Contest and Contemporary Society: Redefining Museums in the 21st Century Industry Symposium, Friday 28 November

Museums now exist in an academic, cultural and social context of contest and controversy. If museums are to continue to be relevant in contemporary society, a re-evaluation of the purposes of museums, exhibitions and programming is required. Therefore what potential roles can museums in the 21st century play in this new climate of contestation and as civic spaces?

The symposium, held in November, addressed this question through presenting the findings from the ARC funded international research project Exhibitions as Contested Sites - The Roles of Museums in Contemporary Society. Over 80 museum professionals, academics and students attended what was a stimulating and provocative day.

Proceedings from the Symposium have been published in the Open Museum Journal, Volume 8 special edition Contest and Contemporary Society: redefining museums in the 21st century. For further information contact Dr Fiona Cameron, University of Sydney.

Symposium Speakers

• Elaine Heumann Gurian
• Professor Graeme Davison, School of Historical Studies, Faculty of Arts, Monash University
• Associate Professor Chris Nash, Director, Australian Centre for Independent Journalism
• Dr J. Patrick Greene, Director, Museum Victoria
• Dr Andrea Witcomb, Research Institute for Cultural Heritage, Curtin University
• Dr Fiona Cameron, Research Fellow History, School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry, University of Sydney
• Linda Ferguson, Audience Advocate, Australian War Memorial, Canberra
• Lynda Kelly, Head, Australian Museum Audience Research Centre
• Dr Paul Tacon, Head, People and Place Research Centre, Australian Museum