Something Different: A pilot study evaluating family outreach ...

Something Different - Page 19 of 47
Tina [The community centre coordinator] asked me to. Well, she
didn’t ask me to, she said that the group was going today, and
[...] so I’ve come along to try it out.
Interview at Fitzwilliam Museum on Day of Visit - 9/2/10
This point was further developed later in the interview when Tina displayed a latent interest
in trying out new cultural experiences, but she indicates that she would not have initiated
such an experience on her own.
Interviewer Have you been to any other museums?
Tina No.
Interviewer Any interest in going to any others?
Tina No, but I’m hoping to try new things, so I wouldn’t say no.
Like today- but it’s not something I’d wake up and go, ‘oh,
let’s go to a museum’.
Interviewer But if somebody asked you, you might?
Tina Yes, I might go then.
Interview at Fitzwilliam Museum on Day of Visit - 9/2/10
The extract above offers crucial evidence of the latent interest in visiting cultural institutions
amongst those who have never previously visited such institutions. These results suggest the
importance of outreach programmes designed to provide a bridging experience for
individuals who might otherwise never enter a museum.
At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that not all participants were open to
visiting an art museum. ‘Rachel’- who has never been to an art museum- was the one
participant who indicated that she was unlikely to be persuaded to go to an art museum,
regardless of what was offered.
Interviewer Is there anything that would make it particularly appealing to
go for a visit? Like anything that would draw in?
Rachel Probably not, actually.
Interview at Community Centre Prior to Visit - 17/11/09
In Rachel’s case, her child’s health issues took precedence. Yet, even given her son’s ill
health, she indicated that she would consider going to the family outreach visit as can be seen
in the interview extract below.
Interviewer Do you think you might go [to the Fitzwilliam Museum with
the community group] next week?