Sustainable Pop Up
Sustainable Pop Up – Strategy development for new sustainable and activity-based pop up communication close to citizens
Museum Vestsjælland and Middelfart Museum start a new project in 2023-2025 on Sustainable Pop Up in collaboration with the Danish Palaces and Culture Agency
Background of the project
Museum Vestsjælland is leading the new project Sustainable Pop Up. We see a need for, and potential in, being present in “pop up” dissemination locally and outside the physical framework of the museums. In the project, we will rethink dissemination materials in an “upcycling” manner and develop methods and strategies to bring recycled and new dissemination into play locally and together with the citizens. The project will result in concrete activities in Nykøbing Sjælland and Middelfart. At the same time, a draft strategy plan will be developed that will benefit the entire museum sector.
The project covers the period 2023-2025.
Sustainable Pop Up
The project is mainly about ensuring sustainability in the way we communicate and exhibit. This must be ensured by an integrated approach to the following four sustainability parameters:
1. Cultural Sustainability: We seek to include diverse voices to emphasize cultural diversity.
2. Social sustainability: We seek to strengthen local communities.
3. Environmental sustainability: We aim for a low climate footprint in prioritizing the recycling of e.g. exhibition materials.
4. Economic sustainability: We will develop strategy with business models that ensure a good balance between goals and resources corresponding to the four sustainability criteria.
Contact
Jonas Abkjær Andersen, project manager
jaa@vestmuseum.dk
+45 2559 3851
Partners
- Museum West Zealand
- Middelfart Museum
- Odsherred Theater (external partner)
- Middelfart Municipality (external partner)
- Skjoldungernes Land National Park (advisory)
- The Øhavsmuseet (advisory)
What is new in the Sustainable Pop Up project?
What is new in the Sustainable Pop Up project is the combination of the pop up concept's focus on the accessible, the informal and the playful with the four sustainability perspectives: social, cultural, economic and environmental sustainability.
The project experimented with how these perspectives can be integrated into temporary and flexible dissemination formats in order to reach new target groups and create sustainable and engaging activities within pre-museum dissemination.
One of the significant internal results was an increased awareness in the museum organizations of the potential of thinking sustainability into all phases of the planning, execution and evaluation of dissemination initiatives.
One of the significant external results was that the museum organizations can attract new users, and previous non-users, through communication initiatives that appeal to both spontaneous, newly formed communities and already existing communities.
This is elaborated on below:
Activities and methods in Sustainable Pop Up
The Sustainable Pop Up project tested methods for communicating the museums' stories outside the traditional museum framework.
Museum Vestsjælland developed the concept "De 11 Porte", which engaged users through quizzes and interaction with objects in the urban space.
Middelfart Museum carried out activities such as "Memorial Bank" and "Souvenir Suitcase", which were adapted to local community centers and cultural centers.
All activities used recycled materials to reduce resource consumption.
The communication was aimed at both spontaneous meetings in the urban space and established communities such as associations and cultural institutions. The goal was to create easily accessible and flexible communication concepts.
Development and execution of the sustainable pop-up activities:
Facilitator Jeanette Rask Bertelsen was responsible for the activities in Nykøbing Sjælland and Ringsted (Museum Vestsjælland).
Facilitator Louise Nygård Jepsen was responsible for the activities around Middelfart (Middelfart Museum).
Successes
The project created new ways of communicating the museums' stories outside the museum buildings.
The activities attracted a wide audience and were positively received. Recycling of materials made the concept economically and environmentally sustainable.
Middelfart Museum built strong relationships with local cultural centers and community centers, which strengthened local communities.
Museum Vestsjælland demonstrated flexible communication formats that can be easily adapted to different contexts and target groups.
The project showed that pop-up communication can be an effective way to reach new users and promote local relevance.
Improvement opportunities
The project showed that short timeframes made it challenging to establish lasting collaborations with local actors, especially actors of a voluntary nature.
Several partners requested more time for planning and better coordination of expectations.
The visibility of the environmental sustainability measures was low among users and the museums can communicate environmental sustainability more clearly.
The anchoring of the activities in the local communities was limited for some of the initiatives, and future projects should focus on stronger relationships and longer-lasting partnerships.
Forward-looking perspectives for strategy development
The lessons learned from Sustainable Pop Up can be used by museums to develop strategies that integrate sustainability into all aspects of the presentation.
Strategies should focus on
- Long-term collaborations with local actors to ensure anchoring and relevance.
- Great focus on recycling materials in all stages of exhibition and dissemination initiatives.
- Flexible concepts that can be included as fixed or new elements to reduce resource draw.
- To develop programs that support social and cultural communities.
- Work with concrete goals for all four sustainability perspectives.
- Incorporate methods for evaluation and adjustment.
Results and experiences in Sustainable Pop Up
The Sustainable Pop Up project showed that activity-based dissemination outside the museum buildings can create greater accessibility and engagement for new and known users.
The activities were generally positively received by participants, who experienced them as present and relevant.
The users felt included and involved, especially in activities with a local history focus.
Social sustainability was strengthened through collaborations with local community centers and cultural centers, which provided opportunities to build relationships and support communities. Museum Vestsjælland's activities created spontaneous communities, while Middelfart Museum's activities had a greater lasting impact in the local communities they collaborated with.
Cultural sustainability was supported by incorporating local historical elements, making the communication relevant for both children and adults. The concepts were adapted to local needs and contexts.
Economic sustainability was ensured by using recycled materials as much as possible. This reduced costs and made the activities easy to repeat. This allowed for the creation of economically viable solutions.
Environmental sustainability was similarly achieved through the reuse of materials, reducing the need for new purchases. However, user awareness of the environmental initiatives was limited, requiring clearer communication going forward.
Transferability to the museum sector in general
The Sustainable Pop Up project has developed methods and concepts that can be adapted and used by other museums in Denmark.
Using recycled materials and flexible communication formats reduces costs and makes the activities easier to repeat in new contexts.
The approach can be used to reach target groups outside the museums' premises.
Experience with local collaborations shows that partnerships with cultural centres, associations and municipalities strengthen anchoring and reach wider target groups.
To ensure success, other museums should devote sufficient time to planning and setting expectations, especially in cooperation with external voluntary organizations and communities.
The models are particularly relevant for museums that want to combine sustainability with local relevance.
Sustainable Pop Up has received support from the Danish Agency for Palaces and Culture.
