Museums in face of the changes imposed by Covid-19

In this paper, I examine the changes encountered by museums during the COVID-19 pandemic. As in all affected countries and regions, museums in Milan and Lombardy were forced to close during the public health emergency, meaning that visitors could no longer physically access their spaces. Consequently, many museums began to reflect on their role, and to inquire whether and how they could restore the connection with their audiences and communities. After providing an overview of how museums in the Lombardy region responded to the crisis, I focus on a professional development course delivered by myself (a professor at the Department of Human Sciences and Education at Milano-Bicocca university) and a research fellow to a group of museum educators from Milan’s civic museums: the aim of the course was to elicit reflection on possible means of responding to the needs of the local community in the context of museum closures. The course involved observing various practices being implemented by Italian and international museums - and specifically those targeting children, including both livestreaming events and other online initiatives - and initiating equivalent actions in the participating museums’ own cultural fields. I outline the course format and the main ideas that emerged from it.