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Australian Museum exhibition evaluation: Sea Country 1 Australian Museum Sea Country evaluation report Chris Lang February 2015

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Page 1: Australian Museum Sea Country evaluation report...Australian Museum exhibition evaluation: Sea Country 4Survey results 56% 17% 5% 6% 13% 3% Is this your first visit to the Australian

Australian Museum exhibition evaluation: Sea Country 1

Australian MuseumSea Country evaluation report Chris Lang February 2015

Page 2: Australian Museum Sea Country evaluation report...Australian Museum exhibition evaluation: Sea Country 4Survey results 56% 17% 5% 6% 13% 3% Is this your first visit to the Australian

Australian Museum exhibition evaluation: Sea Country 2

Table of Contents

> Introduction 3

> Survey Results 4

> Demographics 6

> Motivations 8

> Survey Results – Open-ended responses 9

> MAIN REASON for visiting the Sea Country exhibition 9

> What did you LIKE BEST about the Sea Country exhibition? 11

> What could be IMPROVED OR CHANGED in Sea Country? 13

> Is there anything else you’d like to share about Sea Country? 14

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Australian Museum exhibition evaluation: Sea Country 3

Introduction

80 face to face surveys were conducted from December 2014 to January 2015 of visitors to the new Sea Country

exhibition in IA Gallery West. The aim of this research was to contribute to the next phase of development of Sea

Country and IA Gallery East.

Although the survey focussed on Sea Country, some visitors went on to mention features located in IA Gallery East.

SUMMARY

• Visitors to Sea Country (and IA West) were more likely to include international and interstate tourists

than other exhibitions in the Museum; 42% of those surveyed lived outside of NSW. 56% of respondents

were first-time visitors to the Australian Museum.

• The main reasons for visiting the gallery were an interest in Australian history and indigenous culture, or

to see all of the galleries as part of a museum visit. Some people had a personal interest in the topic or had

seen it advertised elsewhere.

• Respondents enjoyed learning new information. The quality of artefacts, the amount and level of

information, and the ambience and layout of the exhibition were all rated highly.

• The inclusion of historical and contemporary artefacts was well received, although the distinction between

the two was not always clear. Both contemporary issues and pre-European information were seen as very

important.

• The content of touchscreens and video projections was sometimes unclear, and the gallery continued to be

difficult to locate in the Museum (this may be improved when entry is possible via the Barnett gallery). Up

to 30% of visitors didn’t use the touchscreens (possibly due to their height; children were seen to use them

more often).

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Australian Museum exhibition evaluation: Sea Country 4

Survey results

56%

17%

5%

6%

13%

3%

Is this your first visit to the Australian Museum?

Yes, it is my first visit – I have never been before

No, I have visited in the past 12 months

No, I last visited between 1 and 2 years ago

No, I last visited between 2 and 5 years ago

No, I last visited more than 5 years ago

Don’t know / Can’t remember

46%

40%

49%

55%

35%

48%

49%

55%

51%

60%

56%

73%

50%

53%

66%

20%

38%

30%

24%

49%

41%

41%

38%

43%

34%

39%

24%

46%

44%

34%

4%

14%

19%

5%

13%

11%

9%

5%

6%

5%

5%

4%

4%

4%

0%

30%

9%

3%

16%

4%

0%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

content of touchscreens

distinction between historical & contemporary artefacts

ability to locate the exhibition in the Museum

content of video projections

use of Aboriginal language

overall sound in the gallery

height of plinths/screens/labels

lighting & overhead projections

RANGE of artefacts & objects on display

ability to see and read text

layout / wayfinding

ambience and design

the level of information provided / ability to understand the text

the amount of text

QUALITY of artefacts & objects on display

On a scale of 0 to 10, what is your satisfaction with the following aspects of the exhibition? (0 = extremely dissatisfied, 10 = extremely 

satisfied)

9‐10

7‐8

0‐6

Can't Say

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Australian Museum exhibition evaluation: Sea Country 5

Liked most

• Note that some people mentioned that they enjoyed the inclusion of both historical and contemporary artefacts/information

• A number of people also mentioned aspects located in IA East, particularly the cave, and information on social justice and the “last” Tasmanians

