Bridget McKenzie, Flow Associates

Setting the scene Why be a Happy Museum?

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BUT, land use changes: •Deforestation •Intense farming•Extraction & fossil fuels•In short, ecocide

BUT, land use changes: •Deforestation •Intense farming•Extraction & fossil fuels•In short, ecocide

Root issue: Belief that wealth = wellbeing

LEADS TO growth of: •human population•Consumption & waste •unequal wealth

•NOT happiness

LEADS TO growth of: •human population•Consumption & waste •unequal wealth

•NOT happiness

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Leading to resource scarcity:•Oil•Water & food•Biodiversity

Leading to resource scarcity:•Oil•Water & food•Biodiversity

Spiralling of growth for wealth...

•Economic collapse•Social unrest•Conflict & war•NOT happiness•Wealth only for 1%

•Economic collapse•Social unrest•Conflict & war•NOT happiness•Wealth only for 1%

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INCREASES RESOURCE SCARCITY

INCREASES RESOURCE SCARCITY

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

LEADS TO•Sea level rise•Climate disruption

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

LEADS TO•Sea level rise•Climate disruption

GLOBAL WARMING!

DISASTERS•Coastal & fluvial floods & erosion•Severe storms •Drought•Forest fires & disease•Earthquakes•Pollution risks•Crop losses

DISASTERS•Coastal & fluvial floods & erosion•Severe storms •Drought•Forest fires & disease•Earthquakes•Pollution risks•Crop losses

MORE GLOBAL WARMINGFeedback effects. Plus, more damage to ecosystems = Yet more feedback effects.

MORE GLOBAL WARMINGFeedback effects. Plus, more damage to ecosystems = Yet more feedback effects.

IMPACTS ON HUMANS•Economic collapse•Migrations•Famine & disease•Conflict

IMPACTS ON HUMANS•Economic collapse•Migrations•Famine & disease•Conflict

IMPACTS ON BIODIVERSITY •Migrations•Habitat collapse•Risk of extinction to most vertebrates (includes humans)

IMPACTS ON BIODIVERSITY •Migrations•Habitat collapse•Risk of extinction to most vertebrates (includes humans)

Wealth-not-wellbeing is root of global warming

Quick note on planetary boundaries 1. Ozone layer (worse than thought)2. Biodiversity (safe boundary breached)3. Chemical dispersion (can’t quantify)4. Climate change (breached & impacts on others)5. Ocean acidification (40% acid)6. Freshwater consumption (bad but solvable)7. Land use change (on way to breached)8. Nitrogen/phosphorous (pretty bad)9. Atmospheric aerosol (can’t quantify)

So, in the false belief that destroying nature ensures human wellbeing by providing jobs, goods, and jobs to make more goods, we destroy the conditions for our own wellbeing and for all other forms of life*

*Except maybe ants...

Technical name: ‘Hairy crazy ant’

This crisis means that no museum can sustain itself, financially or ethically, without the thriving and wellbeing of global biodiversity (including humanity) somewhere in its mission*.

*Ideally, somewhere BIG in its mission

• Human flourishing• Prosperity without growth• Autonomy to act• Happiness not hedonism• Inspiring #occupywallstreet

Wellbeing: The Eudaimonia movement

•How the Museums for the Future toolkit can help you support this movement•You can find this toolkit on the Happy Museum website and on Renaissance South East pages•I’ll finish with three approaches of many from the toolkit

Museums for the Future toolkit

Use Museums for the Future toolkit

•Aim: For museums to be centres of sustainable communities•By Renaissance South East & Flow•The legacy of 8 pilot projects: museums in Kent, Surrey, Hants, E Sussex•Includes presentation, directories, evaluation & planning tools

Toolkit: 8 thematic pathways to suit your museum

1. Materials and things 2. Wellbeing3. Biodiversity stewardship4. Green your museum with people 5. Place-making and adaptation6. Energy and new technology7. Transition to sustainable economy8. Food, farming and horticulture

1. Show & tell the truth but give people space to feel sad and the tools to act

2. Engage cultural values or ‘deep frames’

The ‘Common Cause’ values model

People struggle to leap the gap from changing values to changing their actions

Museums for the Future 15

External influences: Crises,

Teachers, Examples

External influences: Crises,

Teachers, Examples

CHANGED VALUESCHANGED VALUES

Internal influences:

Fears/hopes, personality

Internal influences:

Fears/hopes, personality

CHANGED INTENTIONSCHANGED INTENTIONS

CHANGED ACTIONSCHANGED ACTIONS

The Value-Action GapThe Value-Action Gap

To help breach the value-action gap we need to learn why it’s there

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‘I can’t imagine what this future looks like’

‘I can’t imagine what this future looks like’

The Value-Action GapThe Value-Action Gap

External influences tell me

‘conform to social norms of

happiness’ & ‘doubt the

evidence of science’

External influences tell me

‘conform to social norms of

happiness’ & ‘doubt the

evidence of science’

Internal influences: ‘I’m

afraid to change. I may be

unhappy’Internal influences: ‘I’m

afraid to change. I may be

unhappy’

‘I can see logic of change but my values are long-held’

‘I can see logic of change but my values are long-held’

‘I need nudges, systems, peers to change my mind’

‘I need nudges, systems, peers to change my mind’

3. Change how you relate to communities •Mutual relationships towards wellbeing •Work with others to protect heritage beyond the museum •Expose & open your assets to help others tackle big challenges

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Define community openly while building museum as ‘home’ or local hub

If a ‘wellbeing not wealth’ mission means your museum must challenge the status quo, what might be the risks to your museum? How could you overcome the risks?

To conclude: My question

Toolkit available on Happy Museum website More about me on: www.flowassociates.com http://thelearningplanet.wordpress.com bridget.mckenzie@flowassociates.com