Citizens’ assemblies aim to make German museums more democratic

Two German museums have used citizens’ assemblies as a way of exploring how they can become more democratic and relevant institutions.

Bundeskunsthalle, an art gallery in Bonn, and SKD, a decorative arts museum in Dresden, held the events in autumn last year.

Each assembly comprised about 30 people who met over four days and were selected by lottery to be broadly representative of local communities.

Participants in both assemblies were asked how the Bundeskunsthalle and the SKD could “evolve to remain a relevant, welcoming, inclusive, and diverse public spaces that enable social dialogue on the most pressing issues of these rapidly changing times”.

A report with a list of the recommendations from the Bonn assembly at the Bundeskunsthalle was released earlier this month, while the Dresden report on SKD will be published on 16 May.

Recommendations for the Bundeskunsthalle included inclusivity training for staff, simpler jargon-free language in exhibitions, interactive exhibitions to engage visitors’ minds and bodies, co-creation projects and a permanent Citizens’ Assembly to advise the museum.

The assemblies were organised by DemocracyNext, which has a mission to shift political and legislative power to people. The organisation believes citizens’ assemblies should be central to a citizen-led democracy.

Claudia Chwalisz, the founder and CEO of DemocracyNext, said: “We hope that other cultural institutions across the world will be inspired by the Citizens’ Assemblies that took place in Bonn and Dresden, and more of them will try our new ways of directly and constructively involving the public in taking decisions that shape the future of these institutions.

“We are proud to have played a part in bringing about these very first Citizens’ Assemblies in the field of culture, with a mission to open up people’s imagination that another democratic future is possible in these times of democratic decline. Cultural institutions can lead the way and are central to bringing about that future.”

In the foreword to report on recommendations for the future of Bundeskunsthalle, its director Eva Kraus wrote: “Since its founding, it has been the wish and goal of the Bundeskunsthalle not only to convey art and culture, but also to be an active place for encounters. Now we continue to ask ourselves the question, how can we be such a place?

“In the future, we want to remain an openly accessible place that is relevant for many people, regardless of their origin or education, for a diverse society. We therefore decided to set up a citizens’ assembly. Our aim was to involve citizens in the further development of the gallery in order to learn from their suggestions and recommendations.

“With great commitment, perseverance and enthusiasm for discussion, the participants informed themselves, dealt with complex issues, discussed and drafted recommendations on how the Bundeskunsthalle can become a welcoming place for everyone.”

Both assemblies were set in the wider context of questions raised during the past few decades of turmoil in democratic processes and institutions, according to DemocracyNext.

These questions included: “What could new democratic institutions look like, if we started by asking what is the best way of taking collective public decisions? What would new democratic spaces - both physical and virtual - look like to help fulfil these principles of genuine equality and inclusion?”

The assemblies are being followed with exhibitions on the history and future of democracy that will open at both museums in the spring. These will showcase historic artefacts such as ballots and posters, as well as exploring how democracy is changing.