Museums Galleries Australia Conference 2017: The Rubber hits the Road on the MGA Indigenous Roadmap!

It’s official! We had our first public forum about the project we are working on with Museums Galleries Australia (MGA). The MGA Indigenous Roadmap Project aims to review what’s been happening in the sector in Indigenous engagement and Indigenous employment. We will then prepare a 10-Year Roadmap for the future, and also review the principles document which is currently called Continuing Cultures: Ongoing Responsibilities.

The MGA conference was held in Brisbane on 13-17 May. There were delegates attending from museums and galleries all around Australia and some internationally. On Monday, Terri conducted a workshop to seek feedback from interested delegates. About 50 people attended this session. It was a chance for interested people to have an input at the beginning of the project. We were grateful to hear the ideas from the floor.

We are looking forward with consulting with the Indigenous community and museums and galleries. The feedback coming from communities and the museums and galleries will help build the Roadmap. We will ask for feedback through surveys, submissions and workshops.

If you have thoughts about Indigenous engagement and employment in the museums and galleries sector please head over to mgaindigenousroadmap.com.au where we will be posting the submissions portal and survey soon.

Frank Howarth, former national President of Museums Galleries Australia said, “One of the first things that struck me about going into a museum or gallery, I am really aware that I am hearing, generally a white curators view about someone else’s culture. I would really hope, in 10 years time, I will be going into a museum where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can tell their own story .”

Terri Janke and Alex Marsden (Museums Galleries Australia, National Director)

#MGA