Currently just under half of Northern Ireland’s museums and interpretative material in foreign languages. have a café or the like, and two thirds operate a retail outlet. Blake correlated the frequency of a restaurant/tea room with visitor numbers. While finding that only the more frequently attended venues had such facilities, she could not establish if museums attract more visitors because they had this service, or if museums decided to offer them in response to high visitor numbers.

Currently just under half of Northern Ireland’s museums have a café or the like, and two thirds operate a retail outlet 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 40 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 41

6.4 People This view is substantiated through the examination of the skills gaps within museums. The Mapping Trends surveys revealed that over the five year review This section of the report examines the scale and capacity of period, ICT and marketing were identified as the two areas with the greatest the human resources within the museum sector, before looking skill deficiency. Between 2001 and 2006, the number of museums highlighting at attendance levels, existing visitor (and non-user) profiles and a skills gap in marketing increase by a third. This finding is reiterated through the research museums undertake on their visitors. the returns regarding training needs that NIMC receives through the evaluation of its training programme.

6.4.1 Museum Staff Despite the apparent lack of staff and expertise, few museums use external marketing agencies or consultants. Blake estimates only 6% of museums do The NIMC surveys reveal that between 2001 and 2006 the so. It is likely that cost is the principal barrier in this regard. Museums do however number of people working in museums in Northern Ireland seek to enhance their promotional activity by exploiting external opportunities; rose from 819 to 840. many local authorities will promote the independent museums within their area as part of the ‘offer’ to visitors. The independent museums use their volunteer Within this trend there was a notable shift; with a 9% reduction in the number base both as the key audience for their activities, but also as a means of of permanent, full-time staff working in the sector, seemingly off-set through disseminating information. This trend is also growing within the other parts significant increases in the number of permanent, part-time staff (up by 28%) and of the sector as more museums institute ‘Friends’ organisations. the number of seasonal/temporary staff employed (up by 27%). While there was little change in the actual number of volunteers in the sector (172), the real term There is a school of thought that takes the view that ALL museum staff ‘do trend is up. marketing’, on the basis that their roles either directly or indirectly influence the experience of a museum visitor. Consequently their actions influence the residual Over the same period the number of museums declaring that they had a impression of visitors and the reputation of their institution. In light of this, there ‘marketing officer’ on the staff, increased from 8 to 12 – three each in the would seem to be merit in raising the consciousness of all museum staff on their National Museums Northern Ireland and the National Trust, with two independent impact in this regard and how they might enhance the visitor experience. museums stating they had such a staff member (one a paid post the other voluntary). There was a rise (from 1 to 4) in the number of local council-run museums declaring that they had such personnel.

The absence of marketing personnel in local authority museums may on the surface appear to be a notable deficit, but its significance is offset through these museums having access to specialist marketing staff located elsewhere within the Council structure, within tourism units for example. Of the 15 museums without a dedicated officer, five stated that the marketing function was undertaken by specialist staff elsewhere in the organisation. In the remaining 10 museums the function was undertaken by the curator/manager, museum assistant or other staff member.

With no such ancillary support available within the voluntary and independent sector, the lack of such designated staff does reveal a significant structural weakness. Setting aside the National Trust, and the other two museums in this category which have a ‘marketing officer’ (or equivalent), it would appear that there are nine museums without access to the expertise or resources to undertake anything but rudimentary promotional activity.

Above Unwrap history, advertising campaign for the launch of the Ulster Museum 2009 Ulster Museum 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 42 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 43

6.4.2 Museum Attendance It should be noted that The Ulster Museum closed for refurbishment at the end of 2006 (reopening late 2009), and consequently the numbers attending the NMNI All sources testify to the consistent rise over a prolonged period museums fell to 338,876 during 2007. of the number of people visiting museums in Northern Ireland.

An overview on attendances can be gained from three main sources: NIMC’s Museum 1998 Months open 2008 Months open Table VII: annual collation of local museums attendances, published in its annual report; Local authority the National museums attendance monitoring; and fi gures declared by the sector Andrew Jackson/US Rangers museums to external agencies (such as the Northern Ireland Tourist Board). The Mapping Centre, Carrickfergus 2137 7 725 7 Trends summarised the change over the fi ve years from 2001 to 2006. Ballycastle Museum 3,000 2.5 2,820 3 Ballymoney Museum 2,758 12 4,301 8 They reveal that: Carrickfergus Museum - - 26,909 12 _ There was a 21% rise in the number of museum visitors, from 801,011 to 971,464, in the fi ve years to 2006. Coleraine Museum - - 3,558 4 Craigavon Museum Service 4,000 12 2,480 12

_ This can be broken down to an 11.5% increase at the four National museums Derry Heritage and Museum (from 484,232 to 540,579), 19.5% rise at local authority-run museums Service – Foyle Valley Railway 20,000 6 3,748 3 (189,100 to 225,615), and a 61% growth in the number of visitors to the Derry Heritage and Museum independent museums (from 127,679 to 205,270). Service – Harbour Museum 7,500 12 4,084 12

Derry Heritage and Museum _ In 2006 the three large national museums (Ulster Museum, Ulster Folk Service – Tower Museum 20,484 12 25,880 12 and Transport Museums and the Ulster-American Folk Park) were the only Down County Museum 35,433 12 34,796 12 museums to attract more than 100,000, no museums registered between 50,001 and 100,000 visitors, 15 museums received between 10,001 and Fermanagh County Museum (and Inniskillings Museum) 15,436 12 25,739 12 50,000 visits, and 19 museums got less than 10,000 attendances. Gray Printer’s Museum - - 0 0 _ Attendances at local museums have risen signifi cantly over the last year from Irish Linen Centre and 439,490 (2006) to 506,807 (2007). This represents a 14% change, the highest Lisburn Museum 39,661 12 60,507 12 year on year change on record. Undoubtedly some of this increase is due to Larne Museum - - 4,744 12 new capital developments coming on stream (as in Newry) and possibly some Green Lane Museum, displacement (to Lisburn for example) due to the closure of the Ulster Museum. Limavady - - 8,640 6 Other factors could include the general upturn in the number of tourists and Mid-Antrim Museum 5,678 12 18,838 10.5 more effective promotion of events and activities by museums. Newry and Mourne Museum 10,300 12 41,933 12

North Down Museum - - 44,098 12

Further detail on the increase in visitor numbers at the different type of museum Sentry Hill House, Newtownabbey - - 6,400 6 may be gained from the following tables.

