MUSEUM IRELAND 2019
Museums, Crisis and COVID-19: Initial Tracking of Museum Responses in Northern Ireland Stephanie Harper
Across Northern Ireland, the COVID-19 crisis
Ulster University researchers are leading Museums,
has brought about vast change to our domestic
Crisis and Covid-19: Vitality and Vulnerabilities, a
and working lives. The first lockdown period,
new project funded as part of the UK Research and
beginning in March 2020, and each further
Innovation (UKRI) £550 million COVID-19 rapid
lockdown period since, dramatically impacted
investment programme. This funding scheme is
the museum sector, including closures across the
enabling research that will help us understand and
region. During this time, the capacity of museums
mitigate the impact of the pandemic. Museums,
to change has been an important measure of
Crisis and Covid-19 is focusing on three areas:
their resilience. In many cases, the adaptation of
Museum Pedagogy and Practice, Digital Innovation
existing online platforms has enabled new forms
and the Museum, and Community Resilience at
of creative audience engagement and triggered the
a time of crisis. This article is the outcome of
rapid development of completely new approaches
initial tracking of how museums have responded
to programming. There are examples of museums
to the impact of COVID-19, covering the period
which have reassessed their collecting and
March 2020-January 2021. The activity of the
exhibition activities and revised their planned
sector is mapped for that period, but because the
outputs for new forms of learning, audience
full impact of COVID-19 is yet to be revealed, we
engagement and community outreach. In many
expect the picture to change again in the longer
cases, they have expanded their online provision,
term.
including through the digitisation and provision of online collections data, and providing virtual
New learning and engagement opportunities
learning activities and exhibitions.
online Between March 2020 and January 2021, when
Museum websites announced their closure online. This example is from North Down Museum. Credit: North Down Museum.
38
