THE ROLE OF MUSEUMS IN CREATING SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS

This paper examines various ways art museums can engage with diverse communities and broaden their audiences in the 21st century by foregrounding Paulo Freire's concept of dialogical pedagogy. Drawing on the theoretical framework of critical pedagogy, it maps these ways onto current museum practice in relation to notions of identity, power, collaboration, conflict and risk. The author further explores how museums can transform institutional culture to engage social change initiatives through building innovative and long-term relationships with diverse community partners. Ultimately, this paper emphasizes the immense potential and challenges for sustainable collaborations with community groups if undertaken in a way that grants participatory practice, as well as shared authority to everyone involved.