Museum 1998 Months open Table VI: Attendances at local museums has National Museums risen by 14% the highest year on Armagh County Museum 14,175 10 Northern Ireland

Ulster Folk & Transport Museum 169,794 12 year change on record

Ulster American Folk Park 111,221 12

Ulster Museum 235,694 12 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 44 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 45

Museum 1998 Months open 2008 Months open Table VIII: 6.4.3 The Museum Visitor 22 For instance: Independent and Stuart Davies: By Popular Voluntary museums Demand Museums and Armagh Public Library 1,250 12 4,433 12 It emerges from the many surveys 22 carried out within the sector Galleries Commission 1994 Downpatrick Railway Museum 12,700 3 9,046 12 that the museum visitor is more likely to be employed and have MLA Council: Taking Part, an above average education and income. 2004 – research undertaken Flame – Gasworks Museum by IPSOS-MORI of Ireland - - 2,231 5 S/he will be younger than the average within society, and often active in other http://www.vam.ac.uk/fi les/ Inniskillings Museum fi le_upload/53497_fi le.pdf (see Fermanagh County community, cultural and leisure pursuits. Such characteristics hold true for Museum above) 0 12 0 12 museum visitors in Northern Ireland too, as the following evidence from the http://www.culture.gov. uk/reference_library/ National Trust – Argory 26,309 9 32,095 7 Research and Evaluation Services (2004) survey shows. publications/5653.aspx National Trust – Castle Ward 10,740 8 59,215 7

National Trust – Florence Court 21,020 8 30,730 7

National Trust – Springhill 16,079 8 14,761 7

Naughton Gallery at Queens - - 15,000 12

People’s Museum, Fernhill 8,576 12 0 0

Police Museum 2,200 12 2,075 12

Railway Preservation Society of Ireland - - 8,763 12

Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum 1,685 12 9,209 12

Royal Irish Regiment Museum 2,006 12 0 0

Royal Ulster Rifl es Museum - - 773 12

Somme Heritage Centre 13,010 12 27,194 12

Upperlands Museum 200 1 0 0

The means and mechanisms used to capture visitor numbers varies considerably from museum to museum and include; ticket tally, manual clickers, break beams, visitor books and ‘estimates’. The absence of consistency, and at times accuracy, in how such basic data is collected may be considered a major defi ciency.

The average museum visitor will be younger than the average within society, and often active in other community, cultural and leisure pursuits

Above Permanent exhibition at the refurbished Ulster Museum 2009 Ulster Museum 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 46 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 47

education employment

The following table sets out the educational attainment of museum visits as revealed through the Research and 100 Table X: Evaluation Services’ Museums Survey, 2004 Employment status of museum 90 visitor (2004) 80

50 Table IX: 70 Educational qualifi cations 38 40 of museum visitor (2004) 60

30 50 49 20 10 9 14 13 40 10 10 4 30 1 22 0 20 15 Degree GcSe or A-Level No formal BTec (higher) other BTec (National) cSe or Higher equivlent or equivlent qualifi cations or equivalent or equivalent 10 5 4 3 2 1 0 Working retired Working Look after Full time Sick or Not other Over a third of museum visitors surveyed in 2004 were educated to degree level 23 Source: 2001 Northern Full-time Part-time the home education disabled working Ireland census or higher, compared with 15.8% within the population as a whole.23 The Omnibus Survey (2000) found that 76% of those questioned, who had tertiary level http://www.nisranew.nisra. gov.uk/census/pdf/Key%20 24 The comparator fi gures are education, had visited a heritage facility. For those with less than a secondary Statistics%20ReportTables.pdf RES (2004) found that 64% of museum visitor were working full-time or part-time, taken from the 2001 Northern level of education, this fi gure fell to 38%. which compares with 56% within the general population, 22% of visitors being Ireland Census – see retired (compared with 11%), 5% look after the home (7.5%), 4% are students http://www.nisranew.nisra. (8%), 3% being sick or disabled (9.3%), and 2% not working, compared with just gov.uk/census/pdf/Key%20 over 4% of the population being unemployed.24 According to the Omnibus Survey Statistics%20ReportTables.pdf (2000) two thirds of those from the higher socio-economic groups had visited a heritage facility within the last year, compared with less than 40% in the semi- skilled and unskilled groups.

RES (2004) found that 64% of museum visitors were working full-time or part-time, which compares with 56% within the general population

Left Antiville Youth Group attends a learning session at the Nerve Centre, Derry 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 48 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 49

Age 6.4.4 Perceptions about the Museum Product

The Research and Evaluation Services’ Museums Survey of 25 See: www.rpani.gov.uk/ national_museums_and_ 2004 provides a degree of insight into the public’s perceptions galleries_of_northern_ The most popular age group of museum about museums. ireland-2.pdf visitors is 25-44 It revealed that 94% of the people surveyed agreed that it was important that museums are made available to the public. While such support is obviously welcome, the fact that nearly three-quarters of the people surveyed had not 100 Table XI: visited a museum during the last year would suggest that their view is one of Age group of museum visitors 90 against population (18+ in 2004) principle rather than one formed through an intimate knowledge of museums and their activities. 80 Museum Visitors 70 This opinion is supported further by the range of responses given when, within the 60 General Public same survey, people were asked to estimate the number of museums in Northern Ireland. (There are currently 38 Accredited museums in Northern Ireland). 50 46 40 40 32 29 30

20 13 14 Table XII: 10 1-10 51-100 10 6 8 3 Estimated number of museums 11-20 100+ in Northern Ireland 0 21-50 Dont know 18-24 25-44 45-64 65-74 75+

High levels of satisfaction concerning museums may be found generally. NMNI recently declared a 98% visitor satisfaction rating,25 on par with the Science Museum in London, which has also recorded 98% visitor satisfaction of late, as has for instance the local authority-run museum service in Hastings. Such fi gures need to be treated with caution, if only because 31% of respondents to the RES (2004) survey declared that they went somewhere else on the same day as their museum visit, opening up the possibility that their satisfaction concerning museums could be coloured by the experience of the ‘whole day’. Of more interest to museums perhaps would be the reasons why 6% of people did not feel museums to be important, or why some 2% of visitors were dissatisfi ed.

