Speaking Museum: Finding New Ways to Engage Younger Audiences

11:20 – 12:20 (May 22)
Moscow Museum
Lecture Hall

#museum_and_education
#museum_and_children

Panel Discussion

The new generation is living in a digital environment from an early age. Their usual companions are gadgets and the Internet. It is natural for young people to communicate in messengers, to learn about the world from news feeds, and their view of culture and ways of perceiving information are very different from those of previous generations.

For the museum, meeting with such a visitor is a kind of a test of its ability to maintain its status in a rapidly changing world. The audience of young people is actively interested in culture and art, but it is not easy to work with them: they are sensitive to instruction, tired of templates and do not tolerate boredom.

Instead of studying and attentive dialogue with young people, museums often choose one of the opposite paths: entertain to please, or continue to use traditional formats of interaction.

• How has the perception of the museum changed in recent years and has the emotional engagement of young visitors increased?
• What helps young people feel ‘at home’ in the museum?

Is it necessary to develop a special product for those who are used to scrolling and swiping rather than studying and looking?

• How to find a balance between the needs of the youth community and the museum's objectives?

Moderator:
Alexandra Zakharova, Manager, HSE MUSEUMS LAB; Graduate of the Journalism Program, National Research University Higher School of Economics

Speakers:
Jihan Atef, Director-General, Coptic Museum
Maria Teresa Moya Malfavon, Director, Diego Rivera Museum (Mexico)
Cholpon Tentieva, Art Historian, Expert in Cultural Heritage and Creative Industries, Gallery Director