Humans have had collaborative DNA since prehistoric times<\/strong>: to hunt mammoths, to survive, men did so in groups. Today, in order to carry out our projects successfully, we need to work collaboratively, as a team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Museums<\/strong> there is a good tradition of collaborative work, especially for temporary exhibitions or the creation of collective catalogues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Talk “The collaborative DNA of Museums” in Jornada Coeli 2022<\/em>, hosted by Ateneu Barcelon\u00e8s (2\/6\/22). \u00a9Catherine G\u00f3mez<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the digital context, and as the pandemic has shown, collaboration has become more necessary than ever. Digital projects require fluid workflows and processes that represent a challenge for traditional hierarchies, meaning that teams have to collaborate across different departments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why collaborate? Because by collaborating we can do more and better. Multidisciplinary teams bring richness to projects. By collaborating we go further (and so do our collections). We are in the age of Co-: cooperate, collaborate, coordinate, co-organise, co-produce, co-create, co-manage. Knowledge is said to be the most valuable intangible, as such it needs to be shared so that it multiplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a digital environment, how do we define collaboration? From the Digital Administration<\/a> of the Generalitat of Catalonia they define it as such: \u201cIt is the dimension that addresses the ability <\/strong>to work in a team and in a collaborative way<\/strong> by generating synergies between people and taking advantage of the options offered by technologies\u201d. Digital transformation requires cross-cutting collaboration. Because it affects the WHOLE museum, everyone must participate and contribute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among the skills needed in the 21st century, among the so-called soft skills, collaboration is one of those highlighted. Ngaire Blankenberg, now director of one of the Smithsonian\u2019s museums, the National Museum of African Art, states in the Manual of Digital Planning<\/a><\/em>: “New skills in the digital age for all museum workers include communication and visual literacy, collaboration, agility and experimentation, problem solving, and knowledge sharing”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Commission<\/a> also highlights the importance of collaboration, among other skills, in building the digital future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to these conceptual arguments, in practice, the ability to collaborate is already a requirement in many museum job offers<\/strong>, especially in the Anglo-Saxon world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Regarding museum collections, they represent a dimension that transcends many boundaries and areas<\/strong>. We can establish multiple connections between different fields of knowledge and expertise based around the management of collections<\/strong>. Digital content, for example, covers online collections, catalogues and publications, virtual exhibitions, interactive museography in galleries, storytelling, etc. For all this, in order to build good narratives, collaboration is needed between the experts in the field of the museum – conservation, restoration, documentation, and research; and the experts in transmitting knowledge and building storytelling for multiple audiences – education, communication, marketing, and digital staff. This cross-cutting collaboration will result not only in a better way of working but, above all, in a better service to our visitors and users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But collaborating, as we all know, is not always easy. So if it’s so important and recognized, why is it so hard to collaborate?<\/strong> For sure, there are multiple reasons, I think the three main ones are attitude – closed mindedness, the lack of leadership and transparency and the lack of suitable tools. The results of a survey I did on LinkedIn in Catalan and on Twitter in English both coincide. The main reason is attitude, closed mindedness. Internal resistance, organizational culture is often the factor that slows down change, transformation (digital or not).<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be able to work well in collaboration, there are some conditions, some requirements<\/strong>. Some are of a personal nature, of the attitude of the people, others are of an organizational nature:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lecture at Jornada Coeli 22: https:\/\/www.museunacional.cat\/pdf\/JornadaCoeli22.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s look at three international examples<\/strong> of good internal collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the Rijksmuseum, they created 4 Agile working groups. Exhibitions, personal stories, Visitor Journey and digital innovation. The then director Taco Dibbits explained in an interview<\/a> that after a while they decided to open these groups to the whole museum so that everyone could participate and this empowered the teams and enriched the diversity of perspectives to face complex problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the Tate, some years ago now, they produced an experience of virtual reality recreating the studio of Modigiliani<\/a>. In the video it is interesting to hear the contributions of the different participants in the project and how the conservator highlighted this transversal work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.museunacional.cat\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022_Jornada_Coeli-62.jpg\")
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