NMNI recently declared a 98% visitor Left satisfaction rating Enniskillen Castle Museums Education Service, Find Yourself Learning. Fermanagh Museum

Unlock the past Down County Museum 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 50 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 51

6.4.5 Visitor Motivation 6.4.6 Museum Non-attendees

The information below draws upon two pieces of research When it comes to people who do not visit museums it is evident – the RES (2004) study and the NI Omnibus Survey (2000). that common factors preclude involvement, as evidenced by the following series of tables. Both looked at the motivation of people who did attend museums, but also tried to establish the reason for not visiting. Foremost are ‘lack of interest’, cost, transport issues, concerns over access, and of particular interest to those concerned with the marketing of museums – lack of knowledge. 50 Table XIII: 38 Reason for last visit to a 40 museum (2004) 31 50 Table XVII: 30 Reason not visiting a 40 museum within the last 20 32 3 years (RES (2004)) 11 30 25 10 9 9 20 1 14 0 9 10 7 6 To see a To attend General Day out other Don’t 2 1 particular a special interest know 0 exhibition event Not Not Dont know Too far/ Accessibility Its not other Unsuitable interested enough much about bad transport issues for me opening hours time them The profi le apparent from Table XIII echoes that of the fi ndings of the Omnibus Survey (2000). 50 45 Table XVIII: Reason for non-attendance 40 (Omnibus Survey (2000)) 60 Table XVI: 53 Reason for last visit to 30 50 a museum (2000) 18 20 16 40 9 10 6 30 28 3 3 0 20 Not other Accessibility Not open Too far/ Too Dont know interested issues when have transport expensive much about 10 6 7 6 time to visit issues them 0 To see a To attend General Day out other particular a special interest exhibition event 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 52 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 53

These findings parallel the results in two other surveys, tabulated below. 26 See: www.locum-destination. Table XX: com/pdf/LDR4Visits2 The first concerns museums non-attendees in England where ‘lack of interest’ Not interested 27 Reasons for non-participation museums.pdf in arts activity (Arts Council of also comes to the fore, as do access and transport. Northern Ireland (2005) 27 No time / busy 27 Similar reasons for non-participation emerge from surveys undertaken across 27 See: www.artscouncil-ni.org/ other parts of the cultural sector, as exemplified by Table XX which highlights Family commitments 20 news/2007/images/Barriers the reasons for not participating in arts activity in Northern Ireland. 0908b.pdf Costs too much 20

100 Table X: Prefer to do other things 18 Reasons for non-attendance at 90 museums (MORI for MLA (2001) 26 None of these 12 80 Nothing close by 70 10 / too far to travel 60 Poor health 9 50 41 40 No transport 6

30 No one to go with 5 20 12 12 10 Feel uncomfortable 10 8 8 4 6 6 / out of place 0 Dont have the 4 Nothing Museums are I find it difficult Admission Poor local Not open My children No time / ability or talent I wanted boring places to get out / charges transport / when I wouldn’t be too busy to see health reasons too high too far have time interested Never know whats on 3

Lack of facilities 2 for disabled

Other 1

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Of more interest to museums perhaps would be the reasons why 6% of people did not feel museums to be important, or why some 2% of visitors were dissatisfied

Left Timeline at Mid-Antrim Museum 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 54 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 55

6.4.7 research by Museums Blake goes on to examine what it was museums wished to ascertain from their Evidence suggests that museums are doing more research on visitor research and what they did with the gleaned information. In doing so it visitor motivation and profi ling than previously, and that they is unclear if her sample includes all 38 museums or only the two thirds which are paying greater heed to visitor feedback and opinion. declared they undertook visitor research. She records that 88% of museums wished to establish satisfaction levels, just over half analysed visitor needs, and However, over the years various approaches have been adopted by the different less than half gathered information on visitor motivation (why they came to the researchers in the fi eld. As a consequence trends are diffi cult to identify with museum in the fi rst place). The sample size is not clear concerning her fi ndings confi dence and questions arise on the accuracy of the data and value of on what museums used their research for – 50% said it informed their marketing comparisons which need to be made. strategy and 66% stated that it informed marketing activity. What is notable however, regardless of the sampling issue, is the proportion of museums which The diversity of approach by museums is illustrated by Blake, who revealed seemingly, having gone to the trouble of capturing visitor data, do not use it for the variety of means used to ascertain views and opinion. She found that the most obvious end. 84% of museums had a visitor book, 65% used comment cards, 60% carried out exit surveys and 7 of the 38 museums undertook direct mail Broad satisfaction levels may be useful for advocacy purposes, but users and surveys. Five museums had used omnibus surveys, and two had used non-users views on the constituent elements of the visitor experience (exhibition, MORI polls to sample the general population. environment, visitor services, access, information, etc.) obviously prove more useful in moulding both product development and service delivery. Gaining a In 2004 McAteer established that 47% of museums had recently carried out a more detailed picture of the views and attitudes of those who use museum visitor profi ling exercise, mainly through exit questionnaires, although she did not products, and indeed those who do not, is essential. Of the 38 museums stipulate what was meant by ‘recently’ or present a synopsis of what museums surveyed in 2006 (NIMC 2007), 17 museums stated that they had carried were able to establish from doing the exercise. Blake on the other hand asked out market research, including visitor profi ling, within the last year. ’Do you undertake visitor research?’, which elicited a 66% positive response. The NIMC surveys established that 36% (2002) and 52% (2006) of museums had undertaken market research, including a profi le of visitors, in the past Details of the breakdown by museum type are set out in the following table. twelve months.

Such has been the variety in the way researchers have asked questions, possibly Museum 1998 Months open Table XXI: matched by variety in museums’ assumptions about what was being asked, that Museums that have undertaken recent market research, broken Independent 8 7 we still have an incomplete view on the level, purpose and impact of the research down by type (NIMC 2007) undertaken by museums regarding their users. Local Authority 8 11

National 1 3

The only notable change to the profi le illustrated in Table XXI is that in 2008 the National Museums Northern Ireland undertook a comprehensive ‘user and attitudes’ survey covering all four sites.

