Welsh museums and the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act September 2018 Welsh museums meeting the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act goals 2 Museums can help Wales shape its future Sophie Howe, the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, on the role museums play Welsh museums are already Museums and galleries are However, there is much more decrease in levels of young doing so much to support offering support for people to do and I hope that all the people attending an arts event the integrated goals of the with dementia, providing museums and galleries in once a year or more. How can Future Generations Act, as the opportunities for people to Wales take inspiration from the culture sector do more to examples on the following volunteer, offering training the efforts of the six museums involve young people in the pages show. Across the sector, and education, getting showcased here. They have arts and make it relevant to there is a huge amount of children and families worked together to focus on their lives and how can we good work going on, not just engaged, bringing different what they are already doing help our mainstream public through museums traditional communities together, and to meet the Wellbeing of services to see them as an role as guardians of our past celebrating Welsh culture, Future Generations Act goals asset? but also in how they can help language and heritage. and to identify ways they us shape our future. could do more. If we are to make museums – places that are typically seen In keeping with the as places that house relics of “Here in Wales, we are sustainable development the past – relevant for the unique in being one of the principles, they are working future, we must be innovative few countries that include collaboratively and taking a in the ways we engage and long-term view. Encouragingly, inspire, and collaborate ‘cultural well-being’ in our many of the projects effectively with the public definition of sustainable have strong community sector; ensuring we are acting development.” participation and engagement today for a better tomorrow. – and many involve young Sophie Howe people. Engaging young people is a key challenge for the sector. The Arts Council of Wales’ 2016 Children’s Omnibus Survey showed a 5.8% Welsh museums and the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act 3 About this project Contents To engage and respond to the ambitious Future Generations Act goals, six 1. Introduction page 4 Welsh museums teamed up 2. What we did – the steps we took page 5 with the Happy Museum project to deepen their 3. Happy Museum thinking and the Future Generations Act page 6 understanding of the 4. An overview of how museums are already responding to the Act page 8 Act, review the ways in which they were already 5. Goal-by-goal – example of existing activities from the six museums page 9 responding to the goals, 6. Going to the next level – new projects focused on the seven goals page 24 and plan new activities and ways of working that would 7. What we learned – advice for other museums page 30 take their response to the 8. Useful links and resources page 31 next level. The aim is to make the goals integral to everything they do. “Working with the Happy “Ceredigion Museum plays “Museums across Wales have “Working with Happy Museum Museum has helped us to an essential role in our an important role to play in and other Welsh museums has This project was led by respond to the goals of the community, for the people delivering the Well-being helped me to focus and think Monmouthshire Museums Future Generations Act – it has who live here and for our many of Future Generations Act, more strategically about the Service, and supported given us a good framework for visitors. As this report shows, and this goes far beyond the Future Generations Act. It has by the Welsh Government responding to the Act.” the team at the museum – specific goal related to a made the goals real for me.” through an accreditation and their colleagues across thriving culture. Museums have support grant from the Wales – are bringing passion the potential to deliver against Federation of Museums and Carrie Canham, Ceredigion Karen Teasdale, Wrexham Museum and creativity to the task of all of the goals, as has been so Museum Art Galleries of Wales. The delivering the ambitious goals clearly demonstrated within other participant museums of the Wellbeing of Future this report.” are: Cardiff Story Museum, Generations Act.” Ceredigion Museum, Oriel Môn, Storiel and Wrexham Jason Thomas, Director, Culture, Sport and Tourism. Museum. Councillor Gareth Lloyd, Ceredigion County Council Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government Welsh museums meeting the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act goals 4 1. Introduction Since 2011, the Happy Three Welsh museums* had the lives and well-being of support grant from the “The most ambitious Museum project has long-standing involvement people here in Wales, today, Federation of Museums and piece of legislation that stimulated and supported with Happy Museum (HM) and for every tomorrow to Art Galleries of Wales. The the Welsh Government museum practice that – and saw the potential for come.” The commissioner other participant museums places wellbeing within an the learning from HM’s seven spoke of a “culture change” are: Cardiff Story Museum, has ever attempted. It will environmental and future- years of innovation and being need to address the Ceredigion Museum, Oriel require a fundamental shift facing frame, rethinking the experimentation to help other challenges of changing times. Môn, Storiel and Wrexham in how we seek to tackle role that museums can play in Welsh museums respond to County Borough Museum creating more resilient people, the ambitions of the Future The six Welsh museums and Archives. our biggest challenges as a teamed up with the Happy nation.” places and planet (more on Generations Act. page 6). Museum project to: “Supporting museums to The Act was described by achieve the Wellbeing Goals one minister as “the most • deepen their understanding is a key part of our grant ambitious piece of legislation of their Future Generations programme – and a great that the Welsh Government Act obligations; fit with HM principles,” said has ever attempted. It will • review the ways in John Marjoram, Development require a fundamental shift which they were already Officer for the Federation in how we seek to tackle responding to the goals, of Museums & Art Galleries our biggest challenges as a and; of Wales. “We hope that nation.” the evidence gained by the • plan new activities and participating museums will Future Generations embed ways of working be used by other museums in Commissioner for Wales, that would take their Wales.” Sophie Howe, said the act response to the next level. “is just what was needed to unsettle the status quo, ruffle This project was led by a few feathers, and bring Monmouthshire Museums public services back to the Service, and supported by the Welsh Government * Ceredigion Museum, Gwynedd Museum purpose they were set up for (now Storiel) and Monmouthshire’s in the first place – to improve through an accreditation Abergavenny Museum. Welsh museums meeting the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act goals 5 2. What we did – the steps we took Already long engaged in The Act and the existing work against the Act’s communities. Details of the responding to the Wellbeing Happy Museum goals and the HM principles, new projects focused on the of Future Generations Act detailing the programmes and Act’s goals can be found on goals, the six museums sought principles activities they already offer, page 24. fresh impetus and insights The project kicked off with as well as the opportunities through this partnership a workshop hosted by and challenges they face. Peer support – a with the Happy Museum Cardiff Story Museum where Examples of existing activities ‘community of project. The museums began from the six museums that representatives of the six practice’ by briefing the HM team museums and the Happy respond to the goals can be and sharing examples of Museum team explored what found on page 8. Throughout the project, each innovative practice linked to the goals mean for museums, museum benefitted from the the goals. and identified synergies New projects themed support and expertise of their In turn, the team worked with between the goals and the around the goals colleagues in other museums. the six museums to explore HM principles. The HM team They also had access to the Having reviewed their the Act through the lens of (and the three Welsh museums wider HM community of situation and current offering, the HM’s own principles. already involved in HM practice, with representatives the six museums each The aim was to develop a activities) shared examples of of some of the museums identified a new programme narrative from the museums’ innovative museum practice attending themed workshops of work that would fill a perspective on how to embed themed around wellbeing, during 2018 and a residential gap or boost their ability to the thinking behind the seven resilience and sustainability symposium bringing together respond to the goals. Several Future Generations Act goals, and community engagement. museum and cultural of the museums decided in order to meet the Act’s practitioners from across they wanted to focus on requirement for continuous Reviewing current the UK. new ways of evaluating improvement. activities the impact of their work Subsequent sessions saw against the goals, while each museum team work others chose ways to deepen separately (with support from their focus on wellbeing, Happy Museum) to review or their engagement with Welsh museums meeting the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act goals 6 3.