Museums communicate history in public spaces but their role in promoting cultural inclusion and diversity is gaining increasing recognition. At Lisburn Museum and the Irish Linen Centre, the project "Yours, Mine, and Ours" aimed to establish sustainable collaborative relationships with local migrant communities to explore cultural inclusion, belonging, and the value of museum learning. It was selected by the UKRI funded Centre for Cultural Value as one of five Collaborate  projects from over 200 applications across the UK. Led by Dr Colette Brownlee with Emma Breadon at Lisburn Museum and Dr Aisling O’Boyle at QUB, with support from QUB colleagues Prof Tony Gallagher, Prof Olwen Purdue, and  Dr. Min-Chen Liu, the project worked with two community partners; the Bulgarian Association of Northern Ireland and Shelter Northern Ireland Refugee Housing Support, who supported connections to further migrant groups. Through a shared authority approach (Brownlee, 2021), the project facilitated the creation of artworks for the museum’s permanent collection and it developed an Impact Toolkit for local museums to evaluate their impact and encourage them to better engage with their communities.

Collette and Aisling were interviewed by the Centre for Cultural Value about the Collaborate Research Fund,  which offered cultural practitioners an opportunity to embark on a research journey shaped by their needs. Their discussion is summarised here:

For Collete, this collaborative research is crucial for local museums where there has been a lack of research on the impact of museum learning in fostering cultural understanding. Using a shared authority approach means participants decide the direction of the project, and create unexpected, meaningful outcomes. For Aisling the importance of this type of research lies in its participatory and co-design priorities, which can, in itself, foster a sense of belonging for marginalized groups.

The long-term impact of this type of research is to see relationships sustain beyond the period of funded research projects. By building trust with communities, Lisburn Museum has created connections, ensuring that the project’s benefits extend far beyond its initial scope. A project celebration event scheduled for Summer 2024 went ahead amid the racist and xenophobic riots which were taking place around Northern Ireland. Despite the environs, it was through the summer event that further connections were made with more migrant groups. Listen and watch video extracts from that day here:

 

Demonstrating their commitment to stay involved, sustain relations, and build stronger community partnerships for the future, partners attended a follow-up event held at QUB in November.

The Project Report and Toolkit are available. If you would like to know more or get in touch about participating in future Yours, Mine, Ours events, please contact: Dr Aisling O’Boyle at a.oboyle@qub.ac.uk

References:

Brownlee, C. (2021). Museum education :  exploring its value for schoolchildren, teachers and museum professionals : a qualitative study. Thesis (Ed.D.) Queen’s University Belfast. Available at: https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/museum-education

Dr Aisling O'Boyle

School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work