IGF 2021 Day 0 Event #106 Museums in virtual space - education, dissemination and audiences for museums' online offer

The state of pandemic announced in Poland in March 2020 has compelled museums to redefine the rules of their day-to-day operation, thereby changing the forms of activity. Above all, however, the new situation has changed the way the digital world is perceived both by museums and by participants of culture as well – from an “extension” of traditional activities, the Internet has become the only platform for contact with cultural heritage and communication between the institution and the audiences.

Museums fulfil their tasks in different fields: educational, dissemination for reuse, as well as scientific research and popularisation. Despite the wide range and diversity of activities carried out in virtual space, they all have a common denominator: they strive to overcome limitations and broaden access to museum resources and achieve synergy through co-operation with other entities.

The panel will present the experience of Poland’s three leading museums, whose presentations will focus on the main problems as seen from the perspective of their projects. The presentations will be combined with an opportunity to experience the online tools offered by the museums.

Representatives of the museums’ digital offer recipients: educators, social media, creative industries and civic organisations will be invited to join the discussion that will follow the presentations. The digital evolution of museums will be discussed – the way the museums’ offer currently reaches or fails to reach different target groups, as well as the needs of recipients setting the directions, which the development of the museum offer should follow. The discussion should result in an evaluation of the effectiveness of museum activities today and a diagnosis of the needs of museum users on the Internet.