Ontario Museum Association Baldwin Street ONTARIO’S MUSEUMS Toronto, ON MT L Tel: - - LOOKING AHEAD Toll-free: --OMA- TOWARDS A STRATEGIC VISION AND ACTION PLAN members.museumsontario.ca Join the conversation: facebook.com/museumsontario or tweet #ONmuseums For questions about Ontario’s Museums please contact [email protected]. LOOKING AHEAD TASK FORCE TAble of Contents Foreword � Executive Summary � The Vision & Action Plan � Next Steps �� Ontario’s Museums �� Embracing Change �� ����: The Strategic Vision �� Vibrant & Vital Museums �� For questions about this document please contact [email protected] Relevant & Meaningful Collections �� Ontario Museum Association �� Baldwin Street Toronto, ON M�T �L� Strong & Successful Sector �� Tel: ���-���-���� Toll-free: �-���-OMA-���� Effective & Collaborative Workforce �� members.museumsontario.ca Framework for an Action Plan �� Join the conversation: facebook.com/museumsontario or tweet #ONmuseums���� Description of Framework Components �� Research & Assessment �� Roles & Relationships �� The Action Plan �� Action Areas �� Join the Conversation �� The Looking Ahead Task Force and Ontario Museum Association gratefully acknowledge the many people and Appendix �: About Looking Ahead �� organizations, without whom our work would not have been possible. Acknowledgements �� Selected References �� Funding for this work was provided by: 4 5 To achieve this vision, we must be open to critical our hope that Ontario’s Museums ���� will and ongoing self-assessment. Furthermore, strongly position museums to partner with all Ontario’s museums need to work together levels of government, and to be increasingly strategically to advance the sector. Our group relevant to all Ontarians. believes a focus on sector capacity building is needed. This paper is a first step in that direction. Along with my colleagues, I would like to thank those who graciously gave of their time in Ontario’s Museums ���� suggests a framework interviews, completed surveys and participated — a strategic vision and action plan. A first in discussion groups. At last count, the number for museums in Ontario, we hope it serves as of people contributing to our work stands close a pathway, one that leads from the current to ���! discussion of stability and sustainability to a future of renewal and excellence. Ontario’s We welcome the continued role of Ontario’s museums and our partners in the development Discussions during the Looking Ahead Task Force meeting, January 2015 - Ontario Museum Association Museums ���� describes a process for concentrated actions in strategic areas to realize of this work. Please read this paper through to its long-term objectives and outcomes. We ask end, then reach out with comments. All feedback These are amazing times — an era filled with Ontario’s museums are unique public institutions. museums and our partners to carefully consider will be considered in finalizing the vision and rapid growth and changing economic, cultural Most are stewards of collections, caring for this information, to engage with the process, action plan. With your participation, Ontario’s and social realities. Faced with these changes, objects that represent our world and our place and to provide feedback to help strengthen final Museums ���� will represent a bold, sector- our group of museum professionals — supported within it. These collections and the information results. led vision with robust actions that will position D by the Ontario Museum Association (OMA) — associated with them — their stories — underpin Ontario’s museums for future success. has come together to consider future directions. museums’ role as knowledge institutions. This is an opportune time for these discussions, Yves Théoret Known as the Looking Ahead Task Force, our Ontario’s museums connect people to objects, to as the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport group has worked to create Ontario’s Museums information, and to ideas. Yet museums are about develops its new Ontario Culture Strategy. It is Task Force Chair, OMA President OR ���� — a plan to foster a strong, united and more than preservation, and they do more than relevant museum sector for Ontarians. provide access to information. W Our group’s work has considered key sector issues Museums use information to advance knowledge and current conditions. We’ve studied widespread and help create meaning — both on a personal impacts of demographic changes, advances in level and for the benefit of society. The best of digital technology, environmental concerns, and museums facilitate conversation — in some cases slow economic growth. We’ve also considered they smooth the progress of respectful dialogue Looking Ahead Task Force ore the prevailing political environment of fiscal on difficult issues. As welcoming places, museums prudence and accountability, and the increasing foster discussion of values; they help build Karen Bachmann Xerxes Mazda, ���� F competition from both within and outside the social cohesion. These institutions create civic Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre Royal Ontario Museum (to September ����), museum sector for limited government and engagement and cultivate innovative thinking — Carolyn Bell Farrell National Museums Scotland (present) philanthropic funds. Many of Ontario’s museums a service that’s critical today in meeting societal MacLaren Art Centre Cathy Molloy are addressing significant operational pressures, challenges. And finally, museums act as agents Marty Brent Markham Museum while at the same time struggling to demonstrate that shape and support community identity and Peel Art Gallery, Museums & Archives Bill Poole their economic value and social relevance. quality of life. Janet Carding, ����-���� Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery Royal Ontario Museum (to March ����), Michael Rikley-Lancaster As a Task Force, we have asked ourselves to Ontario’s Museums ���� presents a vision of Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (present) Mississippi Valley Textile Museum be bold in considering this information, and to museums as organizations embedded in their embrace a mindset open to new and innovative communities — on local, provincial, national Diane Imrie Paul Robertson Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame City of Kingston approaches. Although these challenges are and international scales. It embraces a future in difficult and complex, we see opportunities to which Ontario’s museums have achieved their full Ian Kerr-Wilson Yves Théoret, Task Force Chair fully realize the role of Ontario’s museums as potential as organizations that better people’s City of Hamilton National Gallery of Canada (to August ����), important agents of social development. lives. Guy Labine Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (present) Science North 6 7 Ontario’s museum sector is in a state of flux. It faces The findings indicate a desire for new ways of working the challenges and realities of the ��st century, including to build greater public relevancy for Ontario’s museums. massive economic, cultural and social change. Standing Arguments were made for substantive and meaningful on the cusp of change, Ontario’s museums are now change — change that will lead to a repositioning of presented with a critical opportunity — to embrace museums as powerhouse institutions contributing to a meaningful public role, and to welcome a shift strong societies and economies. toward knowledge-based economies built on creative industries, skills and innovation. Important results of the Looking Ahead Initiative include this report’s proposed vision for a sector-led With this in mind, Ontario’s museum sector seized the transformation, as well as the suggested action plan occasion for a critical review, as well as a substantive to achieve that vision. Implementation and success will rethink of current museum operations. For the first require the participation of governments, individual time, museum leaders came together to discuss museums, and the Ontario Museum Association, as the potential of Ontario’s museums and to consider well as a reconsideration of roles and responsibilities. strategic directions. Over the past year, this group, known as the Looking The Vision & Action Plan Ahead Task Force, worked closely with the Ontario makes the argument for Museum Association (OMA). Titled the Looking Ontario’s Museums ���� change. Museums can no longer argue public benefit Ahead Initiative, the project established three long-term based solely on their collection and preservation roles. outcomes: Fundamentally, the group believes the emphasis • Informed relevant museum strategies for Ontarians moving forward must be on social impact. This that foster accessibility and participation repositioning reflects current understandings in the • Improved sector capacity and communication profession. It also clarifies the sector’s “offer” in this • Improved sector accountability and transparency highly competitive market, by clearly linking outcomes to core responsibilities — museums provide essential Initial work focused on research to: public services that better people’s lives. • Identify sector successes and challenges. • Determine the current profile of the museum sector in Ontario. • Study innovative approaches from the broader museum sector and cultural sector. This research, or evidence, supported the discussion of future directions, which was also informed by a broad consultation process, including: • Input and feedback from museum professionals, volunteers and stakeholders through ���