Celebrating Ten Years of Going Further

Through films, interviews, case studies and milestones this online advocacy story looks back at ten years of Going Further: The National Strategy for Scotland’s Museums and Galleries. The museum sector’s work during this time has been brought to life through the lens of the six aims of the national strategy and a timeline of key events. It demonstrates that museums and galleries have worked incredibly hard to be innovative, resilient, and collaborative spaces which to have responded to a range of challenges and opportunities.

The publication highlights how museums have found new ways to engage with their communities and build new partnerships and consider how to create inclusive and diverse spaces, whilst continuing to question collections, spaces, and practices, to ensure Scotland’s museums and galleries remain relevant and an inspiration to all.

Lucy Casot, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland, said:

“Going Further set out a compelling and inclusive vision for all museums and galleries across Scotland. Individuals and organisations have embraced the six aims of the national strategy by building bridges, breaking down barriers, and collaborating with partners in the museum sector and beyond.

“As we move towards the launch of a new national strategy in 2023, we’re confident that Scotland’s museums and galleries will continue to build on the progress of the past ten years. We will continue to ensure that Scotland’s museums and galleries are valued, connected, resilient, and thriving spaces“.

Looking ahead to the new strategy for Scotland’s museums and galleries, Zandra Yeaman, Curator of Discomfort at The Hunterian, said:

“The strategy going forward is a real opportunity for us to recognise that museums are social    justice spaces and can create the changes we desire within our society in Scotland today. We should really be looking at things from an ethical perspective, ensuring that the stories we tell around exhibitions and displays include the unvarnished truth and our uncomfortable histories”

Matthew Bellhouse Moran, Museum Director of HMS Unicorn said:

“The priorities for museums in general should be to ensure that their value is known by as wide an audience as possible. Looking ahead, we really need to think about how we will demonstrate our wider social value.”

Culture Minister Neil Gray said: “The Scottish Government welcomes Museum Galleries Scotland’s retrospective look at the successful delivery of Going Further over the last decade.

“These achievements detail the valuable contribution the museum sector has made to communities across the country and set the tone for the launch of the new national strategy in 2023.

“The Scottish Government is looking forward to working closely with Museums Galleries Scotland to support a sustainable environment that allows our museums and galleries to flourish in the years to come.”