#MUSEUMHOUR TAKES ON ETHICAL SPONSORSHIP

From Culture Unstained, 3.5.18:

On Monday night, we guest hosted #MuseumHour, a weekly Twitter discussion for the museums sector ‘to ask the unsayable and think the unthinkable’.

Taking our lead from Arts Professional’s recent survey on ethical sponsorship, we asked a series of related questions, including several suggested by one of AP’s editors. The heated and lively debate included contributions from curators, consultants, front of house staff, researchers and activists, often with side-threads of discussion popping up. Some participants even picked up conversations the following morning!

Over the course of the discussion, many agreed that:

Acting ethically on sponsorship is the best way to reduce related reputational risks
Ethical fundraising policies are a good thing and should be standard practice
All stakeholders, from directors to front of house staff, should be involved in developing a policy, and the public should be able to engage in the conversation
Larger museums with ‘unethical’ partnerships are often under less financial pressure than those smaller museums that demonstrate ethical best practice

While we can’t do justice to the breadth and richness of the whole debate, here is a tweet-filled run-down of how the discussion unfolded.

From the very start, we were into thought-provoking ethical questions…