Something I’ve been thinking about lately is stories.  No not intellectual novels (although I do love a good book!) but stories on Snapchat and Instagram.  I’m the first to admit I’m not a strong Snapchat user but Instagram I get.

However, since Instagram brought out Stories I’ve been trying to get my head around why… I mean yes I know it’s trying to compete with Snapchat but why do platforms feel the need to morph into it’s ‘competition’ instead of just letting it be? [Edit to add this article Snapchat is acquiring mobile search app Vurb for $110M+  Aug 15]

I took to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram today to ask the simple question:

What are your thoughts on @instagram Stories vs @Snapchat Stories? Do you use either? Trying to get more of an idea about them. Which do you prefer and why? #socialmedia

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Hi, my name’s Chris and I am a Pokémon addict.

If you’ve been out in any major city over the past week or so you will no doubt have noticed gangs of 20-30 year olds huddled round monuments, churches and landmarks, madly swiping at smartphones. No, gang culture isn’t on the rise (not to this extent anyway). It’s the return of a 20-year-old craze, which didn’t really go away properly. Pokémon is back and it’s taking over lives in the form of a new smarphone app from Nintendo and Niantic Labs.

Pokémon Go is a “real world adventure” which uses GPS and augmented reality to allow users to track down, catch and train their favourite little monsters in a bid to become the best trainer in the land. Although only available in a handful of countries at the moment, fans of the franchise have been using all means possible to obtain a copy of the game.

I am one of those fans.

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Credit Photograph: Oliver Wainwright/Guardian

Ok, I’m sure everyone at this point saw the sign with the article ”No sketching’: V&A signs betray everything the museum stands for‘ by Oliver Wainwright

I was with Mark Macleod (from The Infirmary Museum) and Silvia Filippini Fantoni (from the IMA) when Silvia first saw the picture but held off on sharing it until I read the article. I then tweeted it.

Hmmm

‘No sketching’: V&A signs betray everything museums stand for https://t.co/PLzPgyoAU2

— Mar Dixon (@MarDixon) April 22, 2016

And the storm was started. (See Storify here.)

First of all, as Oliver probably wanted, it was total click bait worth title but honestly many of the people responding didn’t read the whole article. I soon spent my day almost defending the Victoria and Albert as it turns out, it’s not the WHOLE of V&A being asked not to sketch, but instead a temporary exhibition.

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Full disclosure: I’m working on the social media for the ILoveMuseums.com campaign.

The concept behind the campaign is to get enough signatures on a petitions to show government that we care about museums and can’t afford any more cuts to funding and budgets and still survive. I Love Museums is a campaign led by the National Museum Directors’ Council with support from: Arts Council England, Association of Independent Museums, Culture24, Museums Association, The Art Fund, University Museums Group, Army Museums Ogilby Trust.

I Love Museums launched in June, after the elections with a day of trending and people worldwide filling in the statement #ILoveMuseums because _______. There were over 1200 signatures in one day.

Since then, not much.  We’ve have had people sharing visits with #ILoveMuseums but the support has seemed to wean off.

Last week I attended a debate at Parliament as MP Robert Jenrick asked for a ballot on Regional support for the arts.  I went representing I Love Museums to live tweet (see Storify here). The #artsfunding debate is similar to #ILoveMuseums:  stop the cuts and support museums and galleries outside of London as much as those in London.

Much of the public money that goes into the arts is channelled through Arts Council England (ACE), which receives a direct grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), as well as distributing Lottery grants. As part of the general squeeze on public finances, the last Parliament saw significant reductions in the funds set aside for the arts. Some people feel that ‘prestige’, London-based organisations – galleries and museums, theatre, opera and ballet companies, orchestras, etc – continue to get preferential treatment from funders.

With the launch of its investment plans for 2015-18 in July 2014, ACE signalled its determination to rectify historic imbalances between London and the rest of England. There were specific initiatives to build capacity outside London, to encourage cultural communities to grow and to encourage touring.

