New Museum Practice in Asia (Public Purpose and Engagement)

There is currently an explosion of museum and heritage activity across Asia, especially in China, where audience development and public education have been made a government priority area for museums. In some Asian countries such as Singapore and Korea public participation is already well established. As yet, this is little documented and reviewed for a wider audience in Asia and beyond. This practical handbook examines and critiques these developments and asks how best practice can match the specific needs of diverse Asian cultures and societies. Prioritizing, understanding and developing the relationship between museums and their users in cultural contexts that may, but often do not prioritize the public is a key challenge for Asian museum professionals at all levels, and for foreign partners of Asian museums also. Bringing together a range of regional examples of innovative practice and new initiatives, written by current practitioners, the book covers shared themes and challenges in museums, galleries, outreach/community projects and heritage sites across Asia.