Fostering Participation of International Audiences in Programmes of Cultural Institutions: A Process, Based on the Example of the Museum of Warsaw

The humanitarian crisis that we have witnessed here in Poland since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has stirred up a discussion on how to reach out to people who have fled their homeland and how to provide assistance through cultural institutions. The phenomenon of migration is not new, but the recent conflict escalation in Ukraine and the resulting influx of vulnerable people in large numbers in a short period of time have been a catalyst for many initiatives. This is a new situation for Poland; as the country was not prepared for it on many levels, including competence training for the outreach workers. After the initial efforts of providing relief we are at the crossroads and we need to ask some fundamental questions. How can we, as a cultural institution contribute towards international audiences participating in our cultural scene and, ultimately, fostering their integration into our society? What do museums need to do in order for these processes to be initiated at all? How can museums and cultural institutions assist in initiating and supporting these processes? What experiences does the Museum of Warsaw have in working with an international audience?

The author of the text analyzes attitudes, programs and current initiatives based on her own experience of working in a cultural institution as well as looks at them from the perspective of initiators and partners of such processes at the Museum of Warsaw. The article will also address the course of such process. The author, looking for inspiration at the institutions with more experience in this type of activities, completed an internship at the Framer Framed organization in Amsterdam (as part of the Erasmus+ program). The Amsterdam perspective will also be discussed in the article.

The humanitarian crisis that we have witnessed here in Poland since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has stirred up a discussion on how to reach out to people who have fled their homeland and how to provide assistance through cultural institutions. The phenomenon of migration is not new, but the recent conflict escalation in Ukraine and the resulting influx of vulnerable people in large numbers in a short period of time have been a catalyst for many initiatives. This is a new situation for Poland; as the country was not prepared for it on many levels, including competence training for the outreach workers. After the initial efforts of providing relief we are at the crossroads and we need to ask some fundamental questions. How can we, as a cultural institution contribute towards international audiences participating in our cultural scene and, ultimately, fostering their integration into our society? What do museums need to do in order for these processes to be initiated at all? How can museums and cultural institutions assist in initiating and supporting these processes? What experiences does the Museum of Warsaw have in working with an international audience?

The author of the text analyzes attitudes, programs and current initiatives based on her own experience of working in a cultural institution as well as looks at them from the perspective of initiators and partners of such processes at the Museum of Warsaw. The article will also address the course of such process. The author, looking for inspiration at the institutions with more experience in this type of activities, completed an internship at the Framer Framed organization in Amsterdam (as part of the Erasmus+ program). The Amsterdam perspective will also be discussed in the article.