While the number of museums not undertaking general market research is striking, NIMC (2007) did fi nd that the position changed when it came to specialist activities. For instance, Mapping Trends revealed that in 2006, 36 of the 38 museums surveyed delivered a programme for schools, and of these 32 undertook a formal evaluation of the programme that included participant feedback. Similarly, 30 museums formally evaluated their exhibition programmes. And when it came to planning for the future, 15 museums said that they actively involve young people in creating exhibition and events programmes and 23 museums stated that they had mechanisms for involving visitors generally in generating future programmes. 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 56 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 57

The move to involve museum users more in the development of future 28 See http://www.rpani.gov.uk/index/ 6.5 Price 29 See: http://www. cross-cutting-themes/community- museumsassociation.org/ programmes may prove to be a useful precursor to the introduction of a planning.htm ma/8120&_IXFPFX_=full/mpf community planning function within the new local authorities that will be Admission changes to museums, as an economic barrier in http://www.spiked-online.com/ established as a result of the Review of Public Administration. For as the accessing museums, has been debated long and hard at Articles/0000000CAD38.htm RPA Implementation Team states, national and local levels over the last decade and more.

Allied to this is a commitment / duty by all those who deliver services in The crux of the debate is, on the one hand, the need to generate income the council area to work together to provide co-ordinated, high-quality (a particular concern for the independent museum sector where tickets income outcomes people rightly expect. The drive for community planning should is a vital income), and society’s (at least in the UK) expectation of free access to be seen in the context of the process to create more responsive and museums on the other. Free admission has its roots in the philanthropy of the effective public services for citizens.28 nineteenth century, but still has political resonance, as manifest in the recent aspiration within government to foster museum visits by a broader range of the The capacity for museums to undertake such consultation will obviously have to populace by abolishing entry charges. be strengthened, either through the sector taking a more standardised approach, or through surveying user needs across a range of service areas within councils, At the end of 2001 free entry to national museums was reintroduced in England or indeed a combination of both. An advantage of the former would be to ensure Scotland and Wales. The museums, particularly the national museums in that the visitor engagement process embraces all museums, not just those run London, that embraced the concept, saw substantial increases in visitor by local authorities, with the latter offering the prospect of benchmarking with numbers; up on average by 70% in 2002. However, the Government’s desire other services. Regardless of the approach, the views of non-users will have to to broaden the range of people visiting museums required changes in the VAT be brought within the equation. regulations (Value Added Tax (Refund of Tax to Museums and Galleries) Order 2001) and further subsidy to compensate the loss of income. Over the following years various pieces of research looked at the impact of ‘free entry’, most notably 6.4.8 Targeting Non-attendees which carried out by Selwood and Davies.29

In her survey of museums McAteer specifically asked museums if Among their findings were: they targeted non-visitors. 55% of respondents said ‘yes’, and that _ Relatively small changes in the profile of the visitors; it appears that this was done through outreach activity and hosting travelling free entry enabled the same types of people to visit more often; exhibitions which appealed to people beyond the ‘normal’ visitor. _ It would seem that free entry to National museums has had a detrimental impact on nearby charging museums, particularly The majority of respondents indicated that they also targeted non-users through independent museums, which have seen a decline in visitors; their usual promotional methods. McAteer, perhaps mindful of the intermittent nature of the outreach and travelling exhibitions and the ‘passive’ approach _ Those museums offering free entry have seen service and staff to developing new audiences, questioned the effectiveness of museums costs rise as they cope with more visitors, without a proportionate engagement with non-attendees. increase in the core grant from government; _ Many of those museums showing a big increase in numbers also In answer to another question in McAteer’s survey, museums identified opened new or refurbished facilities (inevitably funded through the three particular audiences that needed developing – schools, teenagers Heritage Lottery Fund) at around the same, and it has proved difficult and foreign tourists. to disaggregate the impact one from another on the motivation of visitors; _ A perception that free entry has only impacted upon the London museums, with little benefit evident across the rest of the UK. The aim of community planning is to make sure that people and communities are genuinely engaged in decisions made about the public services which affect them 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 58 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 59

6.5.1 National Museums Whilst ‘free entry’ was not applied in Northern Ireland (two of the four national 30 The third museum, Sentry Hill, was not open prior to renovation and museums have an admission charge), some of the associated research findings thus no comparisons can be made. While the Value Added Tax (Refund of Tax to Museums and cited above are pertinent to the local sector. As has been shown, there has been Galleries) Order 2001 was fundamental in clearing the way for significant capital investment in museums of late (see section 6.2.1 above) with ‘free entry’ at other national museums, for the National Museums all of the new and renovated museums showing a notable increase in visitors, Northern Ireland (NMNI) it was more to do with tax technicalities including those which levy an admission charge. Indeed, among the three on existing spend. museums that do charge and which have been renovated, the level of increase in attendances at the Tower Museum and Fermanagh County Museum is well Although a devolved responsibility there was no move by the then Minister 30 above the average increase for that type of museum. It would appear that other for Culture, Arts and Leisure to abolish the entry fees to the Ulster Folk and factors, beyond price are informing visitors’ decision to participate. Blake found Transport Museum and the Ulster American Folk Park (the Ulster Museum and that museums feel that increased marketing activity was more likely to result in the Armagh County Museum are free entry), seemingly on the basis that it was increased visitor numbers, than free admission – a point reinforced by Selwood not deemed a political or funding priority at a time of tight public funding. and Davies’ opinion, that “it takes imaginative programming and marketing to change an audience profile significantly, as well as sustained development work with communities with no tradition of museums visiting.” 6.5.2 Council-run Museums

Over the last five years there has been little change in the profile of museums Currently there are 18 museums in Northern Ireland run in Northern Ireland that charge an entry fee. In 2006 (NIMC 2007) 2 of the 4 directly by local Councils. Of these, two – the Tower Museum National museums, 2 out of the 18 local authority-run museums and 10 of the and Fermanagh County Museum – currently levy a charge. 15 independent museums, did so. This profile replicates that of five years earlier (NIMC 2002), and indeed, with two exceptions within the independent museum The debate about entry fees within this sector oscillates between not charging sector, the same museums were charging admission in 2006 and in 2001. An local ratepayers to access ‘their’ heritage, through to maximising an income analysis of the admission charges shows that the entry fees to the two national stream to offset costs. It would appear that museum entry charges periodically museums remained unchanged over the review period. At the two council-run come to the fore in the thinking of local Councils when either, a less-subventionist charging museums, one increased its charges by £0.50 (c20%), while the other political outlook holds sway; when there is an economic imperative to reduce rationalised its pricing structure by reducing adult admission by £1.20 (c30%) costs or, when the means of offsetting a recent capital investment are considered. while increasing it child admission by £0.40 (c25%). Amongst the charging independent museums half did not raise their ticket price over the five years, but there was an average 22% rise in admission at the other five museums.

