This Index is displayed in Alphabetic order
Museums are complex living spaces catering for artists, audiences and stakeholders from a broad cross-section of the community. Historically, museums have often been non-inclusive and culturally unsafe environments. As institutions, museums have a history rooted in colonialism which sought to glorify empire and conquest over other lands, and have been complicit in the history of colonial violence, theft, trauma and exploitation.
In response to this history, it is the responsibility of museums to ensure that all individuals interfacing with the institution feel represented, culturally safe and have their needs met. Museums are being called on to make a commitment to connecting audiences with contemporary art and performance practices produced by artists across all intersections including First or Indigenous Peoples internationally, culturally and racially marginalised (CARM) people, trans, non-binary, LGBTQ+ and gender diverse people.
Diversity is a crucial cultural asset which provides necessary artistic and cultural skills, knowledge and resources, as well as increased artistic vibrancy and innovation to the arts and cultural sector. Museums are encouraged to ensure that diverse artists and practitioners are given equitable opportunity to develop, flourish and contribute through their contemporary choreographic practices, which leads to increased artistic innovation and excellence within the sector. In order to achieve this, museums must meaningfully engage with diverse communities to reduce obstacles to access and participation, as well as continually seek opportunities for meaningful inclusion and consultation. Consideration of a framework and/or set of protocols / principles for ethical engagement with diverse communities is key to the support of choreographic works and the people associated with their production across their full lifecycle, eg. from the commissioning phase, through to presentation, documentation and archiving.
Artists creating choreographic work informed by deep cultural engagement may require support from museums to ensure that their works can be explored and expressed in a culturally safe environment. For example, connecting appropriate internal staff members, if available, to facilitate culturally specific dialogue. Due to barriers such as racial discrimination, trans discrimination, marginalisation and/or historically problematic collecting practices and cultural representations in museums, some communities may find navigating the museum daunting or culturally unsafe. It is important that diverse artists feel comfortable to ask institutions for any cultural requirements to ensure the successful staging of a culturally focused work.
An important question central to creating, supporting, commissioning and participating in a new choreographic work is: What is the specific cultural protocol and legacy of this dance work as a specific artform? For example, museums need to be aware of the broader network and community which support and enable the creation of culturally focused works such as those made by First Peoples and Indigenous artists. The development of a work of this nature may rely heavily on the artist’s cultural and familial mentors, community, collaborators and peers for expert advice related to the development, presentation and transmission of a work. The time required to have these necessary interactions, as well as for an artist to integrate feedback and cultural advice, has to be factored into the ongoing development of the work. There may also be considerations regarding the limitations of sharing certain aspects of a work such as those which have culturally sensitive, sacred or restricted knowledges embedded in them. It is crucial that the museum remains open to shifting timelines, as well as expectations around a work which has shifting cultural permissions and protocols concerning the access, sharing and/or withholding of cultural knowledge. This knowledge / content restriction may apply to individuals within the artists' team, amongst museum staff, or within any promotional and public-facing material related to the work.
There may be deep spiritual or ancestral energies that performers and dancers may be interacting with when making a work, alongside cultural protocols relative to the Country where a choreographic worked is being presented. This also applies in any particular cultural context/ geography that informs the making of a work. Therefore, it is crucial to support the artists to feel safe to express and engage with these various aspects of a work, as well as for First or Indigenous Peoples, culturally and racially marginalised (CARM) people, trans, non-binary, LGBTQ+ and gender diverse staff in museums to feel safe and supported. It is also important to consider how museums acknowledge and pay respect to First or Indigenous Peoples lands and prioritise cultural protocols when facilitating choreographic works and welcoming diverse artists into the museum.
A fictional example of presenting the work of a First People or Indigenous artist in a museum.
A fictional example of presenting the work of a First People or Indigenous artist in a museum.
First Peoples: A Roadmap for Enhancing Indigenous Engagement in Museums and Galleries.
First Peoples: A Roadmap for Enhancing Indigenous Engagement in Museums and Galleries.
This protocol guide by Creative Australia encourages self-determination and helps build a strong and diverse Indigenous arts sector.
This protocol guide by Creative Australia encourages self-determination and helps build a strong and diverse Indigenous arts sector.
