Inclusivity in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

This study examines to which extent key factors in Dutch cultural policy (creativity, inclusivity & life-long learning) are experienced in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen by 13 young inhabitants of Rotterdam Zuid. This study was initiated due to plans for a temporary museum in Rotterdam Zuid: Boijmans Op Zuid. Rotterdam Zuid is one of the problematic areas in the Netherlands in terms of its socio-cultural and socioeconomic characteristics. For example, this entails that its population has higher unemployment rates, lower incomes, and higher levels of criminality and social exclusion than in most regions of the Netherlands. The population in Rotterdam Zuid is ethnically and socio-culturally diverse, generally younger than elsewhere, and increasingly more socioeconomically disadvantaged than in the rest of the Netherlands. How do these inhabitants experience the museum and what do they foresee happening as a result of Boijmans Op Zuid? This study centralizes the perspective and experiences and desired museum visit outcomes of the participants. Furthermore, what are the personal outcomes for these visitors after their visit to Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen? For this research, members of the population of Rotterdam Zuid were invited to visit the museum. Through non-obtrusive observation and focus group discussions, participants shared their experiences and thoughts on the museum experience, and voiced their opinions on Boijmans Op Zuid. Participants pointed out that museum inclusivity should be increased and that Boijmans Op Zuid should be marketed for and shaped for the authentic population of Rotterdam Zuid if it wishes to attract this audience.