After struggling to get the I Love Museums petition to 1500 sign ups, I tweeted this morning:

Having a hard time understanding why there is such a struggle to get people to sign the @ILoveMuseums petition. Any ideas? #ILoveMuseums

— Mar Dixon (@MarDixon) July 19, 2015

Some of the answers:

@MarDixon Maybe not publicised enough? Maybe not grass roots enough? Maybe not sure what it is for? Maybe bigger thing better for petition?

— Alexandra Woodall (@alexwoodall) July 19, 2015

@MarDixon @ILoveMuseums could be lack a clear goal. Museums won’t close if I don’t sign the petition. There is no clear threat to fight for.

— Kippelboy (@Kippelboy) July 19, 2015

@MarDixon @ILoveMuseums will it make a difference? We had a petition of 2,180 for Bromley Museum and wrote to councillors/MPS made no impact

— Tincture Of Museum (@TinctureOfMuse) July 19, 2015

@MarDixon @ILoveMuseums Perversely, perhaps because it is positive? Many Internet petitions are based on language like “stop” or “ban”.

— Adrian Murphy (@acediscovery) July 19, 2015

@MarDixon@ILoveMuseums Because people don’t yet see a severe and immediate threat?

— Frieda Midgley (@Frieda_M) July 19, 2015

My question to you:  What can we do to get you to take #ILoveMuseums and the #ArtsFunding debate seriously?  Why do we constantly have to wait until we have a fight on our hands to show the love and respect we have for our culture? 

As a strong supporter of NHS, libraries, young people and more, I know how tiring it is to always seem like we’re signing one petition over the other.  I get it.  But I also get we can NOT stop letting our voices heard.  I Love Museums has the right partners and right people behind it – we just need the public to know this is about their access to culture for all! 

Actions:

• Please sign the petition
• Download the resources and share
• Find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr

Further Reading:

• I Love Museums website
• House of Common Library Regional support for the arts

Ok, I admit. I was mad/angry about the elections. Mad because I spent over a year trying to encourage people, young/old and everything in between to vote. Saying how important their vote was. Saying how valuable their opinion was. Then the Tories got in and it was like collectively we all threw the towel in – or the other extreme was we got our pitchforks at the ready.

Then I noticed that I actually didn’t know enough about those in office to have an opinion. Yes I know what social media was telling me but I had to stop and read things myself to get a bigger picture. And one thing I learned is I still don’t know but maybe, just maybe, we’re not dealing with the Devil here. Maybe we are dealing with people we need to work with to understand us. Naive maybe but really what is there to lose?

One thing that I do know is as a society we are incredibly incredibly strong. We are survivors. I have seen so many examples of those who have been going without helping those who don’t understand this new way of life. Bartering is common place with many communities. Do we prefer money? Absolutely! But we also get that our skills, our talents are worthy of more than just ‘green backs’. And in-kind (used appropriately) helps build stronger relationships.

I’m not advocating that no one should get paid – I’m advocating that we look to make positives changes while letting ‘those is power’ that we’re not going to being played a fool.

We’re creative (or so I’m told) so lets put the pitchforks down and be creative about our approach.   Let’s not be reactionary but strategic in working towards a sustainable plan/journey. Let’s include museums, theatres, NHS, libraries, etc because all these resources are important for our society – and not just the UK.

My sister recently reminded me that we were brought up (like so many) without much. But we didn’t know any better because my mom didn’t let us be defeatist. Even though we didn’t have much, we gave what we did have to those who had less. It’s about leaving the world a better place than when we got here. We can NOT do that if we’re fighting and bickering and claiming one resources is more valuable then the other.

via Darlene Cavalier to our mom on Mother’s Day

I don’t have many answers – but do know we need to change our anger and our negative words into positives actions. Sooner rather than later.

I’d also encourage everyone to follow @ILoveMuseums / I Love Museums if you’re not already.

#MuseumWeek
March 23-29 2015
7 days of 7 daily Hashtags – But what do each of them mean?

