Developing a Caring Art Museum

Gillian Wolfe CBE

What is the function of a fine art museum? Some treat the museum as almost a hallowed place, somewhere to worship at the altar of man’s greatest achievements. Recently there has been much debate about the social role of the museum to fulfil its charitable purpose. What is that charitable purpose, apart from opening the doors to the public and conserving the collections? This richly illustrated talk will draw on both the origins of the museum in the UK and current multi-award winning programmes that rearticulate the purpose of a museum as a caring community, where people from every walk of life can find meaning. The evidence is that it’s not what you do but the way that you do it that matters. The examples given in the talk are transferable to any social endeavour.

Gillian - former Director of Learning and Public Affairs at Dulwich Picture Gallery, has received 29 awards and commendations in 30 years for bringing fine art and creativity into the lives of ordinary people and inspired the most challenging sections of the public. Her radical programmes set a new standard for UK museums and are now adopted across the museum sector. In devising a new concept of community relationships between the museum and society she developed a wide span of engagement equivalent to a social service. Her work makes bridges between arts, education, heritage, health, wellbeing, community and social issues. The Oxford University Institute of Ageing published This is Living based on five years research of her programme Good Times; Art for Older People and the award winning programme Prescription for Art, in conjunction with GP doctors surgeries

She is Specialist Adviser to the Clore Duffield Foundation, Trustee of Charleston House, Trustee of Brighton Pavilion and Museums, Trustee of Arts4Dementia, Advisor to the HHA, Chair of Public Education Committee RIBA and author of 8 books on art for children.