Reimagining the Royal BC Museum
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Overview
Who: The Royal BC Museum
What: Multi-phase engagement on the museum’s future
Where: Province-wide
Why: To reimagine the museum
How: Online, in-person
Engagement summary
We are looking to the future of the Royal BC Museum to reimagine your museum and archives. With your help, we can ensure people from all corners of the province feel welcomed, included, and represented through community connections, educational programs, and inclusive, thought-provoking experiences for everyone.
Updating our aging facilities and infrastructure is a critical part of reimagining the museum and archives, but so is rethinking our methods. Reimagining the museum requires fiscal responsibility, creativity, and the perspectives of all people in British Columbia.
What are we asking?
Based on the feedback received in Phase 1 of this process, Phase 2 focuses on 4 main themes:
- Building, spaces, and facilities: a physical and cultural space that welcomes and reflects all people in B.C.
- Indigenous Reconciliation and United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) implementation: collaborating on Indigenous representation in the museum’s exhibitions and institutional culture, and building on the repatriation and reconciliation processes
- Diversity and representation: ensuring all cultural and social perspectives are part of the future, with thoughtful and meaningful representation
- Inclusion and accessibility: making the museum, its facilities, and its programs more inclusive and accessible to all visitors
The first theme focuses on the museum’s primary site in Victoria. Experts recommend the current buildings hosting the museum, archives, collections, and IMAX Victoria be upgraded or replaced. The public will be asked to offer their thoughts on whether the current museum buildings should be replaced, renovated, or some combination of the two.
Ways to participate
- Complete the online survey
- Attend a Community Conversation
- Sign up for an Information Session
- Attend a Community Event
- Join an Interactive Tour
- Fill out a Comment Card in person at the museum
- Email your feedback to engage@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
By participating in one or more of these opportunities, you will be helping us and our diverse audiences envision the future of the Royal BC Museum together.
Who do we want to hear from?
We are asking everyone across B.C. to participate in all phases of public engagement. Your participation ensures that your voice will be heard.
We are making a special effort to have conversations and collect feedback from:
- First Nations, Urban Indigenous, Inuit, and Métis peoples
- Intercultural communities
- GLAM sector partners (galleries, libraries, archives and museum)
- Business partners and Chambers of Commerce
- Municipalities and regional districts across B.C.
- Post-secondary institutes and school districts
- 2SLGBTQIA+
- People with disabilities and / or accessibility needs
- People experiencing poverty and / or living on a limited income
- Rural and remote areas of B.C.
- Youth
Community engagement phases
Phase 2: Deeper engagement through consultation
Currently ongoing
Phase 2 is underway with deeper engagement throughout the province to encourage active participation, feedback, and collaboration from diverse voices and perspectives on the future of the Royal BC Museum and its experiences. This approach allows communities to share their history, current lived experiences, and stories. Through a collaborative process, we will explore the themes that were highlighted in the Phase 1 dialogue. We aim to listen to everyone and understand what matters to people in British Columbia and what will encourage and welcome everyone to be a part of a reimagined Royal BC Museum.
Phase 2 will conclude with a publicly available report of your feedback.
Phase 1
Completed
From January to May 2023, the Royal BC Museum facilitated dialogue sessions and gatherings across B.C. to inform participants and spark conversations within communities. These sessions were hosted in person at the museum and communities across the province, as well as virtually. Phase 1 focused on relationship building and providing information about the past, present, and future of the museum and archives. A survey was available through in-person kiosks and online. Through the survey, dialogue sessions, and gatherings we reached over 1,300 people in total.
In Phase 1, Royal BC Museum staff had the opportunity to connect with the general public, museum members and volunteers, the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) community, businesses and the tourism industry, First Nations and Métis communities, youth, educators, and students to hear a wide range of perspectives.
All of the feedback and information collected in Phase 1 was analyzed by staff and engagement consultants to inform Phase 2.
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