UK and Russia discuss new museum management technologies
MuseON forum, part of the UK – Russia Year of Culture, showcases UK expertise in the museums and visitor attraction sector.
A forum “MuseON: new technologies and trends in the development of museums and attractions in the UK and Russia” took place in St. Petersburg and Moscow from 3 to 6 March 2014. This was one of the major events of the UK – Russia Year of Culture official program.
Opportunities in Russian experience industry
Russian museums are struggling to keep up pace with the rapidly changing environment and new trends in museum technologies. There are a significant number of problems affecting the industry. These include:
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lack of public and private funds in the deteriorating economic conditions
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people reluctant to work in the sector
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no incentives to develop and train new museum specialists
Still, every year more and more Russians as well as visitors from abroad come to Russian 2500+ museums, this figure standing at 80 million guests in 2013.
Some of the opportunities in the sector include:
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developing cooperation in digital solutions
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introduction of new technologies in museum management
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exports of design and other creative services
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joint exhibitions projects with Russian museums
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consulting on designing a more user-friendly museum environments and interactive communications with guests
MuseON forum
The forum became a platform for:
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collaboration between the UK and Russian museum communities
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discussion of current issues in museum management
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and showcasing the latest technologies and most innovative museum projects
The UK delegation was represented by 16 organisations, including such world-known museums as the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as companies providing services in museum design, branding and technology.
British experts shared their experience and best practices in museum management, audience engagement, and the use of innovative technologies during:
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panel discussions
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presentations
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individual meetings with representatives of the museum communities in St. Petersburg and Moscow
The organisers and partners of the forum included:
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UK Trade & Investment (UKTI)
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British Council
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British Embassy in Moscow
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Committee for Culture of St. Petersburg
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the State Russian Museum
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the Museum of Moscow
The Forum gathered over 300 attendees – representatives of major national museums, government officials, heads of public organisations.
UK expertise
The UK is a recognised leader in the museums and attractions sector. There are more than 2,500 museums in the UK, and over 40 million people visit these annually. According to the ranking published by Art Newspaper, 3 of the 5 most visited museums in the world are located in the UK.
The head of UK delegation, Jonathan Robson of UKTI London noted:
“In UKTI we’re covering the experience economy, including museums, attractions, theme parks and live performances. We seek broader international cooperation with our British partners keen to share their expertise and export services all over the world. Further information is to be found on our guide to the UK’s creative excellence in visitor attractions http://experienceuk.org/”.
UK-Russia Year of Culture 2014
The UK-Russia Year of Culture 2014 is a celebration of what is world-class in both nation’s culture heritage. Agreement, under which unprecedented number of cultural projects will be implemented, was approved and signed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs William Hague and Sergei Lavrov in the spring of 2013.
The major goals of the Year of Culture are:
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to foster cultural exchange
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to increase the flow of ideas
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to develop stronger relationships between Russia and UK
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to showcase what’s best in the countries culture
Scale and number of events related to the arts, education and English language learning during cross year, demonstrate the significant step that has been made towards strengthening cultural ties between the two countries.
The program, developed by the British Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, includes more than 500 cultural and educational events both in Russia and in Great Britain from January to December 2014. Calendar of events and additional information are available on the official website of the UK-Russia Year of Culture 2014 ukrussia2014.ru.
Contacts
If you have any questions about business opportunities and forthcoming events in Russia please contact UKTI’s team:
Rufina Baybulatova
Tel +7(495) 956 7312