“Planning Museum Collection Strategy with Collaborative Resource Sharing (A Case Study Workshop)” Tina Fortič Jakopič, National Museum of Contemporary History of Slovenia

This workshop will delve into the intricacies of collaborative resource sharing within various museum institutions, using a specific exhibition in the National Museum of Contemporary History of Slovenia as a case study. The exhibition, which was organised in partnership with multiple museums, heritage conservation, research, educational and NVO institutions, effectively integrated the programs of the museum with those of its partner institutions, showcasing the power of collaboration in enriching cultural experiences and in creating a museum collection strategy based on realistic work and finance conditions in museums. With partnerships that we established at the beginning of the exhibition project we stressed the responsibility of long-term safeguarding the cultural heritage by collaborative projects which envision this heritage material as truly their own. Within the project, collaborations were developed in the areas of art research and conservation, pedagogical and andragogic programs, PR and adaptation of programs for vulnerable groups. Moreover, by broadening the concept of purely art exhibition into an interdisciplinary exhibition we included not only other museums, professionals, and institutions in this project, but also attracted new audiences and positioned specific museum collections in the collective awareness of our visitors. With collaborative aspect of preparing the exhibition, we managed to present the war-time art of Tone Kralj in an intriguing and didactic way that reflects not only the artist’s work, but also the history of the second world war, the process of interpretation of artworks, the work of museum curators and in detail also the work of conservators. This exhibition concept proved to be specifically popular for visitors aged 14 to 18 (school groups). Through this case study, participants will gain insight into effective strategies of sharing resources, fostering partnerships, maximising long-term impact, engaging diverse audiences, and planning sustainable strategies for museum collections.