Meeting the audience challenge in the ‘Age of Participation’

This paper explores the nature of a ‘participatory museum experience’ targeted at twenty-first century core audiences. It highlights the holistic nature of the museum visit; emphasises the importance of matching lifestyle expectations; argues for the central role of social interaction; prioritises the process of learning over outcomes; and both defines participatory exhibits and provides a preliminary typology. It concludes with a brief discussion of the root and branch transformation of museum structures implied by a participatory, social interaction-based approach.