Down to Earth. Social Media and Institutional Change

The Gemeentemuseum in The Hague is a museum for contemporary art and the applied arts. “Down To Earth” presents a case study of the museum’s recent project, a five-month survey, in which various staff members were interviewed about their knowledge, level of participation, attitude and opinion regarding new social media and community centered projects. Those interviewed included directors; curators; some collections workers, including restorers; some of those involved in documentation, in education, in exhibitions, in ICT; some marketing staff and some in public relations.The data collected was used to identify five different user types: lecturers; educators; presenters; interactors and connectors. On the basis of these types, a viable and differentiated approach to social media could be planned and put into practice. Central to this approach is a focus on the development of sustainable solutions that fit the museum and its staff. The paper shows how a rather traditional, conservative museum can create its own strategies for dealing with new media in this way.