In discussion with museums it becomes evident that while entry charges may be an impediment for some, a more readily apparent economic barrier to access are the costs associated with getting to a museum. While some cited that the availability and cost of public transport was a hindrance for some potential visitors, all were concerned that transport costs were directly affecting the frequency of school visits.

“It takes imaginative programming and marketing to change an audience profile significantly, as well as sustained development work with communities with no tradition of museums visiting.”

Left The Distant Past, permanent exhibition Mid-Antrim Museum at the Braid 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 60 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 61

Perceptions about museums users and the cost of administering the charging systems also have a bearing. The Tower Museum is one of the four museums within the Derry Heritage and Museum Service, but the only one to have an admission fee. It is conceived as a central part of the tourism ‘offer’ of the City and houses the Armada exhibition and the ‘Story of Derry’. The original construction and the recent refurbishment received significant monies from tourism-orientated funds, with the facility being orientated towards the ‘one-off’ non-local visitor. A charge of £4.00 (£1.50 for groups) is currently levied. Any perception of the entry fee disenfranchising the local populous is countered through the free access to the other museums within the Service, the provision of free outreach programmes, the opportunity to avail of ‘special days’ (including £1 admission on Sundays), and the availability of free temporary exhibition and events in the Tower Museum.

Fermanagh County Museum is situated within Enniskillen Castle and operated by Fermanagh District Council. It is also seen as a tourism flagship and received capital funding from various sources on this basis. An entry fee was introduced when the new facility was opened in 1993. The Inniskillings Museum (an independent regimental museum) occupies the keep building within the Castle complex and the ticket allowing access to both museums. The entry fee income is split between the two museums on an agreed percentage basis and this proves to be a vital source of income for the regimental museum. The County museum pursues enhanced access, particularly for local people, through a consistent programme of free events and outreach activities.

In developing a new strategic plan for its museum, North Down Borough Council debated the introduction an admission charge. The idea was abandoned after consideration of the impact upon the notably high proportion of local, repeat visitors, the impact it would have upon the franchised restaurant, and the cost of administering an entry fee scheme when set against the income generated. Another mitigating factor was the view that free access was ‘morally right’.

Lisburn City Council operates the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum, which are housed in the same building on the Market Square. In 1994 the Centre was added to the local museum; a development which was driven by a desire to enhance the tourist appeal of Lisburn. When it opened a charge was levied on those visiting the Irish Linen Centre, but the museum remained free. This apparently caused some dissent as local people felt aggrieved at being charged to see items that they had freely donated. After a period it was found that the level of income coming from entry fees was close to the considerable spend on Above marketing and promotion required to maintain acceptable attendance levels. Faces from our Maritime Past, In addition there were the associated operating and staffing costs. The Council Merchant Seamen from Newry agreed to abolish entry charges in 1997. and Morner in the twentieth Century Newry and Mourne Museum

Right Sybil Connolly, Linen Wedding dress Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 62 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 63

6.5.4 Merchandising 6.5.3 Independent and Voluntary Museum While the museum shop may augment the visitor experience or When it comes to the 15 independent museums similar complexities emerge supplement educational aims by stocking books and catalogues on how and when visitors are charged. The following table gives a simplifi ed, connected with the museum’s exhibitions, its main objective is to but synoptic overview. generate additional income.

In 2006, 29 of the 38 museums surveyed operated a sales point or shop, only one independent museum did not have a shop. Since that survey, seven of the Museums Admission Charge Other charges Table XXII: Museum admission charges museums then without such a facility have undergone refurbishment so that now Armagh Public Library No Charge levied on only four museums do not have a shop or sales point, mainly due to restrictions large group visits on space. All of the new or recently renovated museums listed in Table 1 have

Flame: Gasworks Museum of Ireland Yes - a merchandising facility built in, planned or integrated within an adjacent tourist information facility. Somme Heritage Centre Yes Lecture programme is free of charge Currently three museums in Northern Ireland operate an online shop. National Trust The Argory Yes Visitors who are National 15 of the 38 museums surveyed operated a catering facility, either directly or Trust members do not pay for admission. under franchise. There is considerable variation in the scale of such provision made across the sector, often dictated by the availability of space. While the Castle Ward Yes “ “ rationale behind offering such a facility is similar to that relating to museum shops Florence Court Yes “ “ – enhancing visitor service and to generate income – other signifi cant factors Springhill Yes “ “ are evident. For instance, Down County Museum offers an interesting extension to the franchise model, where its café is run by a charity that aims to provide Railway Museums training and engagement opportunities for people with learning diffi culties. Thus, as well as providing income for both parties, it enhances the perception of the Downpatrick Railway Museum No Charge for train rides and allied events museum’s social contribution. At the newly refurbished Ballymoney Museum, run by the local district council, it was agreed not to incorporate a café on the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland No “ “ basis that it would be disadvantageous to the local economy through displacing custom from existing coffee shops and the like close by. Regimental and Service Museums

Inniskillings Museum Yes Joint admission In her research Blake examined the correlation between visitor numbers and the with Fermanagh County Museum provision of catering facilities. Her cross tabulation found that the museums that offered such services tended to be amongst the better attended institutions. Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum No - However, she could not distinguish “if museums attract more visitors because Royal Irish Regiment Museum No - they have these facilities, or if the museums decided to offer these facilities in Royal Ulster Rifl es Museum Yes - response to high visitor numbers.”

Police Museum No - No data is currently available on the levels of income generated by museum shops or cafés. University Museum

Naughton Gallery at Queens No - Fifteen of the 38 museums surveyed The variation in the admission rates both across the sector and within operated a catering facility, either the various categories of independent museums suggests that pricing is decided on a site by site basis, with little by way of collaboration towards directly or under franchise any standardisation of pricing. 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 64 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 65

6.6 Promotion 6.6.2 Printed Media

This section looks at the way museums communicate with With one exception, all museums produce a generic brochure people to make them aware of their activities and events, that provides outline information on the institution, its collections and to encourage attendance and participation. and contact details.

