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Museums, Audiences and Communities

Key information

  • Module code:

    5AAIC007

  • Level:

    5

  • Semester:

      Autumn

  • Credit value:

    15

Module description

This module critically explores the questions: who are museums for? How do museums seek to engage with their audiences and communities? The module will consider how the relationship between museums and their publics has evolved over time. Attention will be paid to the recent call for museums to become more visitor-focused and how this has required significant changes in professional practice, including in the ways in which museums conceptualise and approach their publics. Students will be introduced to diverse terms such as "audience" and "communities" and associated theoretical debates, exploring the implications of their use. The module will offer students insights into how museums have understood their audiences by closely studying their behaviours, needs and preferences and distinguishing between their existing and potential audiences. We will also explore how museums have sought to diversify audiences through partnership work with differing communities including ethnic minorities, indigenous groups and specialist groups. The module will consider how the "community" differs from the "public" or "audience" and examine the opportunities and challenges that working with communities pose to museums.

Assessment details

Coursework weighted at 100% - 3,000-word Written Project

Educational aims & objectives

This module aims to: 

  • Critically examine who engages with museums, their collections, activities and programmes

  • Consider the differences between museums’ current and potential audiences

  • Introduce students to academic debates around the notion of “community”

  • Critically explore how museums have conceptualised and sought to be relevant for different communities

  • Examine the strengths and weaknesses of a focus on communities in museum work

  • Offer some insights into how museum audience research has been conducted and audience motivations and needs.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to demonstrate their ability to: 

  • Understand the museum as a public-facing institution that claims to exist for the benefit of its audiences

  • Consider how museums’ relationship with, and its approach to their publics has changed overtime.

  • Differentiate between key concepts such as visitors, audiences and communities

  • Critically assess the concept of “community” and discuss and evaluate differing approaches to community work in museums

  • Understand how museum audiences have been studied

Teaching pattern

Ten one-hour lectures and ten one-hour seminars

Subject areas

Department

Module description disclaimer

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Please note that the module descriptions above are related to the current academic year and are subject to change.