Monday – #secretsMW
Tuesday – #souvenirsMW
Wednesday – #architectureMW
Thursday – #inspirationMW
Friday – #FamilyMW
Saturday – #FavMW
Sunday – #PoseMW

Friday – #FamilyMW

‘View the museum through young people’s eyes.’

This hashtag is to showcase all the brilliant work being done by museums, educators, homeschoolers, etc in addition to providing a platform for families of all sizes to share their favourites related to museums/galleries visits.

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Prelude:
I started planning this event, well last year, but really in the past 3 months. I still worry no one will take part at first or get bored. Than closer to the event, I get all giddy with excitement like it’s Christmas!

This year is no different.

But here I am, technically the eve before and we have 41 countries and 634 museums signed up. I’ve been interviewed in 6 different languages (Wired.com article).  The sign up sheet continues to grow… [by end of play, 721 museums in 43 countries!]

Stats
I’m often asked why I do it as I don’t get paid.  The stats from LaMagnetica are why:

47,546 Tweets
13,000 DIFFERENT users

That is a HUGE community we have built together. How could I not do it? I’m seriously blown away by those numbers. These numbers represent the thirst from the #AskACurator Community for access to behind the scenes at museums/galleries.  The thirst for learning. The passion for our cultural sector. And most importantly, the yearning to share.

Please Note: LaMagnetica will be sharing the report and I”ll update this page when it’s done.

UPDATE:  I’ve a Feedback form and would love to hear your opinion Read the rest of this entry »

Straight after MuseumNext, I had to fly to Lisbon for a project.  By the time I got home from travelling for 10 days, all the Takeway and items I was going to talk about have been covered (and much more eloquently than I would have done!):

• Oonagh Murphy Museum Next 2013
• Claire Ross Museum Next
• Tony Butler A few reflections on social and tech innovation #museumnext 2013
• Andrew Lewis Ideas from Museumnext 2013
• Museumnext Collaborative document
• MuseumNext Tumblr of slides and more

So I went back to the MuseumNext program book to have another look to see if something different might jump out that hasn’t been covered… and there in the Welcome was the key.

If you’re like me, you probably missed the Welcome note from Jim.  In it, he describes the challenges he faced from his first MuseumNext 5 years ago.  Even with having a heavy hitter like Nina Simon the interest wasn’t there.  But soon it went International with the first brave delegate from the Netherlands.

And it has grown and grown ever since.

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My last post mentioned outreach in the community which led to discussions on Twitter from community groups themselves, and the cultural sector, including an insightful comment by Ian Jenkinson.

This also led to discussions on advocacy and the role advocates play in today’s word-of-mouth marketing.  This is not a new ethos, but with the use of social media advocates can provide a quicker more positive approach to bring in a wider range of diverse people

With this in mind, I thought it would be good to share a few suggestions on where to start:

Like all relationships, these things take time.  Some advocates already exist (Friends, Volunteers) while other relationships need to be built up.

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**Click here for Survey**

Last August 2011, I ran a simple survey called Does Social media work for Cultural Sector. At the time, I had no idea that Cultural 24 was working on their large scale research Let’s Get Real. Nor did I know what difference it was going to make (if any).

The results were intriguing and I mentioned I might run it again in a year.  Fast forward a year and a kind reminder by Ann that it was again time for the survey.

RT @ann_les: @MarDixon, hi! Have you carried out the same survey (http://www.mardixon.com/wordpress/2011/08/does-social-media-work-for-cultural-sector-survey/) this year?

Although I recognize that much has changed in the past year, I decided to leave all the questions the same as 2011.  I *really* want to ask more prying questions but realize that would skew results if we are to honestly compare the data from 2011 to 2012.

Like last year, it shouldn’t take much time to answer the questions and I’ll share all the results. There are 8 questions from 2011 with the option to add a comment in this years survey.

Please share this survey with everyone.

Does Social Media Work for the Cultural Sector 2012