It does so against the fairly clear message which emerges from the RES 2004 Museums also produce a variety of printed material to highlight particular survey, namely; 90% of those interviewed felt that more could be done to programmes of events and activities, (for instance, 21 museums state that they publicise museums. Coupled with the finding that 11% of respondents to the produce posters). Such material is produced as and when it is required, and is NISRA (2000) survey stated that they had difficulty finding out about museums, varied in its form and design. it would appear that there is scope for development in how the sector communicates and promotes itself. Press advertising is undertaken by 5 museums on at least a monthly basis, 16 museums doing so at least twice a year, with the other museums advertising once a year or less, if at all. The necessity to undertake such advertising is 6.6.1 Marketing Support perhaps obviated given high level of free press coverage achieved – over two thirds of museums coverage at least every 2-3 months, and half of the Museums indicate that they receive assistance with the promotion museums appear in the press monthly (or more frequently). Curators of local of their facilities and activities from various outside bodies. museums constantly reiterate the value of coverage in local weekly newspapers (as opposed to the daily papers circulated across Northern Ireland), with many Blake (2004) found that these comprised affiliated bodies – local councils, maintaining a close relationship with staff reporters and photographers. However, museum bodies (such as the Northern Ireland Museums Council or the Irish the principle reason why more display advertising is not undertaken is the Museums Association) and other cultural attractions – on the one hand, and absence of resources. tourism bodies – Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Tourism Ireland, local TICs, hotel and accommodation providers, and tour operators – on the other. The 6.6.3 Radio and Television support provided tends to be ‘passive’ rather than proactive; primarily the display of printed promotional material and answering enquiries on demand. McAteer All surveys indicate that only the National Museums Northern (2004) found that 79% of museums belonged to a marketing network, most Ireland undertakes television advertising on a regular basis. commonly tourism-focused initiatives in the local area, such as the Belfast or Among the local museums only one local authority museum Derry Visitor and Convention Bureaux. has done so previously.

Participation in external promotional schemes was explored by Blake, who The vast majority, some 95%, have not carried out paid television advertising. found that relatively few (never more than 28%) of museums participated in any Just under a quarter of museums secure free television coverage at least once such scheme delivered by a tourism body. In connection with such schemes annually, with the remainder receiving coverage less frequently. she suggests that, “There is some confusion in the museum sector regarding the roles of NITB, the RTOs, Tourism Ireland and local TICs. Clarification on the A similar picture emerges for radio coverage; one museum pays for such roles of these organisations might encourage more active collaborative marketing advertising regularly with two doing so occasionally. Free radio coverage is approaches by the museum sector.” However, other factors have emerged secured more frequently than television coverage, with 4 museums gaining through discussions with museums, including; the lack of capacity and resources coverage at least monthly; 11 museums get it every 2-3 months and 8 to initiate and maintain involvement with such schemes, the different planning organisations estimate such coverage about twice a year; the remainder horizons to which the sectors work, and the perception that the tourism sector getting coverage once a year, if at all. does not ‘value’ museums beyond being a minor, additional item within the tourism ‘offer’.

Museums also use disciplinary networks, or groups with a common objective to highlight their activities. Such bodies include the Armagh Visitor Education Committee, the Regional Curators Group, or the Group for Education in Museums in Northern Ireland, for instance. However, the exchange of information tends to be intra the sector, by way of an update for peers. Seldom do such groups undertake collaborative publicity initiatives. A rare example was the production of a brochure in 2006 by the loose conglomeration of independent museums, which gave basic information about those museums Right and was circulated to participant museums and TICs across Northern Ireland. Livingstone Radio Collection Craigavon Museum Service 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 66 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 67

6.6.4 Websites Of late two interesting developments have emerged amongst council- run museums. The first being the introduction of the means of interactive While just under half of museums at the time of the first Mapping communication with site users; for instance, the blog associated with the new Trends survey in 2002 had a presence on the web, all museums Mid-Antrim Museum. The second trend concerns the establishment of sites now have a dedicated website or web presence. which focus on specific museum projects – www.commanet.org in connection with a Causeway Museums Service initiative, which has developed further with Additionally a growing number are using general promotional sites (for the launch of the community archive site at www.niarchive.org ; and the example www.discovernorthernireland.com) and sector-related sites (such as www.derry.gov.uk/wwII page on the Derry City Council site which brings www.24hourmuseum.org.uk or www.artguide.org ). In 2004, Northern Ireland together the museums’ digital resources on the Second World War. Museums Council reconfigured its website to include links to all museums via its front page, and in the intervening period the interlinking of museum websites has Interestingly, comparing the responses of the NISRA survey (2002) and the RES grown significantly. Such trends indicate a growing awareness of the web as an survey (2004) a notable growth in the proportion of people either using the web essential promotional tool for the sector. to find out about museum/heritage events and facilities – from 2% to 14%. And it is highly likely that this percentage has risen significantly in the interim, and in all At the end of 2008 NIMC surveyed the sites of the Accredited museums and likelihood will continue to rise. associated museum services in Northern Ireland, a total of 26 sites in all.

The National Museums Northern Ireland maintains a portal site which provides outline information and access to four sub-sites, one for each of its constituent museums. All four provide information on opening hours, pricing, location and other visitor information. Three of the sub-sites provide learning and interpretative materials two or three ‘clicks’ from the home page. None of the sites allow visitor feedback or engagement other than general e-mail contact.

Similarly, the National Trust provides a portal site to its organisation, with details of its four museums embedded within this site, rather than each having a stand alone site. Detailed visitor information is readily available, with generic learning materials (as opposed to museum specific) available in a different part of the overarching website.

The other 10 museums, which alongside the National Trust, make up in the independent sector, with one exception, have discrete web sites and all provide the necessary information about visiting. Four museums – Downpatrick Railway Museum, Armagh Public Library, Railway Preservation Society of Ireland and the Royal Ulster Rifles Museum – provide online access to the collections, interpretation and/or learning material, with varying degrees of separation from the home page (between 1 and 3 ‘clicks’). One independent museum – the Somme Heritage Centre – has a web site which allows visitor engagement and feedback.