75%

77%

80%

86%

87%

90%

95%

95%

97%

97%

13%

18%

13%

9%

5%

8%

1%

1%

0%

1%

13%

5%

8%

5%

8%

3%

4%

4%

3%

1%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

I know that what I learnt today will be useful to me

I learnt more about things I already knew

I saw things today that made me remember things I knew

I understand things from a different or new perspective

I am now curious to find out more

I will share what I learnt today with others

I was made to think of the importance of Australian indigenous culture

I will recommend the Sea Country exhibition to friends or colleagues

I learnt new things

I enjoyed what I learnt today

Do you agree or disagree with these statements: "As a result of my visit to the Aztecs exhibition . . . "

Agree

Disagree

Can't Say

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Australian Museum exhibition evaluation: Sea Country 6

DEMOGRAPHICS

-6%

-9%

-7%

-6%

-6%

4%

14%

20%

20%

7%

-40% -30% -20% -10% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

18-24

25-34

35-49

50-64

65+

Population Pyramid

Male %

Female %

38%33%

28% 24%

4%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Who did you visit with today? Tick all that apply

35%

51%

10%

0% 1% 1% 1%

11% 14%

5% 4%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Including yourself, how many people are in your group?

# adults # children

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An interactive map of respondent postcodes and locations is available here:

http://batchgeo.com/map/df47d271ea38ecb804a087c3d5fda7c9

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

coun

t

age (years)

Ages of children, if any

97%

3%

Are you of Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?

No

Yes, Aboriginal

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

2

2

3

3

3

5

37

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

WAUSA

ThailandKoreaJapan

GermanyFranceSpain

SAItalyUK

QLDChinaVIC

NSW

In which country/state do you live? (n=64)

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MOTIVATIONS

Note: The above graph represents a hierarchy in visitors’ depth of engagement where the simplest is as a social activity and the highest is as a spiritual experience.

0%

0%

1%

0%

3%

0%

0%

1%

15%

19%

11%

9%

8%

1%

33%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

o. Don’t know

n. To escape and to recharge my batteries

m. For peaceful, quiet contemplation

l. To stimulate my own creativity

k. To see beautiful things in an attractive setting

j. To see fascinating, awe‐inspiring things

i. For a strong sense of personal connection or identity

h. I have an academic or professional interest in a subject at the Museum

g. I have a personal interest in a subject at the Museum

f. To improve my own knowledge or experience of a subject at the Museum

e. To encourage children’s interest in a subject at the Museum

d. It is a nice place to spend time with my friends and family

c. It’s an enjoyable way to pass the time

b. I am drawn to interesting buildings and places

a. It’s an Australian / Sydney attraction / ‘must do’ activity

Which describes your MAIN reason for visiting the Australian Museum? Choose one only

1%

3%

46%

50%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Spiritual (l‐n)

Emotional (i‐k)

Intellectual (e‐h)

Social (a‐d)

Which describes your MAIN reason for visiting the Australian Museum? Choose one only

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Survey results – Open-ended responses What was your MAIN REASON for visiting the Sea Country exhibition? - Open-Ended Response

• Oldest museum in Australia (should be more rich in artefacts) • Passing through • Looking at the museum as a whole • Wanted to see everything • Coincidence, was on next to indigenous exhibit • Curious to see museum • Wanted to see whole museum, husband recommended it • Just checking out museum as a whole • Was in museum anyway • Visiting Museum • Wanted to see the whole museum • Walking around museum, wanted to see all spaces • Haven't seen this space before • To see the whole museum • Wanted to see the whole museum • Wanted to show comparison between Aztecs & Indigenous Australians • Particularly wanted to find out about indigenous Australians and the injustices • Interested in Aborigines and Australian culture • Australian history is interesting to me • Children's interest and parent's interest • Personal interest • Interested in the history & specifically British empire • Personal interest, comparison between PNG & Australia • Interest in indigenous people • To see more about Australian culture • To see new display • Personal interest • Personal interest • Specific interest in space & content • Personal interest • Treatment of aboriginal people • Staying nearby, wanted to see Aztec exhibit & sea country • Interested in Australian Museum & its contents. Wanted to learn more

