Indian Museums need an overhaul....
but where to begin?

The participants of the Leadership Training Programme-II at the British Museum, UK in June 2013.

In 2012 and 2013, the Ministry of Culture, Govt of India initiated a training programme for in-service museum professionals in collaboration with the British Museum, UK which was coordinated by National Culture Fund, the organization that I work for now. This was a museum management and leadership programme which shifted the focus of museum professionals from being introvert organizations to visitor friendly centres of activity and fun.

This blog is an initiative not just on my behalf, but on behalf of nearly 40 museum professionals from all over India who have now decided to come together and make Indian museums exciting and popular for visitors. You can see some of them in the picture above.

Like all new initiatives, even this one should begin with a new idea, a new push and a new passion. I invite readers to come forward and identify some key areas in Indian museums where change is desirable.

I would love to begin with the basics. Do our museums have Adequate Public Amenities? Yes I know, we would love to talk about other mature issues- better design, Better lighting, complete digitization of collections, good captions, interpretation, public programmes etc but can we begin this again?!! can we start imagining museums from the visitor's perspective? what is it that they need?

We now have a powerful army of museum professionals spread all over India, ready to change our museums and this is the time to draw up a priority list on Public Amenities so that we can make them happen!

I am making a list of Ideal Public Amenities that are a must in Indian Museums- please help me make the list so that we can get on cracking!- Toilets? Cafe? Signage? Baby changing rooms? enough seating in galleries?..I know this doesn't sound like a museum but think Visitor Friendly!

Also tell me if your museum has these.. we could learn from each other, post a picture of your visitor friendly corner in your museum on this blog and we will celebrate it!

All views expressed in this space are personal and this blog does not hold copyright to any piece.