Any museum begins with a collection, and it should be original enough to attract visitors. You collect stones, toy frogs, old postcards and you have already accumulated so many of them that you would like to show them not only to your personal guests? So it's time to think about opening a private museum.
Instruction manual
1
Think about why you are planning to create a museum. The form of your future activities will depend on the goal. Perhaps you want to tell your countrymen and guests of your city about your values, show them interesting exhibits, tell the story of your places. Maybe you intend to create a like-minded club in the future. By the way, these two goals can come together. There is nothing wrong with making money - but then it should be a unique museum.
2
Choose a room. At first it could be a school class, a kindergarten group, a room in the office, or even in your apartment. An ideal property would be the property. It makes no difference - the first floor of a city house or your own summer cottage. It is desirable that the place was crowded. Otherwise, you have to take care of advertising. The room can also be rented, but in this case you will very much depend on the rent and on the mood of the owner of the building.
3
Decide who will work in your museum. There are small private museums where the owner is at the same time the director, and the main curator, and the guide, and the curator of the exhibitions. For a while, such an existence is possible. But inevitably there will come a time when it will be necessary to share responsibilities. The museum should have four to five employees. The main keeper must follow the exhibits, know what needs to be restored, what needs to be purchased to replenish the exposition. You may need both an accountant and a cleaning lady. It is unlikely that you can do all this on your own. It’s very good if your family members help you.
4
Decide on sources of financing and budget. If the museum is in an apartment or at your dacha, issues with utility bills are automatically resolved. In this case, you can save on cleaning, as you or your family members still do it. But some sums will be needed for the acquisition and restoration of exhibits, as well as for advertising. Think in advance where you will get them.
5
Decide how you will organize your excursions. The school and municipal museum has specific opening hours. In a private museum, located in an apartment or in the country, the system of work may be different. Tours must be arranged in advance by telephone with the guide. This is especially important if the museum is not on the main street, and sightseers come from far away and you need to meet them at the station.
6
Think of the types of activities that you will have in addition to excursions and exhibitions. It can be evenings, meetings with students, presentations and much more.
note
Better if you can find a permanent source of funding. Even at first, while you still do not have your own staff, you will need to maintain premises and replenish funds. If there is a businessman whose interests coincide with yours, this would be an ideal option.
It is very useful to prove the need to open a museum to the head of the culture department. If this succeeds, you will be able to get the premises on the basis of soft rent in any of the municipal buildings.
Useful advice
When creating a non-profit museum at the school, take care of the preparation of guides. Classes will have to be held with the history teacher. A senior student can be a curator of exhibitions, and even the main curator.
For the municipal museum you need the whole set of constituent documents. It is usually available in the department of culture.
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