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• Children's interest • Curiosity (children's interest) • Curiosity • Saw it when here • Saw it advertised • Touristy thing • Curious about the sea country • personal interest, archaeologist working with aboriginal stuff • Friend brought me here • Museum as a whole • Art teacher (photography) • Part of the museum • Museum interest • Part of the museum • Museum interest, wanted to see it all • Children’s interest • Aboriginal interest, see new space • Didn't have time last time when seeing Aztecs • In the museum at the time • Bring the kids to Aztecs • Visiting the museum • In the museum • Visiting museum • Aztecs & children (family outing) • Visit museum • Advised by YHA to come to the museum • Visiting Sydney • Visit the museum (hot outside) • This exhibit • School holidays • Site to be seen • Museum trip on our list • Kid • Aztecs and something to do. This was next to it. • In the area • Aztecs • Aztecs and museum, this was just here • Place to visit with family • Entertain family • Passing time • Visiting Sydney and its museums • Museum is a site to visit • Museum as a whole • Visiting Sydney • Visiting the museum • To see more of the museum as last time was just Aztecs

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What did you LIKE BEST about the Sea Country exhibition? - Open-Ended Response

• The fact it exists • Videos give visual aspects & creativity of the presentation & sustainability • Weaving and artefacts were very well presented and very beautiful • Stone wall (cave) • Decorational artefacts • Good insight into what took place during colonisation • Artefacts • Personal history, stories about people • Enjoyed commentaries and modern artefacts • Social justice • Videos. Glossary very good, very informative. • Video - enjoyed learning about traditional dance, fishing spears • All the info, shows variety of cultures and cultural people • Presentation is clear • unique layout, lots of information • Social justice section, Tasmanian indigenous • Cave in IA west • Focus on sea country exhibit - coastal groups and their lifestyle, broadening personal understanding. Ghost nets connecting

with contemporary issues was a good addition. Aboriginal language was well integrated, more would be good. Surprised at the amount of contemporary artefacts; they were a good addition.

• Some of new artefacts, the freshness of the design • Informative, stories and dreamtime • Everything, personal relationship, can relate to practices of aboriginal people, similar practices to own experiences in the

bush • Personal interest (friends in video) • The video of making the canoe, the animal sculpture drift nets, last Tasmanian video • Art from central Australia, tools, recent history (post-colonial history) • The layout, information was easily digestible • Cave, sit down & interactive parts • Learning more about the culture, board with info in displays • Preferred the artefacts in the first room, the text • Finding out more

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• Beautiful artefacts/art • Wealth of information • Information was great • Insight into Australian indigenous culture • Visual layout • Artefacts & Sea Country were really good • New info, concentrated bits of info • Last Tasmanian space • Sculptures (big fish), very complete • Social justice • Social justice • story, installation with sand and rocks, contemporary & pastoral history • Learning few basic words (aboriginal language). Seeing different / new info • Design is well laid out, quotes and contrast between aboriginal ideology and contemporary contextual ideology • The photography, projections, good flow. • Social justice, land rights, TV screens, interactives. Projections were really good in Sea Country • Local knowledge and how they used natural resources • Seeing others interact with space • Performance installations • More welcoming, artefacts, last space was more disturbing • Liked it all • Beautifully presented, free flowing & relaxing and atmospheric space • ids were engaged with the media which meant I could read the panels (they liked the touchscreens, I liked the videos and

stories) • Loved it all, really enjoyed learning about the indigenous people • The videos • Subject matter was interesting • The videos & art • It was interesting • Interesting & layout is nice • The display is very nice and the videos • Nice space, artworks • Well presented, lots of thought went into it • Art, videos, some hands on • Interesting subject matter • Learning about the aboriginals • Interactives • Artefacts • Information was interesting • videos especially dance • Kids were interested in the objects • The artefacts & tools as well as explanations • Videos • Environmental aspects • Sculptures and projections • The atmosphere was very nice • The information is interesting • The items in here • The videos • The items really interesting connection to natural resources

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What could be IMPROVED OR CHANGED in the Sea Country exhibition? - Open-Ended Response

• Message sticks need more detail, too vague. Light is very poor, interactive flaps are too simple/basic, the artefacts inside are not well presented because of the game, more games that emphasise the cultural value of artefacts, no n umbers which correlate between artefacts, very sterile.