Within the local authority sector only 3 or the 19 museums have a dedicated site, i.e. one discrete from that of their Council’s site. In addition the Mid-Antrim Museum Service maintains a site separate from its participating Councils, through which pages on the five constituent museums can be accessed. To access information on the other 11 council-run museums and their associated museum services (Derry, Causeway and Craigavon) requires one to search within the main Council web site for the area. However, the difficulty of locating these museums amid the other service offered by these Councils may be negated by accurate naming or description within a search engine. Above NMNI Website 6. Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums – the Current Position 68 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 69

6.6.5 Direct mail

No museums appear to use ‘anonymous’ direct mail, commonly known as junk mail, as a means of promotion. The use of the printed media, particularly brochures and posters, together with local However targeted mailings are used by most museums for notification of launches, openings, or new programmes, especially by those which operate newspapers would seem to be the preferred ‘Friends’ schemes. Current information indicates that 15 museums run such methods of promotion schemes and all use direct mail, with a further 13 museums also using targeted mailing. Increasingly ‘direct mail’ is being undertaken electronically. There is no evidence to suggest that museums are using mobile phone technology to provide individuals with specific information about programmes and activities.

6.6.6 Word of Mouth

Undoubtedly ‘word of mouth’ is a key component in museums’ promotional armoury.

All of the museums surveyed stated that personal recommendation was perceived as a fundamental element in encouraging others to visit a museum or participate in their associated activities. However, there is no evidence to suggest that any museum operates a proactive ‘word of mouth’ strategy as part of its promotional activity.

6.6.7 Promotional activity

From the evidence outlined above, it would appear that museums across Northern Ireland do not undertake any significant or concerted advertising, principally because of the associated costs.

The use of the printed media, particularly brochures and posters, together with local newspapers would seem to be the preferred methods of promotion. And while the potential of the web as a means of promotion is being recognised, it is Above possibly not being exploited to its full potential. World War II related publications Causeway Museum Service Issues and questions concerning the effectiveness of such promotional methods arise when these trends and preferences are set against the findings of various survey findings. For instance, the RES (2004) survey revealed that the top four preferred methods of gaining information about museums by visitors were general advertising (56%), newspapers (40%), direct mail (21%) and brochures (20%), while the NISRA Omnibus Survey (2002) found that the top three sources of information were friends and family (42%), brochures and leaflets (41%) and newspapers/TV/radio (41%). 7. Analysis 70 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 71

7. Analysis There has been significant investment in the capital infrastructure over the last ten years. Not only has this raised the standard of the buildings in which the Unlike any other leisure or learning service provider, museums collections are housed, the better protecting our common heritage, but it has generate memorable and sometimes life-changing encounters undoubtedly strengthened the sector’s capacity to meet visitors’ ever-growing with our histories through ‘real’ objects. service expectations. However, it looks as if further work is required to address the outstanding physical barriers to people wishing to access our museums. If nothing else, Northern Ireland’s museum sector is diverse: there is a reasonable Also, for these new buildings and refurbishments to continue to meet geographic spread, considerable variety in scale and focus, and each retains a expectations, the museum governing bodies must ensure that resources unique character to the point where it may be said that no two museums are alike. become available in the medium and long terms to allow for the ongoing Such diversity is an obvious sectoral strength, potentially offering visitors a unique replenishment of their buildings and the reinvigoration of their displays. experience at each and every site; a welcome change to predicable ‘sameness’ that characterises so many other leisure pursuits. However, the findings of this Temporary exhibitions are a primary means to providing greater access to study suggest that such individuality has proved restrictive, hindering public objects and collections and in making a museum attractive to the repeat visitor. perception to the point where it is unable to develop a ‘common understanding’, At present it appears that these are devised by individual museums around especially about the local museums, on what is on offer, when it is available and particular themes, anniversaries or subjects. Occasionally they are undertaken why it is relevant to their needs and expectations. It is suggested that this may in partnership with other institutions, with notable success. Given the time best be addressed through a greater standardisation in how museums and their and effort required to plan and deliver such exhibitions, it is essential that they services are devised, presented and promoted. are promoted well to both targeted and general audiences, and that their educational benefits exploited to the full. Such aspects could be enhanced The public’s perceptions, aspirations and experience of museums are enhanced through adopting more coherent, strategic approach to planning such through a combination of the impact of the building, the manner in which the exhibitions, and indeed extending this to include presenting exhibitions collections are presented and interpreted, the services provided, the inspiration outside Northern Ireland and via the digital media. of the staff, and the means chosen to communicate the benefits of the museum experience. Museums have obviously made notable strides in trying to provide the optimum experience for their visitors and users on each count, but a number of issues do need to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

While there is an increasing awareness of the vital contribution that a marketing focus can bring to museum operations, as evidenced by the rising number of associated strategies or plans, the discipline needs to be further integrated into the corporate planning consciousness. After all, everyone in a museum is involved in marketing the organisation in some form or another. A key area for development is to build capacity, understanding and expertise across the sector, and in this regard it is imperative that museum staff have access to appropriate training, are aware of imaginative, good practice elsewhere, and have access to support and expertise as required. However, the acquisition of such expertise should not be seen as negating the engagement of people with distinct marketing expertise to advise and undertake the associated work. The sector now requires access to such expertise, and it recognises this need, if it is to be able to make a developmental leap. The point being that perceptions on the discipline needs to move from a tactical devise, occasionally employed, to being embedded in each museums strategic thinking as a matter of course.

