Audience Development and Community Engagement

August 2024-April 2025

The program was designed to support Grantham Community Heritage Association (GCHA) in reimagining and revitalizing Grantham Museum’s role within the local community. With the support of the Art Fund’s ‘Reimagine’ programme, Historic England, and the Grantham High Street Heritage Action Zone, this project marked the first phase in a longer-term strategy leading up to the museum’s centenary celebrations in 2026. The initiative aimed to address challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, such as reduced volunteer numbers, decreased visitor engagement, and lost income, while repositioning the museum as a vibrant, community-led cultural hub.

 

As part of the project, our first step was to conduct a comprehensive community survey to better understand gaps in audience demographics, public perceptions of the museum, expectations from visitors, and the underlying reasons why some community members were not engaging with the museum. The insights gathered from this research were carefully analysed and directly informed the development of a tailored Community Engagement Plan.

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A key priority was ensuring that all initiatives introduced were sustainable and could be carried forward by the museum’s volunteer-led team. With that in mind, we focused on building strong relationships with existing volunteers while also recruiting new ones to expand the museum’s capacity and reach. In collaboration with the team, we developed and launched a full programme of talks, offering the public a series of engaging events tied to the museum’s themes and collections.

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We also introduced a new membership scheme to help cultivate a base of active supporters. This included benefits such as discounted access to events, including talks and special exhibition previews. To strengthen ongoing communication and engagement, we implemented email marketing as a new channel to share news, events, and updates with the community.

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In addition, we partnered with a local business to relaunch the museum’s website, focusing on improved content, clearer navigation, and more compelling storytelling to enhance its appeal to a broader audience. Finally, we worked with the trustees to devise a structured set of 1-, 3-, and 5-year strategic goals, ensuring all plans were realistic, measurable, and aligned with the museum’s long-term vision for growth and inclusivity.

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Ultimately, this project set the foundation for a more dynamic, accessible, and inclusive museum — one that reflects the rich diversity and heritage of Grantham and actively involves the community in shaping its future.