• Some of the video could have been longer and more in depth. Some of the audio overlaps with sound from other videos • Looks good, screens were good, ambience • Needed more interactive media for kids • Would have liked to know more about pre-colonisation, for example needs more info about many different languages, more

hard evidence (archaeological) how things were. A clear indicator of which languages they used, a map with communities. First Footsteps needs to be longer

• More use of aboriginal language • Fewer things, less things on top of each other. Too busy, needs to be more refined. Big screen does not have the same • more background about the artists and makers of modern artefacts, a map of aboriginal groups • Incorporated more artefacts and the discover of Australia. More about colonisation • Better correlations between the info and where it was from geographically. Wish there was a better explanation of how they

would like the future to be for indigenous people. More places to sit and observe the touchscreens • More info about the production of some artefacts • More space. A lot of information is crammed into a small space • Would have liked a booth with a documentary that was more extensive and longer • IA west: Visual stories before renovation were better for children, more interactive, picture based games, more age range.

Need to keep kids entertained. More aboriginal stories in visuals/audio, access to positive aboriginal history • Variety of media could be extended (but not too much more) • Lighting was causing shadowing in the front aboriginal gallery • Not a lot here, needs more content, more detail, more in space. More text, needs to spread out more. Lighting too bright.

More music. • Could have been more • Children were scared of hairy men. More for kids • It could be bigger, more prominent in the museum • Needed more information on the painting of body • More seats near front video • Info for children, more accessible • More pictures and aboriginal people in daily life • Excerpt video from "first footsteps" too short • more engravings, and info on rock carvings • More detail in regards to abuse of aboriginals in history • Didn't include South Australia (not broad enough). Whole of Museum and all indigenous groups, map of all aboriginal

groups • More info, more boards, seems small • Layout was a bit disorienting • Different kinds of content in video • Things to take home to share with family (from Maitland and won't remember all the tales to take home, stories and info

would help to tell grandkids. Strata layer not lit properly • Great to take some of these stories with us for reference and projects • More interaction to engage kids • More things for kids • not enough to entertain kids meant I could not enjoy the exhibition

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Is there anything else you’d like to share about the Sea Country exhibition?

• Introductory video was eye catching, others were ambiguous. Would not mix contemporary/historical artefacts, too confusing, keeping separate; clear evolution of artefacts rather than integration. specific information, which connections between nature and peoples, needs more detail (example boomerang and tree shape)

• Quite good, new space in comparison to Canberra museum. These exhibits found a happy medium • Sound should be more partitioned • Needs to be clearly stated what is new and what is old • Less light on video, more on text. People are distracted rather than being educated • As an introduction for someone who is not Australian, it is very good. Don't know about what the different regions are.

Want more info about the videos before they began. • Want to know how people in indigenous groups want their future to look like, what their vision of Australia's future is. • Rudd's apology was particularly amazed and exhibition highlighted Australian ignorance, the sentiment of the exhibition is

of a conservationist tone, showing the ignorance of new generations who ignore ancient ideology which was more in tune with nature

• Young children need to be exposed early. Videos with aboriginal children to help other children identify with the info presented, have integrated adult/children info. More advertising, refreshed regularly, free aspects of the msueum to make it accessible

• Seating was really good when watching video media. A guide would be good. • IA: Would be nice to see more original works, needs more variety. Panels are quite dense. Needs to be more cohesive (Sea

Country has worked it better). Height of plinths and games were too high for children. Need to get rid of rocks. Sea country was good layout - flow was better than first aboriginal gallery.

• Text is much better than in IA gallery. IA has too much text on walls. • The space could be more detailed and given more emphasis in the museum (indigenous history is vital to Australians in

order to progress socially) • More advertisement • I'd like to see more • The atmosphere in Sea Country is more clear • More projections, more imagery which draws the eye around • More promotion of the location • Would have liked bit about sporting aboriginals and their context • Seeing the animals in the space, watching videos, ghost nets • Glossaries were good. Preferred the carvings and the human touch of the space. The art works made specifically for the space

were good. Stories were good. • Needed a little more in it, more detail, good info • too cold • good exhibition for a visitor •