The public’s perceptions, aspirations and experience of museums are enhanced through a combination of the impact of Above the building, the manner in which the Our Lives, temporary exhibition Causeway Museum Service collections are presented and interpreted 7. Analysis 72 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 73

The web offers magnificent opportunities for museums to disseminate both Over the last decade the museum sector has moved to develop an intelligence general and targeted information, as well as an alternative means of accessing base about its visitors. Significant work in this regard has been undertaken by the their collections and services. While there is a notable variation in museums’ larger museum bodies that have the capacity and resources to do so, and they web presence, again reflecting the diversity across the sector, the absence of a have benefited the sector generally through generously sharing their findings. standardised presentation of opening times, entry fees, ‘what’s on’, and the like does not make it easy for potential visitors find out what they need to know quickly However, the study has highlighted the absence of consistency in surveying and easily. The NIMC website offers a comprehensive overview of the sector, but visitors, users and non-users, and a great variation in the methods being used the approach remains ‘passive’ and does not attempt to ‘sell’ the museum visit. and the frequency in which such activity is undertaken, particularly at a local No museums currently use their sites to encourage active participation (through level. The lack of resources and capacity within museums is cited as the reason posting their learning resources, for example) and few if any use the web, e-mail why such work in not carried out more regularly. High quality intelligence is or blogs for targeted communication with specific interest groups. required and it is essential that the necessary steps are taken to ensure that the scope and frequency of quantitative data about museum visitors is standardised Museums are key attractions to both ‘out of state’ and ‘home’ visitors, and this and accurate, and that this is supplemented by the capture and evaluation of critical role could be developed further through an active, ‘layered’ marketing the views of those who participate in museum activity, and those who do not. strategy covering local, national and international promotions; unlocking The variation in approaches taken by museums precludes comparisons or museums contribution to other promotions (such as ‘good days-out’, late- benchmarking to take place to a significant degree, and on this basis alone a night shopping, conferences, festivals, themed holidays, study tours or case for co-ordinating such essential survey work on a centralised basis could commemorations); utilising both ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ promotional methods; easily be made. and built upon active partnerships with other agencies. On this last point is it critical in any future museum marketing strategy that the roles of the A key benefit of such an approach would be to enable a cohesive and efficient different participating partners are clear, discrete and complementary. linkage to be developed between the sector and the strategically-focused tourism bodies. This is felt to be particularly important in light of the long-term tourism Currently there are two partnerships between local authorities in Northern Ireland strategy which is currently being shaped. to deliver museum services – the Causeway Museum Service and the Mid-Antrim Museum Service – and both collectively promote their constituent museums. The While it is imperative to secure consistent data about visitors, it is equally prospective new local authority structure, consequent to the Review of Public important to provide accurate, relevant and up to date information to them, Administration, will see a similar ‘grouping’ of council-run museums across seven the aim being to elicit the decision to visit a museum or use its services. of the eleven proposed council areas, thus opening up the possibility for joined- The survey findings suggest that museums have yet to develop truly effective up marketing and promotion shown to be successful by the current partnerships. means of promoting themselves and communicating with the public: the Were this to be extended to embrace local heritage sites and attractions as well as apparent miss-match between the public’s preferred ways of getting information other independent and National museums in the area, then a significant, integrated about museums, and the promotional means used within the sector requires heritage ‘product’ could be marketed within and outwith each area. further investigation. So too does the basis upon which information is provided in different languages and the effectiveness of the current directional and Comparable benefits will come too through strengthening the thematic approach in destination signage. While ‘word of mouth’ is seen as a key component in marketing museums. The obvious theme, allied to location, is that of local identity encouraging engagement, the sector is without a joined-up approach whereby – what defines the character of a place and distinguishes from another? Another this could be stimulated further. One way of doing so is through the development is to build upon the strengths of the collections held This is a natural extension of of ‘ambassadors’ within the museum Friends groups, for instance, and by actively what most independent museums, and some local authority-run museums (notably encouraging volunteers within museums. Lisburn Museum and Irish Linen Centre), focus upon. Some museums contributed to the NITB signature projects initiative, within which the themes where defined by Such work can only meaningfully be undertaken on a cross-sectoral basis. It both place and subject. would appear that the absence of this dimension in the marketing and promotion of Northern Ireland museums is a structural weakness, without which the existing Museums have begun to develop niche markets around the services they provide; fragmentation will remain, but if addressed could allow the sector to take a education and learning being the most apparent and arguably the most successful. significant developmental step forward. The recommendations that follow aim to Some are advertising their ‘secondary product’ – café facilities, weddings, address this weakness, enhance capacity across the sector and build upon the conferences and the like. Other have begun to look at providing services which significant progress that has been made to date. might be described as generally allied to heritage, rather than being specific to museums – genealogy being one. It is incumbent upon museums, particularly given the current economic climate, to fully examine the need, demand and benefits of enhancing the range of services provided. 8. Recommendations 74 Marketing Northern Ireland’s Museums 75

8. Recommendations Development

1. The Accreditation Scheme for museums in the UK requires museums The key objectives under this heading would be: to provide a Forward Plan, including a statement of purpose, key aims, specific objectives and a spending plan. It is recommended that museum _ establish a museum marketing group to bring forward a sectoral governing bodies make provision for the revitalisation of their buildings promotional campaign and displays within their Forward Plans. _ establish a museum exhibitions group to provide the strategic co-ordination of temporary and touring exhibitions 2. Given the developmental needs of the local museum sector, it is _ examine marketing activity across the broader cultural sector recommended that NIMC lead the delivery of a marketing and audience development strategy for the museum sector, to be advanced in _ the production of a marketing tool-kit for museums set around commonly conjunction with the museums and other partners. This strategy will agreed standards and including case studies of good practice and guidance have two principle components; the first consolidating current activity, on community engagement the second addressing key developmental requirements. _ enhance the degree to which digital technologies are used in the promotion of museums and the level of interpretation of collections on museum web Consolidation sites, especially for pre-visit engagement _ develop the opportunities for active involvement in museums The key objectives under this heading would be: through volunteering.

_ develop a common understanding of the respective responsibilities and activity of the various bodies involved in promoting museums and their programmes 3. It is recommended that the NIMC training programme is used to complement the proposed plan. _ revisit the audit of museums, extending the focus of the associated work to embrace intellectual as well as physical access 4. It is also recommended that NIMC targets its existing resources _ undertake an updated attitudes survey on local museums, with a focus and seeks additional funding which to pursue the objectives of on visitor service expectations. the proposed marketing plan. _ standardise the headline data to be captured about museum visitors and the methods of capture and evaluation _ examine the effectiveness of the directional signage to museums across Northern Ireland _ look at the possibility of achieving greater consistency in the opening hours of museums, mindful of public demand, conservation needs and the associated resource and staffing implications _ undertake a detailed examination of economic barriers to museum participation.

...the possibility of achieving greater consistency in the opening hours of museums, mindful of public demand, conservation needs and the associated resource and staffing implications

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