Citizens' jury unveils recommendations for the future of Birmingham’s museums at special launch event

• The initiative is the first of its kind for a UK museum

• The jury presented its recommendations at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum on 30 January

• The recommendations will inform Birmingham Museums’ wider transformation strategy.

The recommendations from an innovative initiative to reshape the future of Birmingham's museums by involving the city’s residents in decision-making have been unveiled at a special launch event held on 30 January.

The event at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum marked a key milestone in the work of the Birmingham Museums Citizens’ Jury, a group of people representing Birmingham’s diverse communities, who came together to help shape the direction of the city’s cultural heritage for years to come.

The Birmingham Museums Citizens’ Jury was commissioned by Birmingham Museums Trust and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.

The first of its kind in a UK museum, the jury gathered between September and November 2024 to answer the question: What does Birmingham need and want from its museums, both now and in the future, and how can Birmingham Museums Trust make these things happen?

The 26 jurors spent more than 30 hours engaged in learning and collaborative discussions, supported by the community interest company Shared Future, which culminated in a set of collective recommendations to inform the future direction for Birmingham’s museums.

The jurors identified and agreed four broad themes for their recommendations:

• funding and marketing
• attracting new audiences, accessibility and inclusivity
• community engagement and collaboration
• exploring diverse perspectives in museums.

A report detailing the process and the jury’s full set of recommendations is available on the Birmingham Museums Trust website.

This initiative is part of Birmingham Museums Trust’s Laying The Foundations project, a fundamental transformation of the trust to a resilient and financially sustainable organisation with the structure, culture, skilled workforce and audience insights to deliver its ambitious vision. The project has been funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players. A formal response to the jurors’ recommendations will be made by the trust in March 2025.

The jurors shared their insights and reflections at the launch event on 30 January with an audience of partners, funders, staff and volunteers. The event also provided the audience with an opportunity to engage with the jurors, to ask questions and hear directly from them about their experience of being involved in the process.

Speaking of their experience, the jurors made this collective statement:

“At the beginning of this process we didn’t know what to expect. Many of us haven’t been to a museum in a long time, we didn't know what Birmingham Museums Trust was about, and what it could mean to us. We were not engaged and did not feel close to our museums.

“As a result of the process, we feel more pride in our museums and the city. We heard a range of perspectives speaking on diverse topics that relate to how the industry works. As a group of different people with different lives we have different opinions, but have found consensus in our shared aspirations for Birmingham Museums Trust to thrive. We feel more connected to our museums and hopeful for their future. We have enjoyed being a part of this decision-making process and it has made us advocate for and promote our museums in our own communities.

“Our museums need to update how they are perceived in Birmingham and on a national stage. The re-opened Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is much more appealing, we hope to see this continued across the other sites and that the Trust makes sure the people are aware of the amazing things it has to offer and the process it has gone through.

“We acknowledge our museums are fighting for their survival; they must take risks in their bid to be inspiring, educating, engaging to all. It is important for our museums to involve and represent the communities they are responsible to, i.e. the people of Birmingham and they shouldn’t be precious about doing so. We deserve museums that are proud of us, that we can be proud of, that celebrate what’s unique about Birmingham.

“The voice of the museum is to some extent, the voice of the people, and we want everyone to hear us a mile coming.”

Zak Mensah and Sara Wajid, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust, said:

"This is a significant step forward for Birmingham Museums Trust and a new chapter in the city’s museums story. The Citizens' Jury has provided us with invaluable insights and a clear direction for the future of our museums, emphasizing the importance of creating spaces that are more inclusive, accessible and relevant to local communities, while reflecting the region’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.

“These recommendations will be a cornerstone in our transformation and will guide us as we work to make our museums more accessible, relevant and responsive to the needs of Birmingham’s diverse communities.”

“More widely, we hope that this thoughtful and collaborative process can serve as a model for how museums and cultural institutions across the UK and internationally can engage directly with their communities, ensuring that they remain connected to the people they serve.”