BACKUS-PAGE HOUSE: COMMUNITY POLICY
DATE CREATED: October 19, 2006
AUTHORITY: BOARD MOTION
REVISED: March 17, 2011
REVIEWED: September 18, 2014
This policy encompasses the museum in its entirety, its collections, exhibitions, education and
public programs, means of communication, willingness to form partnerships with others and
openness to the surrounding world. The goal of this policy is to define the parameters of such
cultural activities within the mandate and vision of the museum within a democratic institution
that is accessible to all, and while maintaining the museum's responsibility as steward of its
collection. The museum's cultural actions influence the image of the museum in giving it a
convivial and dynamic character, existing for the needs of people. This policy places the museum
in the service of the citizenry, seeking to enlarge its usual audience and building partnerships
within the community as a means to popularization and intellectual enrichment.
General Objectives:
The objectives of this policy are to orient the museum's broad cultural actions within the mission
and vision of the institution. More particularly to:
1. Develop diverse programming of an historic, artistic or community based nature
2. Favour the development of partnerships with the municipal, cultural, artistic, and social and
business communities on a local, regional, provincial, and national basis; such partnerships may
consist of written letters of agreement or contracts and other forms of agreement
3. Maintain a traditional audience base while improving the appeal of the museum to nontraditional visitors
4. Improve the visitor ship and awareness of the museum
5. Establish a close working relationship between exhibitions and community programming
6. Develop programming that is of an educative and entertaining nature
Characteristics of Cultural Actions:
* Can be of an historic, contemporary or artistic nature
* Consist of a diversity of types of activity and cultural expressions
* Demonstrate dynamism and innovation
* Make use of research of potential cultural partners, analysis of needs and expectations of the
community
* Involve focus groups in planning and development; involve volunteers in the planning and
realization of events and other museum activities
* Possess a potential for revenue generation and public appeal
* Occur within and outside the museum
* Consist of a balance of repeat and new activities
* Provide physical, economic and intellectual access
* Are available to the public through regular, posted and advertised hours
The Public Involved
The activities that flow from this policy will be diverse and will focus on a public that is both
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heterogeneous and with specific interests. The museum may undertake visitor studies through
surveys and/or focus group sessions in order to better understand the interests of both its visitors
and non-visitors. It will seek to evaluate its programming and cultural comportment in relation to
these groups. The museum will endeavour to reach a potential clientele that does not come to the
museum to view exhibits.
Partnerships
The museum works within an existing network of institutions, and cultural and community
organizations. The museum will seek to reinforce the existing network while expanding its
cultural reach to include other organizations and businesses. Such can occur in a variety of ways
and through various themes:
The museum: a place of cultural diffusion
On the one hand, the museum can be a place of cultural diffusion, a place to welcome different
cultural groups and artists who would like to present their cultural productions that have a
connection with museum programming;
The museum: a place of creation
On the other hand, the museum can itself be a place of creative activity, an organization that
conceives, produces and realizes its own cultural events and exhibitions. In this sense the
museum is a cultural producer.
The museum: a partner in cultural programming for external organizations
The participation of partners is essential and will take different forms according to the nature of
projects and agreements: financial participation, offer of services, collaboration on the
organization of activities, the participation of volunteers, etc. The museum will seek to position
itself as a sought after and beneficial partner within the local and regional cultural and heritage
community.
Financial Considerations:
This policy will be carried out with an objective of cost recovery and may be achieved through
user fees that are proportional to the costs of production, thorough research on the costs of
production including the financial participation of partners and participants, the involvement of
volunteers, and consideration for the potential interest of sponsors and government support
programs.
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