Motivating Visitors to Participate

• By Jenny Parker
• February 18, 2008

Visitor participation can be a transformative experience for both the museum goer and the museum itself. But as more museums invest these programs they also confront a nagging concern: What if no one actually participates?

Thankfully, in researching our most recent paper, Art of Storytelling, we here at Night Kitchen learned a few things about getting visitors on board.

Lesson No. 1: Don’t be coy. The idea of having visitors contribute - especially creatively - is a relatively new concept, and visitors need clear indications that their participation is welcomed and wanted. One recent program found that visitors tend to be more likely to participate when a curator is present and encouraging them to do so. In an assessment of this program, many visitors said they wanted clearer “permission” to participate. So make the invitation loud, clear — and make it repeatedly.

Lesson No. 2: Give them an audience. Visitors want an audience for their contributions. Having an audience is unique and otherwise unattainable, and being affiliated with an esteemed institution can a real draw for some. But the audience isn’t just about showcasing the Best. Most importantly, we found that being able to view others’ contributions helped inspire more visitors to participate. Like so many other things in life, people are more likely to go where others have gone before them.

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