Democracy Next: Museums Fit for Purpose: Groundbreaking Citizens’ Assemblies to Democratize Cultural Institutions in Germany

Democratic institutions need to evolve to remain relevant in rapidly changing times. This need was recognized by two major cultural institutions in Germany, Bundeskunsthalle and SKD, who sought to re-evaluate the relevance of cultural institutions in regards to their broader role in society. 

DemocracyNext and Design & Democracy collaborated on groundbreaking Citizens’ Assemblies, aiming to democratize the museum and bring in perspectives directly from the public. Each assembly, encompassing 30-35 people, was tasked with the question: “How should the institution evolve to remain a relevant, welcoming, inclusive, and diverse public space that enables social dialogue on the most pressing issues of these rapidly changing times?”. The deliberative processes resulted in two recommendations reports, one for each cultural institution, exploring ways to invigorate and enrich the programming for the sake of the communities they serve. Suggestions ranged from dedicated exhibitions for children, to inclusivity trainings for museum staff, more seating in exhibition halls, and the opportunity to vote for what kinds of exhibitions people would like to see. This first-of-its-kind initiative sparked a wave of interest across Europe, and several museums have started looking into establishing citizens’  assemblies of their own. 

Deliberate processes such as these enrich and reinvigorate the democratic space. Experiencing a Citizen‘s Assembly in real-time opens up ways forward for the institution as well as the Assembly Members, who experienced the museum as a place of self-empowerment. What is more, well-functioning museums contribute to healthy democracies, since going to museums and participating in cultural activities have the capacity to strengthen democracy and social cohesion, and does so independently of a person’s socio-economic background or education level.

To learn more about the initiative, visit Democracy Next’s website here: https://www.demnext.org/projects/democratising-cultural-institutions.